Best Places to Eat & Drink in Boston

Local favorites for food, drinks, and a seriously good time — no tourist traps included.

---

Boston doesn't get enough credit as a food and drink city. Sure, everyone knows the clam chowder, but dig a little deeper and you'll find sushi spots with live jazz, late-night taqueria runs in Harvard Square, legendary scorpion bowls, and cozy basement bars that have been pouring drinks since before you were born.

Whether you're a local looking for somewhere new or visiting and want to skip the tourist menus, this list has you covered. Here are some of the best places to eat and drink across Boston and Cambridge, MA.

We independently select these travel products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

Read More: How to Get a Refund for a Canceled Flight, Cruise, or Hotel

Skip to the section you're most interested in: Sushi & Jazz - Mexican Food - Chinese & Karaoke - Sports Bar & Sunday Brunch - Stadium Food - Whiskey Bar & Brunch - Cocktail Bar - Happy Hour & Basement Bar - Diner - Asian

📍524 Massachusetts Ave, Central Square, Cambridge

Sushi and jazz — yes, really. Nestled in Central Square between MIT and Harvard, The Mad Monkfish is one of those places that should feel gimmicky but absolutely doesn't. The sushi is the real deal: skilled chefs behind the bar, excellent maki and specialty rolls, and a pan-Asian menu that goes beyond the basics with Thai curries and stir-fried noodles. On weekends, live jazz fills the room and the whole vibe just clicks. Come for the food, stay for the music, and come back because you'll want to.

📍84 Winthrop St, Harvard Square, Cambridge

Harvard Square's best-kept late-night secret. Achilito's is a family-run taqueria serving fresh, scratch-made Mexican food with real ingredients. From chile-marinated proteins to fresh tomatillos and homemade salsas. The burritos are massive, the tacos are the real deal, and they're open until 4am. Late-night craving? Problem solved. Bonus: tons of vegan and gluten-free options that don't feel like afterthoughts.

📍65 Chatham St, Faneuil Hall, Boston

A Boston bucket list experience. This is the younger sibling to the legendary Hong Kong Restaurant in Cambridge — a family-owned institution since 1954 and it's less of a restaurant and more of an event. The world-famous Scorpion Bowl is the move here: get one (or split one, or don't,we're not judging), sink into the karaoke, and let the night take over. It's loud, colorful, and completely unforgettable. Exactly what a Boston night out should feel like.

📍730 Massachusetts Ave, Central Square, Cambridge

Your new favorite neighborhood sports bar and we mean that in the best way. 730 Tavern is a Central Square staple with a diverse menu, a solid craft beer selection, 13 TVs for game day, and an all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch buffet that will ruin you for lesser brunches. They also do karaoke, free comedy nights, and have a patio. It's the kind of place where you stop in for one drink and end up staying for four hours. A true neighborhood gem.

📍4 Jersey St, Fenway, Boston

Okay, hear us out — Fenway Park absolutely counts as a food and drink destination. America's oldest ballpark has leveled up its food game significantly, and eating a Fenway Frank with a cold beer while watching the Red Sox play on the Green Monster is one of those experiences that's genuinely hard to beat. Even if baseball isn't your thing, tours of the park are available and the area around Fenway is packed with great bars and restaurants.

📍Near Fenway Park, Boston

A whiskey bar and tavern near Fenway with serious cocktail credibility and an incredibly cozy atmosphere. The Citizen is from the team behind Franklin Café, and that pedigree shows. The craft cocktail list is thoughtful, the food is genuinely good, and the Sunday brunch is a Fenway neighborhood favorite. Whether you're pre-gaming before a Sox game or just want a great drink in a laid-back setting, The Citizen delivers every time.

📍1755 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge

One of those places that feels like it was made just for you. The Abbey is a New American restaurant and cocktail bar in Cambridge with dim lighting, a dark green glow from the bar, and food that punches well above its weight for a pub. The cocktail list is creative — think smoked lemongrass infused vermouth and grilled grapefruit Campari while the kitchen turns out standout salmon, mussels in white wine broth, and a black pepper gnocchi that regulars swear by. Open until 2am and always welcoming solo diners. This one's a keeper.

📍89 Winthrop St, Harvard Square, Cambridge

One of the last true old-school bars in Harvard Square and it fought all the way to the Supreme Court to keep its liquor license (seriously, Google "Larkin v. Grendel's Den"). This unpretentious basement bar has been a hangout for Harvard students and Cambridge regulars since 1971, and the half-price happy hour menu (5–7:30pm daily with a $4 drink) is one of the best deals in the city. Start with brisket nachos or loaded potato skins, grab a tuna melt, and enjoy the fact that some things in Boston never change.

📍Central Square, Cambridge

A family-run diner that does retro right. By day, Donut Villa is the kind of warm, nostalgic spot — red and white banquettes, a classic lunch counter, and a patio out back where you come for scratch-made brunch and fresh hot donuts. By night it transforms into a speakeasy-vibed bar, the kind of place where you can genuinely debate whether to have brunch for dinner or cocktails for brunch. Spoiler: you do both. The chef-led kitchen elevates classic diner food without losing what makes a diner great.

📍112 Mt. Auburn St, Harvard Square, Cambridge

The most visually stunning bar in Cambridge — full stop. Wusong Road is a minority and LGBTQ+ owned tiki bar and restaurant tucked inside a 100-year-old Conductor's Building just outside Harvard Square. Created by Cambridge native Chef Jason Doo, the two-story space is a love letter to Asian American cuisine and tiki culture, packed with basket lamps, tropical wallpaper, a Bali temple replica, and dramatic yellow banquettes. The cocktail program is award-worthy locals swear by the Zombie and the Mai Tai and the food holds its own with handmade baos, crab rangoons, and coconut ribs. There's truly nothing else like it in Boston.

Boston is full of hidden gems that never make the tourist guides and that's exactly what makes them worth finding. Whether you're a lifelong Bostonian or just passing through, the best way to experience this city is through its food and its bars. These spots aren't just places to eat and drink, they're where memories get made, where regulars become friends, and where every visit feels a little different than the last. From Harvard Square to Fenway, the food and drink scene here is alive, local, and always worth exploring. This list is just the beginning.