39 Best Restaurants in Boston, Massachusetts

Colorful and airy, this East Boston Mexican restaurant reflects the culture of many living in the neighborhood, and its eponymous cook re-creates dishes from her native Puebla. Locals love it for its authenticity and extensive selection of small, snacky plates (mmm, queso fundido) and hearty main courses (chilaquiles, mole poblano). It's definitely worth the trip from downtown.

People come to Boston for certain things—colleges, Irish pubs, Fenway Park—and Polish food isn't usually one of them. But, if you do land here, this authentic Polish restaurant in Southie is a must-stop. The menu is rife with an Eastern European culinary heritage in plates like pierogi, beet soup, stuffed cabbage and kielbasa, and there are some tasty Polish beers. You'll be glad you ventured to Andrew Square.

Established in 1929, Caffé Vittoria—Boston's oldest Italian café—is rightfully known as Boston's most traditional Italian café, which is one of the reasons the place is packed with locals. With gleaming brass, marble tabletops, four levels of seating, three bars that serve aperitifs, one of the city's best selections of grappa, and one massive, ancient espresso maker, this old-fashioned café will make you want to lose yourself in these surroundings. Bring your wallet because they are cash-only.

This new addition to the Seaport District has personality in spades, with pastel purple and bright red chandeliers, plumes of feathers in floral arrangements, and pink napkins on the table. The menu, too, is inspired, featuring French cuisine informed by global flavors meant to be ordered in abundance—two to three plates per diner. The hummus, which takes four days to make, is a must, as is the merde dé can (yes, that does translate to "dog shit") spinach dumplings, which beat Bobby Flay. Cocktails are gorgeous and delicious, and if you win over your server, they may just bring over the gratis Stinger digestif service (coconut butter–washed cognac with crème de menthe, absinthe, and verjus blanc) to end your meal. 

Charcuterie, tinned fish, ceviche: You can eat well at this excellent Downtown wine bar that's small in size but big in reputation. Definitely make a reservation before showing up; it can be busy, even on a Wednesday night. The owner and her staff are incredibly well educated on wines, and they can lead you through the curated wine list.

Once a favorite of former Cambridge resident Julia Child, this sophisticated shrine to New England cuisine has been a perennial go-to spot for Harvard students when their parents are in town since 1975. The seasonal menu could feature Cape scallop crudo, fresh pasta with braised veal and pesto, or fresh Cape lobster with lemon hollandaise. The restaurant also serves lunch and à la carte brunch (cinnamon buns on the pastry board are worth the visit alone). In addition to the elegant dining room there's a lush outdoor patio (with fans as well as blankets and an outdoor fire place to accommodate any season).

Welcome to the first and now flagship restaurant in acclaimed chef Barbara Lynch's empire. Even after 25 years, No. 9 Park continues to win rave reviews for Lynch's stellar, unique interpretation of fine French and Italian cuisine. The wine list bobs and weaves into new territory, but is always well chosen, and the savvy bartenders are of the classic ilk, so you'll find plenty of classics. This is Boston's fine dining at its best.

The Italian word "scampo" translates to "escape" in English, and that's what this restaurant at The Liberty hotel—the former site of the Charles Street Jail—is: an escape into chef-owner Lydia Shire's delectable, buttery take on Italian-American cuisine. Everything is made from scratch, down to the bread, and including a dozen different exceptional pastas and nearly as many crusty pizzas. Entrees are heavy on meat and fish, and it stretches beyond standard items to lamb chops, duck, suckling pig, and Dover sole. The creative menu is complemented by a sleek orange bar, curved white-leather booths, and one of the city's most connected crowds. Gluten-free menus are available.

This upscale bakery and café with several locations in Boston takes pastries to the next level. From tea cakes to the Jerusalem bagel, expect hearty baked goods with an air of elegance and influenced by the owner's Israeli heritage. Fantastic coffee drinks, including the house's signature halva latte. A breakfast, lunch and brunch menu features hearty plates all day, from breakfast sandwiches to salads, bowls, and shakshuka (an egg dish with tomatoes and peppers). The café's vibe welcomes those who appreciate attention to detail in both the food and the bright, lively atmosphere—so expect to wait in line. Tatte started as a single location in 2008; today it has expanded with locations across Boston.

