clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
An overhead shot of a pizza with charred crusts and slices of pink meat layered on top of sauce and cheese.
A pie from Roman-style pizzeria Ducali, located on the outskirts of the North End.
Ducali

Where to Eat in Boston’s North End

The best bakeries, pizzerias, and restaurants in the Hub’s Little Italy

View as Map
A pie from Roman-style pizzeria Ducali, located on the outskirts of the North End.
| Ducali

Boston loves Italian food, and there’s no better neighborhood to find the stuff than the North End. In this hub of marinara, a diner can find handmade ricotta gnocchi, margherita pizza, arancini, veal saltimbocca, and so much more. The old Italian proverb “chi mangia bene, vive bene” (which translates roughly to “those who eat well live well”) is a way of life for restaurants and diners in the North End.

From Hanover Street to Salem Street to North Square Park, this neighborhood boasts an incredibly high concentration of Italian American restaurants, trattorias, delis, and bakeries. One can wine and dine in style over an eight-course dinner or casually snack on pizza and cannoli while sightseeing.

Start your exploration of the North End with these excellent spots.

Read More
If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Ducali sits on the edge of the North End with views of TD Garden, dishing up Roman-style pizza and panini off the beaten paths of Hanover and Salem streets. (It’s a great spot for eating on game day, too.) Roman pizza dough has elevated hydration, making for a light and crunchy crust that stays moist on the top, letting the quality of the pizza shine. Order the patate pizza, and add porchetta for a pie that will take you directly to the Roman countryside.

Table Mercato

Copy Link

While the popular family-style feasts are a consistent pleasure at chef and owner Jen Royle’s Table restaurant, an underrated panini presence exists right next door at Royle’s sandwich shop and specialty grocer Mercato. As Boston warms up, there’s no better way to do lunch than by grabbing a panino to-go at the Mercato, and munching it down under the shade in nearby Columbus Park. Try out “the Roman,” with stracciatella (the inside of burrata), pesto, prosciutto di parma, roasted tomatoes, arugula, and extra virgin olive oil on fluffy homemade focaccia bread. Fair warning for even the most ambitious eaters: These panini are massive.

Regina Pizzeria

Copy Link

A tried and true North End hot spot, Regina has been dishing out some of the city’s best pizzas for almost a century. Original owner Luigi D’Auria brought the flavors of Naples to Boston when he opened Regina in 1926. (D’Auria eventually sold Regina to the Polcari family in 1946.) Regina’s pies are cooked in the same oven that they were all those years ago — it was coal-fired in the beginning but switched to gas in the 1930s — and are known for having a charred outer crust and dough that ferments for up to six days. There are multiple locations around greater Boston, but the best way to experience Regina is sitting at its booths (or its bar) in the North End.

The exterior window of the original Regina Pizzeria location in Boston’s North End includes red and green neon signage that says “Regina,” as well as printed red, green, and white signage reading “Pizza to Go,” “Pizzeria Regina,” and “Beer & Wine.”
The original Regina Pizzeria location in Boston’s North End.
Terrence B. Doyle/Eater Boston

Bova's Bakery

Copy Link

That feeling when it’s 2 a.m. and you need pizza, cannoli, calzones, arancini or all of the above... not to worry, Bova’s Bakery is open. Since 1926, Bova’s has been the go-to spot of the neighborhood, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Bova’s selection is a smorgasbord of all things Italian — there’s biscotti, cuccidati (Sicilian fig cookies), calzones, pizza, sandwiches, Champagne cookies, and an overwhelming selection of other baked goods.

The must-order is Bova’s Florentine cannoli: A thin, Florentine-style cookie is shaped into a cylinder and pumped full of sweet ricotta cheese. The crown for the best cannoli in the North End is up for debate, but Bova’s is in the conversation.

View of a pastry case in an old-fashioned Italian bakery, with rows of cannoli and other treats behind glass.
Bova’s Bakery’s pastry case, including cookies, cannoli, eclairs, and more.
Katie Chudy/Eater Boston

With a name like Panza — “belly” in Italian — diners must come to this spot with a big appetite. A tried and true staple at the halfway point of Hanover, Panza serves up can’t-miss dishes like lobster ravioli through their open-window dining area. Arguably the best in the city, these pillows of lobster in a creamy dijon sauce should be on everyone’s bucket list for North End eats.

La Famiglia Giorgio's

Copy Link

“It’s like being at Nonna’s” is printed on the menus at La Famiglia Giorgio’s. What sets the Roman-inspired restaurant apart is the quality of its fresh pasta. Everything is good here, but “Little Al’s favorite,” which consists of chicken cutlet, broccoli, and gnocchi tossed in a pink vodka sauce, is compulsory. Classics like chicken and eggplant parmesan are among the best versions in the city. La Famiglia Giorgio’s wine list is vast, with more than 400 bottles to choose from. A note on accessibility: The entrance has two steps.

