Boston Seafood Restaurants

Best restaurants in Boston for lobster, New England clam chowder, and other seafood dinners

Dining on delicious fresh fish and shellfish in Boston seafood restaurants can be a highlight of any visit to this waterfront city.

Local seafood specialties include lobster, fried clams, fishermen platters, and even sushi!

And dining venues range from oyster bars to sushi bars, from clam shacks (ok, the city version) to fancy seafood restaurants - and everything in between.  You'll find excellent spots to enjoy delicious seafood in every neighborhood throughout the city. 

And remember, almost all Boston restaurants, even if they don’t specialize in seafood, usually feature fish and shellfish in at least a couple of their main courses.   Even most steakhouses include a “surf” section in their menus.

What specialties will you find in Boston seafood restaurants?

Clam chowder is a special treat.  Don't expect to find the tomato-based red kind that you might find elsewhere.  In Boston, we prefer New England clam chowder, featuring a milk or cream base that enhances the delicate flavor of local clams. 

Where will you find the best clam chowder?  Hmmm . . . everyone has their own opinions about this!  You'll have to sample the chowder at a lot of different places and form your own opinion.  Don't overlook other fish chowders and lobster bisque - those are also fabulous here.

If you’re planning to order boiled lobster — a specialty in many Boston seafood restaurants — you may first want to check out our detailed instructions on how to eat lobster.  Eating a whole lobster is easy once you know how to approach it - but even if you don't, most waitstaff are happy to show you.

Enjoy this sampling of some of the best Boston seafood restaurants where you can dine on lobster, fried clams, fishermen’s platters, Chinese-style whole fish, and even sushi! 

We provide estimates of the cost of eating out in Boston restaurants. 

Daily Catch $$

North End; 323 Hanover St; Orange, Green Lines/Haymarket; 617-523-8567; www.dailycatch.com; a 2nd location of this popular Boston seafood restaurant is in the Seaport District at 2 Northern Ave

Locally known as "The Calamari Place," this small - 6 or 7 tables - and casual family-run Sicilian restaurant specializes in the very freshest Boston seafood - and especially calamari, which is the Italian word for squid.

Dishes are cooked to order - think of it as home cooking - and many are served in iron skillets.   The Daily Catch is a great place to go if you want to relax over a leisurely meal and don’t mind waiting if a table isn't immediately available.

Despite the tempting fish and other shellfish choices, I love their fried calamari with lemon and almost always order that . . . but bites from family member’s skillets prove that everything is delicious.

I've only eaten at the tiny North End location, where getting a table can take awhile if you arrive at a busy time, especially on the weekends.

Locals know how to avoid the wait (and this really is a local restaurant, not a tourist spot).   Here are my own 3 best tips for getting a table without waiting in a long line:

• Go with a total of 4 or fewer people.
• Avoid the busiest times, like noon-1pm or 6-8pm.
• If we see a long line, we detour to one of the North End's fabulous bakery/cafes for expressos and perhaps biscotti, and then come back later.

The Seaport District location on Northern Ave looks a bit larger (and has fabulous waterfront views), but these tips are probably useful there as well.

Neptune Oyster $$$

North End; 63 Salem St; Orange and Green Lines/Haymarket; 617-742-3474; www.neptuneoyster.com

Outstanding raw bar and very pleasing wine list.

The menu in this casual Boston seafood restaurant in the North End features sublime shellfish and fish (although if you're a die-hard carnivore, you can order an 18 ounce rib eye steak).

Great place to get boiled lobster, local fish, and grilled Maine lobster "clambake."  It's one of my favorite spots for lobster roll.

Be aware that Neptune Oyster's menu lists many items at "market price" - meaning that menu pricing varies based on the cost of the seafood on the dock.  So unless you know how dock prices are running, you won't necessarily be able to predict how much you'll spend here in advance.

