Boston, Massachusetts - Eat & Drink

Eat

Boston has excellent seafood from the nearby New England coast. Local specialties include baked beans, cod, and clam chowder. For dessert you'll have no trouble finding good ice cream. Boston (and New England as a whole) are one of the top per-capita ice cream consuming regions.

A variety of excellent ethnic restaurants can be found in neighborhoods such as the North End, Chinatown, or Coolidge Corner.

The best sit-down restaurants can be quite crowded in the evenings on weekends. Unless you have a reservation, be prepared to wait anywhere from a few minutes to an hour, depending on how refined your tastes are.

If you are indecisive, visit one of the outdoor commercial areas listed in the previous section and walk around until you find something that sounds tasty and in your price range.

Italian

The North End is full of Italian eateries, and it's certain that you'll find something here to your liking. Take the Green or Orange Lines to the Haymarket station, follow the pedestrian passageway through the Big Dig, and then follow the signs to Hanover Street, the main commercial thoroughfare. Most of the good restaurants are on this street or on side streets. If you visit the North End on the weekend in the summer you may encounter one of many saints festivals. Streets are closed off and there's music, food and parades of saint's statues.

• Terramia Ristorante, 98 Salem St, 617-5233112[1]. Behind Terramia's pane-windowed storefront on Salem Street is a busy 39-seat trattoria decked out in linens, candlelight and paintings of the Italian countryside. Like the cuisine here, the atmosphere is elegant yet understated. Since opening in 1993, Terramia has aimed to convince North End diners that there was always more to Italian food than red sauce. Over the Years, the inventive and beloved restaurant has done a great deal of convincing. You'll find creative interpretations of seasonally-based classics here. But come early because you won't be alone.

• Maurizio's, 364 Hanover St, 617-367-1123[2]. Maurizio's, top rated in the Zagat Guide and three time winner of Boston Magazine's Best of Boston Award, has been part of the North End dining experience for over twelve years. Chef Maurizio Loddo hails from the Italian Island of Sardinia and brings a wealth of additional cooking experience from France, Germany and Spain. Wines from Maurizio's exciting list are selected to complement the food. You will find exceptional and affordable picks from all over the globe.

• Mike's Pastry, 300 Hanover St, 617-742-3050. Wherever you eat in the North End, do not order dessert. Instead, hop on down to Mike's for the Western Hemisphere's best cannoli (cannoli are an Italian pastry dessert filled with a wonderful sweet cheese.) There's also a rich selection of other desserts available, and a small number of tables for sit-down service. Mike's can get quite busy, especially at night on the weekends.

• Modern Pastry, 257 Hanover St, 617-523-3783[3]. Best known for their cannoli and cheesecake, both made on site for 70 years. Open late Friday and Saturday.

• Galleria Umberto, 289 Hanover St, 617-227-5709. Open only for lunch (Mon-Sat 11AM-2PM, or whenever the food runs out), this often-overlooked North End spot not only serves up fantastic Sicilian specialties, it's one of the cheapest places to eat lunch in the whole city, with (for example) calzones from $2-3 and square Sicilian pizza slices under a dollar. Locals in the know form a queue in front of the counter that can spill out the front door. Be warned though: this place is strictly counter service, and the focus is completely on the food. You'll have to eat on your feet, or (here's a tip) walk north down Hanover and sit on a stump overlooking the harbor and the Coast Guard station.

• Al Dente Ristorante, 109 Salem St, 617-523-0990. M-Th 11:30AM-10PM, (F-Sa until 11:00PM) Su Noon-10PM. This Italian gem has an amazing selection. Choose from about a dozen pasta types and sauce types. For a truly excellent combo, try one of their homemade pastas with a the tangy vodka sauce. Lap the extra sauce down with the fresh bread and clear your pallet with some nice cold Peroni beer.

• Osteria Rustico, 85 Canal St, 617-742-8770. Lunch M-F 11AM-5PM, Dinner Th-Sa 5PM-10PM. There are only 6 tables and the menu is not very extensive, however the exceptional food makes up for this. For lunch, be sure to try the Casalinga with grilled chicken and for dinner, the seafood pasta is out of this world.

• Pizzeria Regina, 11 1/2 Thatcher St, 617-227-0765. Where the locals go to get their pizza. Expect to wait outside in line during peak hours. Cash only. There are also fast-food style locations around town, though it's not quite the same quality as the main location.

