Mon, Nov 2
Boston’s go-to local guide
Trusted by 200,000+ Bostonians for the city’s best spots and events.
Coming up in Boston
Fri, Dec 4
Fri, Dec 11
Sat, Dec 12
Get more out of Secret Boston
Become a member
Members-only perks, free and discounted tickets, priority guest lists, every guide in full, and unlimited searches on The MoveA discovery tool that recommends our favorite spots in Boston.. $9.99 a month or $99 a year. Cancel anytime.
See what members getPlaces to go
-
Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe
- Casual
- Cozy
- Old-School
-
Aeronaut Brewing Company
- Casual
- Lively
-
Darling
- Cozy
- Trendy
- Upscale
-
Yume Wo Katare
- Casual
- Cozy
Guides
20 Italian restaurants in Boston for your next pasta craving
Boston’s Italian restaurants can turn a pasta craving into a fairly long argument about where to go. The North End has plenty of answers, but so do South Boston, the South End and East Boston. A table of cicchetti, a bowl of lobster ravioli and a sandwich eaten on the way somewhere else all deserve a place in the discussion. These twenty choices cover different kinds of meals. Some are sit-down restaurants for a long dinner; others work for a board of cheese and salumi or a quick lunch. Start with the food and the neighborhood, then check the booking arrangements. A busy sidewalk is not a reservation system. Carmelina’s serves Sicilian comfort food with Mediterranean influences in a small Hanover Street room with an open kitchen. Pasta and seafood are central to the menu. Its reservation rules are specific: online bookings through Yelp, parties of no more than six and ninety-minute table slots. Plan the after-dinner conversation somewhere else. Giacomo’s on Hanover Street is a cash-only, walk-in restaurant, with phone arrangements listed for parties of ten or more. Its menu centers on house-made pasta, seafood and its Giacomo and Fracomo sauces. Come prepared for the actual seating process rather than arriving with a tight deadline for the next part of your night. Mamma Maria overlooks North Square and changes its regional Italian cooking with the New England seasons. It has several private dining rooms as well as its regular dinner service, making it worth considering for a meal with a particular occasion attached. Ask about the room and group arrangements directly when planning a celebration. The Salty Pig on Dartmouth Street lets you build a board from meats, cheeses and accompaniments before moving on to pasta or pizza. Its menu includes house-made charcuterie alongside products from other makers. It works for a table that wants to share a few things, then decide whether dinner needs another round of food. Bar Volpe brings southern Italian cooking to West Broadway in South Boston, with handmade pasta, vegetables and wood-fired seafood. Karen Akunowicz’s restaurant is also a pastificio, or pasta shop. You can sit down for dinner or buy pasta, sauces and ricotta to make the following night considerably easier. SRV on Columbus Avenue takes its name from the Serene Republic of Venice. The menu gives you cicchetti, fresh pasta and risotto made to order, with Italian wines and cocktails. Start with small bites before deciding on the larger dishes; a Venetian-inspired meal has more routes through it than an appetizer followed by chicken parm. Coppa is Ken Oringer’s South End enoteca, serving Italian small plates, house-made pasta, pizza and charcuterie. The Shawmut Avenue restaurant also has outdoor seating when conditions allow. It is a useful choice when one person wants pizza, another wants pasta and everyone is willing to share at least the first part of dinner. Trattoria Il Panino serves pasta and other Italian dishes around Hanover and Parmenter streets, with a covered patio among its seating options. Its website lists a separate late-night menu on Fridays and Saturdays. Check which menu applies to your arrival time if you are planning dinner after a show rather than before one. Bricco on Hanover Street combines an Italian dining room