The Daily Catch

Copy Link

The name says it all. There’s good pasta, and there’s good seafood, and then there’s the Daily Catch. The Daily Catch was originally opened by North End local Paul Freddura, who initially named this hole in the wall on Hanover Street the Calamari Café (apt, given that its calamari is perhaps the best in the city). Squid still plays a big part at the Daily Catch, especially in the dishes served with squid ink pasta. The black linguine carries with it the slightly briny, umami taste of the sea and goes great with aglio olio. For more than 45 years, the seafood at the Daily Catch has been sourced locally from fishmongers at the Boston Fish Pier, which is less than a mile away. There’s also a location on Boston’s waterfront and another in Brookline.

The Lobster Fra Diavolo is served in a large frying pan at The Daily Catch in the North End.
Lobster Fra Diavolo at the Daily Catch.
Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Caffe Vittoria

Copy Link

After you’ve feasted at your favorite trattoria or walked up and down Hanover Street browsing pastry-filled windows, you’ll want to step into Caffe Vittoria for a cappuccino. Decorated with vintage espresso machines, celebrity photos, and memorabilia from the Bel Paese, Caffe Vittoria has been serving coffee and pastries since 1929. There’s an unwritten rule in Italy that mandates cappuccino should not be ordered in the afternoon — but this isn’t Italy. Enjoy a cappuccino, tiramisù, or an affogato– hot espresso poured over creamy gelato. For those who want something a little boozy, the babà rum cake is a good choice with Neopolitan origins.

A woman stands out on an empty Hanover Street in the North End of Boston on March 25, 2020. 
Caffe Vittoria on Hanover Street.
Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Mamma Maria

Copy Link

Where classic red-sauce dining meets Boston’s historic old charm, Mamma Maria defines what good food in Boston should look like. Overlooking the cobblestones of Boston’s oldest city square on North Street, Mamma Maria’s gorgeous storefront reels you in, and the food will surely make you stay. As is done in Italy, expect an ever-changing menu — Mamma Maria focuses on seasonality, taking the best from what the local markets have available, like pumpkin for their pumpkin gnocchi with sea scallops. The bar is not to be missed, featuring artisanal cocktails with local liqueurs, including Boston’s own Black Infusions Vodka.

Carmelina's

Copy Link

Carmelina’s has massive windows that open directly to Hanover Street and a beautiful open kitchen. Its “Sunday macaroni” is served every day and comes with meatballs, sausage, and beef rib in a tomato sauce, finished with a dollop of whipped ricotta. It is the star of the show at Carmelina’s, which aims to serve “traditional Sicilian comfort food with a Mediterranean twist.”

Closeup overhead view of a plate of mussels in a red sauce with a green herb garnish
Mussels at Carmelina’s.
Carmelina’s

Antico Forno

Copy Link

Bostonians know Salem Street as the more humble, less crowded sibling to Hanover, with traditional North End gems sprinkled throughout. Antico Forno is no exception. Translated to “old oven” in Italian, the primary focus at Antico Forno is on fantastic pizza coming out of their time-tested, wood-fired oven. The pistacchio e salsiccia pizza, in particular, should be in contention for the best pie in Boston. Don’t miss the fusilli al tegamino on the southern Italian-rooted pasta menu, either: Homemade fusilli in a San Marzano tomato sauce that gets cooked directly inside the brick oven in a clay tegamino pan.

Galleria Umberto

Copy Link

Tip: Get to Galleria Umberto on the earlier side, because once it sells out of its Sicilian-style square slices and fist-sized arancini, the doors shut for the day. This is some of the best pizza in the city, or anywhere. This very casual spot is open for lunch Monday through Saturday.

A slice of cheese pizza and an open arancino, stuffed with rice, cheese, beef, and peas, on a simple round metal tray.
Arancini and a slice of cheese at Umberto.
Terrence B. Doyle/Eater Boston

Ristorante Limoncello

Copy Link

Tucked away on the lesser-frequented North Street, parallel to the notorious Hanover Street, Limoncello has quietly sprung onto the North End’s food scene as a must-eat destination perfect for date nights, family get-togethers, or the solo diner who finds solace in the company of a good meal. Limoncello excels at setting the ambiance of how Italians really eat: Start with some wine, their hyper-local, Calabrian-style antipasto, then move onto the main attraction of “Rosette Al Montasio,” a pasta dish of homemade pappardelle arranged like roses, cooked with prosciutto, cheese, tomato and truffle. Of course, it all ends with a shot of homemade limoncello.

