Boston restaurants offer up memorable food as varied as the city's rich history. 

Looking for lobster dinners and fresh seafood?  The best Italian cuisine outside of Italy?  Historic taverns where the Sons of Liberty plotted the American Revolution?  Fun sports bars? 

You can find all of that and a lot more in Boston.  With about 3,000 restaurants, including many small chef-owned bistros you won't find anywhere else, you'll find lots to love here: fresh local and New England ingredients, flavors from around the world, and warm welcomes.

Featuring the best local and New England ingredients and a mix of flavors from around the world, our talented chefs serve up something for every taste and budget. 

So where should you dine and drink, especially if you're a visitor to Boston and not familiar with all the options?

Every neighborhood offers fantastic choices, from casual to swanky, affordable to break-the-bank - with so many choices, figuring out what's on offer and where to go can be tough.

To make deciding where to go easier, we've put together this guide to Boston's lively dining and drinking scene, with choices organized by location, by cuisine, and experiences such as historic taverns, outdoor dining, sports bars, wine bars, and cheap eats.

We hope you'll love the huge variety of Boston's lively dining and drinking scene as much as we do!

Top photo: Outdoor dining along Newbury Street in the Back Bay neighborhood, (c) Boston Discovery Guide

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Boston Neighborhood Restaurant Guides

Boston restaurants - Theatre District

Theatre District

The 15 best places to dine & drink before or after your show.

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Boston restaurants - Best patio dining  in Back Bay

Outdoor Dining in Back Bay

Find the best places for patio dining along Newbury Street  . . . More


Boston restaurants - Top restaurants in Seaport overlooking the Harbor

Seaport (South Boston Waterfront)

You'll love the Boston Harbor views and wonderful food at these lively Seaport restaurants

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Boston restaurants - Top restaurants in Fort Point

Fort Point (South Boston Waterfront)

Find the top chef-owned restaurants in this trendy art-filled neighborhood

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Boston restaurants - Fun restaurants in Chinatown

5 Fun Chinatown Restaurants

5 Chinatown restaurants where you'll love the food as well as the fun ambiance

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Boston restaurants - Dim sum restaurants in Chinatown

Where to Go for Dim Sum

Best places to enjoy dim sum (i.e., Chinese brunch) in Chinatown

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Boston restaurants - Irish pubs

Irish Pubs in Boston

Indulge in Irish cuisine, Guinness, and cheer in these corners of Ireland in Boston, with Irish football on the big screens and maybe a live trad session 

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Boston restaurants - Best bars near Fenway Park

Sports, Irish, & Music Bars near Fenway

Enjoy big screens, a bit of Ireland, live music, and plenty of fun at these bars near Fenway Park   . . . More


Boston restaurants - Best bars near TD Garden

Favorite Bars near TD Garden

Our top picks for rollicking sports bars, dance clubs, & Irish pubs near the Garden

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Boston restaurants - Quincy Market

Quincy Market

Want to try traditional Boston and New England cuisine?  The Food Hall at Quincy Market offers traditional fare (plus modern faves)

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Want information about Boston neighborhoods and districts where these restaurants are located?   Check out our Boston Neighborhood Guide.


Fun Boston Tours


Where to Eat & Drink in Boston by Cuisine

Whether you crave a lobster roll, Chinese dim sum, or just turkey (or not) for Thanksgiving, these articles will help you find the best in Boston!

Boston restaurants - Shore food

Shore Food in Boston

The Barking Crab is as close as you'll get to a clam shack or lobster shack in Boston - and it's a fun place to go 

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Boston restaurants - Best French restaurants

French

Sample Boston's best French cuisine - where to find steak-frites, onion soup, crème brulée, & French wine

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Boston restaurants - Lobster roll recipe

How to Make Your Own Lobster Roll

Love Boston's lobster rolls?  Here's how to make your own (it's easy!) and enjoy this seafood favorite at home

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Boston restaurants - How to eat a lobster

How to Eat a Lobster

Don't miss our tips on how to eat a lobster without making a huge mess

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Boston restaurants - Where to go for Thanksgiving dinner

Thanksgiving Dinner

Where to enjoy Thanksgiving dinners & buffets - plus a few alternatives

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Boston restaurants - Historic Boston Bars

Historic Boston Bars

Follow in the footsteps of history when you raise your glass in these favorite Revolutionary War-era watering holes

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Boston restaurants - Irish pubs

Irish Pubs in Boston

Indulge in Irish cuisine, Guinness, and cheer in these corners of Ireland in Boston, with Irish football on the big screens and maybe a live trad session 

More

Boston restaurants - Best patio dining  in Back Bay

Wine Bars

Explore Boston's wealth of wine bars where you can sample excellent and interesting vintages from from around the world accompanied by small plates 

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More about Dining in Boston

Photo credits:  stock.adobe.com/Olga Lyubkin (lobster roll); iStock.com/grafvision (lobster); iStock.com/AlexRaths (turkey)





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