Boston Restaurants Guide | Where to Eat | Boston Discovery Guide (2024)

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

Boston Discovery Guide is a reader-supported publication. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost for you. Learn more

Boston Neighborhood Restaurant Guides

Theatre District

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

More

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

More

Fort Point (South Boston Waterfront)

5 Fun Chinatown Restaurants

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

More

Where to Go for Dim Sum

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

More

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

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

More

Quincy Market

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

More

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

More

French

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

More

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

More

How to Eat a Lobster

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

More

Thanksgiving Dinner

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

More

Historic Boston Bars

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

More

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

More

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.

Boston Restaurants Guide | Where to Eat | Boston Discovery Guide (2024)

FAQs

What food must you eat in Boston? ›

The top Boston foods to seek out are:
  • New England-style clam chowder (make sure to get the oyster crackers on top)
  • Broiled Boston scrod.
  • Raw clams & oysters.
  • Steamed lobster, lobster rolls and clam rolls (cold or fried)
  • Yankee pot roast.
  • Boston baked beans and brown bread.
  • Pizza.
  • Cannolis.
Jan 10, 2024

How does dine out in Boston work? ›

What is Dine Out Boston? Dine Out Boston, formerly known as Restaurant Week Boston®, is brought to you by Meet Boston twice a year, providing locals and visitors an opportunity to sample area restaurants at special prices. Participating restaurants design prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner.

Is Boston good for foodies? ›

Boston is known for its abundance of authentic cultural restaurants, each offering their own unique take on traditional dishes. The city's diverse population has created an exuberant food scene, where you'll find everything from Mexican and Italian food to Lebanese, Indian and Jamaican dishes.

How many restaurants are there in NYC? ›

There are more than eight million people living in New York City and some 25,000 restaurants keeping them fed.

What is Boston's signature dish? ›

A signature Boston dessert from the 19th century

The Boston cream pie has been a staple of the Boston diet since 1856. Despite being called a pie, it's more like a cake, consisting of 2 rounds of custard-bathed spongecake with a rum syrup glossing and a chocolate topping.

What is Boston most famous thing? ›

The Boston Tea Party: Defiance In The Harbor

When you hear the name “Boston”, it's almost impossible not to think of the famous tea party that changed world history.

What is the most popular day to Dineout? ›

The spring and summer months have two of the busiest restaurant days of the year — Mother's Day and Father's Day — and the sunshine motivates customers eat out at restaurants. Of course, the busy season is great for restaurants to turn a profit, but it also comes with challenges.

What does Sunday Dineout mean? ›

to eat dinner away from home. See full dictionary entry for dine.

What sandwich is Boston known for? ›

Hot Box. The North Shore-style roast beef sandwich is — in all of its sloppy, messy glory — an iconic Massachusetts bite.

What is a classic Boston meal? ›

Clam chowder

Clam chowder was voted by readers as the top classic Boston dish. – Globe Staff/John Tlumacki. True New England clam chowder (pronounced chowdah, if you please) is a rich and thick concoction of shellfish, salt pork or bacon, potatoes, and cream. Don't forget the oyster crackers.

What drink is Boston known for? ›

Ward Eight

The most famous old Boston co*cktail.

Where does Taylor Swift eat in New York? ›

Taylor Swift's Go-To NYC Restaurants, Ranked
  • Freemans and Banzarbar.
  • The Polo Bar. ...
  • Emilio's Ballato. ...
  • Lucali. lucali_bk / Instagram. ...
  • Locanda Verde. locandaverde / Instagram. ...
  • Waverly Inn. thewaverlyinnstagram / Instagram. ...
  • Brasserie Fouquet's. fouquets.newyork / Instagram. ...
  • Zero Bond. zerobondnyc / Instagram. ...
Feb 14, 2024

Which US city has the most restaurants? ›

Orlando, Florida, has the most restaurants (per square root of population), 7.23, which is 18.1 times more than in Pearl City, Hawaii, the city with the fewest at 0.40.

How many restaurants does Gordon Ramsay own? ›

Gordon Ramsay is best known for his appearances in "Hell's Kitchen," "MasterChef," "The F Word," and other cooking shows. He also has a thriving career beyond the screen, operating 58 restaurants around the world, with additional food hall stalls and food court locations, bringing the total to nearly 90.

What is Massachusetts most iconic food? ›

Massachusetts is known for its seafood like lobster, crab, oysters, New England Clam Chowder (or "chowdah") and Scallops. It's also the birthplace of Boston Cream Pie, Nestle Toll House Cookies, Parker House Rolls, and fluffernutter sandwiches, which I took as inspiration for my Fluffernutter Cookies.

What is Boston Common famous for? ›

Boston Common continues to be a stage for free speech and public assembly. Here, during the 20th century, Charles Lindbergh promoted commercial aviation. Anti-Vietnam War and civil right rallies were held, including one led by Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1979, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass.

What is the national food of Massachusetts? ›

List of U.S. state foods
StateFood typeFood name
MassachusettsState dessertBoston cream pie
State cookieChocolate chip cookie
State doughnutBoston cream doughnut
Michigan
126 more rows

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Geoffrey Lueilwitz

Last Updated:

Views: 5676

Rating: 5 / 5 (80 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Geoffrey Lueilwitz

Birthday: 1997-03-23

Address: 74183 Thomas Course, Port Micheal, OK 55446-1529

Phone: +13408645881558

Job: Global Representative

Hobby: Sailing, Vehicle restoration, Rowing, Ghost hunting, Scrapbooking, Rugby, Board sports

Introduction: My name is Geoffrey Lueilwitz, I am a zealous, encouraging, sparkling, enchanting, graceful, faithful, nice person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.