Modern Pastry

Copy Link

Modern is hard to miss, with its neon sign and brightly lit windows showing off cannoli, cakes, and other sweet treats. The cannoli at Modern are piped with ricotta filling fresh to order, and the pastry shop is also home to the city’s best lobster tail, which is a take on sfogliatella, perhaps the most famous dessert from Naples. Pair your baked goods with a cappuccino, and take some tiramisu and/or amaretto cake for the road. There’s a location in Medford, too.

People leave with bags of Italian pastries at Modern Pastry Shop in Boston’s North End on June 27, 2018.
The pastry cases at Modern Pastry.
Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Ducali

Ducali sits on the edge of the North End with views of TD Garden, dishing up Roman-style pizza and panini off the beaten paths of Hanover and Salem streets. (It’s a great spot for eating on game day, too.) Roman pizza dough has elevated hydration, making for a light and crunchy crust that stays moist on the top, letting the quality of the pizza shine. Order the patate pizza, and add porchetta for a pie that will take you directly to the Roman countryside.

Table Mercato

While the popular family-style feasts are a consistent pleasure at chef and owner Jen Royle’s Table restaurant, an underrated panini presence exists right next door at Royle’s sandwich shop and specialty grocer Mercato. As Boston warms up, there’s no better way to do lunch than by grabbing a panino to-go at the Mercato, and munching it down under the shade in nearby Columbus Park. Try out “the Roman,” with stracciatella (the inside of burrata), pesto, prosciutto di parma, roasted tomatoes, arugula, and extra virgin olive oil on fluffy homemade focaccia bread. Fair warning for even the most ambitious eaters: These panini are massive.

Regina Pizzeria

A tried and true North End hot spot, Regina has been dishing out some of the city’s best pizzas for almost a century. Original owner Luigi D’Auria brought the flavors of Naples to Boston when he opened Regina in 1926. (D’Auria eventually sold Regina to the Polcari family in 1946.) Regina’s pies are cooked in the same oven that they were all those years ago — it was coal-fired in the beginning but switched to gas in the 1930s — and are known for having a charred outer crust and dough that ferments for up to six days. There are multiple locations around greater Boston, but the best way to experience Regina is sitting at its booths (or its bar) in the North End.

The exterior window of the original Regina Pizzeria location in Boston’s North End includes red and green neon signage that says “Regina,” as well as printed red, green, and white signage reading “Pizza to Go,” “Pizzeria Regina,” and “Beer & Wine.”
The original Regina Pizzeria location in Boston’s North End.
Terrence B. Doyle/Eater Boston

Bova's Bakery

That feeling when it’s 2 a.m. and you need pizza, cannoli, calzones, arancini or all of the above... not to worry, Bova’s Bakery is open. Since 1926, Bova’s has been the go-to spot of the neighborhood, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Bova’s selection is a smorgasbord of all things Italian — there’s biscotti, cuccidati (Sicilian fig cookies), calzones, pizza, sandwiches, Champagne cookies, and an overwhelming selection of other baked goods.

The must-order is Bova’s Florentine cannoli: A thin, Florentine-style cookie is shaped into a cylinder and pumped full of sweet ricotta cheese. The crown for the best cannoli in the North End is up for debate, but Bova’s is in the conversation.

View of a pastry case in an old-fashioned Italian bakery, with rows of cannoli and other treats behind glass.
Bova’s Bakery’s pastry case, including cookies, cannoli, eclairs, and more.
Katie Chudy/Eater Boston

Panza

With a name like Panza — “belly” in Italian — diners must come to this spot with a big appetite. A tried and true staple at the halfway point of Hanover, Panza serves up can’t-miss dishes like lobster ravioli through their open-window dining area. Arguably the best in the city, these pillows of lobster in a creamy dijon sauce should be on everyone’s bucket list for North End eats.

La Famiglia Giorgio's

“It’s like being at Nonna’s” is printed on the menus at La Famiglia Giorgio’s. What sets the Roman-inspired restaurant apart is the quality of its fresh pasta. Everything is good here, but “Little Al’s favorite,” which consists of chicken cutlet, broccoli, and gnocchi tossed in a pink vodka sauce, is compulsory. Classics like chicken and eggplant parmesan are among the best versions in the city. La Famiglia Giorgio’s wine list is vast, with more than 400 bottles to choose from. A note on accessibility: The entrance has two steps.

