Boston, MA Visitor’s Guide: What to do + Where to Eat

Nick and I each moved to Boston for school thinking it’d be temporary, but the charm of this small, historic city (with no shortage of seafood…yum) grew on us tremendously over time. We often get questions on what to do and where to eat, so finally pooled our favorites into this mega post! I’ll be keeping this updated and will add any new or forgotten favorites. Let me know if you guys have any questions, and be sure to check out my map at the bottom to see where everything mentioned here is located! When traveling we like to visualize where all the places we want to hit up are located, then find somewhere to stay central to those.

Things to do

Walking

Boston is very much a walking city, so pack your flats! One of my favorite paths to walk is starting at Hynes or Copley subway station on the green line, going along Newbury Street (our biggest shopping street) all the way to the Boston Public Garden and Boston Common. There you can also have a picnic, take kids on the (very slow-moving) swan boats or merry-go-round, and eat soft serve from the Boston Frosty truck. There is a week of gorgeous tulips in mid-spring, foliage a-plenty come Fall, or you can ice skate on the “Frog Pond” in the winter. From the Boston Public Garden, you can walk to either the small boutiques in charming Beacon Hill, grab a bite in Chinatown, or follow the Freedom Trail through Quincy Market to Charlestown.

Shopping!

Clothing and shoes under $175 are exempt from sales tax in Massachusetts, so I see many visitors shopping their merry hearts out. For individual items priced over that amount, the first $175 is still tax-exempt. Newbury Street is an outdoor shopping area with a range of stores from more affordable like Zara, Uniqlo, and H&M to splurge-worthy spots like Reformation, Burberry, Chanel, and much more. There’s also a number of online brands opening up physical stores, like Allbirds and Rothy’s! I also like the Copley Place & Prudential Center malls, which are right nearby. These indoor malls have department stores like Neiman Marcus and Saks, a variety of designer boutiques, and shops like Sephora, LOFT, Banana Republic, Club Monaco, Stuart Weitzman, etc.

Picking

Fruit
We have a delicious variety of pick-your-own farms in MA, however most are a 30 minute + drive outside of Boston. If you happen to have a rental car, be sure to check out what’s in-season for picking! Berries (strawberries, blueberries, cherries) start late spring through the summer, peaches ensue in late summer, and then apples, pears, and pumpkins are in full swing come fall. Here are a few of my posts at local farms: Tougas Farms (also here), Honey Pot Hill, Parlee Farms, Verrill Farm.

Flowers
For lovers of fresh blooms, Wicked Tulips in RI can be picked April – May, Parlee Farms up north has gorgeous zinnias & dahlias in August – September, and Colby Farms has a field of sunflowers that peak briefly in September. Note though that Colby Farm’s flowers are for viewing, not for picking! Each of these farms are about an hour outside of the city, in different directions.

Boating

If the weather is nice, you can walk or run along the Charles River on the Esplanade path. You can rent kayaks or canoes from a small stand stationed near the Hatch Shell. From the river, you can see Boston on one side and Cambridge on the other. Pack some sandwiches and drinks to refuel while out on the water!

Other Popular Activities:

– Visit Harpoon brewery for a flight of beer, or more importantly, their freshly baked soft pretzels (the cinnamon sugar one with cream cheese icing dip … droool). I also love to drink Downeast Cider but haven’t yet been to their tasting room. It’s located in East Boston, near the airport, and is open Thurs – Sun. If beer is your main objective, though, Nick’s favorite in the city is Trillium Brewing (multiple locations, all w/ outdoor seating).

– Stop by the Copley Square farmers market open on Tuesdays and Fridays, from Spring to Fall. Or if you’re by the south end, visit the SoWa market which is open Sundays May – October, featuring food trucks, a vintage market, and tents run by small artisans.

– Pop into the historic Boston Public Library. Pinkies up for their tea set of savory sandwiches and sweet treats, and of course your own potful of tea. The BPL is one of my most favorite spots in the city, although I’m a little biased since we got married there!