• Woody's Grill and Tap, 58 Hemenway St, 617-375-9663. For a great pizza experience, staff, and food quality, try Woody's.

• The Upper Crust, 20 Charles Street, 617-723-9600 (and four other locations) [4]. Great authentic Neapolitan-style pizza with thin crust to eat in the tiny place. Popular for take out/delivery.

• Florentine Cafe, 333 Hanover Street, 617-227-1777 (www.florentinecafeboston.com). Nice ambience, looks European. Windows open wide to the street in warm weather, just as cafes do in London. Big, friendly after work crowd at the ample bar. Excellent food at a reasonable price. Try the seafood salad. The seafood is grilled and still warm when it is tossed with the crispy arugula in a lemony Vinaigrette dressing. Nice bread, served with olive oil. Efficient waitstaff.

Budget

• Bob's Southern Bistro (formerly Bob the Chef's), 604 Columbus Ave, 617-536-6204. Moderately priced Southern/Cajun food in the South End. Very friendly, large portions, live jazz Th-Su. Used to be a real steal but is now a bit pricier than it once was.

• Eagles Deli, 1918 Beacon St, 617-731-3232. Voted by the Travel Channel as #2 on their Top 10 Places To Pig Out. This deli, located near Cleveland Circle, boasts the Eagles Challenge Burger, which for a mere $50.00, you can get a cheeseburger featuring 5 pounds of beef, 20 slices of cheese, 20 pieces of bacon, 5 pounds of french fries, a pickle and a fountain soda, and it must be served to one person! Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

• South Street Diner, 178 Kneeland St, (near South Station), 617-350-0028. A great 50s-style, 24-hour diner. In fact, owing perhaps to Boston's Puritan past, this is the only 24-hour restaurant in Boston proper (save the new Miel Brasserie Provencale at the Intercontinental, and that's not exactly cheap...), and one of only four or five in city limits (one of which is just a bakery).

• Durgin-Park, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, 617-227-2038. Famous for their service with attitude. Wholesome New England fare, especially prime rib, lobster. This place does have highly-rated meals, but can range from about $8 for a burger, to up to $25-40 for bigger meals (steak/lobster). Expect to pay at least $20 per person for dinner.

• Silvertone Bar and Brill, 69 Bromfield St., 617-338-7887. A hip afterwork hangout with very good new American food and the best macaroni and cheese in town, right near Boston Common.

• Charlie's Kitchen, 10 Eliot St., Cambridge, MA, (near the Harvard Sq. T-stop), 617-492-9646. A cheap restaurant/bar located in Harvard Square. Great burgers, a good beer selection, great atmosphere, and a vegetarian friendly menu.

• Fire and Ice, 205 Berkeley St., 617-482-FIRE(3473). You get to pick your own food and sauces, and they cook it right in front of you on a large communal grill. $16.95, all you can eat. Rather touristy.

• Haymarket Pizza, 106 Blackstone St., (in Boston's historic Haymarket), 617-723-8585. The atmosphere is like eating (standing) at a work bench in a garage, but the pizza is inexpensive and among of the best in Boston. In nice weather, tables are set up outside facing the space newly opended up when Route 93 was put underground.

• Pour House, 907 Boylston St. (across the street from Hynn's Convention Center and The Prudential Center), 617-236-1767. Specific Day Specials. Cheap eats. Check it out. Oh and its seat yourself.

• Joe's American Bar & Grill, 100 Atlantic Ave (Waterfront), 617-367-8700 Right on the water at Christopher Columbus Park, with both inside and al fresco dining.

• Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe, 429 Columbus Ave, (in Boston's South End), 617-536-7669. A relatively cheap restaurant serving award-winning breakfast and lunch. Has been in business since 1927, and oozes history from its walls.

Seafood

• Legal Sea Foods, multiple locations. Legal Seafood is a Boston original - well, technically Cambridge, since it started as a fish market in Inman Square, Cambridge. Legal Seafood is known for its New England Clam Chowder. Expect to pay between $25-$30/person at dinner.

• Barking Crab, 88 Sleeper St., 617-426-CRAB. MBTA: Red line to South Station. Excellent seafood and American cuisine. Outdoor dining in a clam shack atmosphere, overlooks Boston Harbor and view of downtown. Kid friendly. Live music daily. $20.

• Union Oyster House, 41 Union Street, 617-227-2750. MBTA: Green or Blue Line to Government center. Oldest continually operating restaurant in the US. Comfortable atmosphere. Raw bar. $30-50 (less expensive in bar section).