and wine bar, with pasta, seafood, meat and chops across the menu. The bar offers a different way into the evening, including cocktails and pizza. Make sure you are booking Bricco Ristorante; its nearby bakery and salumeria are separate stops with different purposes. Prezza on Fleet Street gives pasta and wood-grilled dishes equal room on the menu. Its listed options include smoked mozzarella ravioli, fish stew, grilled swordfish and steaks. That range suits a group that agrees on Italian food but does not all want a bowl of pasta. Read the current menu for seasonal preparations. Rino’s Place in East Boston serves handmade pasta and substantial red-sauce dishes, including lobster ravioli, baked pasta and chicken or veal preparations. Its menu also states that the restaurant is cash only. Bring what you need to pay before sitting down; this is a detail to settle before the check arrives. Fox & the Knife on West Broadway is Karen Akunowicz’s Italian restaurant and enoteca, with handmade pasta, antipasti, aperitivi and amaro. The bar serves the full menu and is held for walk-ins on a first-come basis. It gives a solo diner or pair another option when the reservation calendar does not cooperate. La Famiglia Giorgio’s on Salem Street is built around Roman cooking and large portions. The family-run restaurant explicitly encourages the kind of meal that leaves you with something to take home. Ask about portions as you order, particularly if the table is considering several appetizers before everyone chooses a main. Arya Trattoria on Hanover Street offers a three-course menu called Fare un Viaggio alongside its individual dishes. The whole table must participate in that option, which includes appetizers, pasta and an entrée for each person. Agree on the format before ordering; it is meant to be a shared decision rather than one person’s add-on. Lucca on Hanover Street offers Italian dinner service, with separate wine, cocktail, dessert and children’s menus. Its private dining options include a wine room and other spaces for groups. Keep it in mind when the meal involves several generations or an organized gathering, and discuss the group’s needs before choosing a room. MIDA’s South End restaurant is the Tremont Street location of chef Douglass Williams’s Italian neighborhood restaurant. Use the South End menu and booking page when making plans, since MIDA also has restaurants in East Boston, Newton and Fenway. The shared name does not mean a reservation at one will get you seated at another. Euno’s menu runs from linguine with clams to mushroom gnocchi and pappardelle with a meat sauce. Seafood and meat entrées give non-pasta eaters options too. The North End restaurant also lists nightly specials based on available produce and seafood, so ask about those before deciding the printed menu has settled everything. Terramia on Salem Street serves northern and southern Italian dishes in a small North End restaurant. Its menu includes vegan ravioli as well as seafood pasta and meat dishes. It is worth a look for a mixed group of eaters, with any allergy or strict dietary requirement discussed directly with the restaurant before booking. Ciao Roma looks onto North Square and serves Roman-inspired Italian food, including homemade pasta. Outdoor seating is a separate reservation choice, and the restaurant warns that it may not be able to move patio diners inside in bad weather. Book the setting you actually want and read the terms before choosing an outdoor table. All’Antico Vinaio is the sandwich option here, with Boston branches of the Florence-born shop. It belongs in a lunch plan or a quick meal rather than a list of formal dinner reservations. Compare the fillings at your chosen location and order for the appetite you brought; a restaurant guide can leave room for paper wrapping. For another night, our Boston restaurant guide covers meals beyond Italian food. If dinner is only the start, keep the next stop nearby: the speakeasy guide gives you a few places to continue the evening.
