The Best Places to Eat in Boston
Like every major city in the U.S., Boston is a hotbed of delicious restaurants and memorable dining locations. As one of the oldest cities of the New World, Beantown has also taken the time to perfect its unique regional recipes, many of which incorporate Massachusetts’s hearty supply of locally sourced seafood.
As a result, Boston is chock full of fantastic places worth dining at, from long-operating seafood shacks to relatively newer restaurants that offer more contemporary dining experiences.
Yvonne’s
Most people might think Boston has more casual dining venues, but like most cities, Boston has its fair share of more upscale restaurants as well, none more so than the swankier atmosphere of Yvonne’s. Inside its gorgeous front doors, diners will enjoy a far more elegant dining experience, complete with a refined menu featuring steak tartare, prime rib, rack of lamb, and baked Alaska.
Toro
The ideal place for those interested in a smaller meal, Toro offers Spanish-style tapa appetizers the entire table can share. As one might expect, Toro has numerous plates customarily served in Spanish cuisine, including various meats and cheeses, garlic shrimp and chilis, grilled duck, and a soft and creamy rice pudding.
Saltie Girl
Another great option for regional seafood dishes, Saltie Girl may be a bit upscale for some, but the above-par quality of its food makes it all worthwhile. Along with customary New England plates like oyster platters and clam chowder, Saltie Girl also offers more innovative dishes, like the tasteful fried lobster and waffles and the lobster-topped Saltie Girl Burger.
Bostonia Public House
Like any region of the U.S., New England food is something of an acquired taste. However, for those avid fans who can’t get enough old-fashioned Massachusetts-style cooking, there’s no better place to stop than Bostonia Public House. Acquiring a popular crowd in the 10 years since it first opened, Bostonia Public House has every New England staple you can imagine on its menu, including creamy clam chowder, buttered lobster rolls, and locally-sourced raw oysters.
Union Oyster House
Since 1826, Union Oyster House has been readily supplying hungry patrons with traditional New England staples for the past two centuries. Though much has changed over the last 200 years in America, little about the Union Oyster House has, with the restaurant still serving up delectable dishes like hearty clam chowder, fresh-shucked oysters, and broiled scrod with seasoned bread crumbs.
Boston Sail Loft
As most people will readily admit, maritime views of the bay and fresh-caught seafood go together about as well as peas and carrots or ice cream and apple pie. Affording diners spectacular views of the neighboring harbor, Boston Sail Loft also offers a wide range of seafaring dishes, from whole lobster and fried fisherman’s platters to broiled scrod and steamed mussels.
The Green Dragon
Opening its doors in 1654, The Green Dragon is one of Boston’s definitively oldest restaurants – as well as one of the city’s best. A frequent meeting place for the Revolutionary-era Sons of Liberty and such pivotal figures as John Hancock and Paul Revere, eating at The Green Dragon is a lot like stepping back in time to the days of America’s foundation. Though it retains the same Irish dishes served in the 17th century, today’s version of The Green Dragon also offers more contemporary items as well, including fried seafood, buffalo wings, and other bar-room dishes.
Atlantic Fish Company
The Atlantic Fish Company may have not as complex a history as The Green Dragon, but it’s almost certainly every bit as great as its Revolutionary-era counterpart. Originally opening in 1978, the Atlantic Fish Company has enough seafood inside its doors to restock the entire Atlantic, with standout favorites including caviar, seafood stew, chilled crab cocktail, lobster carbonara, and cracker-crusted baked cod.
The Beehive
Describing itself as a “Bohemian eatery,” The Beehive truly backs up its unique description with its wildly eclectic menu. Combining down-to-earth cooking with international recipes, The Beehive is home to an array of exciting dishes you won’t find anywhere else, including smoked Turkish pepper wings, sweet corn risotto, and coffee cake du jour that changes every weekend.
Row 34
Unsurprisingly, Boston has earned continuous praise for its fresh seafood – with particular attention paid to the city’s oyster selection. With that in mind, it’s impossible to find a better oyster venue than Row 34. Here, the dishes are so fresh, you’d swear they were just picked from the ocean moments before they landed on your plate.