This upscale bakery and café takes pastries to the next level. From tea cakes to the Jerusalem bagel, expect hearty baked goods with an air of elegance and influenced by the owner's Israeli heritage. Fantastic coffee drinks, including the house's signature halva latte. A breakfast, lunch and brunch menu features hearty plates all day, from breakfast sandwiches to salads, bowls, and shakshuka (an egg dish with tomatoes and peppers). The café's vibe welcomes those who appreciate attention to detail in both the food and the bright, lively atmosphere—so expect to wait in line. Tatte started as a single location in 2008; today it has expanded with locations across Boston.

This upscale bakery and café takes pastries to the next level. From tea cakes to the Jerusalem bagel, expect hearty baked goods with an air of elegance and influenced by the owner's Israeli heritage. Fantastic coffee drinks include the house's signature halva latte. A breakfast, lunch, and brunch menu features hearty plates all day, from breakfast sandwiches to salads, bowls, and shakshuka (an egg dish with tomatoes and peppers). The café's vibe welcomes those who appreciate attention to detail in both the food and the bright, lively atmosphere—so expect to wait in line. Tatte started as a single location in 2008; today it has expanded with locations across Boston.

A mix of New England seafood dishes, European-style charcuterie, and an international flair to most everything else describes what you'll see on the menu at this West End restaurant with a view; you're meant to share plates with your guests, but you can also order solo if that's your preference. Meals here are comfortable, with coastal vibes and spectacular views of the Zakim Bridge.

Two postdoctoral-fellowship students founded this tasty oasis that serves superlative soft frozen yogurt made from milk, cane sugar, fresh fruit, and other natural ingredients. The shop has featured well over 150 frozen yogurt flavors like rose, chocolate coconut, passion fruit, and green tea, and dedicated staff bakers create many of the homemade toppings, including the cheesecake chunks, chewy mochi bits, brownie bites, and honey-nut granola.

Creative, delicious, and irresistible, the sweet treats from Blackbird Doughnuts have a cult following—even rock star Adele praised them when in town for a concert. One of several outposts in the city, the Fenway location is tiny and it's a good idea to get there early before your fave flavor sells out.

Airy and classic in atmosphere, this modern restaurant focuses on two things: food and local history (it is, after all, situated in a historic 1902 building). The menu features elevated takes on comfort food; at lunch expect more sandwiches. Who wouldn't want to dive into a tater tot poutine or a bowl of house-made onion dip with potato chips, while chatting up your dining partners and enjoying the live music that happens on most nights? Social describes the vibe on most nights, more so later into the evening.  Bostonia gets busy, so it's a good idea to make a reservation.

The allure of Bova's Bakery, a neighborhood institution since 1926, lies not only in its takeaway Italian breads, calzones, and pastries, but also in its hours: 24 a day (the deli closes at 1 am, however). Family owned and operated, this is where you can not only satisfy a hunger with their homemade Italian breads, oversized subs, and Sicilian pizza and calzones, but also a sweet tooth with their famed Sicilian chocolate-dipped cannoli, Florentine cannoli, award-winning tiramisu, and raspberry and blueberry turnovers.

This snug, more than 70–year-old shop (family-owned and -operated up until a few years ago) in Harvard Square purveys exotic imports, including cheeses, chocolates, British biscuits, jams, olive oils, and mustards, along with sandwiches, cheeses, and charcuterie to go. You'll also find a generous assortment of champagnes and domestic caviar, fine wines, and assorted beers.

On this once industrial stretch of the Boston Harbor waterfront sits this gastropub, fittingly at the former site of the Cunard Steamship Company and Wharf. From within a contemporary and lively environment, peruse a Southern-inspired menu, regional craft beer, and wide windows that open onto the street. Nautical-themed embellishments harken back to local maritime history. In season, the roof deck opens, serving cocktails and great views.

This popular Boston-born restaurant splits its focus between grilled all-natural steaks and chops and hearty, Italian-inspired dishes. Diners can't get enough of Davio's signature spring rolls, stuffed with Philly cheesesteak or chicken parm, and pasta is made in-house. The kitchen offers special menus, including healthy eating and gluten-free. While this location isn't Davio's first in the city, it is its newest, and it has beautiful real estate right on Boston Harbor, which the dining room makes a point to showcase through floor-to-ceiling windows.

