189 Best Restaurants in Boston, Massachusetts

As far as options for fast-casual meals along Seaport Boulevard go, this is one place you should stop. You'll get modern, Greek street food here, in the form of pita sandwiches, salads, and build-your-own meals, dressed with sauces, like house-made spicy feta and lemon yogurt, that are so good you'll be licking it off your fingers. Don't miss the signature zucchini chips with tzatziki, or, for a sweet taste, the loukoumas Greek-style doughnut holes.

Walk into this restaurant across from the Boston Common and you'll get what you would expect from the namesake personality. The food is Southern in inspiration, but wholly American, with chicken wings in various flavors, "trash-can" nachos, hefty sandwiches, and a great hot honey fried chicken dish. The cocktails are delicious, and if you order a strawberry margarita on the rocks, it comes mixed with fresh fruit and Fieri's own smoky mezcal. This place is within yards of the Boch Center and Emerson's Cutler Majestic, so it makes for a casual pre-theater dining option.

The eponymous chef offers an explosive, vibrant, and art filled 6,000 square feet of Mexican-inspired fun. Menu features all types of small plates (a must is the trash-can nachos), tacos, and a few signature dishes. Drinkers in your group can really get behind the margaritas and the tequila flights.

A Beacon Hill legend, this was the first bar in the city to get its liquor license after the repeal of Prohibition. It opened in 1930, and was owned by the same family until the 1990s. Patrons sit at the dark-wood bar and high tops to watch a Celtics game and dig into a menu of tasty burgers, sandwiches, and a scrumptious brunch, including a spectacular Bloody Mary. The place is often packed with doctors and nurses from nearby Mass General enjoying post-shift drinks.

Located in the Charles Hotel, this cheerful, country-style restaurant is named after chef-owner Peter Davis's pet pig, Henrietta. Davis is passionate about working with small area growers and purveyors, as well as harvesting veggies and honey from the restaurant's rooftop garden and hives, which is evident in his fresh, honest, wholesome, New England–style dishes like juicy Yankee pot roast, Pig Under a Brick, Ritz-crusted scrod, and creamy Maine crab-corn chowder. He occasionally even offers that old Yankee standby for dessert, Boston cream pie, but his signature chocolate bread pudding with caramelized rum bananas and vanilla bean ice cream is always available.  Grab a seat at the U-shape bar (next to the photo of Henrietta with Pres. Bill Clinton) to enjoy a preprandial coffee, cocktail, or zero-proof refreshment, or head outside in spring or summer to dine al fresco in the large outdoor patio.

The Hi-Rise Bread Company, just on the edge of Harvard Square, is a nice stop for a pick-me-up coffee, fresh-baked treat, or fantastic sandwich on homemade bread. It's a great spot for people-watching and the espresso is excellent.

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're guaranteed a tasty meal at this lively bar restaurant that can really get packed. Beer, American comfort food, and sandwiches—like a killer burger and a Nashville hot chicken—are on the menu, as well as a solid lineup of cocktails.

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.

The huge, juicy roast-beef sandwiches served at Kelly's Roast Beef, a local institution since 1951, are the sole reason some Bostonians make the trek to Revere. Other menu favorites include the fried clams and hand-breaded onion rings. It's open from 5 am to 2:30 am Sunday through Thursday, and until 3 am Friday and Saturday.

This charming artisanal chocolatier is a staple for locals and tourists alike, who come for its famously adorable signature chocolate mice, chocolate bonbons, and chocolate bars. The elegant, life-changing hot cocoa may be just the thing to restore flagging spirits or weary feet with variations on the classic milk chocolate, including dark, spicy, and white. Served in giant cup and saucer (or a to-go cup if needed), the drink is dusted with cocoa powder and a dollop of cream.  Take a few bags of drinking chocolate home with you for DIY treats.

