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Eating

There is far more to eating in Boston than its image as "Beantown" might suggest. Above all, there's the seafood, especially lobsters, scrod (a generic term for young white-fleshed fish), clams (served as steamers, dipped in butter, or as creamy chowder) and oysters (some of the world's best come fresh daily from Wellfleet and other Cape Cod spots). You could base a day's tour of the different neighborhoods around the foods on offer: breakfast in the cafés of Beacon Hill or Cambridge; lunch in the food plazas of Quincy Market or The Garage on JFK Street in Cambridge, or dim sum in Chinatown; for dinner, a budget Indian in Cambridge, an Italian around Hanover Street in the North End, or expensive seafood overlooking the Harbor.

The central aisle of Quincy Market is superb for all kinds of takeaways, including fresh clams and lobster, ethnic dishes, fruit cocktails and cookies (all over the city, you'll find marvellous chocolate and ice cream). Groups can buy from different vendors and eat together in the central seating area, and restaurants and brasseries are on all sides.

Chinatown, where restaurants stay open until 2 or 3am, is best for late-night eating.

Boston

Addis Red Sea
544 Tremont St (426-8727).
Authentic Ethiopian food, which you scoop up using chunks of doughy flatbread. Spicy and inexpensive.

The Blue Diner
150 Kneeland St (338-4639).
Classic restored Fifties diner with lively jukebox, slowly inching its way upmarket but with excellent traditional and unpretentious American food.

Buteco II
57 W Dedham St, South End (247-9249).
Wide range of tasty Brazilian dishes served until 11pm, including feijouada stew at weekends, and Brazilian drinks. Moderately priced.

Cao Palace
636 Beacon St (424-1499).
Vietnamese restaurant with exotic decor and extensive menu of inexpensive and unusual food, in the Kenmore Square area.

Daily Catch
323 Hanover St (523-8567) and 261 Northern Ave (338-3093).
Sicilian-style seafood, noted for their many styles of calimari. Expect to pay up to $20.

Durgin-Park
340 N Market St, Faneuil Hall (227-2038).
Crowded, hurried and priding itself on surly service, but a Boston institution for its chunky prime ribs and seafood specialties - not to mention the baked beans. Shared tables, no reservations. Anything from $7 upwards.

Golden Palace
14-20 Tyler St (423-4565).
Chinese restaurant open until 11.30pm, with excellent and reasonably-priced dim sum daily until 3pm. $7 and upwards.

HooDoo Barbeque
835 Beacon St (267-7427).
Substantial barbecues, where Green "T" line C emerges at Audubon Circle. Good jukebox and a lively atmosphere, but the prices are not low.

Legal Sea Foods at the Park Plaza Hotel
50 Park Plaza (426-4444).
Fast-growing chain deservedly renowned for top-quality seafood. Excellent oysters.

Mamma Maria
3 North Square (523-0077).
Widely acknowledged as the best of the North End's excellent Italian restaurants. Noted for its seafood dishes and fresh breads. Main courses around $20. No dress code.

Rebecca's
21 Charles St (742-9747).
High-quality Continental cuisine on Beacon Hill, open until midnight except 10pm Sun. $15 and upwards. Also good for breakfast. Other branches throughout Boston, including one at the Prudential Center Food Court.

Ristorante Lucia
415 Hanover St, North End (367-2353).
Wonderful Italian with seafood specialities and an intimate atmosphere. $10 and upwards.

Sakura-bana
57 Broad St (542-4311).
Smart, highly aesthetic but relaxed and far from exorbitant Japanese restaurant and sushi bar.

Sonsie
327 Newbury St (262-2605).
Stylish yet informal restaurant with an eclectic American menu that includes great crab cakes and Vietnamese spring rolls.

Thai House Restaurant
1033 Commonwealth Ave (787-4242).
Excellent Thai restaurant; steamed seafood and great duck from $15.

Cambridge

Bombay Club
57 JFK St, Galeria Mall, Harvard Square (661-8100).
One of the very best of Cambridge's many Indian restaurants. with good-value lunch buffet.

Boston Sail Loft
1 Memorial Drive, Kendall Square (225-2222).
Fine array of inexpensive seafood.

The Cajun Yankee
1193 Cambridge St, Inman Square (576-1971).
Gumbo, crawfish, and other Cajun specialities, with a short menu that changes daily. Reserve. $10-18.

El Rancho
1126 Cambridge St, Inman Square (868-2309).
Tues-Sat until 9pm. Very inexpensive Salvadorean restaurant; tasty Latin American food, fruit drinks but no alcohol. $4-10.

John Harvard's Brew House
33 Dunster St, Harvard Square (868-3585).
The best of the Boston area brewpubs, serving a good menu with exciting little twists on American grill standards. $25 should suffice for a big meal with a couple of drinks.

Redbone's
55 Chester St, Somerville (628-2200).
Excellent, inexpensive ribs, chicken and catfish with a big range of vegetable side dishes. Just off Davis Square, two stops from Harvard Square..

Rhythm & Spice
315 Massachusetts Ave (497-0977).
Lively and youthful restaurant near Central Square and MIT, serving good value Caribbean food.

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