10 editor picks in Boston.
10 seafood places in Boston we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Boston | Seafood across every city.
Seafood is Boston's signature cuisine, served everywhere from North End oyster bars to Seaport seafood halls. Neptune Oyster and the historic Union Oyster House anchor the North End, while Saltie Girl in Back Bay and Row 34 in the Seaport and Fort Point area work the contemporary end. Legal Sea Foods on Long Wharf and James Hook & Co show the range from sit-down dining to dockside takeaway.
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.
Kathy Sidell's Back Bay seafood room on Dartmouth Street has run the tinned-fish-and-crudo agenda in Boston since 2016. At 279 Dartmouth St.
OrderTinned fish board with anchovies, mussels, sardines and butter on toast.
TipThe window counter is the easier walk-in seat at 17:30. Brunch books two weeks out on weekends.
Row 34 on Congress Street has run the Fort Point oyster room in Boston since 2013. Located in Seaport Fort Point. Priced at $$$. Kitchen leans seafood.
OrderA dozen mixed oysters and the crispy oysters with sriracha aioli.
TipThe bar runs the same menu without the reservation lead time, and Tuesday nights are the easy walk-in seat at the counter.
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.
Row 34 on Congress Street has run the Fort Point oyster room in Boston since 2013. Named for row 34 in Duxbury Bay, 20 East Coast oyster varieties daily.
OrderA mixed dozen of East Coast oysters and the crispy oysters with sriracha aioli.
TipThe bar runs the same menu without the reservation lead time. Tuesday nights walk in easily.
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.
Kathy Sidell's Saltie Girl on Dartmouth Street runs tinned fish, crudo and lobster rolls in Boston's Back Bay since 2016. Kitchen leans seafood.
OrderThe tinned fish board: anchovies, mussels and sardines on warm butter toast.
TipThe window counter is the walk-in seat. Brunch books two weeks out on Saturdays.
James Hook & Co on Atlantic Avenue has sold live lobster and lobster rolls from the harbor wharf in Boston since 1925. Located in Seaport Fort Point.
OrderLobster roll with mayo, $28, served cold on a buttered split-top bun.
TipTake-out window, eat on the waterfront bench out back. The retail counter sells live lobsters at wholesale prices.
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.
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.
Guided tour · 2h 30m
Explore Boston’s seafood scene with insider access to fish piers, family-run shacks, and harbor views. Taste lobster rolls, chowder, and more while uncovering the city...
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 ...
