Boston Travel AgencyEst. 1969 · Bespoke Private Travel

Chowder, cannoli and the neighborhoods that made them

Boston Food, Neighborhoods & Food Tours

Boston's food tells the story of who came here. The Puritans brought baked beans and brown bread. The sea brought cod, clams, oysters and lobster. Then came waves of immigrants: the Irish, the Italians who made the North End their own, Portuguese fishing families, and Chinese families who built one of the oldest Chinatowns in the country.

The result is a city where you can eat a 200-year-old oyster bar's chowder for lunch, a cannoli on Hanover Street for dessert and dim sum the next morning. Here is what to eat, where to find it, and the tours that bring it all together.

See our top tours What to eat in Boston

Photo: Tim Sackton, CC BY-SA 2.0

The North End: Boston's Little Italy

The North End is Boston's oldest neighborhood. Paul Revere lived here, but by the early 1900s it was home to tens of thousands of Italian immigrants, and their families' bakeries, cafes, salumerias and red-sauce restaurants still line Hanover and Salem Streets.

Each summer the neighborhood throws a series of religious feasts, the biggest being the Saint Anthony's Feast in late August, held since 1919, with processions, music and food stands filling the streets. Any time of year, the best way to taste the North End is on foot, one small plate at a time.

Hanover Street, the heart of the North End — Hanover Street, the heart of the North End. Photo: David Adam Kess, CC BY-SA 4.0

The great cannoli debate

Ask ten Bostonians where to get a cannoli and you will start an argument. Mike's Pastry, with its famous white boxes tied with string, draws the longest lines. Modern Pastry, across the street, has a fiercely loyal following that swears by its shells filled to order. Many locals will quietly point you to Bova's, open around the clock. A food tour lets you try more than one and pick your own side.

Modern Pastry in the North End — Modern Pastry in the North End. Photo: Tim Sackton, CC BY-SA 2.0

Beyond the North End

Back Bay. Built on filled land in the 1800s, the Back Bay is all Victorian brownstones and tree-lined streets. Newbury Street is the place for sidewalk patios, cafes and people watching, and Boylston Street has some of the city's best-known restaurants.

South End. The largest Victorian row house neighborhood in the country is also one of Boston's best dining areas. Tremont Street is restaurant row, and the SoWa Open Market draws crowds on summer Sundays.

Chinatown. Compact and packed with flavor, from dim sum and bakeries to hand-pulled noodles and late-night hot pot.

Seaport. Boston's newest neighborhood, rising on old wharves, with seafood restaurants and rooftop bars overlooking the harbor.

Beacon Hill. Gas lamps, cobblestones and Charles Street's cozy cafes and neighborhood restaurants.

Cambridge. Across the river, Harvard Square and Central Square mix student favorites with some of the most creative cooking in the region.

Brownstones on Newbury Street in the Back Bay — Brownstones on Newbury Street in the Back Bay. Photo: David Adam Kess, CC BY-SA 4.0

Boston's favorite dishes

New England clam chowderThick, creamy and full of clams, served with oyster crackers. Never with tomatoes.Photo: Jason Zhang, CC BY-SA 3.0
The lobster rollCold with a little mayo, or warm with drawn butter. Locals argue about this one too.Photo: Lee Coursey, CC BY 2.0
Boston cream pieInvented at the Parker House Hotel in the 1850s and now the official state dessert.Photo: socsci (Flickr), CC0
Parker House rollsSoft, buttery folded rolls from the same famous hotel kitchen.Photo: Arnold Gatilao, CC BY 2.0
OystersFrom Duxbury, Wellfleet and the Cape. Union Oyster House has served them since 1826, making it America's oldest continuously operating restaurant.Photo: Youdontsmellbad, CC BY-SA 1.0
SteamersSoft-shell clams steamed in their shells. Pull one out, swish it in the broth, dip it in melted butter. A New England summer ritual.Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor, free license, see file page
Fried clamsWhole-belly fried clams are a North Shore summer tradition.Photo: dbking, CC BY 2.0
AranciniGolden fried rice balls stuffed with meat sauce, peas and cheese. A North End lunch staple, and Galleria Umberto's are legendary.Photo: G. Melfi, free license, see file page
CannoliCrisp shells and sweet ricotta, the signature of the North End.Photo: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0
Lobster tail pastryA crisp, flaky, shell-shaped pastry filled with sweet cream. The cannoli's great rival in every North End bakery case.Photo: Tim Sackton, CC BY-SA 2.0
Sausage and peppersGrilled Italian sausage piled with peppers and onions on a sub roll. The smell of every North End summer feast.Photo: Chuck Falzone, CC BY 2.0
North End pizzaThin, charred and served by the pie. Pizzeria Regina has been doing it since 1926.Photo: Mr. Matté, CC BY-SA 4.0
North Shore roast beefOrder it "three-way": rare roast beef, James River BBQ sauce, mayo and white American on a grilled onion roll. Kelly's on Revere Beach says it invented the sandwich in 1951.Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor, free license, see file page
The Fenway FrankA ballpark tradition. Best eaten in the bleachers.Photo: Waz8, CC0
Dunkin'The first Dunkin' Donuts opened just south of Boston in Quincy in 1950. Iced coffee here is a year-round habit.Photo: slgckgc, CC BY 2.0
The FluffernutterPeanut butter and Marshmallow Fluff, invented in Greater Boston and a local childhood favorite.Photo: Kimberly Vardeman, CC BY 2.0

Notice what's missing? Boston baked beans gave the city its nickname, Beantown, but you'll have a hard time finding a local who orders them.

Our top tours

North End Food Tour: Pizza, Pasta and Pastries

Nearly perfect reviews. A small-group crawl through the neighborhood's best-loved spots.

★ 5.0 (700+ reviews)
2 to 3 hours
From about $98

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North End Food Tour: Italian Flavors and Heritage Walk

Food plus the immigrant history behind it. Great value for a two-hour tour.

★ 4.9 (1,600+ reviews)
2 hours
From about $70

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Food and History: North End, Freedom Trail and Beacon Hill

The best of both worlds: tastings plus the history of three neighborhoods in one half-day.

★ 4.9 (1,900+ reviews)
5 hours
From about $91

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North End Food Tour with Wine and Limoncello

Adds wine and limoncello to the classic tastings.

★ 5.0 (500+ reviews)
3 hours
From about $100

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Boston Historic Pubs Tour with Drinks and Tastings

Colonial taverns, local beers and the stories behind them.

★ 4.8 (170+ reviews)
3.5 hours
From about $129

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North End Food Tour with Local Flavors

A long-running favorite with a generous tasting lineup.

★ 4.8 (1,600+ reviews)
2 to 3 hours
From about $86

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Hungry? See our guide to what to eat in Boston, from cannoli to the roast beef three-way → Planning your days? See how these tours fit into our 2, 3 and 5-day Boston itineraries →

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