Boston

New Boston Restaurant Ranked Among Best in the World By Travel Magazine

The Koji Club opened last year in the Charles River Speedway at 525 Western Ave. in Brighton

One of the best new restaurants in the world is right here in Boston, according to Condé Nast Traveler.

The Koji Club snagged one of 21 coveted spots on the travel magazine's list of this year's top new dining destinations around the globe, from Cape Town to Quito, as part of its 2023 Hot List, which highlights the best restaurants, hotels, museums, cruises and more.

Boston's first sake bar, which opened last year in the Charles River Speedway in the city's Brighton neighborhood, is described by the publication as an "intimate 250 square-foot bar space that is as cozy and authentic as anything you would find in Japan."

"Koji Club's bartenders offer an encyclopedic knowledge of sake's multiverse, and the menu breaks down the spirit’s diversity from mild to wild, using cheeky descriptions such as, 'Like walking through a temple in Kyoto wearing Le Labo’s Santal 33.' By the end of each night, you’re brushing elbows with strangers, making friends, and, whether you’re already a sake aficionado or just looking for something to do for date night, walking away with something you didn’t know before you went."

The Koji Club, Boston's only sake bar, is open in Brighton. The traditional Japanese beverage is more than a single drink. it's an entire flavor experience.

Koji Club owner Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale told Condé Nast that it will feel like a job well done if she can help people learn about and appreciate sake.

The restaurant shared a couple of posts on its Facebook page this weekend promoting the impressive recognition and welcoming any new followers.

"This is a safe place to celebrate, learn about and drink really good sake," one post read. "Our goal is to reframe Japanese sake from an esoteric, exotic, cheap, hangover inducing, sushi companion (insert sake bomb here) to an approachable, delicious everyday beverage choice through nontraditional partnerships, unique learning experiences and Boston’s first sake bar."

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