• Summer Shack Restaurant, 50 Dalton St, (in the Back Bay, across from the Hynes Auditorium), 617-867-9955. Wonderful selections of seafood which change on a daily basis. The Summer Shack has a rotating selection of oysters and clams, and always have fresh lobsters for boiling or grilling on a wood flame. In addition, their fried seafood is great. Try their raspberry mojitos from $15-$40.

• Anthony's Pier 4, 140 Northern Ave, (on the waterfront, on a Boston Harbor pier), 617 482-6262. A Boston institution since 1961. A great selection of seafood, famous for their clam chowder, fish chowder and lobster bisque. Their Glover salad, like a Caesar salad, is delicious. They also have Dover sole, flown in, lobster, salmon and many other offerings. They serve popovers with meals. Baked Alaska is a great desert. From $25-$60.

Thai

• Rod Dee, 94 Peterborough St, 617-859-0969. Amazing Thai food, amazing value. Walking by it, you might not be impressed, but when you eat you will know why there are so many Zagat stickers on the door.

• Noodle St., 627 Commonwealth Ave (near BU East T), 617-536-3100. 11:30AM-10:30PM. This newer establishment has been a hit with the student crowd with its complex menu of create-it-yourself Thai fusion at reasonable, if not quite insanely cheap prices. Try the special buckwheat noodles or the Noodle St. soup.

• Nud Pob, 708 Commonwealth Ave, 617-536-8676. M-F 11:30AM-11:00PM, S+S 12:00PM-10:30PM. A student favorite for years, this little thai jewel is cheap and delicious. Tucked away below street level this place is easy to miss but worth searching for. The food is fast, cheap, and some of the best in Boston. Their pad thai is perfect and their yellow and green curry dishes are to die for.

Asian

• Apollo Grille, 84 Harrison Ave, 617-423-3888, open until 4AM. Located in Chinatown, stop by for some Korean and/or Japanese cuisine. The sushi selection is vast, and they're all great. Comfortable environment, open late, friendly service, and relatively inexpensive.

• Buk Kyung 151 Brighton Ave, Allston, 617-254-2775. $20 will put a LOT of food on your table. Definitely worth a trip. Get the scallion pancake. Delish and the kimchi.

• China Pearl, 9 Tyler St (Chinatown), 617-426-4338. Daily 8:30AM-10:30PM. Great food, great value, has many loyal patrons.

• East Ocean City, 25 Beach St (Chinatown), 617-542-2504. Su-Th 11AM-3AM, Fri-Sat 11AM-4AM. Authentic. Chefs will make a custom dish from something you select from the live tank.

• Jumbo Seafood, 7 Hudson St. (Chinatown), 617-542-2823. Su-W 11AM-1AM, Th-Sa 11AM-2AM. Freshest seafood.

• Victoria's Seafood, 1029 Commonwealth Ave, (Babcock St. off Green(B) line), 617-783-5111. Excellent for large parties, authentic and traditional, Cantonese style cuisine.

• Moon Villa, 24 Edinboro St., 617-423-2061. Not a notable culinary destination, but it's open until 4am, and for the past few decades has had an open secret: after 2am, when the bars have all stopped serving in observance of local liquor laws, ask your server for cold tea (*nudge nudge*, *wink wink*...)

• Ocean Wealth, 8 Tyler St., 617-423-1338. This cramped eatery on the 2nd and 3rd floors of a building in Chinatown is one of Boston's best kept secrets, serving extremely tasty Chinese food at dirt-cheap prices. Their special is the Lobster Special, where you get 2 lobsters for $10 if you buy $30 of entrees (3 entrees minimum). However, you'll pay more if you don't know how to read and speak Chinese, as the English menu is more expensive (they'll deny there's a difference, but it's $1 on average, $9.99 Chinese menu entree, $10.99 English menu entree).

Vegetarian

• Buddha's Delight, 5 Beach St, (Chinatown), 617-451-2395, Fax: 617-451-2395, M-Th 11AM-9PM, F-Sa 11AM-10:30PM, Su 11AM-9PM. Serves Vietnamese food with tofu, fake chicken, fake beef, fake duck -- it's actually all quite good. Spring rolls and taro also very good. A complete vegan restaurant. Another location at Coolidge Corner, Brookline.

