Boston Restaurants, Bars, and Cafes to Try
Updated: May 23, 2021
This is an elaborate list of restaurants, bars, and cafes to try in Boston. I will continue to add to this list as I continue to eat my life away, because what else is there to do?
Leave me a comment if you have any other recommendations that I can add!
Cambridge:
1. Café Luna: best brunch, outdoor seating, great mimosas
2. Life Alive Café: vegan, healthy food, good vibes
3. Andala Hookah Lounge: hookah and Moroccan food, outdoor seating, chill vibes
4. Daedalus: chill vibes, outdoor seating, American food
5. Milk bar: delicious to-go dessert
6. Pokeworks: yummy poke bowls
7. Tatte Bakery: great to-go or quick sit-down breakfast/lunch, coffee, tea
8. Felipe’s Taqueria: quick and delicious Mexican food, amazing drinks
9. Sweetgreen: there are Sweetgreens all over Boston, amazing to-go salads
10. Boston Burger Company: incredible burgers, amazing milkshakes that bring the boys to the yard
11. Pressed Juicery: great juice!
12. Anna’s Taquiera: delicious to-go burritos and bowls
13. The Sinclair: bar, American food, fun vibes
14. Russell House Tavern: great brunch, outdoor seating, chill vibes
15. The Dial: American, chill vibes
16. 730 Tavern Kitchen: great vibes, awesome foods
17. Art Bar: inside of Royal Sonesta, super quaint restaurant, small menu but delicious food
Somerville:
1. La Brasa: globally inspired, super good food and drinks
2. The Neighborhood: great, fun breakfast
3. There is another Boston Burger Company here too
4. The Painted Burro: yummy Mexican food
5. Earl’s Kitchen: the best place to go for food and drinks - this is in a cute plaza called Assembly Row to walk/shop too
6. The Burren: fun Irish pub
7. Davis Square Donuts & Bagels: incredible bagels and coffee shop
Backbay/Newbury Street
o Newbury St is full of stores and restaurants, it’s super cute and fun for the day
o Prudential Center is on Boylston Street, it’s a mall that has shops and more restaurants. Boylston Street itself has a lot of good restaurants too! Just pop into an Irish bar if you’re bored
o The Prudential Center connects to Copley Square which has a lot of high end brand stores
1. Lolita’s: super fun Mexican restaurant, amazing food and drinks
2. Earl’s Prudential: same as the one in Somerville, but this one is in the Prudential Mall. It also has a rooftop
3. Terra at Eataly Prudential: delicious Italian restaurant inside of Eataly which is a huge Italian supermarket
4. The Capital Grille: expensive, but incredible steakhouse, fancier vibes
5. Joe’s American: great American food, outdoor seating, heart of Newbury St
6. Sonsie: great brunch, outdoor seating
7. Sorellina: yummy Italian food
8. Buttermilk and Bourbon: New Orleans style food and drink
9. Saltie Girl: Barcelona inspired seafood
10. Citrus and Salt: fun vibes, great Mexican food and drinks
11. Stephanie’s on Newbury: personally, think the food is overrated, but if you’re on Newbury, stop in for a nice drink and you’ll get to people watch
12. Revolution Health Kitchen: healthy smoothies
13. Mother Juice: delicious healthy smoothies, acai bowls, etc.
14. Dirty Water Dough Company: pretty decent pizza
15. Greco: awesome Greek food
16. Strega: wonderful Italian food, classy vibes
17. CAVA: amazing to-go Mediterranean-inspired bowls
18. DIG: healthy fast food
19. Zuma: super fun brunch, great Japanese inspired dinner, upscale vibes
20. Fogo de Chao: a fire Brazilian steakhouse
21. Ostra: expensive, upscale, Mediterranean fish
22. McGreevy’s Sports bar: chill Irish bar
23. By CHLOE: the BEST healthy vegan place
24. Yamato II: really good sushi
25. Bittersweet Shoppe: Christmas vibes coffee shop with insane treats, delicious coffee, and fun outdoor seating on Newbury
26. Rochambeau: great French restaurant, classy vibes
27. Trident Booksellers & Café: really good brunch, chill café vibes
North End
o There are MANY Italian restaurants so if you want to try a random one someday go for it! Many of the restaurants have outdoor seating available
1. Carmellina’s
2. Euno Ristorante: my personal favorite, I highly recommend this one
3. Mike’s Pastry: cannoli’s
4. Bova’s: A lot of Italian pastries
5. Modern Pastry: a lot of Italian pastries, can also grab drinks here
6. Regina Pizzeria: OG pizza parlor
7. Strega
8. Bricco Panetteria: best Italian bread and sandwiches, this is down an alley right next to Bricco
9. Bricco: probabaly the best bread pudding I’ve ever had
10. Caffe Paradiso: I’ve been going here since I was 5 and it has the most at-home, Italian family vibes. Come here during the day and get a delicious cappuccino or espresso or come at night and get the best espresso martinis, pistachio martinis, or sangria in the summer. The owner’s name is Adriana, she is a wonderful Italian woman, say hi!
11. Mare Oyster Bar: incredible seafood, they also have couches that surround a fire pit
12. Aqua Pazza: small plates and such
13. Bencotto: great thin crust pizza
14. Salumeria Italiana: amazing Italian market with great meat and cheeses
15. Trattoria il Panino:
16. Mother Anna’s: I think the food is not so great, but people go for the outdoor vibes and drinks
17. Ducali Pizzeria: amazing crepes, fun brunch
18. Antico Forno: pizza
19. The Juicery: great smoothies
20. Tony and Elaine’s
Fenway
o All very American bars; it’s a great time especially during baseball season
1. Tony C’s
2. Baseball Tavern
3. Cask n Flagon
4. Yard House
5. Wahlburgers: Mark Wahlburg’s burger joint
6. Blaze Pizza: American pizza
7. Bleacher Bar
8. Loretta’s Last Call
9. Landsdowne Pub
10. Time Out Market: a lot of cool mini restaurants inside to check out
Financial District/Waterfront
o This is Downtown Boston. If you want to shop a bit go to Downtown Crossing. It’s super convenient because its walkable distance to Seaport, Faneuil Hall, and the North End. You may find some cute cafes along the way.