Union Oyster House $$$

Downtown – Faneuil Hall area; 41 Union St; Green or Blue Line T/Government Center; Orange, Green Lines/Haymarket; 617-227-2750; www.unionoysterhouse.com

Dating from 1826, this is both the oldest restaurant in Boston, and the oldest restaurant in continuous service in the U.S.

Not sure if this also makes it the oldest Boston seafood restaurant - but it may hold this title as well!

As you can guess from Union Oyster House’s name, oysters are a specialty . . . along with clams, shrimp, scallops, and other delectable local shellfish and fish.   This centrally-located Boston seafood restaurant, popular with both locals and tourists, is also a good place to come for traditional local and New England specialties such as boiled lobster, shore dinners, broiled Boston scrod, Boston baked beans, native corn, and of course, Indian pudding and Boston cream pie.

More about the Union Oyster House

O Ya $$$$

Leather District; 9 East St; Red Line/South Station; 617-654-9900; www.oyarestaurantboston.com

Granted, this isn’t a traditional Boston seafood restaurant since most of the premier-quality fish and shellfish in this innovative sushi restaurant aren’t cooked and the menu includes a lot of non-seafood items as well - but if you like top-quality sushi and sashimi with an original twist, you’ll want to add this locally renowned restaurant to your "must visit while in Boston" list.  O Ya frequently tops "best Boston restaurant" lists.

Although O Ya’s menu changes often to reflect seasonal and even daily availability of their top-quality ingredients, here is a sampling of what you might find: bluefin tuna nigiri with soy braised garlic and micro greens . . . bali-style scallop sashimi with coconut dressing, mint, and lime juice . . . and for those who want something other than seafood, chicken yakitori with celeriac puree and perigord black truffle . . . foie gras gyoza with sansho and pink peppercorns.

You’re sure to enjoy sampling O Ya’s creative sake offerings, too.

Grill 23 and Bar $$$$

Back Bay; 161 Berkeley St; Green Line/Arlington; 617-542-2255; www.grill23.com

Although Grill 23 emphasizes prime dry-aged beef, this is also a great place in Back Bay to get casual seafood, such as a large boiled Maine lobster or a juicy swordfish steak.

If you’re a seafood lover, you’ll enjoy Grill 23's nice raw bar and seafood appetizers. If you crave fish but are heading out to dinner with someone whose heart is set on beef, you’ll both be happy here.

Come with a hearty appetite because portions are big!

The 1,000+ selection wine list is sure to enhance your experience.

Jasper White’s Summer Shack $$$

Back Bay; 50 Dalton St across from Hynes Auditorium, upstairs above Kings Bowling Alley; Green Line/Hynes Convention Center; 617-867-9955; www.summershackrestaurant.com

If you want to experience quintessential New England clam shack food without actually leaving the city, this fun and casual Boston seafood restaurant - the creation of one of the city’s best known chefs - is the place to do it!

You’ll see a huge raw bar case full of succulent shellfish . . . but most important, you’ll love the food.   Summer Shack is one of my family’s favorite places in the city because of - not necessarily in this order - the boiled lobster, lobster rolls, clam chowder, corn dogs, corn on the cob, fresh fish daily specials, the grilled seafood, the raw bar, bouillabaisse, the fish sandwiches, fish and chips . . . well, you get the idea.  

January 2010 update: my older daughter has just informed me I've omitted Summer Shack's best dish - the mussels (that's regardless of how they're prepared).  

You’ll have a great meal and a great time here, whatever you decide to order.

Barking Crab $$$

The Barking Crab, located on the Fort Point Channel and overlooking Boston Harbor, takes the clam shack concept even farther. 

Diners sit at picnic tables under a red and yellow striped tent and enjoy some of the city's freshest seafood as well as prime waterfront views.  But that's just the beginning of the fun at this popular Boston seafood restaurant. . .

More about the Barking Crab . . .

