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, sportsbars, 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 NewburyStreet in the Back Bay neighborhood, (c) Boston Discovery Guide
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Boston Neighborhood Restaurant Guides
Theatre District
The 15 best places to dine & drink before or after your show.
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Outdoor Dining in Back Bay
Find the best places for patio dining along Newbury Street . . . More
Seaport (South Boston Waterfront)
You'll love the Boston Harbor views and wonderful food at these lively Seaport restaurants
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Fort Point (South Boston Waterfront)
Find the top chef-owned restaurants in this trendy art-filled neighborhood
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5 Fun Chinatown Restaurants
5 Chinatown restaurants where you'll love the food as well as the fun ambiance
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Where to Go for Dim Sum
Best places to enjoy dim sum (i.e., Chinese brunch) in Chinatown
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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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Enjoy big screens, a bit of Ireland, live music, and plenty of fun at these bars near Fenway Park . . . More
Favorite Bars near TD Garden
Our top picks for rollicking sports bars, dance clubs, & Irish pubs near the Garden
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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 bestin Boston!
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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French
Sample Boston's best French cuisine - where to find steak-frites, onionsoup, crème brulée, & French wine
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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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Thanksgiving Dinner
Where to enjoy Thanksgiving dinners & buffets - plus a few alternatives
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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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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
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
- Dine Out Boston - Winter Event - Finddates and participating restaurants for Restaurant Week in March
- Dine Out Boston - Summer Event - Finddates and participating restaurants for Restaurant Week in August
- - Want to snag Dine Out reservations at the city's top restaurants? Find out how
- Union Oyster House -What to enjoy and experience at this historical seafood restaurant
- How to Steam a Lobster - In case you want to dine on lobster at home
- How to Boil a Lobster - Another way to prepare this popular treat at home
- Cookbooks by Top Boston Chefs - Find out how to prepare a taste of Boston at home
Photo credits: stock.adobe.com/Olga Lyubkin (lobster roll); iStock.com/grafvision (lobster); iStock.com/AlexRaths (turkey)
More Articles about Dining Destinations in Boston
- Experience a taste of Ireland in Boston's favorite Irish pubs
- Check out Boston's hottest chef-owned restaurants in Fort Point
- Find Boston's best wine bars, wine tasting festivals, and wine shops offering free wine tastings
- Get the best dining deals around duringBoston Restaurant Week
- Get a glimpse of Boston history when you visit our historic taverns
Need a Boston Hotel or Apartment?
Use this handy map from Booking.com tofind the perfect place to stay. Just enter your dates to find what's available, see the best rates, and make your reservations.