I originally wrote this post on April 23, 2013 following the Boston Marathon bombings. It was in honor of my beloved city, which was going through so much grief at the time. I felt compelled to support Boston and share about it, which I did by writing a round up of my favorite places that I recommend to friends whenever they visit Boston. I updated once in 2017, right after moving to Hong Kong. It's hard to believe it is already another SIX years since that post. Though a lot of my recommendations remain, the pandemic has unfortunately wiped away many restaurants, and thus it was time for an update. I've gone through and removed restaurants that have closed. I have also added a handful of new places that I recommend!
Before I begin my long list of recommendations, below is a short and sweet version, for those of you who just want a few top recommendations:
TD;LR
This is the short and concise summary of where I'd recommend eating if you only have a couple days in Boston (and you want to try the city's "signature" dishes).
- Hot buttered lobster roll, raw oysters, + fantastic beer list at Row 34 in Seaport, Boston. If you have time for another lobster roll, go line up at Neptune Oyster.
- Ice cream at Toscanini's in Cambridge
- Lunch at Hi-Rise Bread Company's (get a slice of the vanilla loaf!)
- Pasta in Boston's North End (Mamma Maria or Prezza) + a cannoli or "lobster tail" pastry at Modern or Mike's Pastry
- Creative, seafood-focused small plates at Moëca in Cambridge'
1. Taste Boston's Famous Seafood
Boston has fantastic seafood - everything from our dizzying array of raw oysters to the awesome lobster rolls and clam chowder. Try the incredible lobster roll at Neptune Oyster in Boston's North End. Their hot buttered lobster roll is especially famous, but everything there is really, really good. I personally love their oysters as well as the Johnny cake.
The Johnny Cake from Neptune Oyster
The biggest negative about this place is that they don't take reservations and the restaurant is tiny. Waits can easily stretch to a couple hours long. Thankfully, you can leave your phone number and they will call you when your table is ready. However, don't show up too late. We've come and been turned away before because the line was so long they wouldn't be able to seat us that night. The last time we went, we showed up right at 11:15am (about 15 minutes before opening) and got in on the first "wave". It's the safest way to ensure a seat, I believe.
A selection of raw oysters from Row 34
If you don't want to wait at Neptune, Row 34 takes reservations and is one of my favorite oyster bar/seafood restaurant in Boston. On top of their excellent cooked seafood dishes, they have great crudos, an awesome raw bar, as well as a killer beer selection. You can also get the hot buttered lobster roll here, and it's divine.
Another option would be Select Oyster Bar in Back Bay (opened by Michael Serpa, previously chef at Neptune Oyster). I'm a huge fan of their crudo (must try the Faroe Island Salmon Crudo!!), and definitely get a platter of local raw oysters.
Finally, check out Eventide in Fenway. Originally from Portland, Maine, this trendy and casual seafood joint offers some of the greatest hits from the Portland location's menu, including their eponymous brown butter lobster roll made with a steamed bun as well as many local oysters on the half shell.
If you have time, take a 45-minute drive up to Boston's North Shore and enjoy famous fried clams from a clam shack (there's a long standing debate about whether Woodman's of Essex or J.T. Farnham's is better. I've never been to Woodman's, but I can say that the views at J.T. Farnham's are beautifully relaxing and the fried clams are tasty (though personally I think there are equally good ones right in Boston). Friends have told me that Clam Box in Ipswich is even better than the above two. And finally, local old-school favorite Legal Sea Food does excellent standard seafood fare, like fried clams, raw oysters, and lobster rolls. Try Legal Harborside for stunning views of the water.
My favorite lobster roll is actually a lobster sandwich from a small neighborhood "shack" in Cambridge called Alive & Kicking Lobster. This tiny little seafood shack only has outdoor picnic benches for seating. It serves fresh whole steamed lobsters, lobster sandwiches, and even a full fledged New England Clam Bake (complete with clam chowder, steamers, and a whole lobster!).
If you like lobster and love the ocean view, definitely check out Lobster Pool in Rockport, where you can actually watch the sunset over the ocean (one of the rare places in the East Coast where this happens!). The lobster rolls and lobster quesadillas there are fantastic.