Afternoon tea set w/ matcha green tea lattes at Boston Public Library

-For the little ones: Boston has fun options for the entire family! For free family activities I recommend the children and toddler’s room at the Boston Public Library which includes a large play area. There is a great playground with lots of activity stations along the Charles River Esplanade, though it’s more for slightly older kids. Other family-friendly activities we always recommend are the New England Aquarium, Boston Children’s Museum and the Museum of Science.

 – Take a Duck Tour which is an amphibious vehicle that hits up most of the city’s major landmarks, then plops into the Charles river to show a bit of Boston via water.

– Catch a Red Sox game at Fenway Park, then chow down at one of the many nearby food options on Peterborough Street (Rod Thai Family Taste, El Pelon Mexican, Sushi Kappo) afterwards.

– Explore the Boston Harbor islands via ferry or boat tour. Recommended for history buffs (hotspots include war forts and a historic lighthouse) or hikers, not those seeking beachy sand to sunbathe on.

– Check the Boston Calendar for a list of local happenings, events, classes, or other things to do.

– Visit the Museum of Fine Arts or the Isabella Stewart Gardner art museum (indoor courtyard pictured below).

Getting Around

A rental car is not necessary while in Boston unless you want to do a lot of day trips to the outer areas. In fact, finding and paying for parking is quite a burden, so I always suggest visitors take Uber, Lyft, a cab or try public transit on our MBTA train system.

Where to Eat and Drink

Breakfast & Brunch

– Jugos – Tiny, tiny to-go only spot located centrally near Copley Square, so on a nice day you can enjoy your food on the benches there (they also have a slightly bigger location with more food options in the South End). I’m far from a “clean” eater but this place is tasty and fresh. My favorites are the juices, frozen acai or pitaya (dragonfruit) bowls, and their chicken salad avocado toast. I have a weakness for coconut + cacao chocolate nibs atop my bowl…tastes like dessert!

Acai bowl from Jugos

– Tatte – A cute, Instagram-able local bakery/café with multiple locations, easily some of the most Instagram’d spots in town. I like the location in charming Beacon Hill, but be warned it’s a zoo at weekend brunch time! (The Seaport and South End locations are larger and usually a shorter wait).

– Dim Sum – for the actual “ladies wheeling around push carts full of dim sum” experience we go to Hei La Moon (good for bigger groups). If it’s just the two of us or if it’s a weekday, we usually do Great Taste, where you can order dim sum off a little checklist daily until 4pm. They also have this traditional dish we love which is braised beef brisket & tendon over seared rice noodle rolls (pictured in the iron pot below) – it’s only written in Chinese on the wall and not in the regular menu. My mom ordered it once and now we just point or pull up this pic! And if you’re in Chinatown, you’ll definitely want to stop at one of the many bakeries to pick up some buns to snack on later. Top Bread is our favorite for their red bean mochi bun and Portuguese egg tarts.

Dim Sum faves: shrimp & chive dumplings for me, sweet custard buns for Nick

– Cafes & Dessert – I’m more a tea person but Nick also loves his coffee! His favorite local coffee shops are George Howell in downtown crossing and the Thinking Cup on Newbury Street (right by all the shopping). For sweet treats, we like Coco Leaf for Viet-inspired desserts, or Sama for creme brulee in a jar (black sesame if they have it!), and Fomu (multiple locations) has some of the best non-dairy ice cream around – I even like it better than many regular ice creams!

Lunch & Dinner: Loosely ranked in order of a super casual to nicer ambiance

– Pho noodle soup – If you happen to be in the Allston area, my favorite spot is actually Pho Viets inside the Super 88 asian food court. There is no ambiance here so we usually just slurp with our heads down or get it to-go. For Vietnamese delivery / Uber Eats we always pick Pho Hoa in Dorchester which is more authentic tasting than most in the area! We get the spicy BBH noodle soup, pork meatball spring rolls, and vermicelli bun bowls there.

