Where to Eat in Boston: Chowder, Lobster Rolls and Classics

Our advice for eating in Boston: chase four things: New England clam chowder, a lobster roll, a North End cannoli and a slice of Boston cream pie. This guide gives you 13 restaurants and bakeries inside the city of Boston, Massachusetts, each one confirmed as operating on its own official site, with what to order at each.

Most of the list sits within a short walk or ride of the Freedom Trail. A few picks also have branches outside the city. The addresses here are the Boston ones, and we flag the others where it matters.

What is Boston actually known for eating?

Boston is known for New England clam chowder (a creamy, potato-and-clam soup), lobster rolls, brick-oven pizza, North End Italian pastry, and Boston cream pie. That last one is not just a local habit: Section 41 of Chapter 2 of the Massachusetts General Laws names Boston cream pie the official dessert of the Commonwealth.

The chowder and lobster roll live mostly on the waterfront and in the old seafood houses. The cannoli and pizza live in the North End and East Boston, the city's Italian neighborhoods.

How we chose

We started from the dishes Boston is known for, then looked for places known for that exact dish. Every restaurant below sits inside the city limits and presents itself as open on its own official website. We left out places we could not confirm that way, and we skipped chains. Hours and menus change, so treat anything marked "typically" as a starting point and check the official site before you go. Prices are left out on purpose for the same reason.

Where do you eat chowder and seafood in Boston?

For chowder and classic New England seafood in Boston, start at Union Oyster House, Boston Chowda Co, Sullivan's Castle Island and Yankee Lobster Co. They cover the old-school dining room, the market-hall bowl, the beach-side stand and the working waterfront.

1. Union Oyster House, Downtown

Union Oyster House at 41 Union Street, Downtown, says it has served food since 1826, and its oyster bar still stands in its original position. The Freedom Trail describes the building as the early-1700s Capen House, where patriot Isaiah Thomas printed the Massachusetts Spy. Order oysters at the original raw bar, then a bowl of chowder and a seat in one of the old rooms. The restaurant's site notes that Daniel Webster was a regular.

2. Boston Chowda Co, Faneuil Hall Marketplace

Boston Chowda Co runs a counter in the Quincy Market Food Colonnade at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Downtown. Its site describes a clam chowder made with local surf clams, cream and hand-cut potatoes, and says the family has run the business for over 25 years. Order the New England clam chowder, and add a Maine lobster roll if you want both classics from one counter. Hours follow the marketplace, so check the Faneuil Hall Marketplace site before you go.

3. Sullivan's Castle Island, South Boston

Sullivan's Castle Island is a South Boston landmark by Castle Island, open since 1951 and a James Beard Foundation America's Classics award winner. Its site says the clams come fresh from Ipswich, so order the clams and eat them outside by the water. Then walk it off on the Castle Island waterfront path. Hours shift with the seasons, so check the official site or call before you go in the colder months. Sullivan's also has a branch in Hanover, outside Boston; the Castle Island stand is the one to visit.

4. Yankee Lobster Co, South Boston waterfront

Yankee Lobster Co at 300 Northern Avenue, on the South Boston waterfront near the Seaport, describes itself as family-owned seafood since 1950. The menu has clam chowder, lobster bisque and several lobster rolls, including a traditional roll, a hot buttered roll and a crab-and-lobster version it calls the Crobster. Order the hot buttered roll if you want the warm version. Typically it is open daily from 11 am, closing at 8 pm Monday to Saturday and 7 pm on Sunday.

Where is the best lobster roll in Boston?

No official body ranks them, so this is our opinion: the North End and the Seaport are where to go for a more polished lobster roll in Boston, with Neptune Oyster, Pauli's and Row 34 as the three to know.

5. Neptune Oyster, North End

Neptune Oyster at 63 Salem Street in the North End takes walk-ins only, with no reservations. Its Maine lobster roll comes on a toasted brioche roll, served hot with butter or cold with mayo. Order it hot, then add fried Ipswich clams or the North End cioppino. The official site says it opens daily at 11 am, so arrive early or expect a line.

6. Pauli's, North End

Pauli's at 65 Salem Street, next door to Neptune, is known for big, heavily loaded lobster rolls, and it ships nationwide through Goldbelly. Order the lobster roll and take it to go if the line at Neptune is long. Typically it is open daily, with a shorter Sunday.

7. Row 34, Seaport District

Row 34 at 383 Congress Street in the Seaport District (Fort Point) is a raw bar in a former warehouse first built in 1908. Its name is a good bar story: Row 34 is named after the 34th row of oysters in Duxbury Bay on the South Shore. Order a half dozen of the local oysters and the lobster roll. Typically it is open daily from 11:30 am.

Where do you get the best pizza in Boston?