• Grasshopper in Union Square in Allston, 1 N Beacon St., 617-254-8883. Another strictly vegan Asian restaurant with a definite Vietnamese influence. Very delicious. Awesome vegan cheesecake. Lunch specials under $6, dinner between $7 - $14 for entrees.

• Spike's Junkyard Dogs, 108 Brighton Ave, Allston, 617-254-7700. Offers vegetarian hot dogs and tasty poodle fries on the cheap.

• B. Good, 131 Dartmouth St., 617-424-5252, [5]. M-Sa 11AM-10PM, Su 11AM-9PM. Offers health-conscious veggie burgers with great fixings, like salsa and guacamole, and sides of tasty steamed veggies. The fries are air-baked and taste like real potatoes!

• VeganBoston.com [6] is a great resource for those looking to find vegetarian or vegan eats in the Boston Area.

Splurge

• Abe and Louie's, 793 Boylston Street, 617 536-6300. Su-Th 11:30AM-11PM, [7] Fr-Sa 11:30AM-12PM. A happening steakhouse with some of the best cuts in town. Make sure to get reservations or come in on off hours, however.

• Bull & Finch Pub, 84 Beacon Street, 617 227-9605. Open daily at 11am, [8]. The inspiration for the hit television show Cheers. Very pricey for bar fare, but an essential part of the Boston tourist experience. The Beacon Street address is the original and does not look much like the set of the show. It is located at the northwest corner of the Boston Commons near the intersection of Beacon St. and Arlington St. There is another Cheers at Faneuil Hall which is more of a replica of the TV set. If you ask a local for directions to Cheers, you will probably be directed to Faneuil Hall. The Beacon Street bar is referred to by its original name. Both locations are very touristy complete with souvenir shops.

• The Hard Rock Cafe, 22-24 Clinton Street, 617 424-7625. Open daily at 11am, [9]. Located near Fanieul Hall. The old HR Cafe on Clarendon Street is no longer open. More rock memorabilia than space allows here including stuff from The Bad Boys of Boston, Aerosmith.

• Top of the Hub, Prudential Center, 617-859-0648, [10]. Dine in luxury at the top of the Prudential Building, the second tallest building in the city. Light jazz, good food, and high prices accompany a view of the city and everything around. On a clear day, you can see Maine and Cape Cod. $40/person, $60-80 with drinks at dinner.

• Elephant Walk, 900 Beacon St, 617-247-1500, [11]. For a slightly different menu combination, The Elephant Walk has a combined French and Cambodian menu. The setting is elegant enough for a special occasion, but intimate enough for a date. $30-40 per person before drinks.

• Grill 23 & Bar, 161 Berkeley St, 617-542-2255, [12]. Certainly a contender for the best steaks in Boston. Also serves excellent seafood entrees. Private dining rooms available. Make sure to make weekend reservations at least a week in advance.

• Morton's Steakhouse, 699 Boylston St (at Exeter St), 617-266-5858, [13] Located near the Hynes Convention Center and Newbury Street. A conservative dinner for two without drinks will run you about $150, not including tax and gratuity.

• Troquet, 140 Boylston St (at Boston Common), 617-695-9463, [14]. Its a wine bar serving a variety of half and full glasses along with bottles of wine paired with its french menu. The food is fabulous as its its atmosphere. Expect dinner for two people will run $100-200+.

• Aquitaine, 569 Tremont St, 617-424-8577, [15]. A french bistro with great dinner and weekend brunch. Dinner will run about $120 with tax and tip. Brunch is a very affordable $15 a person. Small and slightly cramped, they do take reservations for dinner and brunch. Saturday brunch is prix fixe at $9.95.

• Sorriso Italian Trattoria, 107 South St, 617-259-1560, [16] A great Italian dinner trattoria with great rissoto and dessert.

• Locke-Ober, 3 Winter Place (Downtown Crossing), 617-542-1340, [17] An historic Boston restaurant featuring rich continental cuisine. Formerly frequented by John F. Kennedy among other luminaries, it was recently made over by celebrity chef Lydia Shire, but still retains its stuffy Brahmin attitude.

• L'Espalier, 30 Gloucester St (Back Bay), 617-262-3023, [18] The flagship French restaurant in Boston headed by award-winning chef Frank McClelland. Impeccable service and memorable cuisine make this a top choice for special occasions. Choose from several fix-priced multi-course menus (no a la carte menu available). Make reservations way in advance.