A rotating gallery of Persian art adorns the walls of this pearl-gray eatery specializing in home-style Iranian dishes. Along with classics such as fesejan, duck leg in a satiny pomegranate-walnut sauce, you'll find brain fritters, smoky eggplant puree, pollo (rice dishes), kebabs, and richly spiced lamb stews, including one seasoned with dried lime. The staff obviously enjoys explaining the menu, and the wine list is well selected for foods that often defy wine matches.

The Vietnamese noodle soup pho is the name of the game in this quick and casual eatery (it's set inside The Garage, a small mall in Harvard Square); at $11, it's a meal unto itself with chicken, shrimp, or beef, steaming hot in a big bowl. Fresh salads, rice plates, steamed vermicelli, seafood entrees, and stir-fries are offered, as well as crispy spring rolls, summer rolls, and Chinese chicken wings. It's all notably fresh fare, and, even better, it's healthy, without gloppy sauces, and many of the dishes are steamed. Those approaching from JFK Street can access the restaurant through the main Garage entrance; just head all the way through toward the Dunster Street side at the back.

What began as a tiny restaurant adjacent to a Cambridge fish market has grown to important regional status, with more than 30 East Coast locations, including almost a dozen in Boston. The hallmark is the freshest possible seafood, whether you have it wood-grilled, in New England chowder, or doused in an Asia-inspired sauce. The jumbo lump crab cakes are divine (no fillers) and the clam chowder is so good it has become a menu staple at presidential inaugurations. For a true taste of New England, don't miss the golden cracker-crowned baked lobster stuffed with shrimp and scallops, one of the most popular entrées at all Legal restaurants.

With a roof deck, patio, balcony, and floor-to-ceiling windows, Legal Sea Foods' flagship restaurant features abundant space for diners to take in panoramic views of Boston Harbor no matter the season or the weather, and this view certainly draws a crowd. The menu is classic seafood: from raw bar and sushi offerings to grilled fish, fried fish, and sandwiches, there is plenty to eat here—unless you're a landlubber.

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.

Dream team James Beard Award–winning chef-owners Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer (of Coppa and Toro fame) serve crazy-good small plates made from big, bold, unexpected combos: think foie gras with bee pollen, manti (Istanbul meat ravioli), and Wagyu tartare with caviar. While burgers are indulgent—patties gilded with foie gras—you can also enjoy empanadas with Impossible Burger for plant-based protein, as well as a light and refreshing raw bar.

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.

Come for the tacos and margaritas; stay for the nightlife scene and at this lively Mexican joint on the water. In the moody dining room painted with murals and adorned with red chandeliers or on the bright waterfront patio, you'll start off with a granita palate cleanser, then dive into guacamole and a few sharing plates as you imbibe with the trendy, young Boston crowd.

The Frattaroli Family, who opened Lucia shortly after emigrating to Boston from the Abruzzo region of Italy, pack the kitchen with classic dishes that showcase flavors from their beloved home, which is why weekend evenings get packed. The long menu includes apps, such as fresh caprese salad and crispy calamari, and entrée favorites, including a buttery-smooth sogliola pescarese (filet of sole dipped in egg and fried with limoncello), pollo marsala, and ammazzafame, a house specialty of penne rigate, porcini mushrooms, sausage, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, and capers. If you take to the outdoor patio to dine, don't expect more than a beer and wine selection on Sunday, as the adjacent church grounds forbid serving hard liquor that day.

Don't let the clichéd name fool you: Mamma Maria is far from a typical red-sauce joint. From the handmade pappardelle layered with braised rabbit to the authentic sauces and entrées to some of the best desserts in the North End, you can't go wrong here. The view, meanwhile, is lovely; gaze out onto cobblestone-lined North Square as you finish your fork-tender osso buco before a finale of limoncello (an Italian lemon-flavored liquor). It's set in a 19th century row house. Valet parking is available.

