Boston's Italian heart since the 1860s. Hanover Street rolls cannoli, Salem Street pours espresso, and the side streets run a dozen red-sauce trattorias.
Neptune Oyster on Salem Street has run the city's defining raw bar in Boston since 2004. 42 seats, no reservations, Gulf of Maine lobster roll on a buttered.
OrderThe hot-buttered lobster roll, full-claw and tail.
TipPut your name on the iPad at 16:30, walk to a bar, and return when they text. The 20:00 wait can run 90 minutes.
Union Oyster House on Union Street has shucked oysters in Boston since 1826, the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the United States.
OrderA dozen Wellfleets at the U-shaped bar and a cup of clam chowder.
TipSkip the dining-room tables and sit at the historic raw bar. The bar is the original 1826 plank.
Mamma Maria on North Square is the North End's fine-dining anchor in Boston, in a five-room brick townhouse since 1973. Kitchen leans italian.
OrderThe pappardelle bolognese; the kitchen makes the pasta in-house.
TipBook the upstairs Library room for a quiet conversation. The Sunday family menu at 17:00 is the easy walk-in seat.
Giacomo's on Hanover Street has run a no-reservations Italian-American room in Boston's North End since 1985. Priced at $$. At 355 Hanover St.
OrderLobster ravioli with vodka sauce, the house signature.
TipArrive by 17:30 to skip the longest wait. Cash only, BYOB welcomed from the wine shops on Salem Street.
Damien DiPaola named Carmelina's after his mother and runs it on Hanover Street as a regional Italian kitchen in Boston since 2012. Located in North End.
OrderThe carbonara pasta with smoked pancetta and pecorino.
TipReservations open four weeks ahead on OpenTable. The bar is the easier walk-in seat at 17:30 weekdays.
Regina Pizzeria on Thacher Street has fired thin-crust pies in Boston's North End since 1926. The original location is the one that matters, brick oven.
OrderThe Margherita pie, blistered crust, just-melted mozzarella.
TipWalk-ins only at the North End original. Lunch at 11:00 is the easy seat; dinner waits run 60 minutes weekends.
Legal Sea Foods on Long Wharf, near the New England Aquarium in Boston, has anchored the chain's flagship since 1968. Kitchen leans seafood.
OrderA cup of clam chowder, the recipe served at five presidential inaugurations.
TipLunch with a harbor-side window is the best seat. The raw bar runs daily until 22:00.
Mamma Maria on North Square is the North End's fine-dining anchor in Boston since 1973. Led by chef Adriana Trigiani. Tasting menu $120 (chef menu).
Book2 weeks ahead
Frank DePasquale's Bricco on Hanover Street has run a contemporary regional Italian fine-dining room in Boston's North End since 1995. Book 2 weeks ahead.
Book2 weeks ahead
Giacomo's on Hanover Street has run no-reservations Italian-American in Boston's North End since 1985. Cash only, big portions, sidewalk line by 18:00.
OrderLobster ravioli with vodka sauce, the house signature.
TipCash only. The line moves fast at 17:30 weekdays; weekends run 45 minutes.
Regina Pizzeria on Thacher Street has fired thin-crust brick-oven pies in Boston's North End since 1926. The original location only, walk-ins, no slices.
OrderThe Margherita; the crust is the menu's whole point.
TipAvoid the chain locations citywide. Only the Thacher Street original is the historic pie.
Santarpio's on Chelsea Street has fired Boston-style thin pies in East Boston near Maverick station in Boston since 1933. Located in North End.
OrderPlain cheese pie and a side of charcoal-grilled lamb skewers with bread.
TipTake the Blue Line to Maverick. Skip the menu, order pies and skewers; the grill is the whole show.
The Daily Catch on Hanover Street has run Paul Freddura's Sicilian seafood kitchen in Boston's North End since 1973. 20 seats, open kitchen.
OrderBlack pasta aglio olio, hand-ground squid-ink linguine with chopped calamari.
TipTwenty seats; the line forms by 18:00. The new takeout window two doors down at 331 Hanover skips the wait.
Damien DiPaola's Carmelina's on Hanover Street has run regional Italian in Boston's North End since 2012. Reservations available, family-style sharing.
