Great Dining Around Boston?

My buddy's getting married this weekend. Again, that is. And he's taking his bride back east for a couple weeks and will end up in Boston. Wants to take her out for at least one or two great meals there. I know some of you will have some good ideas, so . . . what would you recommend for a really special honeymoon dinner around Beantown? I also told him he should be sure to go someplace where they have great lobster rolls, but that's more of a lunch thing, right? I know some places are really known for that, so I'm also looking for some tips on that subject too.

Whatever I get from you folks I'll pass along, and with several days to spend they'll need a few ideas, so please post up and keep 'em coming. Thanks.

Yelp, or Trip Advisor.

Leagal seafoods. But again there are so many choices. North end (Italian food) can't go wrong. I believe there use to be a resteraunt on the top of the prudential building at one time also. faneuil Hall during the day. All kinds of fair to sample, from Raw oysters to cheese and just about anything else you can think off. A must see in my opinion.

Yes, the restaurant is still on top of the Pru (https://topofthehub.net/menus/) and fed me quite well last fall. I reserved a corner table just before sunset and saw the city change into twinkly lights and Fenway light up like the summer sun. Could be a good honeymoon dinner; my companion that evening was a long time (married) lady friend, and she was impressed.

One of my boys visited with his wife and we ate at Parker's, in the historic Parker House. Serious food, serious service, and history like you wouldn't believe. (https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/boston-parker-house/dining/parkers-restaurant)

Mike,

There are so many great dining places around Boston you'll need to help us zero in a little. What is the budget for the "honeymoon" dinner? Unlimited? Because that opens up a lot of truly memorable places. Or do they value the ambiance more than the platitudes? In which case we can find something with a lot of local flavor, but not so much expense.

Are they willing to travel a little? Most of my favorite places are well outside of downtown Boston. You can't even get a decent lobter roll anywhere in town. You really need to head up to Maine, which with the small size of our states out here, is not such a big deal.

A little more info may result in more accurate answers.

Thanks for the help, everybody. I won't say "money is no object," but it's not the main object. It's an expensive and special occasion, and they want at least one dinner that's over the top, I think. But I'd like to hand him a good list with a bunch of good suggestions--after all, they'll need dinner every night. They'll be in a rental car, so they're not stuck in a tiny area, but having driven in Boston, and having ridden with my buddy Peter, I don't think they'll be trying to get too far from home base.

I've heard of Durgin Park, supposed to be pretty special. Comments? Likewise the Union Oyster House. Probably less interested in any chain restaurant or tourist traps like whatever the "Cheers" joint is called. At least I would be. But local gems you've loved, or real destination dining "experiences" are needed. I'll print out whatever comes in before Saturday and hand it to him in the receiving line.

p.s. That's his wedding present! :lol:

Durgin Park is a nice spot in the Quincy Market. Not all that special IMO. Good food but not "special"

A better place to go for a "special" dinner is Parker's Restaurant at the Omni Parker House hotel. I'd also recommend The Bristol Lounge in the Four Seasons hotel, also on the Boston common, or the Dining room at the Boston Harbor Hotel, which is on Rowe's Wharf overlooking the waterfront. We have dined in each of these places on special occasions, and they were very memorable. You will be pampered at any of them.

The Union Oyster House is a more casual place, and very historic. A great spot to go if you love the raw bar, as I do.

Another of my casual seafood favorites (although it is a chain) is "The Chart House" which is located right out on long wharf.

A particularly unique lunch spot is the "no name" restaurant (it literally has no name on the outside), which is located on the commercial fish pier between commercial fishing businesses. It is paper plates and red checker cloth picnic tables that you may end up sharing with some locals.

Hope they have a lot of fun.

Oh, one more possible idea: The food will not be as great as the others, but for an unforgattable experience they could do a dinner cruise on one of the two ships that run them regularly. It is a nice enough dinner, but the real fun is floating around the harbor and taking in the sights. They also run booze cruises if they wanted to do something less expensive than the dinner.

The Oddysey is the nicer of the two, IMO (we've been on both at different occasions), and the other is The Spirit of Boston, which is a bit more casual.

Alright, One more fun place and then I'll stop:

FJ Doyle's Cafe in the Jamaca Plain neighborhood of Boston.

This is one of the original Boston Irish bars, though they have expanded it from a single storefront bar room to a full service restaurant. The Guiness is always fresh at Doyle's. They are also just down the street from the Sam Adams world headquarters, and they get some of the pilot brews from there that never even make it to market.

Starting at the Boston Commons follow the red brick stripe in the center of the sidewalk to walk the Freedom Trail. Along the way stop in Quincy Market for a tasty snack. Stop at the historical Union Oyster House for lunch. Unless you have tried to open oysters yourself you may not fully appreciate watching the guy seated at the front window that shucks the oysters. By the time you reach the Old North Church you will be at the limits of walking for the day and you will now be in the North End where it is hard to find a bad restaurant. Then as you start to return back to the Commons watch for shops that sell tiramisu, cordials, coffee and espresso to top off the evening.

Good point. I didn't mention anything in the North End (Boston;s Italian neighborhood) because Josie is 1/2 Italian so we eat that at home a lot, and I'm spoiled. But pretty much any place in the North End is going to be great Italiano food.