• No.9 Park, 9 Park St. (Next to Boston Common just in front of the State House), 617-742-9991, [19] The flagship restaurant of Barbara Lynch (she also operates the B&G Oyster Co. and The Butcher Shop in South End) and one of the most acclaimed restaurant in Boston. Choose from an a la carte menu or order a multi-course tasting menu.

• Radius, 8 High St. (downtown), 617-426-1234, [20] A haute cuisine restaurant in the business district. Modern decor and great food. Tasting menus available alongside a la carte dining.

• Persephone, 283 Summer Street, Boston 02210 - walking distance of new Convention Center - 617-695-2257 - very artsy, modern design, beautiful space. Young, helpful, waitstaff. Excellent food, in the style that goes with the decor. Fresh oysters. Fava beans with farro, basil, almonds and scallops were delicious.

Drink

With a large Irish population, Boston has a number of very good Irish pubs. Many tourists look for an authentic Boston Irish Pub. A good rule of thumb is if the establishment has a neon shamrock in the window, it is not an authentic Irish pub. For nightlife and club listings look for Stuff @ Night or The Weekly Dig in the free boxes on the street.

Places densest in bars include Canal Street (just south of TD BankNorth Garden), Faneuil Hall, Landsdowne Street and Fenway area, Harvard Ave/Brighton Ave in Allston, Central Square in Cambridge and Harvard Square in Cambridge.

• Matt Murphy's Pub, 14 Harvard St, Brookline, (617) 232-0188, [21]. Consistently rated as Best Irish Pub by several local publications, this Brookline spot (ride to Brookline Village on the 'D' Branch of the Green Line - about 20 minutes from downtown) boasts fantastic Irish food miles removed from standard pub fare and bartenders and waitstaff with genuine brogues, as well as live music.

• Doyle's Cafe, Washington St (Jamaica Plain), 617-524-2345 [22]. An Irish pub.

• J.J. Foley's, 21 Kingston St., (Downtown Crossing), 617-338-7713. Hard-drinking Irish bar for the downtown crowd.

• Kitty O'Shea's Irish Pub and Bistro, 131 State St, 617-725-0100, Email: kittyosheas@rcn.com, [23]. 11:30AM-2AM. Decor includes 200 year old floorboards from and Irish church and stain glass windows depicting scenes from around Ireland.

Faneuil Hall Area (Government Center subway stop)

• The Black Rose, 160 State St., Faneuil Hall Marketplace, 617-742-2286. Despite its proximity to Faneuil Hall, tourists overlook this location regularly. Excellent deals on lobster too. Try the seared scallops (~$18) - plump, juicy, very fresh. Live acoustic Irish music with authentic Irish musicians. Much appreciated by the local crowd early on a Sunday evening (fathers dancing with small children, regulars calling for their favorite songs). It probably got more adult and less child-friendly as the evening wore on. Wait staff quite efficient and friendly.

• McCormack & Schmick's, North Market Building, (617) 720-5522. Faneuil Hall Marketplace, $1.95 bar menu during happy hour.

• Cheers Boston, 5 Faneuil Hall, Faneuil Hall Marketplace (617) 227-0150. Not the original Cheers from the TV show which is on Beacon St., but owned by the same folks.

• Bell in Hand, 45 Union St. (617) 227-2098. Established in 1795, the bar claims to be the oldest continuously operating tavern in the country, but is far more a club than a tavern. Downstairs is generally packed on weekends, upstairs is a multiroom club.

• Purple Shamrock, 1 Union St, (617) 227-2060. [24] Great pub, often with live music.

• The Green Dragon Tavern, 11 Marshall St, 617-367-0055. A nice relaxing place to stop in after work or whilst walking the freedom trail. Opened in 1657 in the historic Blackstone section of Boston, this tavern was the meeting place for the Sons of Liberty as they discussed and planned political revolution. British officers also frequented the pub and were spied upon by American patriots. The Green Dragon Tavern the “Headquarters of the Revolution” was rebuilt after a major fire. Featuring lively entertainment and lovely food in an Irish pub atmosphere. Very reasonable prices. Two with drink is about $25-$30.

Central Square, Cambridge (Central Square subway stop)

• Zuzu and The Middle East [25]. 472-482 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge. Is actually four venues in one. Two for live music and concerts, a restaurant and bar, and a fine restaurant (Zuzu) that turns into a dance club with great DJs. Always an enthusiastic indie crowd that will dance like crazy.