With the dainty twinkle lights sitting against exposed brick elements, this neighborhood spot creates an intimate atmosphere with a lively energy. Chilled seafood starters along with smaller plates like mushroom toast and mussels Mozambique are perfect for lighter snacks, while housemade pastas and entrées, including pork Milanese, bean cassoulet, and Ora King salmon, are hearty additions to the table. The brunch crowd will happily fill up on dishes such as huevos rancheros and fried chicken and waffles. An outdoor brick patio is perfect for seasonal dining. The wine bar aspect is showcased through an impressive "by the glass" or bottle selection, along with craft beers and cocktails (their seasonal rosé sangria is a local favorite).

An epicenter for all things Italian, this powerhouse is all about one word: mangia. There are four restaurants, a marketplace, wine shop, cooking school, and seven to-go counters, so you can find anything you want to eat or drink here, and maybe discover a few things you didn't know you needed (perhaps a snack size of Piave Stravecchio DOP, a hard cheese from the Belluno province in northeastern Italy). Of note is the gorgeous new outdoor rooftop extension of the greenhouse-inspired third-floor restaurant, Terra, which is perfect for grabbing a glass of vino, some food, and some conversation.

Emack & Bolio’s has been rocking the Boston frozen treat scene since the 1970s. Diet meets decadence at this smoothie bar/ice-cream parlor that serves in-house microbrewed soda and floats, ice-cream pizzas, and chocolate confections like the chocolate-dipped Twinkie. They offer more than 75 flavors of ice creams, live-culture yogurts, sherbets, and fresh fruit sorbets each year, served in jumbo waffle cones dipped in chocolate and rolled in your choice of Oreos, Rice Krispies, Fruit Loops, Fruity Pebbles, chocolate or rainbow jimmies (sprinkles), crushed nuts, and shaved coconut. Creative takes on the traditional include Grasshopper Pie, Bananas Foster, Beantown Buzz and Cake Batter. The black raspberry chip yogurt is a winner, while the vegan set enjoys six rich flavors of coconut cream.

Recharge with a fresh-baked sticky bun and oversize mug of coffee at this South End favorite. Award-winning chef Joanne Chang and her staff serve up delicious creations including soups, hearty salads, and sandwiches. There are additional locations in South End, Fort Point Channel, and Back Bay in Boston, and Central Square and Harvard Square in Cambridge.

A good spot to refuel on a budget is Flour Bakery + Café, a perennial candidate for Boston's best sandwiches and stuffed bread. Also superb are the fresh pizzas, dinner specials, and delicious pastries. You may end up taking home one of their cookbooks as a sweet keepsake.

Inspired by a grandma's confections, these cupcakes are heavenly. It's tough to choose between flavors like chocolate ganache, red velvet, double milk chocolate birthday, salted caramel, and the list goes on. There's even gluten-free lava fudge and vegan apple cinnamon. Check the board for daily specials. Just grab a half dozen, and call it a day.

Situated in the TD Garden, this unique food hall serves up more than a dozen different food and drink options, many of which are little sister outposts for chefs and restaurants local to the Boston and New England area. Try barbecue at The Smoke Shop or Italian desserts at Mike's Pastry. Quick service is the name of the game, although Hub Hall does feature one sit-down restaurant, Momosan Ramen Boston by Morimoto. One thing is for sure, if you don't like crowds, avoid this place when there is a home Celtics or Bruins game, because it gets packed!

You won't get many frills at this traditional Italian-style bakery that's tucked a bit off the main drag, but you will get loads of sweets in the form of cream puffs, eclairs, pastry twists, Italian cookies, and loaves of scali bread (braided and coated in sesame seeds). There's also a deli that serves sandwiches to go.

Challenging the typical cookie weight limit, Levain's freshly baked cookies are the perfect two-person dessert, although it can be tough to share with flavors like chocolate chip walnut, dark chocolate chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and dark chocolate peanut butter chip tempting your sweet tooth. The banana chocolate chip loaf is moist, and the country boule breaks with the perfect outer crisp.

Young professionals living in the area will tell you that this place is a South Boston institution, and they flock here regularly, especially for brunch served every day of the week. Don't expect a quiet meal; the atmosphere here is loud and lively at all hours, and there's often a line at the door to get in.

Barely bigger than a shoebox, this Harvard Square take-out parlor offers more than 50 fabulous flavor options like orange-pineapple and Charles River Crunch (a dark-chocolate ice cream with almond toffee nuggets), along with a small selection of frozen yogurts, "lite" ice creams, and sorbet, plus soda fountain favorites, including frappes and sundaes. Adult-only flavors include Bailey's and Rum Raisin, and for those looking for just "a tiny taste," the minicone, topped with a golf ball–size scoop, hits the spot.