Boston is a very vibrant city due to the many universities placed in and around the city. With so many universities there's a very strong student culture, which is reflected in the many restaurants, cafés and shops around town. Going to Boston is quite interesting as there are quite a lot of different neighbourhoods that are all quite different from each other, whether its Cambridge, Beacon Hill or North End. Boston has so much history (being one of the oldest cities in the US), so there's always things to do and see here. Combine that with the great food, the array of bars and the homely atmosphere of the city and you've got a winner.

➳ WHERE TO have dinner in boston

Otto’s: Go here for a quick slice of pizza just at Harvard Square. Cheap and great. You can’t go wrong with the pepperoni.

The Red House: Go to this historical house for some lobster linguine, a glass of wine and sit in front of the fireplace.

Giulia: This place is worth splurging on. The food is amazing in such a way that you want to eat it all immediately and then you realize that you'd rather take your time and make the experience last longer. Try the Wild Boar Papardelle with a good bottle of red.

Myers & Chang: Asian Fusion in a very cool low-key setting. This was one of our best Boston eating experiences. Try mama chang’s pork dumplings, the crispy fish tacos & beef and broccoli chow fun.

South Street Diner: South Street Diner was built in 1947 by the Worcester Dining Company to serve local factory workers. The diner is open 24/7 and really gives you an authentic diner experience. Have a cheeseburger, fries and a Raspberry-Lime Ricky.

Pappa Razzi: We stumbled upon this place while shopping on Newbury Street. Great place to fulfill your italian cravings. We especially liked the rigatoni con luganega.

O Ya: Laidback downtown sashimi bar. Very imaginative combinations. Try the Quail egg chawan mushi with uni, trout roe, and soy-maple dashi.

➳ WHERE TO BRUNCH in boston

City Girl Café: A local favorite. Located off Inman Square, this tiny place was very popular, so get here early. Try the goat cheese, bacon and caramelized onion egg sandwich and the french toast baked in a vanilla-anise custard served with real maple syrup & roasted red bliss potatoes.

Mike & Patty’s: We love this small hidden sandwich shop. The breakfast torta is a go-to and it blew us away! The ingredients are so fresh and all items (eggs, bread, produce) are local. The bread is perfectly toasted and eggs cooked to perfection.

➳ WHERE TO GET COFFEE in boston

Render Coffee: Satisfy your coffee cravings at Render with an expertly pulled espresso or a pour over, brewed with international grinds such as Baroida (Papua New Guinea), El Gavilan (Ecuador), or La Golondrina (Colombia).

Crema Café: Arguably the best and most popular coffee spot in Cambridge.

1369 Coffee House: With 2 locations, Central Square and Inman Square, this is a local hangout for coffee lovers. Also won a Best of Boston award for their coffee in 2013.

➳ WHERE TO stay in boston

XV Beacon: Luxury Boutique hotel on Beacon Hill, right next to Boston Common. Each room has modern and antique furniture as well as a fireplace. We highly recommend this hotel to anyone traveling to the Boston area. The room was perfectly appointed, extremely clean and the hotel restaurant is brilliant.

➳ WHERE TO SHOP in boston

December Thieves: Great new little shop in the South End. They feature emerging designers who make bags, home decor items, gifts, jewelry, gorgeous candles and other accessories. It's much hipper and more 'urban' than most stores in this vein, and the owner has a great eye to find unique and useful items. Great for gifts and for adding a few special pieces to your life.

Ball and Buck: One of the best menswear stores in Boston. Ball and Buck has a barbershop in the store, which makes the experience even cooler. Go here for quality handmade shoes, rugged outerwear and a lot of other essentials.

Steven Alan: On Newbury Street. Steven Alan sells smart and casual classics from some of the biggest names in fashion - both European and US brands. Good store for men as well as women.

Gant Rugger: The young and cool little brother to the GANT brand. Go here for classic shirts, suits and outerwear. Good quality clothing at reasonable prices.

