Dining in Boston restaurants is one of the pleasures of visiting here.
Where you're here on vacation or for business, you'll want to eat in as many Boston restaurants as your time and wallet permit. You can choose among a huge variety of restaurants . . . splurge and cheap . . . . different kinds of cuisine, like Italian and French . . . and even specific food types, like seafood and steakhouses.
So with such a wide range of boston restaurant options, how do you choose? Here's my tried-and-true recommendation: think about why you're going out, what you want to eat, and where you'll be.
And how much do you want to spend? Boston has excellent restaurants in all price ranges. I provide cost ranges for each restaurant's main dishes so that you can compare the cost of eating out at different restaurants. (And remember, you can try some of the best for affordable prices during Restaurant Week in Boston).
Once you know the answers to those questions, use my following guide to Boston restaurants to find recommendations for mouth-watering choices. I've organized information about Boston restaurants in 3 ways so that you can find what you want faster.
Quick links:
Carnivores, these places are for you! Sink your teeth into the best steaks and chops. But don't despair if you crave seafood - many Boston steakhouses also offer lobster and other "surf" specialties. You’ll enjoy the robust wine lists, too. More about Boston steakhouses
Check out Boston's best seafood restaurants - everything ranging from lobster to fish and chips. More about Boston seafood restaurants
Plus, if you want to order a whole lobster but you're not sure how to dismember the creature staring up at you from your plate, you can consult my instructions and photos about how to eat lobster.
When romance is in the air during your Boston visit, you’ll want to bring your love to one of these favorite Boston restaurants for proposals, anniversaries, and celebrations.
When you have something big to celebrate and want to splurge, make reservations at one of these places. Yes, they’re pricey—but you’ll enjoy a memorable evening.
Sometimes you just want a quick bite . . . and sometimes you want to dine well (and maybe even impress your date) without breaking the bank. Sample my favorite affordable Boston restaurants, bistros, carryout, and sandwich places. More about Boston cheap eats
Boston’s bakeries, desserteries, and special dessert offerings are a popular destination. Discover the Saturday Chocolate Bar at Café Fleuri, after-theatre treats at Finale, and fabulous cannoli in at Modern Pastry and other North End cafés.
Want to raise a pint while enjoying fish and chips in Paul Revere’s favorite tavern? Or grab a bite in a great sports bar near Fenway Park or near TD Garden? Or listen to Irish music while you enjoy traditional Irish fare? Check out these options:
Visiting Boston on Thanksgiving? Or you live here - but want to avoid the kitchen? Check out these traditional and creative Boston Thanksgiving Dinner options.
If you’re a Boston visitor and love Italian food, you’ll want to put at least one of these top spots on your “must visit” list. Boston Italian restaurants and bakeries.
Merci, Julia Child! Boston's fabulous French restaurants and bistros feature spectacular French flavors and cooking techniques, using the best New England seafood and freshest local vegetables - plus romantic ambiance. French restaurants in Boston
With the 3rd largest Chinatown in the U.S., Boston has plenty of excellent Dim Sum restaurants. Here's my guide to the best! Dim Sum restaurants in Boston
Come enjoy Yankee pot roast, New England clambakes, prime rib, lobster, fresh veggies, perfect French fries, juicy burgers, and American home style cooking . . . along with local specialties like New England clam chowder and Boston cream pie.
Boston restaurants featuring cuisine from countries all across Asia can be found throughout Boston. Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Taiwanese, Malaysian, Indian, Vietnamese . . . you’ll enjoy all of it here.
If you love Middle Eastern and Eastern Mediterranean food, you’ll find some interesting options among these Boston restaurants.
Home to some of the city's trendiest shops, beautiful historic churches, stunning architecture, and luxurious hotels, Back Bay is also where you'll find some of the best Boston restaurants in all price ranges. More about Back Bay restaurants
Here are some top Back Bay restaurants to consider:
For excellent Theatre District dining choices, visit restaurants in Boston's smallest neighborhood, Bay Village. More about Bay Village restaurants.