OrderThe carbonara with smoked pancetta and pecorino, the kitchen signature.
TipOpenTable bookings four weeks ahead. Sunday lunch family gravy at 13:00 is the easy seat.
Neptune Oyster on Salem Street runs the city's defining raw bar in Boston's North End since 2004. 42 seats, no reservations, hot-buttered lobster roll.
OrderHot-buttered lobster roll on a butter-toasted split-top bun.
TipPut your name on the iPad at 16:30. The wait at 18:30 runs 90 minutes; weekday lunch is the easy seat.
Pauli's on Salem Street in Boston's North End has rolled lobster rolls and Italian subs since 2014. Best counter-service lobster roll in the city.
OrderHot-buttered lobster roll, full-claw and tail, on a 12-inch bun.
TipOrder the XL roll and split between two. Online order ahead skips the 15-minute counter wait.
Caffe Vittoria on Hanover Street has poured espresso in Boston's North End since 1929. Four floors of antique espresso machines, three liquor bars.
DrinkEspresso and cannoli
TipSit on the front terrace in summer; the basement bar pours grappa late. Cash and card both.
Mike's Pastry on Hanover Street has filled cannoli to order in Boston's North End since 1946. 19 cannoli flavours, cash and card, white string-tied box.
Worth the queueRicotta cannoli with chocolate chips
TipThe line on weekends runs 20 minutes; the inside-counter line moves faster than the to-go window. Cash and card both.
Modern Pastry on Hanover Street has filled cannoli to order in Boston's North End since 1930. Chocolate-dipped shells, lighter ricotta cream.
Worth the queueChocolate-dipped cannoli with sweet cream
TipLocals line up at Modern; tourists at Mike's. The chocolate-dipped shell is the headline item; Italian rum cake is the under-ordered cake.
Frank DePasquale's Bricco Salumeria behind Bricco Ristorante on Hanover Street in Boston's North End hand-cuts fresh pasta and slices imported Italian salumi.
Worth the queueFresh tagliatelle, sold by weight
TipTagliatelle, pappardelle and gnocchi are the daily fresh pastas; closed Monday. Cash and card both.
Caffe Vittoria on Hanover Street has poured espresso and grappa in Boston's North End since 1929. Four floors, three liquor bars, a cigar room.
DrinkGrappa and espresso
FoodItalian pastry
TipBasement liquor bar after 21:00 is the under-toured seat. Grappa and espresso is the canonical close.
Pauli's on Salem Street has rolled lobster rolls and Italian subs in Boston's North End since 2014. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.
TryLobster roll, hot or cold
TipOrder ahead online to skip the counter wait. The XL roll splits between two; the classic is the single.
Haymarket on Blackstone Street has run Boston's oldest open-air market since 1830. 50 vendors selling produce, fish and fruit at wholesale prices.
TryProduce, fish, fruit at penny prices
TipSaturday late afternoon brings the wholesale-clearance prices. Cash only at most stalls.
Santarpio's on Chelsea Street has grilled charcoal lamb skewers next to its East Boston pizzeria in Boston since 1933. Located in North End.
TryCharcoal-grilled lamb skewers with bread
TipTake the Blue Line to Maverick. Order one of each (lamb and sausage) plus pies for the table; no reservations.
Night Shift on Lovejoy Wharf has run a waterfront brewpub on the Charles River in Boston since 2019. Located in North End. At 1 Lovejoy Wharf.
TipBoats run from the wharf in summer. The pilsner is the headline pour; the kitchen runs to 22:00.
Boston Public Market on Hanover Street has run as an indoor year-round food hall in Boston since 2015. 30 New England artisans and farms; the Greenway-side.
TipOpen year-round; Saturday is the busiest day. The George Howell coffee counter and Red's Best fish stall are the two anchors.
Haymarket on Blackstone Street has run an open-air produce and seafood market in Boston between the North End and Government Center since 1830. 50 vendors.
TipArrive at 06:30 for the freshest produce; come back at 18:00 for the close-out liquidation prices. Cash only at most stalls.
Quincy Market on South Market Street next to Faneuil Hall in Boston since 1826 is the oldest and largest food hall in New England. 36 vendors.