The Daily Catch

The name says it all. There’s good pasta, and there’s good seafood, and then there’s the Daily Catch. The Daily Catch was originally opened by North End local Paul Freddura, who initially named this hole in the wall on Hanover Street the Calamari Café (apt, given that its calamari is perhaps the best in the city). Squid still plays a big part at the Daily Catch, especially in the dishes served with squid ink pasta. The black linguine carries with it the slightly briny, umami taste of the sea and goes great with aglio olio. For more than 45 years, the seafood at the Daily Catch has been sourced locally from fishmongers at the Boston Fish Pier, which is less than a mile away. There’s also a location on Boston’s waterfront and another in Brookline.

The Lobster Fra Diavolo is served in a large frying pan at The Daily Catch in the North End.
Lobster Fra Diavolo at the Daily Catch.
Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Caffe Vittoria

After you’ve feasted at your favorite trattoria or walked up and down Hanover Street browsing pastry-filled windows, you’ll want to step into Caffe Vittoria for a cappuccino. Decorated with vintage espresso machines, celebrity photos, and memorabilia from the Bel Paese, Caffe Vittoria has been serving coffee and pastries since 1929. There’s an unwritten rule in Italy that mandates cappuccino should not be ordered in the afternoon — but this isn’t Italy. Enjoy a cappuccino, tiramisù, or an affogato– hot espresso poured over creamy gelato. For those who want something a little boozy, the babà rum cake is a good choice with Neopolitan origins.

A woman stands out on an empty Hanover Street in the North End of Boston on March 25, 2020. 
Caffe Vittoria on Hanover Street.
Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Mamma Maria

Where classic red-sauce dining meets Boston’s historic old charm, Mamma Maria defines what good food in Boston should look like. Overlooking the cobblestones of Boston’s oldest city square on North Street, Mamma Maria’s gorgeous storefront reels you in, and the food will surely make you stay. As is done in Italy, expect an ever-changing menu — Mamma Maria focuses on seasonality, taking the best from what the local markets have available, like pumpkin for their pumpkin gnocchi with sea scallops. The bar is not to be missed, featuring artisanal cocktails with local liqueurs, including Boston’s own Black Infusions Vodka.

Carmelina's

Carmelina’s has massive windows that open directly to Hanover Street and a beautiful open kitchen. Its “Sunday macaroni” is served every day and comes with meatballs, sausage, and beef rib in a tomato sauce, finished with a dollop of whipped ricotta. It is the star of the show at Carmelina’s, which aims to serve “traditional Sicilian comfort food with a Mediterranean twist.”

Closeup overhead view of a plate of mussels in a red sauce with a green herb garnish
Mussels at Carmelina’s.
Carmelina’s

Antico Forno

Bostonians know Salem Street as the more humble, less crowded sibling to Hanover, with traditional North End gems sprinkled throughout. Antico Forno is no exception. Translated to “old oven” in Italian, the primary focus at Antico Forno is on fantastic pizza coming out of their time-tested, wood-fired oven. The pistacchio e salsiccia pizza, in particular, should be in contention for the best pie in Boston. Don’t miss the fusilli al tegamino on the southern Italian-rooted pasta menu, either: Homemade fusilli in a San Marzano tomato sauce that gets cooked directly inside the brick oven in a clay tegamino pan.

Galleria Umberto

Tip: Get to Galleria Umberto on the earlier side, because once it sells out of its Sicilian-style square slices and fist-sized arancini, the doors shut for the day. This is some of the best pizza in the city, or anywhere. This very casual spot is open for lunch Monday through Saturday.

A slice of cheese pizza and an open arancino, stuffed with rice, cheese, beef, and peas, on a simple round metal tray.
Arancini and a slice of cheese at Umberto.
Terrence B. Doyle/Eater Boston

Ristorante Limoncello

Tucked away on the lesser-frequented North Street, parallel to the notorious Hanover Street, Limoncello has quietly sprung onto the North End’s food scene as a must-eat destination perfect for date nights, family get-togethers, or the solo diner who finds solace in the company of a good meal. Limoncello excels at setting the ambiance of how Italians really eat: Start with some wine, their hyper-local, Calabrian-style antipasto, then move onto the main attraction of “Rosette Al Montasio,” a pasta dish of homemade pappardelle arranged like roses, cooked with prosciutto, cheese, tomato and truffle. Of course, it all ends with a shot of homemade limoncello.

Modern Pastry

Modern is hard to miss, with its neon sign and brightly lit windows showing off cannoli, cakes, and other sweet treats. The cannoli at Modern are piped with ricotta filling fresh to order, and the pastry shop is also home to the city’s best lobster tail, which is a take on sfogliatella, perhaps the most famous dessert from Naples. Pair your baked goods with a cappuccino, and take some tiramisu and/or amaretto cake for the road. There’s a location in Medford, too.

People leave with bags of Italian pastries at Modern Pastry Shop in Boston’s North End on June 27, 2018.
The pastry cases at Modern Pastry.
Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Related Maps