Where to Eat in Boston
New England cuisine traditionally relies heavily on seafood and dairy products, and each area has its own specialties with Boston being well known for clams and haddock as well as baked beans and various pastries. However, strong European influences have also shaped Boston cuisine, and in today’s multicultural city you can find fantastic food from across the globe. Here are some restaurants you might like to try by area:
Restaurants in Back Bay
The Bristol Lounge is located at the Four Seasons Hotel and in its wooden paneled interior you can indulge in American favorites such as juicy burgers, hand rolled pastas, and mouth watering Boston cream pie. Check out Brasserie Jo, a French brasserie and bar at the Colonnade Hotel, for classic patés, shellfish, and Alsatian specialties. Finally, if you’d like to splash out on hearty Northern Italian cuisine, Davio’s Steakhouse on Stuart Street offers traditional pastas, lobster risotto, homemade sausage, and of course superb steak.
Restaurants in the North End
Few visitors that venture into the North End of Boston to eat are looking for anything other than superb Italian food, so here are a couple of the best choices in the area. Mamma Maria’s is consistently reported to be the best Italian Restaurant in the North End and specialties include Nantucket Bay scallops, Ipswich clams, and risotto with crab meat as well as their famous osso buco. Other excellent restaurants in the area include Taranta Cucina Meridionale located on Hanover Street, which combines Peruvian and Italian influences, and Giacomo’s Ristorante off Fleet Street which is always busy but worth the wait.
Restaurants in the South End
The fashionable South End of Boston has an eclectic mix of restaurants to choose from. For African cuisine check out Teranga, a Senegalese restaurant with French and Vietnamese influences located on Washington Street. For Latin American flavors Orinoco is located on Shawmut Avenue as well as other locations around Boston, and serves specialties such as black beans and rice. For a well established bistro in the area, check out Hammersley’s Bistro on Tremont Street which offers innovative French American cuisine.
Restaurants in Cambridge
Across the river in Cambridge, home of Harvard University, the best restaurants are equally diverse. On First Street you’ll find the Helmand Restaurant, an atmospheric Afghani restaurant with a traditional wood-fired brick oven. On Washington Street the Spanish restaurant Dali is a favorite for authentic tapas which is ideal for sharing. Finally, if you’re looking for fantastic seafood, the East Coast Grill and Raw Bar on Inman Square offers excellent seasonal specialties such as steamed east coast snow crab legs or spicy treme style bbq shrimp.
