The best place for a first date in Boston, according to Boston.com readers
Also, find out which first-date spots led to marriage.
Historic Boston is brimming with charming date destinations, but where is the city’s ultimate first-date spot?
We asked Boston.com readers the best place for a first date in Boston and they promptly answered, naming restaurants, attractions, outdoor spaces, and more. Boston’s North End, with its nearly 100 restaurants and bakeries, was named several times, as was The Beehive in the South End and Santarpio’s, a top reader-recommended pizzeria, in East Boston.
For those who need more convincing, readers shared which of the city’s first-date destinations led to ‘I do.’
Attractions
“A walk around the Esplanade is a great option. The scenery is amazing and you can make a big loop or walk back to Boston Common/downtown easily. You can grab coffee or food somewhere close if you want to extend the date. But it’s a good first date/first meetup spot in case you don’t want to be stuck at dinner if it turns out to be a bad date or you don’t click with each other.”
— Lily from the South End
“I think Christopher Columbus Park is a great first date with the aesthetics of the outdoors and the sea by the park which has a breathtaking view. Close by is the North End and Chinatown for great food afterwards. Talking and walking make perfect first date activities!”
— Asaad G. of Boston
- Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline
- Community Boating
- Franklin Park Zoo
- Improv Asylum
- Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
- Public Garden
- New England Aquarium
- TD Garden
- The Rink at 401 Park
Restaurants
- 21st Amendment
- Backbar in Somerville
“Backbar in Union Square is perfect for tasty cocktails in an eclectic environment that inspires great conversation. Also, you can impress your date by finding the secret entrance.”
— Jeffrey C. of Somerville
- Cisco Brewers
- Figs
- Hops N Scotch in Brookline
- Mariel
- Modern Pastry
“We went on a Saturday afternoon in October, chatted for hours over cannolis at a little table right in the front window — and then immediately proceeded downstairs to Modern Underground for round 2 and a beer. It was a low pressure, relaxed setting, and 2+ years later — it’s still my favorite (and actually my last) first date.”
— Sarah from Palo Alto, Calif.
- North End (any restaurant)
- Regina Pizzeria
- Roxanne’s
- Santarpio’s
“Santarpio’s in East Boston is a perfect first date location. Not only does it offer the best pizza in the universe, but its genuine Boston character and lack of pretension offer the ideal atmosphere for a ‘get to know you’ interaction. If your date bristles at Santarpio’s, think twice about a second rendezvous!”
— PJ from Winchester
- Tasca in Brighton
“Live music, great food, great drinks. You can choose to get dinner or just grab drinks and listen to the music.”
— Alexa from Charlestown
First date destinations that led to ‘I do’
For readers like JPMiks of Burlington and Mike from Charlestown, their love story began with pizza in the city.
“Best pizza on Earth with that mom and pop hole in the wall feeling,” JPMiks wrote about Santarpio’s. “Took my wife there for our first date. Two years later she said yes.”
“Met my now wife there on a blind date,” wrote Mike about Regina Pizzeria. “As someone new to Boston at the time, I learned pretty quickly that 1) you can’t make a reservation and 2) you will stick out like a sore thumb if you show up in a sport coat.”
The Butcher Shop in the South End is meaningful for Boston’s Rose L.
“It was fun to try different wines, great cheeses, and we ended up staying for dinner,” Rose wrote. “We are now married and go there for our anniversary.”
Boston’s green spaces combined with the North End were a winning combination for Mai and Aaron of Brighton.
“My husband and I had our first date walking through the Public Garden and Boston Common, all the way to North End and had dinner and dessert after,” wrote Mai. “Now we’ve been married for 20 years!”
The North End also helped Craig from Bridgewater find lasting love when he took his future wife for dinner and a show.
“It’s perfect,” Craig wrote. “Stroll through the North End or walk the Greenway, get a bite to eat and maybe dessert at one of the pastry places, and then see a show and have a drink at the Improv Asylum. It gives you time together to talk, walk together, relax, and laugh and, to me, there’s no better equation for a first date than that.”
For Rick from Sherborn, The Beehive sparked everlasting love.
“Eclectic venue, live music, interesting menu, great food and drinks,” Rick wrote. “I brought my wife there for our first date and the rest is history.”
Becca from Holliston found love at the Franklin Park Zoo, where she went on a first date with her husband 30 years ago.
“There is less ‘pressure’ because there is something to see and talk about while walking around,” Becca wrote.
Finally, Maryellen P. of Taunton fell in love with her future husband — and the Celtics — after a first date at TD Garden in 1988.
“Basketball was my husband’s favorite sport and having graduated from St. John’s University I had basketball in my blood,” Patterson wrote. “I immediately became a Celtics fan watching the likes of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish.”
Responses have been lightly edited for clarity.
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