Bobby From Boston: Probably the coolest vintage store that we have ever visited. Run by Bobby, a New England legend, this place has some of the best vintage finds you'll ever find for both men and women. Whether you're looking for great suits, brogues, leather bags or dresses - this place has it all. A real cool experience too.

➳ WHAT TO SEE in boston

Mount Auburn Cemetery: Mount Auburn Cemetery in Massachusetts was founded in 1831 as "America's first garden cemetery" or "rural cemetery". A beautiful place to go for a long walk. Mount Auburn Cemetery was inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.

Boston Common: Boston Common is a central public park in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is sometimes erroneously referred to as the "Boston Commons". Dating from 1634, it is the oldest city park in the United States. Go to the pond with a coffee and look at all of the squirrels, swans and ducks.

Harvard Square: Right next to Harvard University you’ll find Harvard Square. The Square has a ton of restaurants, shopping opportunities and cafés within a square kilometer.

Newbury Street: One of Boston's most enchanting streets. Eight blocks filled with salons, boutiques, and fabulous dining. Boston's Newbury Street has something for everyone.

Boston’s Little Italy: More than 80 restaurants and patisseries line the narrow cobblestone streets of Boston’s Little Italy. As Boston’s first neighborhood, the North End evolved from an isolated village to the home of American Revolutionists to Irish haven and finally to Little Italy.

Isabella Steward Gardner Museum: This wonderful museum houses an art collection of world importance, including significant examples of European, Asian, and American art, from paintings and sculpture to tapestries and decorative arts. In 1990, thirteen of the museum's works were stolen; the high-profile crime remains unsolved and the artwork's location is still unknown.

➳ boston AREA GUIDE

Cambridge: Just across the river from the city of Boston you'll find Cambridge. This area of Boston has a lot of quiet residential streets, but also a lot of hip cafés and shops due to all of the local universities. This neighborhood has a lot of locally owned bookstores, theatres, and music venues that really makes this area come alive. This neighborhood’s is always full of people and energy, mainly due to all of the university students from campuses around here. There are a lot of bars and restaurants in this neighborhood. Make sure to take a walk around Harvard and the parks nearby. If you go to Cambridge make sure to head out to Central Square one of the most hip parts of town. Central Square has a lot of record shops, bars and venues with live music. A lot of Boston's students hang around here.

North Boston: We loved this neighborhood. We love Italian food and this area if full of them (quite suitable called 'Little Italy'). The dining options for lunch and dinner are amazing here and everything looks like something straight out of Italy. This area has a lot of small alleyways, churches and beautiful streets that make you think of Europe. Go here for good bakeries, delis, coffee, lunch and dinner. We highly recommend going to see this area if you're in Boston.

South Boston: Known for its Irish roots and attitude the south part of Boston is a good place to explore. Check out the small parks by the Boston waterfront, the organic markets and fall in love with how original this part of the city still is - whether it's at an old school diner or an old Irish pub. South Boston is featured in quite a lot of movies (The Departed, Boondock Saints, The Town) for being the criminal and hard as nails neighborhood, but don't be intimidated. This part of the city has character and lots of charm.

Beacon Hill: This part of town is all about luxury. Beacon Hill overlooks the Boston Common and is full of beautiful brownstone houses and pretty cobblestone streets. Beacon Hill is about as centrally located as it gets and with fantastic restaurants, trendy shops and boutique hotels you can't really go wrong in this neighborhood. What was once old horse stables have been transformed into beautiful houses and the facades of every single store front is made to fit into the old time vibe of Beacon Hill. This is one of the most cosy parts of Boston so you should definitely check it out.

➳ USE OUR GOOGLE MAP

Navigate the city with our Google Map, to which we've pinned all of the places in our guide. Simply go to the map when you're online to find your way around the city. If you don't have wifi when you're walking around the city, just make sure to load this map when you have access to wifi (at your hotel or at a café) and you'll be able to find your way around even if you're offline.

to our map