For pizza in Boston, go to Regina Pizzeria in the North End or Santarpio's Pizza in East Boston. They are very different pies from two different neighborhoods.

8. Regina Pizzeria, North End

The original Regina Pizzeria is at 11 1/2 Thacher Street in the North End, and its official page says "Since 1926." It serves brick-oven pizza. Order a classic cheese pie and eat in if you can, because the Thacher Street room is the original. Typically it is open Monday to Saturday 11 am to 10 pm and Sunday 11 am to 9 pm. Regina also runs other locations, so make sure you pick the Thacher Street one.

9. Santarpio's Pizza, East Boston

Santarpio's Pizza at 111 Chelsea Street in East Boston serves pizza and barbecue under the same roof. Order the cheese-and-garlic pizza and a skewer of lamb or steak tips from the barbecue side. Typically it is open daily from 11:30 am to 10 pm. Santarpio's also has a second location in Peabody, which is outside the city of Boston, so the East Boston address is the one this guide recommends. It is a short ride on the Blue Line from downtown.

Where do you find the best cannoli and Boston cream pie?

The North End's Hanover and Salem Streets are the place for cannoli in Boston, and Modern Pastry is the cleanest answer for Boston cream pie in the same neighborhood.

10. Mike's Pastry, North End

Mike's Pastry on Hanover Street in the North End calls the cannoli its signature item. Order a classic cannoli and expect to carry the white string-tied box down the street. The official site lists the North End hours as 8 am to 10 pm daily.

11. Modern Pastry, North End

Modern Pastry at 257 and 263 Hanover Street says it has been open for over 90 years and makes its cannoli to order. It also sells a Boston Cream Cake that it describes as its spin on the Boston cream pie. Order the cannoli to eat now and the Boston cream pie to take home. Typically it is open from 7 am, to 11 pm Sunday to Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday.

12. Bova's Bakery, North End

Bova's Bakery at 134 Salem Street is open 24 hours a day, every day, and has been family-owned since 1926. Its signature is the Famous Florentine Cannoli, ricotta-filled. In Boston, the cannoli never closes: Bova's is still filling them long after Mike's and Modern have locked up for the night.

13. Atlantic Fish Co, Back Bay

Atlantic Fish Co at 761 Boylston Street in Back Bay says it has served Boston since 1978. It is a sit-down seafood restaurant with reservations and a weekend brunch from 11 am to 3 pm. Order from the seafood menu when you want a proper table instead of a counter or a line. Check the official site for the current menu.

Can you eat all the Boston classics in one day?

Yes, if you plan it as a walking route through the North End and Downtown, with a second-day trip to the water.

1. Morning: a cannoli or pastry on Hanover or Salem Street in the North End (Mike's Pastry, Modern Pastry or Bova's Bakery).
2. Lunch: a hot lobster roll at Neptune Oyster or Pauli's on Salem Street, or chowder at Union Oyster House on the Freedom Trail.
3. Afternoon: a Boston cream pie slice or cake from Modern Pastry, then the walk along the Freedom Trail.
4. Dinner: brick-oven pizza at Regina Pizzeria on Thacher Street, or take the Blue Line to Santarpio's in East Boston.
5. Next day: chowder and a hot buttered lobster roll at Yankee Lobster Co, or Ipswich clams at Sullivan's Castle Island and a Castle Island walk.

More places to eat are listed in our food and dining directory.

Practical tips

• Neptune Oyster does not take reservations, so go early, or go at an off-peak hour.
• The North End and Downtown are walkable from each other, and Bova's Bakery on Salem Street is open 24 hours a day.
• Several picks have more than one location. Confirm the address on the official site before you leave.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Where should I eat in Boston on a first visit?

Eat chowder and oysters at Union Oyster House, a lobster roll at Neptune Oyster, pizza at Regina Pizzeria and a cannoli at Mike's Pastry. All four are in Downtown or the North End and can be walked in one day.

Where can I get New England clam chowder in Boston?

You can get New England clam chowder in Boston at Union Oyster House, Boston Chowda Co at Faneuil Hall Marketplace and Yankee Lobster Co on the South Boston waterfront. Check each official site for current hours before you go.

What is Boston's official dessert?

Boston cream pie is the official dessert of Massachusetts, according to Section 41 of Chapter 2 of the Massachusetts General Laws. You can try Boston's take on it at Modern Pastry in the North End, which sells a Boston Cream Cake.

Does Neptune Oyster take reservations?

No. Neptune Oyster in Boston's North End is walk-in only, according to its official site. It opens daily at 11 am, so arriving early is the best way to avoid a long wait.

Is Santarpio's Pizza in Boston?

Yes, the original Santarpio's Pizza is at 111 Chelsea Street in East Boston, inside the city of Boston. It also has a second location in Peabody, which is outside Boston.