Here are some top Bay Village restaurants:
One of the city's oldest neighborhoods, historical Beacon Hill has a wide variety of great restaurants, many with talented chef/owners.
Here are just a few of the Beacon Hill restaurants that you'll enjoy:
Another old Boston neighborhood, Charlestown has 2 popular Freedom Trail sites - the Bunker Hill Monument and the USS Constitution - plus HarborWalk and charming neighborhoods to explore. You'll also enjoy the restaurants, including the Warren Tavern, built in 1780 right after the Revolutionary War.
You're sure to enjoy these restaurants:
Instead of saying "Downtown Boston," lots of Bostonians refer to its distinct areas - the Financial District, Chinatown, the Leather District, and so forth - when describing restaurant locations.
Once you see how relatively small Downtown Boston really is, you may think all this slicing and dicing into smaller areas is a little silly - and it probably is, but this is how we'll describe locations too..
Keep in mind that these areas range from small to very small, and are adjacent to each other. Walking from one area to another is as close as crossing the street.
The sinking of the elevated Central Artery reunited Boston's Waterfront with the rest of Downtown. We're still getting used to it. Waterfront and near-the-waterfront restaurants provide a great excuse to stroll along the water and admire the views.
Here are several that you'll want to try:
Not just Chinese restaurants fill Boston's thriving Chinatown. You'll also find Taiwanese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Korean, Malaysian, Thai, and other Asian restaurants. Chinatown restaurants tend to stay open later than others in the city, so they're a popular spot after the theaters close. And for brunch, you can't beat Chinatown's dim sum restaurants!
Here are just a few of the dozens of delicious choices:
Even though Downtown Crossing and the Financial District comprise distinct areas, Financial District employees flood many Downtown Crossing restaurants at noon - so we combine them. The Ladder District? Well, that term never caught on locally, but you'll see it in guidebooks so we include it. And then there's the Faneuil Hall area. You could argue that it's actually in the West End - but most people regard it as the most historic part of Downtown, so that's where we put it.
Some wonderful spots to try include:
This small but trendy leather-factories-turned-lofts area next to Chinatown has a few equally trendy restaurants. Generally speaking, you'll find innovative cuisine, creative drinks, wine pairings, and jazz.
Boston's Theatre District occupies a small area south of Boston Common, made slightly larger when combined with next door Park Square looking out over the Public Garden. More about Boston Theatre District Restaurants
Try these excellent choices:
The Fenway neighborhood, which includes Kenmore Square, contains cultural institutions such as Symphony Hall and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, two major universities and a number of smaller colleges, Fenway Park (home of Boston Red Sox games), and many great places to eat. More about Fenway restaurants.
A few of the many that you'll enjoy include:
Boston's North End is justly famous for its wonderful small restaurants and bakeries. You'll find many of the city's most popular Italian eateries here, many of them on Hanover Street. You can walk down the narrow streets and follow your nose, or try some of these great places:
Just across Fort Point Channel from Downtown Boston lie the South Boston Waterfront, Seaport District, and Fort Point - a rapidly developing area containing the new Boston Convention Center, a couple of museums, and a growing number of restaurants.
You'll enjoy trying these:
Filled with magnificently restored red brick Victorian row houses, leafy streets, and small parks, the South End boasts theaters, an exciting arts community, trendy shops, and the city's highest concentration of chef/owner restaurants. More about South End restaurants
You'll love these, as well as all of the many other choices.
Home to Boston's mammoth Government Center, some of the city's premier hospitals, high-rise luxury condos, and Banknorth Garden, Boston's West End has some of the country's oldest restaurants and taverns along with newer places.
Here's a small sample of places for you to enjoy:
Cafe 939 @ Berklee
Jethroe Tull
June 15
James Taylor and Carole King
June 19-20
Cyndi Lauper
June 26
Mary Chapin Carpenter
June 27
Ringo Starr
June 29
Doobie Brothers
July 6
B B King
July 9
Melissa Etheridge
July 10
Bon Jovi
July 24
Aerosmith & J Geils Band
August 14
N.E. Country Music Festival
August 21