Your flight and hotel are booked, you’re already packed and ready to go (with the help of this handy #CMC17 packing list we compiled for you), and now it’s just down to what you’ll do in the (limited) free moments here in Boston!
We have compiled the most massive list for everyone; gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian. Wondering where to get the best local craft beer, bowl of clam chowder or lobster roll?
**Locations marked with an asterisk are notably close to the Westin.
Look no further as to where to eat and drink in Boston, and leave a comment if we missed anything you need:
Best Asian Cuisine
- Blue Dragon **
- Gene’s Chinese Flatbread (but don’t get the flatbread; Chinatown)
- Mala (Allston)
- Olitoki (Korean tacos; Allston)
- Seoul Soulongtang (Allston)
- Shojo
Best Bakeries & Patisseries
- Bova’s Bakery
- Cafe Madeleine
- Clear Flour
- Tatte
Best Brunch:
- Beehive
- Darryl’s Corner Bar & Kitchen
- Davio’s
- Friendly Toast
- Gaslight Brasserie du Coin
- Lincoln Tavern
- Little Donkey
- The Beehive (South End)
Best Clam Chowder:
- Atlantic Fish Company
- B&G Oysters
- Grill 23
- Island Creek Oyster Bar
- James Hook & Co **
- Ned Devine’s
- Neptune Oyster **
- Sail Loft (only a mile away, also right on the water) **
- The Barking Crab (seaport) **
- The Daily Catch (seaport) **
- Union Oyster House
Best Craft Beer + Breweries:
- Aeronaut Brewing Company
- Cambridge Brewing Company
- Lamplighter Brewing Company
- Lord Hobo
- Night Shift
- Somerville Brewing Company (Slumbrew)
- Trillium (only beer to go) – location in Canton **
- Winter Hill Brewing Company
Best Drinks:
- Ask for Tenzin (@BostonMixDrink) at Tavern Road **
- Bar Mezzana
- Cuchi Cuchi
- Drink
- Little Donkey
- Oak + Rowan **
- Shojo
- Brick & Mortar (Central Sq)
Best French Food:
- Bar Boulud
- Bastille
- Bistro du Midi
- Gaslight Brasserie
- Josephine
- L’Espalier
- Les Zygomates
- Marliave
- Menton
- Miel at the Intercontinental
- Mistral
Best Gluten-Free Options:
- Addis Red Sea (ethiopian, gluten-free injera)
- Antico Forno
- Atlantic Fish
- Blue Dragon
- Bricco
- Carrie Nation
- City Table
- Davio’s
- Douzo
- Fleming’s
- Franklin Cafe
- La Famiglia
- Lucca Back Bay
- Myers + Chang
- Nebo
- Orinoco
- Pastoral
- Stella
- Strega
- Sweet Cheeks Q
- Tresca
- Waypoint
- Zocalo
Best Healthy Fast-Casual:
- By Chloe
- Cocobeet (downtown)
- Dig Inn
- Juice Press **nearby (seaport)
- Live Alive
- Sweetgreen
- VERTS
Best Italian:
- La Famiglia Giorgio’s
- Mamma Maria Restaurant
- Panza
- Piattini (Newbury Street)
- Ristorante Limoncello
- Stella (Seaport)
- Serafina (Financial District)
- Taranta Cucina
Best Lobster Roll:
- Belle Isle Seafood
- James Hook & Co **
- Mare
- Neptune Oyster **
- Pauli’s
- Row 34 (they have warm + cold lobster rolls. I love the warm!) **
- Saltie Girl
- Yankee Lobster **
Best Mexican:
- Casa Romero
- El Centro
- El Pelon Taqueria
- Lone Star Taco Bar
- Rosa Mexicano (Seaport)
- Temazcal Cantina
- Tenoch
- The Painted Burro
Most Creative Menus/Top Chefs in Boston:
- Alden & Harlow – Michael Scelfo (Cambridge)
- Cafe ArtScience
- Little Donkey (Cambridge) of James Beard winning chef Ken Oringer & Jamie Bissonette – do get dessert here
- Loyal Nine
- PAGU – Tracy Chang (Cambridge)
- Sarma
- Waypoint (Cambridge)
Best Ramen:
- Santouka (Harvard Square)
- Banyan (Tremont Street – South End)
- Ganko Ittetsu (Coolidge Corner)
- Yumi Katare (Cambridge)
Best Spot for a Fancy Dinner:
- Abe & Louie’s
- Grill 23
- Mooo **
- No. 9 Park
- Oak Long Bar
- Ostra
- Ruka
- Sorellina
- Yvonne’s in Downtown
Best Sushi:
- Uni
- Oh Ya
- Oishii
- Douzo
- Avana Sushi
- Cafe Sushi
- Ebi Sushi (Union Square)
Best Vegetarian/Vegan:
- Bailey and Sage (Financial District)
- CHLOE (Seaport) **
- Clover Food Lab (Multiple Locations – Financial District, Cambridge, Kendall Square
- Coco Beet (Government Center)
- Dig Inn (Back Bay)
- FoMu (Tremont Street – South Boston)
- Freshii (Financial District)
- Life Alive (Central Square)
- My Thai Vegan Cafe (Chinatown)
- PRESSED (Beacon Hill)
- Veggie Galaxy (Cambridge)
- VERTS (Summer Street – Downtown Crossing)
- VO2 Vegan Cafe (Central Square)
- Taco Party (Somerville)