Pho Viets beef stew over egg noodles, grilled pork & cold cut banh mi sandwiches 

– Chicken & Rice Guys (note: no seating. They also have several food trucks which you can track here) – a grab & go lunch spot. Modeled after NYC’s popular “Halal guys” (which is now also in the Boston area) but C&R Guys actually tastes like real meat and is way better than the Halal Guys Boston outpost, imo. A small combo (chicken & lamb gyro over rice) is usually plenty to fill me up – don’t forget to douse it in their yummy sauces!

– Taiwan Cafe – Decent soup dumplings in town, which doesn’t say much if you have a Din Tai Fung near you…but most of us don’t. What to get: juicy soup dumplings (transfer to your soup spoon carefully, nibble a hole off the top, and sip the soup out slowly to avoid a traumatic mouth-scalding experience), regular pan-seared dumplings, scrambled egg with beef & tomatoes rice plate (Chinese comfort food), Szechuan style white fish in spicy broth (“shui zhu yu”).

– Futago Udon – One of our family FAVORITES (Nori included). Smaller but baby-friendly restaurant with a changing table. The fried chicken curry udon isn’t what I usually go for, but it is surprisingly delicious (ask for the chicken on the side to keep it crispy)!

Lobby rolls, steamers, and fried shrimp from Tony’s Clam Shop

– For good ol’ New England seafood … there’s the fisherman shack James Hook where you can grab a roll to-go or Yankee Lobster Co (right by Harpoon Brewery), both of which are a bit toursity. If you’re in Quincy (neighboring town to Boston), Tony’s Clam Shop has lobster rolls, fried seafood & steamers right by a small strip of water. If you haven’t had steamer clams before, they are so big & tasty when in-season…our out-of-town visitors can never get enough! For a different take on the classic lobster roll, Eventide is in the Fenway Park area and serves their lobster atop a pillowy “bao” bun. Also, Luke’s Lobster is a chain but I’ve always enjoyed the seafood rolls there!

– Shabu Zen (2 locations) – my weekly go-to for comfort food, especially in colder weather. If you haven’t had shabu or hot pot before, your ingredients come uncooked so you cook them quickly in a boiling pot of broth, then eat with a dipping sauce that you mix up in your little sauce cup. What to get: combos (either the pick 2 meats combo, boneless shortrib, or the tontoro pork combo) that come with veggies, rice or udon noodles; whole shrimp to add flavor to the house broth, and watermelon smoothies. If you prefer spicy (and I mean SPICY) hot pot, the very popular China-based chain Liuyishou is right around the corner, but expect long waits even at odd hours.

Hot pot feast

– Salty Pig – Restaurant with large patio right by my aforementioned shopping malls focusing on charcuterie, pizzas, and a nice craft beer selection … aka the express path to my husband’s heart. I do appreciate that they make a lot of their own charcuterie and pasta. Sundays are “red sauce Sundays” with cute checkered table cloths.

– Holly Crab – Boston isn’t known for its cajun-style seafood boils, (Houstonians, no need to come here) but if you haven’t tried it before, this place hits the spot with shellfish that comes in plastic bags smothered in garlicky, spicy, buttery and citrusy goodness. Put on the bib and rubber gloves, and leave your white silk blouse at home. Their crawfish here are very small, so our go-tos are the shrimp, mussels, and king crab legs (a splurge but so good) in holly crab medium sauce with sides of corn and sausage in the bag. Shaking Crab is a Boston chain that is also very good, with one location right by the Public Garden!

Spread at Holly Crab (don’t be deceived by my staging…everything comes in bags!)

– Best oyster happy hour spots (note: these happy hours are frequently subject to change, so please call ahead to ask) – You can’t come to New England without indulging in fresh oysters, but they can add up at the usual $3+ per piece! Bar Boloud (at the Mandarin Oriental hotel) has them in the summer if you need a break from shopping on Newbury Street and Marliave in downtown Boston has $1 oysters daily at either 4 – 6PM, or 9 – 10PM. Their oysters for some reason often lose their brine (my favorite part) by the time they reach me, but on the plus side Marliave has some yummy house-made pasta dishes like their Sunday Gravy.