James Hook & Company $

15 Northern Avenue, South Boston Waterfront; Red Line/South Station, or take the Silverline from South Station to the Courthouse stop; 617-423-5500

James Hook isn't a seafood restaurant  - it's primarily a wholesale operation that ships 50,000 pounds of lobster daily to Boston restaurants and wholesale distributors around the country.  However, they do run a small retail business from a trailer where you can buy live lobsters and delicious carryout dinners.  It's also one of the best - and at about $12, possibly the cheapest - places to get lobster rolls in the city.

They also have a few other carryout items such as clam chowder, lobster bisque, and occasionally clam rolls, but I always get the lobster rolls - chunks of sweet, fresh-picked lobster, a little mayo and chopped celery - perfection!

James Hook is carryout only, although they do provide a couple of picnic tables next to the trailer, and you'll also find plenty of other park benches and low walls in nearby areas.  

Chau Chau City $$

Chinatown; 83 Essex St; Orange Line/Chinatown; 617-338-8158; no website

This very large (3 floors!) Chinese restaurant specializes in fresh seafood . . . very fresh, as the tanks of fish awaiting the woks and steamers will attest.   Whenever we're going out to dinner in Chinatown and know ahead of time that we'll want fish, this is where we head.

You’ll most likely find fish prepared in whatever way you want on the long menu . . . but if not, just ask.   Of course, you can enjoy many other popular as well as less well known Chinese dishes here as well.

Like most Chinatown restaurants, Chau Chau City is casual and often crowded - you'll see groups of friends and large family gatherings, as well as tables with just one or two people.   If you come, you'll have a good time and some great Boston seafood - Chinese style!

Legal Seafood $$$

Multiple Boston locations - Back Bay, Downtown-Boston Waterfront, Park Square; www.legalseafoods.com

We think of Legal Seafood as just a local Boston seafood restaurant - but in addition to having a number of locations in the Boston area, it's also nationwide. Still, to us, its a beloved local place.

Legal emphasizes the freshness and quality of its fish and shellfish in their motto: “If it’s not fresh, it’s not Legal.”

In all of the dozens (gosh, maybe hundreds?) of times that we’ve eaten at various Legal locations in Boston over the years, the seafood has always been perfectly fresh, perfectly cooked, and perfectly delicious. Legal’s New England clam chowder may be the best clam chowder in Boston.

You’ll find a wide variety of seafood prepared in many different ways listed on its extensive menu - something for every taste. My daughters love the Children's Menu, especially the "fish of the day" - often a yummy piece of salmon. My own favorite is the Caesar salad with grilled shrimp - or maybe the fisherman's stew, or the fried calamari. The menu even includes a small "turf" section.

B&G Oysters $$$

South End; 550 Tremont St; Orange Line/Back Bay; 617-523-0550; www.bandgoysters.com

Super cool, super trendy, but unpretentious oyster bar with at least 12 different types of raw oysters available daily - you’ll see them written on a board.

The chef/owner bases her daily menu whatever the freshest seafood happens to be each day.  In addition to the succulent oysters, you can also choose other appetizers featuring fresh shellfish - or move on to the fabulous lobster rolls, totally delicious seafood entrees like monkfish wrapped with smoked pancetta and fried local clams, and dessert.

Like so many of Boston's small independently owned restaurants, B&G Oysters expresses the chef/owner's vision of a perfect dining experience - great food based on the freshest local ingredients, great ambiance (the tall stools around the elegant bar here are among the favorite seats in the South End), great location.

Oh, and great wine. You'll also enjoy the small but carefully chosen wine list featuring mostly whites and a few reds to pair nicely with the food.

If you love raw oysters and other totally fresh seafood, this small but perfect oyster bar in the South End belongs on your "must visit while in Boston" list.

Other Boston Seafood Restaurant Choices

Durgin Park $$$   - Near Faneuil Hall and Quincy Marketplace - one of Boston's oldest restaurants, with a large number of great seafood choices as well as other traditional New England cuisine.  Lots of lobster choices.