Where to Eat in Boston // A First-Timer’s Guide

Finding places to eat in a new city can be tricky so let me help you find where to eat in Boston!

We love Boston. It has become one of our favorite cities! It’s definitely not easy to earn that title from us because not only does it have to vibe with us, but we also need to love their food. Boston has passed all of the tests. How could they not with all of their delicious food! There are so many different cultural influences on the food there and if you pair that with the ocean literally being next door for their seafood, their food is just destined to be good!

There are so many different places to eat so let me help guide you to some of the food you should try! Especially if this is your first time, you don’t want to miss these places to eat in Boston. This post is all about where to eat in Boston!

Where to Eat in Boston

There are so many places to eat in this city that trying to list all of the best would take so long. So the list below is the best of the best. The cream of the crop. The places you have to eat at while you are there!

Tatte Bakery

We took a red-eye to get to Boston and we literally found the first place we could when we got into the city. Thank goodness it was the Tatte Bakery! In reality, though, there are so many of these delicious bakeries throughout the city that the chances of us stumbling on one were actually pretty high! Ha.

As far as where to eat in Boston, the Tatte Bakery was an easy choice to add to our list! I got the apricot blintz and the orange juice and it was literally one of the best blintzes I’ve ever gotten. It was soft and so flavorful. And the orange juice was amazing! I grew up in Arizona and had easy access to fresh-squeezed orange juice, so my bar for orange juice is pretty high. This juice exceeded all of my expectations! Josh got the almond chocolate croissant and he talked about it all day, so I think he liked it.

Recommendations:

– Apricot Blintz
– Almond Chocolate Croissant
– Sweet French Toast
– Croissant Breakfast Sandwich
– Orange Juice

Orange juice, apricot blintz, and almond chocolate croissant from the Tatte Bakery for where to eat in Boston.

The Friendly Toast

I don’t know if our digestive systems were still on West coast time or if we were just really slow to get out of our hotel each morning, but we ended up eating brunch instead of breakfast most days. Which is what brought us to The Friendly Toast Restaurant. This was some of the best breakfast food I’ve had in a while! It was delicious and a great place to eat in Boston. The vibe was also so cool! The decor was so eclectic and beautiful.

I got the banana chocolate chip pancakes. They are so big so brace yourself! I got two but definitely would have been fine with just one. Josh got the cinnamon french toast with eggs and potatoes. I have a soft spot for breakfast potatoes and these were amazing. Holy cow. I could have liked Josh’s plate, they were so good. But I didn’t. Don’t worry.

Recommendations:

– Monster Breakfast with Cinamon French Toast
– Banana Chocolate Chip Gluten-Free Pancakes
– Sally’s Avo Toast
– Highway Strawberry

Breakfast pancakes at the Friendly Toast in Boston.

Man eating eggs from plate at the Friendly Toast in Boston.

Outside view of the Friendly Toast restaurant in Boston.

Bova’s Bakery

The North End of Boston has so many delicious restaurants and bakeries. There are so many places to eat in Boston here that it was hard to narrow them down! As far as bakeries go though, Bova’s Bakery was one of our favorites. We went twice, which goes against one of our rules when traveling! That’s how much we loved it. We got the cannolis both times. When in Boston, right?

Recommendations:

– Chocolate Chip Cannoli
– Oreo Cannoli
– Nutella Cannoli
– Tiramisu

Man walking into Bova's Bakery in Boston.

Mike’s Pastry

Mike’s Pastry is another great bakery in the North End and a great place to eat in Boston. Well, eat dessert, that is! They have delicious desserts and a fun vibe. They are cash only though! So be sure to be prepared before you stand in line.

Recommendations:

– Plain Ricotta Cannoli
– Chocolate Chip Cannoli
– Fudge Brownie

Boston Chowda Co

If you’re going on the Freedom Trail or just happen to find yourself in the Faneuil Hall area and looking for where to eat in Boston, stop by the Quincy Market and get yourself some food here! They have some of the best clam chowders I’ve ever had. And their warm lobster roll is to die for. Just squeeze a little lemon on it, and dig in.

Recommendations:

– Warm Lobster Roll
– Clam Chowder
– Three Cheese Macaroni Pie

Clam chowder and lobster roll from the Boston Chowda Co at Faneuil Hall for where to eat in Boston.

Outside view of Quincy Market in Boston with people walking around outside.

Regina Pizzeria

I love pizza. So if we were having Italian food in the North End, I needed pizza! Regina Pizzeria is a great place for pizza in Boston! Oh, and it’s brick oven pizza, so that just makes it that much better, right? There are a few locations, but if you can, go to the one in the North End. It’s the original!

Recommendations:

– Margherita
– Classico
– Prosciutto con Spinaci
– Meat Lovers Pizza

Antico Forno

Another North End favorite! A lot of the restaurants in the North End actually are cash-only, but this one is not! It was part of the reason that drew us in. The food makes us want to go back! We got the calamari and I still have dreams about it. It was some of the best calamari I’ve ever had. It was light and they served it with a salad that had a light vinaigrette on it. Each bite was heaven. And that was just the appetizer! We also got the bolognese and for a person who isn’t that into red sauce, this dish was so good!

The restaurant also had a really cool vibe with all of the brick walls and the brick oven easily viewable from the dining room. It was so cozy!

Recommendations:

– Calamari Fritti
– Fettucinne alla Bolognese
– Gnocchi Di Patate
– Linguine Al Frutti Di Mare
– Tiramisu

Calamari, greens, and lemon on a plate at the Antico Forno in the north end in Boston, MA.

Fettucinne alla Bolognese from Antico Forno in Boston, Massachusetts.

Giacomo’s Boston North End

When we were looking for where to eat in Boston, we heard nothing but good things about Giacomo’s and had to try it! It’s also in the North End and they only take cash, so bring plenty! There is also usually a line to get in, so get there early!

Recommendations:

– New England Clam Chowder
– Bruschetta
– Lobster Ravioli
– Chicken Parmigiana

Legal Sea Foods

If the top of your where to eat in Boston list includes good seafood, this is a great option! There are a couple of Legal Sea Foods in Boston, but I recommend the one in Harborside. It’s got such a cool vibe and there is a rooftop terrace that you can eat at as well and get a view of the harbor.

Recommendations:

– Lobster Bisque
– Shrimp Scampi
– Simply Grilled Sea Scallops

That’s a wrap for where to eat in Boston! As we try more restaurants and dishes, we will be sure to update this with our recommendations. Hope this helps make finding a place to eat in Boston easier! And if you are looking for ideas on what to do in Boston, we’ve got you covered!