TipTourist-heavy; eat at Boston and Maine Fish Co or Pizzeria Regina sub-stall, the better-quality options inside.
Bobby Agrippino's North End Boston Food Tour walks Hanover and Salem Streets in Boston since 2018. Cannoli at Mike's, pasta tasting, pizza stop, espresso.
TipTour caps at 12 guests. Sunday at 11:30 is the easier booking; weekend lunchtime tours fill four weeks ahead.
Bites of Boston Food Tours runs walking food tours across Boston's neighbourhoods since 2009. Boston Magazine Best Food Tour; chef-led commentary.
TipThe Public Market and North End tour starts inside Boston Public Market. Saturday tours sell out four weeks out.
Secret Food Tours Boston runs a North End Italian walking tour in Boston since 2014. Six tastings, hidden-restaurant secret reveal, 400-year history layer.
TipTour ends with a secret dish reveal; pace eating across stops to leave room. Group size capped at 14.
Take Walks Ultimate Boston Food Tour in Boston since 2010 covers the North End and Boston Public Market. Eight tastings, freedom-trail history overlay.
TipPre-purchase tickets four weeks out. The tour caps at 12 and includes priority skip-the-line access at Mike's Pastry.
Up And Adam runs a North End walking food tour in Boston since 2017. Six stops, lighter pace, small-group format with a North End local guide.
TipSmaller groups (8 max) than the bigger tours. The cannoli stop alternates between Mike's and Modern based on the day.
The Boston Wine & Food Festival, rooted in 1989, is a winter series of chef and winemaker events at the Boston Harbor Hotel, running 22 January to 6 March 2027.
TipOpening Reception in late January kicks off the multi-week programme. Book the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti tasting six months out.
The Feast of Saint Anthony fills the North End of Boston each August with processions, live bands and Italian and American food; the 107th edition ran 27 to 30 August 2026.
TipThe Grand Procession leaves the Outdoor Chapel on Endicott Street at 11:30 on the Sunday and carries Saint Anthony through the North End for ten hours; the Benvenutti Parade opens the weekend on Saturday at 6 PM.
The Feast of Saint Agrippina di Mineo runs on Hanover Street in Boston's North End every August since 1914. Sicilian American street food, the grand.
TipSunday afternoon procession at 12:30 is the centrepiece. Sunday tug-of-war at 20:00; arrive by 14:00 for the food stalls.
Regina Pizzeria on Thacher Street has fired brick-oven thin-crust pies in Boston's North End since 1926. The original location, walk-ins only.
TryMargherita pizza, shared
TipNo slices; whole pies only.
Santarpio's on Chelsea Street fires Boston-style thin pies in East Boston since 1933. Located in North End. At 111 Chelsea St. Booking recommended.
TryCheese pie
TipTake the Blue Line to Maverick. Cash only. The lamb skewer-and-pie combo is $25 for one.
Frank DePasquale's Bricco on Hanover Street runs a Friday-Saturday late-night Italian kitchen until 02:00 in Boston's North End since 1995. At 241 Hanover St.
TryCarbonara
TipLate-night menu Friday and Saturday from 23:00. Order pastas and pizza; the antipasti runs lower energy late.
Big Night Live next to TD Garden on Causeway Street is the 2,000-capacity concert and dance venue from Big Night Entertainment, with touring DJs and live.
TipPre-game dinner at The Grand restaurant on the same floor is the easier walk-up before the show. Doors usually 19:00.
Farmacia on North Square is the 9-seat cocktail bar inside the All Day Hospitality space, run by Phillip Rolfe. A built multi-cocktail experience.
TipTickets drop on the 60-day mark and sell within minutes. Sunday and Tuesday are private events; Wednesday through Saturday is public.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Sample and learn about iconic Boston dishes as you’re treated to the city’s best spots for Lobster Rolls, New England Clam Chowder, Boston Baked Beans and Brown Bread ...
Guided tour · 2 hours
Choose a 2-hour express or 3-hour full Boston food tour. Taste clam chowder, arancini, brick oven pizza, cannoli, and more while exploring the North End’s history and ...
Guided tour · 2.5 hours
Sample Boston's most iconic seafood dishes on a guided walking tour. Enjoy fresh, local favorites and learn about local history during your adventure.
