Chickadee served its last plate of fried chicken and biscuits on July 18. Eleven weeks later, a tea bar called Bloom is getting ready to open two blocks away.
This fall brings changes to the neighborhood's dining scene: Chickadee has closed, and several new restaurants are opening or planned nearby.
Chickadee's Role in the Neighborhood
Chickadee opened in 2018 inside the Innovation and Design Building, at the far end of Drydock Avenue, in a corner of Seaport that wasn't yet a destination for anything. Chef John DaSilva and beverage director Ted Kilpatrick met working at the now-closed No. 9 Park, and what they built together earned a James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant, then three more nods for DaSilva individually for Best Chef: Northeast.
None of that is why residents are still talking about it. Chickadee ran a monthly Cookbook Club where DaSilva cooked dishes inspired by chefs he admired for small groups of regulars. During the pandemic, its takeout program became one of the few normal things left in a very abnormal stretch. In the restaurant's farewell post, the team wrote that regulars became friends and first dates turned into anniversaries. That's not marketing language. That's what eight years in one building does.
The closing announcement gave no reason. What matters for anyone who lives in Seaport is simpler: Chickadee, an independently owned, chef-driven restaurant, has closed. Bloom is opening two blocks away, not in the space Chickadee left behind.
New Restaurants Opening in Seaport
Walk the same stretch of Seaport today and many restaurants opening or about to open belong to groups with more than one address. Some of those groups came from other cities. A few are homegrown. The list below includes Chickadee alongside recently opened and planned restaurants, with ownership and status noted.
| Restaurant | Group behind it | Status as of September 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Chickadee | Independent, chef John DaSilva and Ted Kilpatrick | Closed July 18, 2026 |
| Maple & Ash | Chicago-based steakhouse group | Open since April 2026 |
| Daily Provisions | Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality, New York | Open since May 2026 |
| Salt & Straw | Portland, Oregon ice cream brand | Open since July 24, 2026, first Boston location |
| Life Alive | Massachusetts chain based in Lowell | Open since July 21, 2026, new Seaport location |
| Hawksmoor | London-based steakhouse group | Recently opened |
| Ci Siamo | Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality, New York | Opening soon |
| Moro Mou | Xenia Greek Hospitality, Boston, also behind Krasi and Kaia | Expected later this year |
| Le Boulevard and Bar 23 | Himmel Hospitality Group, Boston, also behind Grill 23 and Harvest | Opening spring 2027 |
| Bloom | Independent, owner Christian Doan | Opening early October 2026 |
Eight of the ten entries are associated with groups that have more than one location, including groups based in Chicago, London, New York, and Boston. Himmel Hospitality Group is based in Boston. Chef-partner Robert Sisca has said Bar 23 will serve Kobe, 100-day ribeye, and dry-aged sirloin; Back Bay's Grill 23 has been open since 1983. The entries range from already-open restaurants to planned openings.
The two entries identified as independent are Chickadee and Bloom. Chickadee has closed.
Bloom's Planned Opening
According to Boston Magazine, Bloom is opening in the former Zazibar space in the atrium at 60 Seaport Blvd, a 20-seat, horseshoe-shaped bar designed to keep customers close to whoever is making their drink. By day it pours matcha and tea. By night it becomes a cocktail bar, with help from Mahaniyom's Chompon Boonnak on the drink program. It's set to open in early October.
The owner is Christian Doan, better known by his handle @chopstickmurphys, where his videos documenting Boston restaurant visits have racked up millions of views. He's also a quiet investor behind Mai, the Seaport izakaya known for caviar-topped chicken tempura. Bloom is his first restaurant with his own name on the lease, and he's been direct about why he built it the way he did.
Christian Doan told Boston Magazine, "I want to resist the notion that Seaport is hyper-optimized and streamlined. I want people to have a cool beverage and be in the moment."
Bloom's 20-seat bar is one of several different restaurant formats represented among this year's openings.
What's Still Running Before the Season Ends
The restaurant wave isn't the only thing changing for residents this fall. Seaport Sweat, the free outdoor workout series that's become one of the neighborhood's real anchors, is in its 11th season and wraps for the year on September 30. This is the first season Saturday classes moved from Seaport Common to Harbor Way, a small shift but one that longtime residents will notice if they've been walking to the wrong lawn.
The Grove at Lawn on D has more runway. The botanical-themed reboot of the Lawn, with ivy-wrapped entrances and one of the largest LED screens in the Boston area, stays open daily through November 1, which means there's still a full month of weekend live music and outdoor movie nights left before it closes for the winter.
Both of these programs are run by the district's own operator. Seaport Sweat and The Grove offer neighborhood programming, and both have a closing date already on the calendar. Bloom, meanwhile, is among the restaurants expected to open this fall.
The Read for Anyone Who Already Lives Here
None of this means Seaport is losing its character. The entries here show a mix of independent businesses and multi-location groups among Seaport's recent restaurant openings and planned locations. That's a normal thing for a young, fast-growing district to go through.
If there's a narrow window worth marking on the calendar, it's this one. Seaport Sweat closes out its season on September 30. Bloom is scheduled to open in the first week of October. The Grove keeps its lights on through November 1.
Whether you're weighing what a Seaport address means for daily life or you're watching the neighborhood's transaction activity for other reasons, this mix of independent businesses and multi-location groups tends to show up in property values and building turnover well before it appears in a market report. If you want a read on what it means for your own building, timeline, or investment plans, Urban Circle Realty knows this stretch of the waterfront block by block. Connect with Sherean and the Urban Circle team to talk through what's changing on your street and what it means for you.