2. Italian Food in Boston's North End (and some other hidden finds)
The North End is a vibrant, food-packed neighborhood that is definitely a must-visit. Though most tourists will line up to eat at Giacamo's or Pizzeria Regina, we prefer Mamma Maria, a place serving excellent Italian food in a cozy, townhouse-like environment; or the buzzing Prezza, who has one of the best bolognese sauces we've ever tried and an awesome lobster fra diavlo (but really, everything is fantastic).
For more casual, less expensive, but still excellent Italian fare, try Monica's Trattoria or Antico Forno. I always skips dessert at restaurants in the North End because I love heading over to Modern or Mike's Pastry for dessert. Don't miss the awesome lobster tail at Mike's (my favorite!) or the amazing, filled-to-order cannoli at Modern. Lines can get long on weekends, though you can sometimes avoid the lines if you opt for sit-down service at Mike's (if there's an open table). I also love just chilling while sipping on cappuccinos at Cafe Vittoria, an old-school Italian cafe that serves desserts, gelato, and all sorts of coffee drinks.
One great tip about parking is that you can park at the MBTA Haymarket Center (Parcel 7) Garage (address is 136 Blackstone Street but the entrance for the garage is on New Sudbury Road) which only costs $1 for two hours or $3 for three hours if you validate. Many of the North End businesses will validate. Worst case scenario, you can always grab something at the Boston Public Market or get a dessert in a North End shop, most (if not all) of which validate. Just make sure to finish everything within the three hours to get the discount pricing.
Giulia's signature warm semolina cakes with lardo
Giulia, in Cambridge, makes all of its pastas in-house daily and executes excellent dishes overall. For special occasions for larger parties, you can even enjoy a special tasting menu at the Pasta Table. We are so lucky to have this popular place right around the corner from our house. We visit it very often (at least once or twice a month!).
One of my latest obsessions from my recent trips to Boston is the sister restaurant to Giulia, a seafood-focused Moëca in Cambridge. Moëca serves fantastic globally inspired small plates boasting fresh ingredients and incredible flavor. I visited twice in 2023 and loved it both times.
If you're in the South End head on over to Italian restaurant Bar Mezzana. Run by chef-owner Colin Lynch and his wife Heather (formerly from the Barbara Lynch Gruppo - no relation), this place makes fantastic crudo and amazing pasta. Honestly, everything is good here. Their simple cacio e pepe is the best I've ever had. All the pastas are freshly made, and they source great ingredients.
3. A Splurge One Night?
Although Boston hasn't been rated by the likes of the Michelin Guide, San Pellegrino Top 50 Best Restaurants list, or other lists that get passed around, we have our own fair share of fantastic fine dining options. Here are my favorites.
For a twist on Japanese food (one of my favorite cuisines), head down to O Ya in downtown Boston where James Beard Award winning Tim Cushman will delight you with his creative takes on sushi. Must try dishes include the fried Kumamoto oysters nigiri, grilled chanterelles & shitake mushroom "sashimi", and the foie gras nigiri for dessert (yes, chocolate sauce and dessert wine). If you're into sake, Chef Cushman's wife Nancy Cushman is a certified sake sommelier and can create a great pairing for you.
4. Gastropubs, Farm to Table, and Neighborhood Restaurants
One thing that spoiled me when I lived in Cambridge was the plethora of really good gastropubs, something I took for granted too often. Just in Cambridge alone, I only needed to walk a few minutes to find a really good, reasonably priced place where I could get excellent food and a great selection of craft beers. 
I love love love what Chef Tracy Chang is doing in the neighborhood with PAGU, an Asian fusion restaurant that's mostly Japanese and Spanish inspired, but also throws in a dose of Taiwanese from her heritage (yay!). Chef Chang has poured her heart and soul into this place, and it shows. The food is fantastic and beautifully presented.
She also does neighborhood events and really invests in the community. Definitely try the famous pop-up ramen Guchi's Midnight Ramen (my favorite ramen in the city), the cheesy wafflatos, and the squid ink baos. Stop by for breakfast too! They make excellent coffee, phenomenal pastries, and offer Taiwanese-style congee (with a twist, of course).
Lamb Chop and Lamb Sausage from Puritan & Co
Another great restaurant in Cambridge is Puritan & Co., helmed by the super talented chef Will Gilson. I've always really enjoyed whatever I have ordered on the menu at Puritan. Favorite dishes include the swordfish belly pastrami (which I get almost every single time), anything made with lamb, and his vegetable-focused risottos. Chef Will Gilson has now opened several new restaurants in Cambridge Crossing, Café Beatrice, The Lexington and Geppetto. They are all very good, and you can't really go too wrong with Chef Gilson's restaurants.