22 things to put on your Boston bucket list
Watch a game at Fenway, compare cannoli in the North End or take a ferry far enough into the harbor to leave the traffic behind. A Boston bucket list should leave room for all three. It should also give you something to do when the weather refuses to cooperate. These 22 outings cover Boston and a pair of Cambridge museums. Some need tickets, some cost nothing, and a few belong to a particular season. Choose a neighborhood and build around one main activity. There is no prize for getting through the list before dinner. The Charles River Esplanade gives you paths beside the water, benches and views across to Cambridge. Start with a short walk instead of committing to a long river loop. Bring something to sit on if you want to stay for sunset, and use the pedestrian crossings over Storrow Drive to reach the park. Fenway Park makes baseball an afternoon or evening out in the neighborhood. Choose a seat with the sightline in mind, then leave time for food nearby. Our Fenway food guide gives you options before or after the game. When the team is away, official ballpark tours are another way inside. The Wilbur hosts stand-up comedians as well as musicians and other touring performers in the Theater District. Choose a show from its calendar rather than assuming every night is comedy. Read the seating and ticket details for the performance you want, then leave enough time for dinner that you are not checking the bill during the opening act. Modern Pastry and Mike’s Pastry give you the makings of a North End cannoli comparison. Buy from both if that sounds enjoyable, or skip the judging and order the filling you like. Modern also sells Italian cookies, cakes and other pastries. A cannoli does not have to become an argument, although Boston has had some practice. The Rooftop at The Envoy puts the harbor and downtown buildings in view above Sleeper Street. Save the outdoor seating for weather you actually want to sit in, and check booking terms before choosing a table. Our Boston rooftop guide has alternatives if your plans take you elsewhere. The Museum of Fine Arts and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum are close enough to combine, but each can fill a visit on its own. Choose particular galleries at the MFA or spend time with the Gardner’s courtyard and densely arranged rooms. Check both calendars before committing to a day: the Gardner closes on Tuesdays, and admission arrangements differ. The Head of the Charles brings rowing crews to the river each October. Choose a viewing area using the regatta’s spectator information, then allow time to walk between it and your arrival point. River paths and bridges get busy during racing. Wear something warm enough for standing beside the water, not just the walk there. Row 34’s Fort Point restaurant occupies a former textile warehouse on Congress Street. Come for seafood, with a raw bar and lobster rolls among the choices. It works as a meal before or after a waterfront walk, though it is not directly on the harbor. Reserve the correct location: Row 34 also has restaurants in Kenmore Square and Cambridge. The Boston Common’s holiday lights make an after-dark walk worth putting on the winter calendar. Pair it with Frog Pond skating once the rink’s season opens, or stay on the paths and watch. Check the city’s announced tree-lighting date before planning around the ceremony; decorations and skating do not run all year. The Harborwalk connects waterfront stretches across Boston, with parks, wharves and places to sit along the way. Choose a manageable section around the Seaport, downtown or North End using the Harborwalk map. It is a network through several neighborhoods, so do not assume every section joins up without street crossings or detours. At the New England Aquarium, spend time with the penguins before working your way around the Giant Ocean Tank. Daily feedings and presentations give you a reason to pause rather than rushing from exhibit to exhibit. Book admission ahead for busy dates, and confirm the day’s presentation times at the information desk. TD Garden’s calendar covers concerts alongside Bruins and Celtics games. Pick the event first, then check the seating map for that particular setup. A concert floor and a basketball court produce different views from the same section. Use the venue’s event listing to reach the ticket seller, and read the bag policy before leaving home. Trillium’s Fenway taproom at 401 Park Drive has a patio and room for a beer. Bring your own food, or order from Time Out Market next door. Outdoor seating is seasonal. Leashed dogs are allowed on the patio. Boston Duck Tours combines a narrated ride past city landmarks with time on the Charles River in the same vehicle. Check the departure location when booking: tours leave from several places, including the Prudential Center and Museum of Science. It is useful for getting an overview of the city before deciding where to spend more time. Newbury Street gives you shops, galleries and places to eat along one Back Bay walk. Start toward the Public Garden if you want to continue through the parks afterward, or work in the other direction toward Massachusetts Avenue. Leave time to browse the smaller storefronts and upper floors rather than treating the street as a route between chain stores. Bring lunch to Boston Common or choose a patch of lawn on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. The Common works with a downtown or Beacon Hill walk; the Greenway fits a waterfront outing. Use the bins or take your rubbish with you. If the ground is wet, a bench and a sandwich still count as lunch outside. Sullivan’s Castle Island serves the sort of food that belongs after a walk: hot dogs, burgers, seafood and ice cream. Choose the Castle Island location when checking its menu and hours, since Sullivan’s also operates elsewhere. Leave time to walk beside Pleasure Bay and around the fort, rather than making the whole trip a queue for lunch. Georges Island has Fort Warren; Spectacle Island offers walking trails and harbor views. Seasonal ferry service determines which trip you can make, and not every island is served on every date. Read the current ferry schedule before buying tickets, pack water and layers, and keep track of the last return sailing. The Boston Public Library’s Central Library at Copley Square rewards a visit beyond the front steps. Look at the McKim building’s staircase, murals, courtyard and Bates Hall, remembering that readers are there to work. General admission is free. A self-guided look and a booked tour are different visits, so check the library’s tour calendar if you want a guide. The MIT Museum in Kendall Square is the Cambridge choice for science, technology and hands-on exhibits. If paintings and sculpture are more your interest, Harvard Art Museums in Harvard Square is another option, with free admission. Choose one for the afternoon rather than racing between both. They are in different squares, with different collections and admission policies. Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall are neighboring buildings with different roles. Browse the market if you want something to eat, then visit Faneuil Hall for its history as a meeting place. The National Park Service offers free talks in the Great Hall when it is available. City events can affect access. The marked Freedom Trail connects 16 historic sites over roughly two and a half miles, from Boston Common to Charlestown. You can follow it independently and stop where your interest takes you. Walking the route is free, but entry to some sites costs extra. Leave time to go inside a place or two instead of only photographing the signs. Make your Boston bucket list manageable Keep the waterfront stops together, pair Back Bay with the library and Newbury Street, and give the Fenway museums their own afternoon. Our free and cheap Boston guide covers admission discounts worth checking before you pay. For a ferry trip, choose the return boat before choosing lunch.
Get to know Boston
Why happy hour in Boston is still banned
A bar can knock a few dollars off your oysters at five o’clock. Your martini is another matter. Happy hour in Boston is still restricted by a Massachusetts regulation that prohibits temporary drink discounts, free drinks and promotions built around drinking more for less. The rules apply across the state. Cambridge and Somerville cannot offer an escape route, and calling a promotion an industry night does not create one. As of September 19, 2026, the legislature is still considering a change. A Senate vote in favor of happy hour is not the same as permission for your local bartender to start pouring two-for-one margaritas. Why happy hour in Boston disappeared One of the events behind the ban happened outside the Ground Round in Braintree on September 9, 1983. Kathleen “Kathy” Barry, a 20-year-old woman from Weymouth, died after riding on the hood of a car driven by a friend who had been drinking at the restaurant. Some of the driver’s beers had been prizes in a music trivia contest. Reporting based on interviews with Barry’s family and former state officials describes how her death helped turn alcohol promotions into a public-safety issue. Her parents pressed for stronger measures against drunken driving. Massachusetts introduced the restrictions in 1984, during Michael Dukakis’s administration. They targeted the offers that could encourage someone to drink quickly or keep ordering: free rounds, discounted drinks and contests with alcohol as the reward. The ban dates to the same period as many of the clubs in our look at Boston’s bars of the 1980s. The rules have outlasted quite a few of the rooms. An all-day special is not a loophole The key phrase in the regulation is “same calendar week.” A bar cannot offer a drink for less than its regular price during that week. Selling a margarita for $8 all Tuesday and $12 on Wednesday does not get around that restriction merely because the Tuesday price lasted longer than an hour. A reasonably priced drink is allowed. A temporary discount on that drink is what creates the problem. Those are different things when you are comparing menus, even if both might leave you with a smaller bill. The regulation also prohibits charging a selected person or group less than the general public that day, with an exception for private functions not open to the public. Being a restaurant worker, a regular or the person celebrating a birthday does not, by itself, create an exemption. Bottomless brunch has a problem too The restrictions cover unlimited drinks sold for a fixed price during a set period. That rules out the usual public bottomless-mimosa promotion. Increasing the amount of alcohol without a proportionate price increase is prohibited as well, so a bigger pour is not a substitute for a discount. There are limits on service alongside the pricing rules. A licensee cannot deliver more than two drinks to one person at once. Pitchers of beer or mixed drinks must be served to at least two people. Drinking games and contests that award drinks are prohibited. Some provisions make exceptions for private functions. Buying a ticket does not necessarily make an event private; a publicly advertised offer still needs to comply with the rules. Food specials are a different story The regulation’s exceptions expressly allow free food and entertainment, as well as a drink included in a meal package. A discounted appetizer or oyster offer can therefore be legitimate even when its advertised time sounds like happy hour. Read what the offer actually includes. A food discount does not necessarily mean a cheap evening once drinks, tax and tip arrive. And a meal package is not blanket permission for unlimited cocktails alongside a plate of fries. For an evening built around the room and the drinks rather than a promotion, our Boston speakeasies guide is a useful place to start. The latest attempt to change the rules In July 2026, the Senate passed economic-development legislation containing a local-option proposal for discounted drinks. It would allow participating cities and towns to authorize time-limited discounts, subject to conditions including advance notice and a 10 p.m. cutoff. At this article’s September 19 check, the official bill history still showed House and Senate conference committees appointed on July 30 to resolve their differences. The proposal had not become law. Until that changes, a free birthday drink from the bar remains prohibited. Your friends, however, can buy the round.
