The North End

Boston's Italian-American enclave has dozens of restaurants; many are tiny and don't serve dessert and coffee. Hit the caffès for an espresso or cappuccino and fresh pastry in an atmosphere where lingering is welcome. Popular destinations for a cappuccino and cannoli (tubes of crisp-fried pastry filled with sweetened ricotta cheese) are Caffè Vittoria at 290–296 Hanover St. (tel. 617/227-7606) and Mike’s Pastry, 300 Hanover St. (tel. 617/742-3050). Around the corner, Salumeria Italiana at 151 Richmond St. (tel. 617/523-8743) is the best Italian grocery store in the neighborhood, with cheeses, meats, fresh bread, sandwiches, pastas, olives, olive oils, and more.

Faneuil Hall Marketplace & the Financial District


The food court in Faneuil Hall Marketplace has a wide variety of options, including Boston Chowda, Carol Ann Bake Shop, El Paso Enchiladas, Jen Lai Noodle and Rice Co., mmMac n’ Cheese, Steve’s Greek Cuisine, and Ueno Sushi. There are tables indoors, and the Rose Kennedy Greenway and Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park are both a short walk away for picnicking. Food trucks also set up year round on the cross streets of the Greenway.

Expensive -- The national chain McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant has a branch at Faneuil Hall Marketplace in the North Market Building (tel. 617/720-5522).

Downtown Crossing

Inexpensive -- Clover Food Lab operates Clover Food Truck, which parks near Dewey Square, on the Rose Kennedy Greenway across from South Station (Atlantic Ave. and Summer St.) weekdays from 8am to 6pm.

Beacon Hill

Moderate -- Artú has a branch at 89 Charles St. (tel. 617/227-9023). It's open Sunday and Monday from 4 to 11pm, Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 11pm.

Chinatown/Theater District

The most entertaining and delicious introduction to Chinatown's cuisine is dim sum. At lunch and dinner, many restaurants have a second menu for Chinese patrons (often written in Chinese). You can ask for it or tell your waiter that you want your meal Chinese-style.

If you're serious about sweets, consider ending -- or even beginning -- your meal at Finale, 1 Columbus Ave. (tel. 617/423-3184; www.finaledesserts.com).

The area around Park Square (near Stuart St. and Charles St. S.), between the Theater District and the Public Garden, is a hotbed of upscale national chain restaurants. None of these places offers a unique or even unusual experience, but they're all reliable destinations if you're feeling unadventurous. They include Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 217 Stuart St. (tel. 617/292-0808); Maggiano's Little Italy, 4 Columbus Ave. (tel. 617/542-3456); McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant, 34 Columbus Ave., in the Boston Park Plaza Hotel (tel. 617/482-3999); and P. F. Chang's China Bistro, 8 Park Plaza (tel. 617/573-0821).

Expensive -- There's a branch of Legal Sea Foods at 26 Park Sq., between Columbus Avenue and Stuart Street (tel. 617/426-4444).

The Back Bay

Expensive -- For seafood of all sorts, Jasper White's Summer Shack has a branch at 50 Dalton St. (tel. 617/867-9955), across the street from the Sheraton Boston and the Hynes Convention Center. The excellent tapas restaurant Tapéo, 266 Newbury St. (tel. 617/267-4799), is owned by the same family as Dalí.

Moderate -- P. F. Chang's China Bistro has a branch in the Prudential Center, 800 Boylston St. (tel. 617/378-9961).

Inexpensive

The Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston St., offers two dining options (tel. 617/859-2251). The Courtyard restaurant serves lunch on weekdays and afternoon tea Wednesday through Friday, and the self-service Map Room Café serves meals and snacks Monday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm.

Kenmore Square, the Fenway & Brookline

Moderate -- For after-dinner dessert and coffee, head to Finale, 1306 Beacon St., Coolidge Corner, Brookline (tel. 617/232-3233).

Cambridge

Food trucks set up daily (even in winter) at the Harvard Plaza just north of Harvard Yard, near Oxford Street. There are generally four or five options, with the schedule posted here. Trucks include Bon Me, for Vietnamese sandwiches, salads, and grain bowls; Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, featuring the Green Muenster with bacon and guacamole; and Zinnekan’s, for Belgium waffles with toppings such as Nutella, strawberries, and whipped cream. Seating is available at outdoor tables and benches.

There’s a branch of Clover Food Lab at 1326 Massachusetts Ave., which provides a selection of local beer. There’s also a large outpost of Tatte Bakery & Café a few doors down, at 1288 Massachusetts Ave.

Harvard Square & Vicinity -- A brilliant idea cooked up by a pair of Harvard Business School students, Finale, 30 Dunster St. (tel. 617/441-9797), specializes in dessert.

There's a Legal Sea Foods in the Charles Hotel courtyard, 20 University Rd. (tel. 617/491-9400).

Outside Harvard Square -- There's a Legal Sea Foods at 5 Cambridge Center, Kendall Sq. (tel. 617/864-3400). The Elephant Walk has a branch outside Porter Square, at 2067 Massachusetts Ave. (tel. 617/492-6900).

Clover Food Lab sends a Clover Food Truck to MIT, where it parks at 20 Carleton St. (btw. Amherst and Main sts.), weekdays from 8am to 7pm.

The food court on the lower level of the Porter Exchange mall, 1815 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, is home to half a dozen or so Japanese businesses that attract expats from all over the Boston area. The super-authentic dining options are mostly fast-food counters with small seating areas in front; wander around until you see a dish that strikes your fancy. All open in the late morning and close by 9pm. Start at Cafe Mami (tel. 617/547-9130), but also check out -- in rough order of preference -- Sapporo Ramen (tel. 617/876-4805), Tampopo (tel. 617/868-5457), and Ittyo Restaurant (tel. 617/354-5944). Afterward, hit Japonaise Bakery (tel. 617/547-5531) for French- and Japanese-style pastries, notably the items that incorporate azuki (red bean) cream.

Seaport District

Boston has had seaport activity in this part of the city for over 150 years, but a distinct “Seaport District” as a living/working/tourism destination only began to take shape in the early 2000s. Encompassing a long stretch of waterfront and parallel roads, the area has blossomed into a hodgepodge of spanking-new luxury housing, retail spaces, and swank hotels, bars, and restaurants. A website by WS Development helps keep track of what’s new. The neighborhood blends into the Fort Point industrial district on the east side of the Fort Point Channel, where warehouses have been reclaimed as office space, artist studios, loft condominiums, and more restaurants. 

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.