If you're willing to drive out a bit into the burbs, definitely check out Jinny's Pizzeria, a fantastic (and super popular) pizzeria helmed by Chef Lydia Reichert in partnership with Chef David Punch, also of Sycamore in Newton. The food's fantastic, and the owners are genuinely great people.
Woods Hill Pier 4 is the second location of Woods Hill Concord and serves consistently excellent food. Enjoy true farm-to-table food (yes, they have a farm in New Hampshire) while enjoying fantastic views of the ocean.
Mooncusser serves fantastic seafood and overall excellent food. I've only been there once (in 2022), but I thought the meal was excellent.
For some of the best Spanish tapas in Boston, head to James Beard award winning chefs Jamie Bissonette's and Ken Oringer's Toro in Boston's South End. Chef Bissonnette and Oringer's other restaurant, Coppa, focuses on cured meats, house made pastas, and other Italian specialties. Try the Spaghetti Carbonara, which has smoked pancetta, sea urchin AND a farm egg.
5. Craft Beers + Bargain Wines
Boston has an amazing craft beer scene, with more and more really good breweries popping up. To try a bunch of local beers, check out Cambridge Common (30+ beers plus great food - get the sweet potatoes fries!), Lord Hobo (40+ beers on tap and good food), or Trillium, which has its own space in the Seaport.
Cambridge Brewing Company
I personally have a soft spot for Cambridge Brewing Company, a microbrewery that's been around long before the current craft beer craze. They make a lot of fun beers throughout the year - everything from a pumpkin ale during the fall to a fun, smoky spicy hot pepper beer that we recently tried. The food is decent, the ambiance is fun (try the tower of beer!), and sometimes they even have a jazz brunch on weekends, which is fun and relaxing.
Legal Park Square has the best wine list out of any of the Legal Sea Foods (and has even won Boston Magazine's "Best of Boston Wine List" award), influenced largely by the restaurant group's sommelier, Sandy Block, one of only 300+ sommeliers in the world who have attained "Master of Wine".
All Legal Sea Foods have phenomenal prices on wine. It's part of a larger philosophy of the restaurant to provide value in wine prices. Seriously, we often see bottles selling for prices lower than what you would pay at Costco. It's a bit crazy, but we love taking full advantage of it. The seafood is fine (nothing particularly creative but everything's fresh and good quality). But really, we go because of the wine.
If we want to enjoy a gorgeous space with lovely ocean views, Legal Harborside is still a safe bet.
6. A Taste of Other Cultures
My favorite Brazilian restaurant is Muqueca in Inman Square, which offers delicious seafood stews called moquecas. The mariscada is also excellent, and the yucca fries and cashew fruit drinks are just fun to try.
Several of our friends who used to own or work at Bergamot are now together again at Pescador, a seafood "coastal grill" restaurant with influences from Central and South America. The dishes are bright and complex, the quality of the ingredients is excellent, and overall it's a great restaurant. It's in the space in Kenmore Square that used to be occupied by Island Creek Oyster.
For a more unusual, Mediterranean experience with a Turkish emphasis, check out Ana Sortun's more upscale Oleana, more casual Sarma, or her bakery cafe Sofra. All three are excellent. Chef Sortun's husband is a farmer (I actually belonged to his CSA for years!). Accordingly, it's no surprise that the restaurant strongly emphasizes local and seasonal produce.
For a unique style of rich, pork-bone broth ramen, try Yume Wo Katare in Porter Square, where you can try the unusual "Jiro"-style ramen not found in many parts of the US. The portions are so large, you actually get congratulation if you finish, since most people can't.
Ramen from Yume Wo Katare
It's super rich and topped with tons of garlic (make sure you like garlic!). Don't be surprised if you have to wait in line outside to get into this tiny little place, which only accepts cash and makes you use Japanese in the restaurant (they have signs on the wall telling you how to pronounce certain phrases).
Hand Pulled Noodle from Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe
For hand-pulled noodles made in the style of Xi'an, drive out to the main restaurant in Woburn or head into the downtown Boston satellite location to get a taste of Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe. Get the liang pi (weekend only), lamb stew, and handmade noodles, but skip the flatbread sandwiches.
