Top Boston Restaurants to Visit

On a recent trip to Boston, which was my first to Beantown, I had the opportunity to enjoy a number of eateries and experience some of the nightlife. While my brief sojourn was by no means an exhaustive exploration of the city, I was able to see both tourist and non-tourist locations. To inform other travelers, especially newcomers like me, I'd like to share the places I discovered for lunch, dinner, dessert and drinks. Each had its charms as well as a few minor drawbacks to be aware of. Therefore, here is a taste of what I found that Boston has to offer:

Quincy Market at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, 33 Washington St., Boston, MA 617-786-7650

Quincy Market is the epitome of a tourist trap-it's a collection of restaurants inside a crowded hall surrounded by souvenir stalls in the historic area of the city. Near the Freedom Trail and the Cheers bar, this is a perfect place to stop for lunch or a snack while sightseeing around the bustling Faneuil Hall Marketplace. The selections at Quincy Market vary tremendously, from regional specialties like chowder to ethnic options including Indian tandoori and Thai noodles.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the multitude of options, I played it safe and chose pizza from Pizzeria Regina, which served a classic East Coast-style pie: thin-crusted, super-greasy, and diet-bustingly delicious. If you find yourself having a hard time choosing something at Quincy Market, as I did, or if you're just looking for authentic East Coast pizza, you won't be disappointed with Pizzeria Regina. I followed it up with hazelnut and vanilla gelato, which rounded out a great lunch.

As I stood at a wooden counter in the middle of the noisy, brick hall eating my lunch, I enjoyed the people-watching, mostly of other tourists like myself. The informal atmosphere and sparse seating is fun for lunch, but for dinner you would be well advised to try one of the many sit-down restaurants at Faneuil Hall.

Via Matta, 79 Park Place, Boston, MA 617-422-0008

This stylish Italian restaurant is tucked behind a tree-lined patio in the Back Bay neighborhood, which is a more upscale and trendy part of town. The dim lighting and crowded dining room create an intimate yet active atmosphere. I found the extensive wine list and varied menu to be quite impressive. Only Italian wines are available, but the selection is very large. The result is that any aficionado will be satisfied but choosing one can take longer than ordering food. Some bottles are extremely expensive (in the hundreds of dollars), but we found a wonderful Chianti at a very reasonable price. You just have to search the list diligently.

The food menu is written in Italian, although brief descriptions of the dishes are in English. As an Italian speaker, I found this to be a nice touch of authenticity. Of course, others might not think so. Be prepared to examine the descriptions closely and, most importantly, ask you server for information about any dish you're interested in. I ordered the spaghetti aglio olio con pomodori, which is the famous pasta tossed in an oil and garlic sauce flavored with tomatoes. This dish was extremely spicy, which I thoroughly enjoyed because I love food so spicy that it makes my eyes water. However, most aglio olio sauces are not this spicy, and the menu made no mention of the heat level. If someone averse to spiciness had ordered this, he or she would have been horrified.

Likewise, the Bolognese sauce featured a variety of meats, including some bits of liver. But the menu didn't disclose that information, and we only found out about the specific meats in the sauce when we asked our server. (I admit, the mention of livers turned me off, but another, more adventurous, person in my party ordered it and enjoyed it.) The point is to ask questions and get a full description before choosing a dish. It will be worth it. My pasta was excellent and others in my party who ordered chicken and seafood were also satisfied. The large menu had diverse types of dishes, our server was helpful and attentive, and the atmosphere made for a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Finale, 1 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA 617-423-3184 (Other locations in Cambridge, Brookline and Natick)

With multiple locations around Boston, Finale restaurants are a favorite of locals seeking a great ending to meal. This restaurant offers a limited number of light dinners, but dessert is really its raison d'être. The menu changes regularly but most everything is delectable and presented beautifully. Their crème brûlée breaks like glass to reveal its dreamy softness underneath, and the pineapple upside-down cake is a rich and flavorful version of this classic. The molten chocolate cake is another Finale specialty, delicious but dauntingly sweet. This restaurant also features a large menu of drinks, including dessert wines and alcoholic coffees.

Its colorful, plush interior makes Finale feel lively and cozy. Unfortunately for my party, however, the service was sub-par. Our server was inattentive and slightly rude, and she made the cardinal mistake in the service industry of applying gratuity to a small party's check. We let this offense slide without comment because it wasn't worth the effort, but these shortcomings colored the whole experience. But since bad service is by no means a certainty, I still recommend visiting Finale to experience the mouth-watering desserts. This location near the theatre district is very popular, and I have heard nothing but good things about the other locations from Boston residents.

Vox Populi, 755 Boylston St., Boston, MA 617-424-8300

Vox Populi serves contemporary American dishes for lunch and dinner, but I only experienced this location as a bar in the night hours. Consequently, I cannot comment on the food but only the drinks and overall scene. It was filled with a young and trendy crowd creating a club-like atmosphere, while overhead, huge lampshades inscribed with classical Latin prose added a refined touch. The bar specializes in creative martinis, but a wide variety of beer was available as well. We were fortunate to find an upstairs alcove with couches and a coffee table, which made for a comfortable and intimate setting amidst the crowded bar. Our server was great and the vast choice of drinks kept everyone happy. The only drawback was that the bar closed at 1am on a Saturday night, which is very early where I come from. But apparently this isn't unique to Vox Populi, so I can't truly hold it against the place. If you dress nicely and prepare for the crowds, you'll enjoy this swanky location.