When a restaurant's very name conjures up images of the ocean waters, its menu choices should follow suit. Mare does exactly that, focusing on a locally sourced oyster program, fresh and innovative crudo dishes, and simple yet elegant entrées highlighting the natural flavors of its fresh, sustainable seafood. The Italian seafood restaurant has stepped out of tradition and moved into nouveau Italian, trading heavy seasonings for the simplicity of grilling and poaching seafood and meat dishes, which makes the place a simple but delicious option among its red-sauce-heavy neighbors. The outdoor patio features lounge seating, fire pits, and a retractable awning that made its way across the sea to Boston from Florence, Italy.

Barbara Lynch's luxurious, France-meets-Italy-inspired eatery is arguably the best restaurant in town (and also Boston's only Relais & Châteaux–awarded property, a prestigious honor). Named for a French town near Italy's border, Menton features just two multicourse menu options: prix-fixe or chef's tasting (with wine pairings if you so choose). Think caviar, Wagyu beef, and black truffle, although dishes may change daily. You can also up the ante by reserving the 12-seat chef's table in the kitchen, an enclosed area with a glass wall offering a sneak peak into the restaurant's inner culinary sanctum.

Every local knows the white box with the blue and white string as a to-go treasure chest of Italian delicacies. Known for their cannoli (they're the self-proclaimed "home of" the tubular treat), Mike's has been bringing the best in pastries and cookies to the North End (and presidential patrons like Bill Clinton) since 1946. The glass cases (if you can see them through the constant crowds) are filled to the brim with lobster tails, macaroons, cucidati fig cookies, biscotti, ricotta pie slices, and more. Grab a cannoli, a cappuccino, and one of the coveted small tables.

The North End's other favorite cannoli king, Modern is a hit with the locals. Using Old World recipes that were relied on for more than 150 years, their crusts are flaky, their fillings rich, and they have a selection of torrone nougat confections, cookies, French horns, and Napoleons. While the hand-held treats are their mainstay, don't discount the larger traditional Italian, French, and American-style cakes that have their own following (favorites include rum cake, tiramisu, and cassata cake with marzipan). They also cater to the gluten-free set, offering several options including cakes and cannoli shells.

Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto brings his signature Japanese fusion to this casual ramen spot next door to the TD Garden. Of course, ramen (six styles, and a dozen toppings) is only one portion of the menu, which also features sushi, small plates, and grilled fish, meat, and seafood. In nice weather, diners can sit on an expansive patio sipping Japanese whiskey, sake, or shochu.

A “gastropub meets bistro," Monument Restaurant & Tavern is quintessential Charlestown with a brownstone vibe of brick and weathered woods, 16-foot ceilings, and a 40-foot bar. Pizza is the menu's superstar, coming out piping and bubbly from the open kitchen's 900-degree oven, which is also used for wings, crab-artichoke dip, and roasted brick chicken. Hearty entrées for bigger appetites include pan-roasted day boat scallops and seared skirt steak.  Their Smash Burger is a bucket list item, a messy two-hand burger topped with local Grillo's pickles, cheese, special sauce, and all the traditional toppings. The cocktail program gets crafty, with fun names like Back That Razz Up and Fancy Fizz. There's also a late night menu until 1 am.

Diners who appreciate flavor and spice will adore chef-owner Asia Mei's creative kitchen endeavors, which often mix up elements of American, Chinese, Mexican, Vietnamese, Thai, and Spanish cuisines. A lively local crowd comes for dinner and to get their hands on such crave-worthy dishes as the tofu-mushroom burger and various street tacos, but the menu does change frequently. The staff cares what you think, and this shows in the impeccable, friendly service and the fact that the chef doesn't just stay in the kitchen—she's often serving dishes herself and asking diners' opinions.

Do dress nicely for a visit to Mooo...., a luxurious, refined steak house inside the swanky XV Beacon hotel that remains civilized despite the restaurant's somewhat whimsical name. Prime, dry-aged steaks are served à la carte, and, although the Japanese A5 Wagyu sirloin will set you back $190, portions are as exaggerated as the prices. The menu also features a few seafood dishes and a poultry option; vegetarians and vegans are easily accommodated by request. The impressive, award-winning wine list boasts more than 500 entries, including a few very special bottles.