Boston cuisine is synonymous with New England cuisine, its main components consist of dairy products and seafood as well as beans which has given Boston the nickname Beantown. Be sure to find homemade baked beans not the ones from a tin; you could find the original Boston bean in Durgin Park where they’re made with salt pork, molasses, dry mustard and onion. In Boston you can find many local dishes as well as exotic flavors brought here by the many immigrants who have settled in Boston over the years. Boston has more than 22 farmers’ markets and there are plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits and seafood on offer. Hot spots for eating out in Boston include Newbury Street, North End (Italian), Faneuil Hall (seafood and fresh produce), South End (high end establishments), Allston-Brighton (cheaper eateries, ethnic and student eateries), Chinatown, Harvard Square (geared towards the students) and Dorchester (Vietnamese cuisine and trendy ethnic places). Boston has attracted many world famous chefs who have given a boost to the city’s food culture, for example Jasper White (Summer Shack), Todd English (Olives) and Ming Tsai (Blue Ginger). Iconic cook book writer and chef Julia Child resided in Cambridge giving another boost to the city’s status as a foodie destination. 

Among the famous seafood dishes of Boston there is the whole belly fried clams and New England clam chowder. Clam chowder is perhaps the city’s most famous dish. Get the best chowder from the Union Oyster House, the country’s oldest operating restaurant, and while there try the oysters on the half-shell. The chowder should be watery and the fried clams have to be whole belly not strips. Lobster rolls, just plain lobster or a fisherman’s platter are all good choices. Fish and chips are another favorite perhaps a nod to the English heritage of the region. Legal Sea Foods in the Prudential Center is a New England institution serving up gourmet seafood.

Fenway franks, New England boiled dinner and Yankee pot roast are well loved Boston favorites. The roast beef 1000 is a brioche bun piled high with roast beef, cheddar cheese, shallots and Thousand Island dressing. Egg in a jar became a hit in 2012, a poached duck egg on mushrooms, potato puree and duck skin served in a jar. For something sweet there are raspberry lime Rickies. Boston cream pie is legendary and you can try it where it was invented at Parker House Hotel on School Street. While there try the Parker House roll. Low bush blueberry pie is another favorite in the summer. Add a scoop of blueberry ice-cream to that and wash it down with Wachusett blueberry beer. Boston is known for its beer, the first Massachusetts bar/pub opened in 1634 and they brewed their own beer on the premises. Since then the city’s beer industry has fermented into one of the country’s most famous beer Meccas.

Boston’s residents come from diverse locations across the globe so you can find several ethnic eateries like Portuguese food which is very popular here including Portuguese linguica sausage. For great Italian food (especially cannolis from Mike’s Pastry) head for Little Italy in the North End. In Durgin Park try the Indian pudding, cornmeal and molasses cooked for hours. Try the Asian food in Chinatown and Korean food in Allston. Boston food trucks are a must-try when in the city; you’ll find them in neighborhoods and the city center serving a range of mostly high quality food.

There are several foodie tours in Boston including the Bites of Boston and Yummy Walks which both combine eating and touring. For example there is the Sweet and Savory South End Tour, Foods of the Freedom Trail, North End Little Italy Food Tour and the Boston Seafood and Chowder Tour. If you’re looking for some nostalgia pop into “Cheers” of TV series fame for a drink and a meal where “everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.” Among the almost 3,000 Boston restaurants listed on Trip Advisor Sam LaGrassa’s and the Flour Bakery & Café have been voted the top restaurants in the city. For fine dining try Deuxave, O Ya or Mamma Maria. Other top rated eating establishments include Bergamot, KO Pies and Bon Me. Boston has several food related festivals throughout the year including the Boston Local Food Festival, Ocean State Oyster Festival, Boston Beerathon and Vegan Food Truck Festival in September; Let’s Talk About Food Festival, Smoke This Rib Fest and Oktoberfest in October; Boston Restaurant Week in March; and the annual Wine Expo.