The global fish market set a record in 2017 for sales, which comes as good news to Boston’s uncertain seafood future. This comes after a questionable cod ban and host of regulations has threatened to wipe out New England’s seafood industry for good.
Fortunately, even if the supply of seafood in New England was upended, the demand in Boston for great seafood could never falter. For Beantown residents, seafood is as much a part of its culture as pizza is to Brooklyn or coffee to Seattle.
While Boston is known for its freshly shucked oysters and gourmet lobster rolls, any type of local fare is guaranteed to be delicious here. Being a harbor town and a connoisseur of seafood, Boston tends to offer some pretty amazing bites.
The following are our six favorite Boston seafood joints, you just have to try!
Where to Find Great Seafood in Boston
Neptune Oyster
63 Salem St # 1
Perhaps the most famous North End restaurant, Neptune Oyster serves award winning seafood people travel from all around the world for.
The Neptune Burger features fried oysters and is a favorite grab-and-go bite for locals. Although, Neptune Oyster may be most famous for its delectable lobster rolls.
The restaurant follows a simple philosophy: local, seasonal, and sustainable. The owner uses all local seafood, from hand-caught mackerel to the peppers and capers it uses to spice up dishes.
They consider it a mix of old-world seafood with new-world cuisine. Neptune Oyster remains a favorite among locals and was one of the earliest restaurants to put Boston on the map for seafood.
The Barking Crab
88 Sleeper St, Boston
Located in the Seaport District, the Barking Crab serves as an outlier to the high rises and shops that have recently enveloped the area.
With everything from chorizo-stuffed littleneck clams at $1.75 a piece to $51 king crab, the Barking Crab offers something for everyone and at a good price. The restaurant features an open-deck to dine on and retains that harbourside atmosphere. It’s a great place for families to relax and put on a bib.
The restaurant has been around for 20 years and continues to impress. With loads of different platters and feasts to choose from, you’re sure to find something you like.
B&G Oysters
550 Tremont St
The marble top bars and perfect wine pairings offer a sophisticated take on old school oyster bars. The inception of chef Barbara Lynch, B&G Oysters offers everything from hometown favorites like lobster rolls to local and seasonal oysters topped with prosecco mignonette.
The menu fluctuates daily due to the sheer amount of ingredients that are locally sourced and imported from both coasts. The restaurant even offers oyster shucking classes and patrons can sign up for an oyster passport to earn points toward free meals.
Saltie Girl
281 Dartmouth St
Saltie Girl offers the most eclectic menu on this list, ranging from everything like sea urchins to hand-chopped dry aged steak tartare and a belgian waffle.
Being a favorite of Back Bay, Saltie Girl’s main appeal might actually be its exquisitely designed interior, designed to take you to another world.
Whether you’re looking for mackerel, eggs, or octopus, you can expect everything to be beyond your wildest expectations at Saltie Girl.
Ostra
1 Charles St S
Ostra is probably the most expensive and upscale restaurant on this list. With grand piano music during dinner time and an in-house fishmonger, this restaurant takes five star dining to the next level.
Whether you choose the $155 Israeli caviar or something from the tasty raw bar, your taste buds will be sure to thank you. Everything is locally sourced or imported from the Mediterranean and the main chef is none other than the famous Chef Jamie Mammano.
Boston Seafood Never Disappoints
Of course, these are only six restaurants out of the hundreds of seafood joints that make New England seafood so famous. Even neighboring Somerville and Cambridge feature tasty treats.
It’s almost enough to make you invest in Boston real estsate so you can enjoy these delectable offers year round!
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22 Comments
I agree. But, never set foot in any of your choices. Because they deal with shellfish. I stick with real fish, so mupy choice restaurants are vastly different.
Shellfish is definitely a big focus of many of these restaurants, but their menu’s will usually offer real fish too. Each has a full menu on their website if you’re in Boston and interested :)
I love the sound of those restaurants and of the Boston Shellfish offering. I’ve just come back from Boston in the UK and didn’t realise that there really was a genuine historic link between the two places – now I want to visit the US version!
I hope you have the chance to visit soon :)
Wow, such variety on all of the menus. I’m used to a much more bland selection but I guess coming from a seafood town, it would make sense that the options are so varied. I’d love to try all of these. The lobster from Saltie Girl looks delicious and they have made a beautiful plate of it.
If there’s one thing Boston does well it’s variety! Can highly recommend Saltie Girl if you get to Boston in the future – their menu is fabulous, and their plates always so artfully designed!
The Barking Crab is an interesting name, as is the dish chorizo-stuffed little neck clams ;) I love seafood so it’s really handy for me to have a list of great seafood places to eat at in Boston, for whenever I plan to visit. Saltie Girl’s presentation of food is pretty awesome, too!
They’ve definitely picked a fun name on that one :D Glad we could set you up with some ideas for your next trip to Boston. It’s worth a trip just for the seafood scene honestly!
What an amazing selection of restaurants. I would be hard-pressed to decide which one to try, so I would have to try them all! I would probably start with the Barking Crab as I love platters to share and I particularly like crab!
Glad you enjoyed the post Janine! I’m all for going on a Boston seafood tour and stopping by them all :D Have an amazing time!
Not sure when I will get to Boston but I love food guides. I am always at a loss in new cities where to have food. They have great variety on all of the menus. My choice would be for sea food at Manoa Poke Shop.
Manoa Poke Shop is a great choice Indrani :) Hope you do have the chance to visit Boston at some stage soon!
I seriously need to go to Boston! I adore seafood and pretty much any kind of fish, although I still can’t manage oysters. I’d definitely try one at B&G Oysters, I’m trying to get used to the flavour and texture, but I don’t think I could manage a whole plate! I’d stick with crab and lobster :D
You’ll be in your element in Boston then Claire! And who knows, maybe Boston is the city that will turn you around on oysters :D
I’m going to Boston in June, but alas I can’t eat seafood, so this great information is wasted on me! I love the name Saltie Girl for a restaurant, and love the idea of eating steak tartare (I wouldn’t say no to a belgian waffle either)! Will pass this on to my husband to peruse, so he can pick a place to enjoy!
Ah, well hopefully your husband might enjoy a couple of these :) Maybe you can enjoy the smell :D I swear sometimes the smell of fish & chips or incredible seafood is sometimes akin to tasting it :D!
Loved living in Boston!‼️‼️❤️
Seafood every day :D!
Though we are vegetarians and do not eat seafood, it has always held a fascination for us. Looking at this curated list of the best restaurants serving seafood in Boston, I was really amazed at the presentation of the food. It looks like the mesmerizing colours of the sea have been served on the table. My attention was particularly riveted by pictures of the servings at Saltie Girl and Neptune Oyster.
I’m glad that you enjoyed the post even though you’re both vegetarian. The presentation of most of these restaurants is definitely something to marvel at alone – plates of art!
I tried to claim squatters rights at Legal & Massamino’s. They weren’t going for it.
Haha maybe you can offer to wash dishes in exchange for lodging lol :D