Why Bostonians say “wicked” so much
“Wicked good” is a compliment. “Wicked expensive” is a complaint. The same word does both jobs without any concern for whether the subject deserves praise. In Boston, “wicked” often means very or extremely. It turns up the volume on whatever comes next. Say someone is wicked tired and you mean they are very tired, not that they have become a worse person. The meaning comes from how the word is being used. That is the useful thing to know before attempting a Boston impression. You can pronounce every R and still use the word correctly. You can also drop every R and put “wicked” in a sentence where it sounds like you learned to speak from a souvenir sweatshirt. Why Bostonians say wicked before almost anything In this usage, “wicked” is an intensifier. Merriam-Webster records its adverbial meaning alongside the older adjective meaning morally bad. The two uses can occupy the same language without confusion. A wicked person and a wicked good sandwich are different propositions. Think of “wicked cold,” “wicked funny” or “wicked crowded.” The word strengthens the description. It does not tell you whether to like the thing being described. Someone saying the restaurant was wicked busy might be recommending it, explaining a long wait, or wishing they had stayed home. The placement is more important than putting on an accent. “That was wicked good” has the familiar local construction. “That was wicked,” meaning excellent, is another slang use, but it does a different grammatical job. Adding the word everywhere will not make every sentence sound more Boston. The Puritans do not get automatic credit Boston’s reputation makes an origin story involving stern Puritans tempting. But the fact that an old word existed in England does not prove that seventeenth-century settlers brought this particular local use with them. The language program A Way with Words discusses “wicked” as a New England intensifier. That regional association is useful. It does not supply the name of the first person who said it, or a neat date when everyone in Massachusetts agreed to start. There is no need to invent a founding ceremony. People repeat words they hear in their families and communities, and a familiar expression can feel entirely ordinary to one speaker and immediately regional to another. “Wicked” works perfectly well without a colonial certificate of authenticity. Ordering a frappe does not require dropping an R Other local words need a little more translation. A frappe is a thick milkshake; the familiar New England pronunciation rhymes with “cap.” The spelling can make visitors expect a different word, especially if they are thinking of a coffee drink. For an order, the menu is more useful than a debate over terminology. Ask what is in the drink if the distinction matters. Regional vocabulary is interesting until it becomes the reason you receive something other than the ice cream you wanted. “Bubbler” means a drinking fountain, with a history that reaches beyond Massachusetts. Our bubbler explainer separates the regional word from a frequently repeated manufacturing story. Calling it a water fountain is also a perfectly effective way to ask for water. Vocabulary is not the same as an accent The Boston accent concerns sounds: which R’s a speaker pronounces, what happens between words, and how vowels are formed. Vocabulary concerns the words chosen. They overlap in conversation, but one does not require the other. A person raised here might say “wicked” constantly, occasionally, or never. Another might arrive from elsewhere and pick it up. Neither case is a useful citizenship test. Boston contains more than one way of speaking, and ordinary conversation is less uniform than the movie version. If the word is new to you, listen to what follows it. Good, bad, fast, slow, cheap, expensive: the next word does the describing. “Wicked” just makes sure you heard.