• Phoenix Landing 512 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge. (617) 576-6260‎. Great dance club in the heart of Central Square.

• TT the Bear's Place.

Canal St. (North Station subway stop)

• McGann's Pub
• Grand Canal [26]. 57 Canal St. (617) 523-1112. Irish pub with live music.
• Harp at the Garden
• Greatest Bar
• Ruby Room

Harvard Ave. (Harvard Ave subway stop)

See Allston-Brighton#Drink|Allston-Brighton

• Great Scott, 1222 Commonwealth Avenue, Allston, [27]. Live indie, rock, hiphop, and dance. Voted Best Rock Club, Best Bar, and hosts the Best Dance Night (The Pill, Friday Mod/Brit) - Source: Boston Phoenix 2006 Readers' Poll. Daily 12PM-2AM. Showtime is 9PM and generally costs $8-$10.
• The Sunset Bar and Grill. With the exception of some bar in DC, the Sunset has the largest selection of beer in the country. 130 beers on tap, more than 300 bottled varieties. Get your free beer card at the door - then sample 20 different beers, and you get a t-shirt. There are bar stools with nametags on them. The honored ones sampled every beer the Sunset has.
• Big City. Combination bar and pool hall, served by the Sunset. Exceptionally nice.
• The Silhouette Lounge. If you are looking for the kind of bar that Archie Bunker would visit, this is it. The ceiling tiles are gray with age and dirt, the jukebox is broken, and the patrons are way past college age.
• White Horse Tavern. Enormous bar/club with a million TVs.
• Wonderbar
• Common Ground

Other

• Fire and Ice, 205 Berkeley St, 617-482-FIRE(3473), [28]. A great place to have fancy blended drinks and appetizers, or you go upstairs and have some delicious grill. Very touristy.

• Pink, 13 Lansdowne St, 617-417-0186, [29]. One of the biggest women's bar and club in Boston with DJ, Dancing, VIP Lounge and more....for women. (LGBT friendly)

• Good Life, 29 Kingston Street, 617-451-2622, [30]. The Good Life is a hidden gem, located in Boston's financial district. They offer an oft-changing menu of high quality food in their simple/chic dining room. Guests can also enjoy visiting their unique downstairs vodka lounge that features over 150 different types! Various music acts featured nightly downstairs. No Cover Charge.

• Rumor, 100 Warrenton St (in the Theatre District), 617-422-0045, [31]. Easily the city's trendiest night club, with a more cosmopolitan air and well-heeled and attractive clientele than the somewhat seedier Landsdowne Street clubs. Drinks are relatively expensive; cover charge on the weekends is $20. Dress well.

Dive Bars

There are many dive bars in Boston, One suggestion is The Other Side on the corner of Massachusettes Avenue and Newbury Street. Less expensive than the neighboring bars with a good selection of Belgian Beers. Ask for the Trois Pistoles for a flavorful, tasty dark beer.

If you are in the North End or near the Banknorth Garden, go to Sullivan's Tap. Ask for the Brubaker - a $2 beer in a recycled bottle. ESPN's Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, rated it The most depressing bar in Boston. [32]

In Davis Square, Somerville you can find Sligo's Pub, a similar hole in the wall serving cheap beer in plastic cups.

Coffee

• Espresso Royale Caffe, 288 Newbury St., Tel:(617) 859-9515 ([33]. Located a few steps down below Newbury Street, Espresso Royale serves up its coffee and snacks with unique style. A small patio lets you enjoy your drink outside in the warmed months, while the interior, complete with cool art, music and wood tables is inviting and cozy. The tempo here is slower than that outside on the street, so you'll feel comfortable slowing down a bit and maybe even engaging in a board game.

• Flat Black Coffee Company, 50 Broad St, 617-951-1440, [34]. A great place to get fresh coffees from around the world. Most of their coffees are certified Organic, Shade Grown and Fair Trade.

• Dunkin Donuts, You should be able to stand on any corner in the city and see at least two separate stores. The commercials should really be Boston runs on Dunkin. Every Bostonian knows that Dunks is for coffee, not donuts - trust us.

• Toscanini's, Central Square, 899 Main St. in Cambridge, 617-491-5877, [35]. Exceptional coffees, local student atmosphere, and home of the best ice cream in the world (New York Times). They make one of a kind gourmet flavors, like the famous Burnt Caramel.