Massachusetts Dining Guide
Oysters, lobster rolls, cannoli and fried clams, with a few fine dining rooms too.
Massachusetts eating starts with the ocean: oysters from Wellfleet and Duxbury, steamers and fried clams, chowder thick with cream, scallops from New Bedford and lobster served whole or piled into a roll. Boston adds a deep Italian tradition in the North End, a strong chef-driven scene in the South End and the Seaport, and some of the country's oldest restaurants and taverns.
Outside the city, many of the best-loved places are seasonal. Seafood shacks on the Cape and the North Shore and fine dining rooms on the islands usually open between April and Memorial Day and close after Columbus Day or by Thanksgiving, so check before you drive. In the Berkshires, historic inns and farm-focused restaurants stay busy from Tanglewood season through foliage.
Boston
From the country's oldest oyster bar to modern Seaport seafood.
Serving since 1826 in a building older than the Revolution, with a raw bar where Daniel Webster is said to have eaten oysters daily.
A tiny, always-busy raw bar known for its warm buttered lobster roll; expect a wait.
A North End institution since 1985, serving seafood pastas in a small room with a line outside.
A Hanover Street bakery founded in 1946, famous for cannoli in boxes tied with string.
The original brick-oven pizzeria on Thacher Street, open since 1926.
A modern oyster bar and beer list in a former warehouse near the Seaport.
Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette's Barcelona-style tapas bar, known for grilled corn and paella.
Joanne Chang's lively diner-style restaurant serving Taiwanese, Chinese and Southeast Asian dishes.
A family lobster business since 1925, with lobster rolls to go on the waterfront.
Cambridge
Chef-owned restaurants near Harvard and Inman Squares.
Ana Sortun's restaurant of Turkish and Middle Eastern flavors, with a garden patio.
A Middle Eastern bakery from the Oleana team, good for breakfast and meze plates.
A Harvard Square dining room open since 1975, with a seasonal New England menu.
Small plates in a basement space under the Brattle Theatre, with a much-talked-about burger.
Cape Cod and the Islands
Mostly seasonal: check opening dates before you go.
A busy summer seafood stand on Route 6 with fried clams, lobster and a raw bar.
Wellfleet oysters and seafood from a local family business that started at the town pier in 1995.
A Commercial Street landmark with harbor views and its own chowder, open from spring into November.
The harbor-side tavern behind the famous dog logo, open since 1971.
A harbor-side seafood restaurant that has been a Nantucket summer classic for decades.
A whaling-era style tavern on Broad Street, popular for burgers and chowder.
North Shore and Plymouth
Fried clams, lobster on the wharf and historic dining rooms.
In business since 1914 and credited by local tradition with the first fried clam.
A fried clam stand since 1935, in a building shaped like a takeout clam box; seasonal.
A family seafood house in a historic hall where Alexander Graham Bell once gave a public demonstration of the telephone.
Modern New England cooking in the former Salem Savings Bank building of about 1818.
Rockport's oldest lobster company, since 1918, with a tiny deck over the harbor.
A fish market and restaurant on the town pier, good for chowder and fried fish.
A larger waterfront restaurant overlooking Plymouth harbor.
The Berkshires
Historic inns and farm-focused kitchens.
An inn welcoming travelers since 1773, with a formal dining room and a casual tavern.
A Main Street restaurant whose menu changes with what local farms are harvesting.
A bakery cafe a few minutes from Tanglewood, popular for brunch.
A seasonal restaurant near the Clark with its own gardens.
Restaurants change hours, menus and ownership often — check with the restaurant before you go. Listings are editorial picks, not paid placements.
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Get free trip quotes »Massachusetts Dining — FAQ
What food is Massachusetts known for?
Clam chowder, fried clams, lobster rolls, raw oysters and scallops, plus North End cannoli and Boston cream pie, which the Omni Parker House hotel claims to have invented.
Are Cape Cod restaurants open in winter?
Some are, especially in Hyannis, Falmouth and Chatham, but many seafood shacks and Provincetown and island restaurants close from late fall to spring.
Do I need reservations in Boston?
For dinner at popular restaurants, yes, especially Thursday to Saturday. North End favorites such as Neptune Oyster and Giacomo's do not take reservations, so go early.