First things first - Seafood
Many Bostonians and visitors look especially for great seafood restaurants so we have collected our favorites here. Always looking for more though so if you have any recommendations, pass them on!
Enjoy! Our favorites!
Beacon hill
Paramount - This is a favorite. Laid back, excellent food, busy, popular. Great brunch but be there by 10am or there´s a wait out the door. Inside brunch-tip: don´t grab a table before you have your brunch-food. 75 Chestnut - Not surprisingly located at 75 Chestnut, a side street off Charles Street. Very nice atmosphere, popular bar, good menu, not too expensive, in a great space. Cosy. Great date place. Highly recommended! Harvard Gardens - Fun, young, good bar, lively, music can be loud, food is good, brunch Sundays which we hear is good. Scollay Square - Another favorite! This one is on Beacon Street, near the State House. There's an outside which is great in the summer. Mooo on 15 Beacon Street, located in the luxurious XV Beacon Hotel, is a classic yet modern steakhouse. Sophisticated and fancy. Figs - On Charles Street. Well known for their great, thin pizzas with unusual toppings, such as.. figs Bin 26 Enoteca - on Charles Street, they have a great wine list. Grotto - A small, italian restaurant with a cosy atmosphere and great food The Upper Crust - Best pizzas on Charles Street. You go there for the pizzas not for the ambiance. Toscano - Italian on Charles street. Online suggestions for Beacon Hill Faneuil Hall & Waterfront There are plenty of places to eat at Faneuil Hall so just head there and choose something to your liking. The food court here is great - you will find something for everyone in your group. The Living Room on 101 Atlantic avenue. outdoor patio! North End - Italian galore! Most people just stroll around North End and find a restaurant by peaking on the menu but here are some recommendations from the locals. Pomodoro (319 Hanover St, 617-367-4348). comes highly recommended by my north end friends! Tiny restaurant with only 8 tables but you can make reservations (which is sometimes tricky in north end). Sounds like a cute, romantic restaurant with great food. Al Dente Highly recommended by friends! You like Italian, you will like Al Dente La Famiglia Giorgio Giacomo´s Il Villagio Galleria Umberto - Lunch only, Hanover streeet, open 11am-2pm, inexpensive and great good. Pizzeria Regina - A classic. Strega Ristorante You might like this tour of the North End. Boston's new waterfront Boston's New Waterfront is a new hip area to eat. New restaurants are opening up all the time. The view is outstanding and you can find something for every taste. Some examples: 75 on Liberty Wharf is the sister restaurant of 75 Chestnut in Beacon Hill. It is tiny but it has the same feel as in Beacon Hill (with better view) and the food is great. Legal Harborside In the summer they have the best outside seating around. Great view and the seafood is fresh. Del Frisco's has crab cakes out of this world. The service is impeccable. We're sure the steaks is great too. Charlestown Navy Yard Bistro - An excellent option! Tangierino - An exotic Moroccan restaurant with great food (belly dancers certain nights) Warren Tavern - They often have live music, pub food, fun atmosphere. Ironsides - restaurant and bar, and outdoor seating |
Time for a coffee break?
'Do you know what FIKA is? It is a Swedish tradition - a break with friends, chatting, drinking (most often) coffee. You never, ever work during fika. It’s simply a time to catch up and relax.
Danish Pastry House - In Medford - it is worth a drive to go there. The pastries are to die for, they have outside seating, great coffee. If you're Scandinavian, you will especially love this place. Ulla is from Denmark and also owns the flower shop next door. Maria's Pastry Shop - In the North End is a great place for pastries and to sit down for a coffee. It's like a little bit of Italy. Don't let the discrete exterior discourage you, inside you will find heavenly pastries. Mike’s Pastry- North End. Very popular, cannolis, espressos, cappucinos, you can't go wrong with Mike's. Cafe Sorelle - Charlestown Outdoor seating! Lots of baked goods, coffee. Zumes coffee house -223 Main Street, Charlestown Starbucks - everywhere! What can we say - it´s always a safe bet but maybe not the most unique. You can sit forever reading the paper, work or chat, noone will bother you. Sometimes you are lucky to get one of the comfy chairs. Lulu´s Bake Shop - North End. A recommendation from North Enders. Not sure if you can actually sit down and have a coffee here but it sounds like they have great baked goods. L.A. Burdick in Harvard Square. 'Hands down the best hot chocolate in the city (and incredible croissants if you get there early enough) Kick Ass Cupcakes in Somerville. Cupcakes to die for! Go there! Easy to hop on the T to Davis Square and you're there! Cherry Bomb Bakery in Brighton. Sounds like they might have the best cup cakes around. Try them! And more...