For Chinese food, our favorites are Taiwan Cafe, Peach Farm, Winsor Dim Sum Cafe, and Hei La Moon. In Cambridge, Dumpling House is also very good. If you're willing to drive to the suburbs, Ming's Seafood in Malden is great (get the giant crab for special events!) or Sichuan Garden in Woburn, which is situated in an old house and serves excellent speciality cocktails.
Chiang Mai Noodle Curry from Thai North in Brighton
For Thai food, Thai North in Brighton has an excellent selection of really authentic Northern Thai dishes. Just make sure to order off of the special Northern Thai section of the menu. My personal favorites include the Chiang Mai Sausage, the Chiang Mai Noodle Curry, and any of the larbs.
7. Casual Fare
Burger aficianados will quickly zone in on local burgers that have attained a cult-like status, like the super limited burger at the former Craigie on Main in Cambridge (R.I.P.!) or the ever-changing "Secret Burger" at Alden & Harlow.
One of the most popular, historic, and (admittedly) touristy burgers in the entire city is Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage in Harvard Square, which has been around since 1960. This place is an institution in the Square and often has lines going out the door on nice days. The burgers are named after various celebrities in fun, irreverent ways (often poking fun based on current events). Boston has several Shake Shack and Five Guys locations as well, which are all solid.
Pizza from Area Four in Cambridge
For a simple lunch, one of my favorite local places for excellent salads and pizzas is Area Four in Cambridge right near MIT. I love the thin crust pizzas that they make, which often come with really creative toppings. Their salads are excellent, and are always made with seasonal ingredients. As for non-pizza items, try the garlic knots or their wines on tap.
8. Sandwiches, Sweets, and Coffee
Toscanini's Ice Cream
Boston is obsessed with ice cream and I really think we have some of the best ice cream in America. My personal favorite is Toscanini's (or Tosci's) in Cambridge, which offers an eclectic variety of flavors that is ever-changing.
Rancatore's in Belmont and Lexington, founded by the brother of Tosci's owner, also serves similar ice cream, though the flavors are more ordinary. The best part about the Lexington location is that it's located right off the Minuteman Bike Path, so you can easily bike there, enjoy an ice cream cone, and head back to Cambridge. Other popular local ice cream places include Christina's and JP Licks, but Tosci's is my favorite.
One of my all time favorite bakery items in the entire city of Boston is Hi-Rise Bread Company's vanilla loaf. I've even tried making it (though my version based on their recipe still doesn't taste quite as good as the real thing, it's close!). Aside from all the wonderful breads and sweets that they sell, Hi-Rise also makes excellent sandwiches. There are multiple locations in Cambridge, and it's a fabulous place to have a relaxed lunch (though come early - like before noon - if you want to make sure you get a seat).
Tatte Bakery is a beautiful bakery with a great ambiance for coffee meetings, business chats, etc. Try a signature nut box (they're crazy good), cookie, or stop by for lunch and get a salad or sandwich. The coffee is only average, but as a whole it's a nice place to visit.
However, there ARE many good coffee places I don't even know where to start, but places we really enjoy include Simon's, Barismo, Thinking Cup, and Barrington Coffee. Of course I love visiting Blue Bottle as well (even though it's not Bostonian).
The most famous bakery in Boston just may be Flour Bakery by Joanne Chang. Her sticky buns are the most famous. They were featured in a throwdown with Bobby Flay and won. Rumor has it that you have to go early otherwise the sticky buns run out, though I've seen them at the Central Square location as late as 6PM. The fresh baked bread here is excellent, and it makes the sandwiches especially tasty. Their salads are also solid, and I like to eat them for lunch or dinner when I'm trying to be healthy.
Red moon rising over Boston the night after the fireworks
9. Still So Many to Try . . .
In 2023 I had the chance to travel to Boston TWICE from Hong Kong within a span of 2 months. Yes, I know, crazy. During that time, I found myself seeking dishes I couldn't get as easily in Hong Kong: things like lobster rolls, raw East Coast oysters, New England IPAs, and grape nut ice cream. I think a visitor to Boston would also want to see out Boston's unique dishes first, though I've tried to make recommendations across the spectrum. After all, good food is good food, and it doesn't have to be unique to Boston for me to recommend it.
This is by no means a comprehensive list of all the top restaurants to visit in Boston. It's a list of places that I would recommend to my friends if they asked me for advice. And it leans a bit towards Cambridge since I did live there for sooooo many years. I hope you find it helpful.
Thank you!
Jen
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