Precinct oyster happy hour

– The Daily Catch (multiple locations) – small, “cozy” Italian seafood pasta spots known for their lobster fra diavolo dish made for sharing. We also love the aglio olio, which is their house-made squid ink pasta (you can substitute this noodle in most of their other pasta dishes too, for a small charge) tossed with oodles of garlic and ground calamari. I keep highlighting the spots with fresh house-made pasta, as some of the most popular Italian spots here don’t make their pastas or even their sauces! We prefer the Brookline location for this restaurant, as the North End one has rushed and at times, rude service (neither take reservations).

Daily Catch Lobster Fra Diavolo for 2; various squid ink pasta dishes

– Douzo in the Back Bay is our go-to for “elevated takeout” sushi aka date night at home on the couch. There’s a decently sized dining room and the ambiance is fine, but the chef’s sushi special (a 12 piece nigiri dinner for ~$32) is as good as any of the more expensive highly rated omakase dinners we’ve had elsewhere and tastes even better in the comfort of our own home 🙂 It’s conveniently located right next to Back Bay train station, or if you happen to be traveling around by car, there are two parking garages next door.

-For sushi delivery, our go-to is Irashai in Chinatown. You can’t beat the lunch specials at Irashai and all the sushi I’ve gotten there has been satisfying and well priced!

–Momi Nonmi – Come here for the shokado bento boxes (only available at lunch) – they’re are as delicious as they are Instagrammable. The restaurant has a casual vibe despite the higher price tag, but the chef is super passionate about the food. If you are a vegetarian or have other dietary restrictions they ask that you make a reservation and let them know a couple of days in advance as many of the components of the dishes are made from scratch in-house.

– Neptune Oyster in the North End (little Italy) is the most hyped spot for a big, hot, buttered lobster roll (market price on average is $30-$35). Their food though is always yummy and I like the ambiance, but it’s a small restaurant and a wait could easily set you back a few hours, unless you line up 20 minutes before they open! I’d also recommend getting the johnnycake appetizer, which is like a cornbread-style pancake with honey butter, whitefish pate, and caviar combined in a sweet and savory perfection.

Lobster roll, oysters, littlenecks and fried clams from Neptune Oyster

– Barcelona Wine Bar – tapas spot with 2 locations in Boston. This is actually a chain restaurant from CT, but they do a great job with ambiance and catering to local tastes (their bread from a local bakery is heavenly, always hot and fresh). They have a regularly changing menu and are always packed around dinner or brunch time, so make reservations. Some staples I like that are usually always on the menu: charcuterie, hanger steak w/ truffle sauce, patatas bravas (potatoes doused in garlic aioli), and wine flights.

– Toro – another tapas spot, by Ken Oringer, one of my favorite chefs in town. What to get: The cheesy Mexican-style corn, seafood paella (better than others in town; half size is plenty for sharing!), roasted cauliflower, bone marrow topped with braised oxtail. It’s so yummy, we’d eat here all the time if it weren’t for the fact that they don’t accept reservations, and the wait at dinner time can be 1-3 hours (so go right when they open to put your name down)!

– Island Creek Oyster Bar – I can’t speak to their other dishes, but their signature house made lobster roe noodles with braised shortrib and grilled lobster on top is scrumptious (and priced accordingly at just under $40). This is only served at dinner. Be sure to make reservations about a week in advance!

– Drinks – Nick and I have opposite tastes in alcohol (he’s a beer, whiskey and scotch man, and I prefer anything but) but one thing we can agree on is we both love the drinks at Shojo. If you don’t like strong tastes of alcohol, I’d recommend their gin gin mule with housemade ginger beer (very strong ginger flavor – you’ve been warned), reiko greene with giant cucumber ice cube, cold tea for 2 which is a bit insidious because it tastes so normal, or their “agogo” drink. Snack on their chicken & waffles (egg puff-style waffle), house-made noodle dish of the day, or mini pork belly buns in-between drinks. Nick also likes the menu-less bar Drink where you blab out what types of things you like in a beverage and the bartender makes you something, while you munch on their complimentary buttery popcorn.