Back Bay
Joe’s American Bar and Grill - Great spareribs and burgers. Stephanie´s - Try to get a seat outside. You can spend hours people watching and enjoying their great food. Inside is very cosy and the bar is busy and popular, especially when people have finished shopping. Parish Cafe - Great signature sandwiches. Sit outside in the summer. Great lunch place on Boylston Street, near the Public Garden. Tapeo - Spanish, great tapas, lively Kashmir - Indian, busy busy, on newbury street, lively, nice place) The Upper Crust - Newbury street. Delicious pizzas. Sonsie's - Newbury street, near the Mass Ave section. Nice restaurant, good food, trendy, popular, busy bar, 'See and be seen'. In the summer, they open up the front so you are pretty much outside and it is great for people watching. If Sex and the City was in Boston, Carrie would have a cocktail here. South End Gaslight - We really like Gaslight. Food is delicious and it has a great ambiance. Metropolis cafe Stella - On Washington Street—THE hip place to be in the South End for cocktails and/or dinner. Toro - On Washington—Spanish tapas with a Ken Oeringer twist—another hip locale that becomes fun and festive on Sunday afternoons. Union Bar and Grille — Washington St—Fabulous food amidst classy décor with pretty people. Always wonderful cocktails—and the cast iron baked corn bread is “to die for” Franklin Café -- Shawmut Ave—a South End original—and some of the best “fancy” comfort food in the city. This place serves up delicious cocktails and amazing food in a small place with limited seating that is ALWAYS packed. B & G Oysters — Barbara Lynch’s bivalve bistro in the South End—whether you love oysters or just enjoy seafood, you can’t go wrong. It’s located in the heart of the South End, so a GREAT place to grab a bite before a show at the Calderwood Pavilion. Orinoco — On Shawmut Ave--It may not be Enya’s Orinoco Flow, but it sure serves ups some mean “arepas”—read Venezuelan food—obviously Orinoco isn’t just the name of a river in Venezuela! Muy bueno! Flour Bakery — Washington St—if the fact that there’s constantly a line out the door—or that owner Joanne Chang has been featured by Rachael Ray—or that she’s married to Chris Myers (Radius) hasn’t convinced you, at least give it a try for baked goods that are some of the best this foodie has ever had. Oh, and she and hubby Chris opened up a bistro called Myers and Chang, also on Washington, serving delicious Taiwanese home cooking. A big thank you to Bob Mitchell for sharing his gems in the South End. Theatre District Teatro - Next to the movie theatre at Boston Common. Beautiful space (used to be a synagogue). Good, small bar. Restaurant serves mostly Italian. Good food. Nice, trendy atmosphere) Max & Dylans - if you are looking for a place for a drink and/or a quick bite before or after your theatre visit (less than 5 minutes from Colonial Theatre) this is a great option. Quick service, friendly atmosphere, menu suitable for everyone with great salads, very tasty flat bread pizza, and many main courses at reasonable prices. Leather district Les Zygomates French wine bar and bistro. jazz evenings Cambridge/Somerville Oleana - In the summer you can sit outside in their great back yard. EVOO in Somerville. Lots of organic foods, local ingredients. Clever name - EVOO stands for Extra Virgin Olive Oil... Hungry Mother - now this is a great place. Southern comfort food with a french twist! Yummy! Chez Henri - French, great food, eating in the bar area is more casual, and less expensive. Ole - In the mood for Mexican? Then try Ole! They mix the great guacamole made right by the table Greek Corner Dali - Really fun Spanish restaurant, great sangria and the tapas are fabulous! Try the garlicky potatoes, garlicky shrimp, the red peppers, the chicken, and the goat cheese in tomato sauce is to die for. Parking is tricky, take a cab.It´s worth it. East Coast Grill and Raw bar - Sea food, live fire grill, bbq, and their 'famous' hell night. Great atmosphere. Upstairs on the Square Great place in Harvard Square Brookline Fugakyu - Japanese, sushi, recommended by sushi-lovers Chestnut Hill The Metropolitan Club - Great brunch Outside Boston Warren, Rhode Island: In the summer, go for brunch here and go early so you can sit outside; Three Rivers Cafe (267 Water Street, 401-289-2067) Tosca in Hingham, MA: this is a very nice italian restaurant (white table cloths and all) with great food and a great wine list. Check opening hours - in April we came at 3pm after a long walk to find that they don´t open until 4pm. Since Tosca was closed we went to Stars just next door instead. maybe it was a better option for us anyway considering our outdoor clothing... Stars is quite casual and the food was solid American fare. Lighter on the wallet too we expect. Alma Nove, Hingham. A bit outside Boston but great place. Be prepared for a bit of a wait. * OUTDOOR SEATING * Maine Grace, in Portland, ME. This is such a cool restaurant. It opened in 2009 and is in a renovated church. They have done a beautiful job restoring this great space. Very impressive. Service was great and food excellent. Probably wise to make a reservation. |