1. Central Wharf Company: good vibes, food is great
2. Yvonne’s: classy vibes, food, and drinks
3. Society on High: quick delicious drinks, food is good but more on the small plate side
4. Chart House: seafood restaurant on the harbor
5. Mariel: super fun Cuban restaurant
6. Kane’s Donuts
7. South Street Diner: super small diner but amazing diner food
8. Smith and Wollensky: expensive, but great steakhouse
9. Ruth Chris’s Steakhouse: also another expensive but wonderful steakhouse
10. Mooo: another amazing steakhouse
11. Haley Henry: very small but cute wine bar with charcuterie boards
12. Cocobeet: healthy smoothies, oatmeal, juices
13. Scholar’s: super fun bar, food is pretty decent!
14. The Landing: outdoor bar on the harbor, they serve drinks in fishbowls
15. Black Rose: bar vibes
16. The Well Coffee House: super cute coffee shop, serves great coffee and snacks
Faneuil Hall/Boston Public Market aka the Hay Market
o Super historic part of Boston. This is where the Freedom Trail is.
o When you’re in the North End you’ll notice a sign that shows you where Paul Revere’s House is, go if you’re bored!
o Also, it’s great to walk/shop/eat around here it is walking distance to the North End and Downtown Crossing
1. Ned Devine’s: fun bar, decent food
2. Mija: great Mexican food and drinks, outdoor seating
3. Quincy Market: has mini restaurants inside with all kinds of food, this is very touristy
4. White Bull Tavern: bar
5. Hennessy’s: bar
6. Bell in Hand: bar
7. Sissy K’s: bar
8. Wild Rover: bar
9. McCormick and Schmick’s: seafood restaurant
10. Clarke’s: bar
11. Union Oyster House: the oldest restaurant in the US, great lobster here
12. Koy: delicious Japanese food
13. The Boston Public Market: go inside, there are a lot of cute pop-up restaurants
14. Tiki Bar: Polynesian drinks, pan-Asian food
15. Bostonia Public House: fun brunch, yummy food, amazing drinks, outdoor seating
Fort Point/Seaport
1. Committee: Unreal Greek food and drinks, outdoor seating, fun vibes
2. Bartaco: super fun taco place with great drinks, outdoor seating
3. Barking Crab: great crab
4. Legal Harborside: rooftop, good drinks, good seafood
5. Temazcal: amazing Mexican food and drinks, outdoor seating looks out to the wharf
6. Cisco’s Brewery: fun outdoor drinking place
7. Tuscan Kitchen: expensive, but really good Italian inspired food, classy vibes
8. Scorpion bar: fun drinks, right below the Grand which is a fun club here in Boston
9. Envoy: very fun rooftop, great drinks and small plates
10. Ocean Prime: amazing seafood, classy vibes
11. Strega: Italian
12. Empire: Chinese-inspired, really cool vibes, great/fun drinks, outdoor seating
13. Lucky’s Lounge: drinks
14. Rosa Mexicano: good Mexican food, bottomless mimosas for brunch, outdoor seating
15. City Tap: really good drinks, outdoor seating
16. Pink Taco: fun restaurant, Mexican food and drinks
17. Taiyaki NYC: Ice cream shop
18. Better Bagels: awesome bagels
19. Del Frisco’s: great steakhouse
20. Tony C’s: fun bar
21. 75 on Liberty Wharf: great food, outdoor seating looking out to the wharf
22. Davios: Italian steakhouse, classy vibes
23. Miel: outdoor seating, fun classy vibes
24. Morton’s Steakhouse: expensive, but great steakhouse
West End (TD Garden area)
o The TD Garden area has a lot of bars to watch sports on weekends and has awesome American food
1. The Harp: bar
2. West End Johnnie’s
3. Bodega Canal: fun vibes, great Mexican food and drinks
4. Tavern in the Square: chill bar vibes, great food and drinks
5. Causeway: bar
6. Al Dente: casual Italian food
7. On the Charles: bar
8. Alcove: looks out to the Zakim bridge, small plates that are delicious, outdoor seating
9. Banners Kitchen and Tap: huge sports bar, cool American foods and drinks
Charlestown
o This is a historic place of Boston to check out! They have the Bunker Hill Monument.
1. Pier 6: restaurant on the water with great drinks and vibes
2. Figs by Todd English: amazing pizza
3. Blackmoor: American food, good drinks, and they serve brunch
South Boston
o Also called Southie.
1. Lincoln Tavern: brunch and dinner is so fun here and the food is great
2. Capo: Italian food, great drinks, delicious food, the downstairs area is a fun bar
3. Broadway: great brunch, super fun vibes
4. Roza Lyons: amazing brunch foods and awesome drinks, very hole in the wall
5. Stat’s: fun bar
6. Six West: beautiful rooftop with great drinks
7. Coppersmith: fun bar with a rooftop
8. Shenanigan’s: fun bar
9. The Playwright: great brunch
10. Sixth Gear: a very random bar but probably the best drinks I’ve ever had
11. Fat Baby: the best pan-Asian inspired food
12. Loco Taqueria: incredible Mexican food and drinks, bar/restaurant
South End
1. Barcelona Wine Bar: amazing tapas and drinks, there is also one in Brookline
2. Dona Habana: fun vibes, great drinks
xoxo,
Pic credits: Getty Images