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Boston is a must-visit food destination for 2026, according to Condé Nast Traveller
The city's dining scene made the list because of its "global flavours, waterfront dining, and more neighbourhood action than ever."
What does a Grecian island, a bustling Asian city, and Boston have in common? They’re must-visit food destinations for 2026, according to a national travel publication.
Condé Nast Traveller, based in London, included Boston in its “Best Places to Eat in 2026” list, among nine other destinations. It was the only American city to make the list.
The publication’s reason for pushing Boston as next year’s go-to culinary destination is because of its “global flavours, waterfront dining, and more neighbourhood action than ever.”
“There was a time when Boston’s food scene was as predictable as the Green Line at rush hour: not perfect but getting the job done,” the publication wrote. “This was the city of just-fine steaks in wood-panelled dining rooms, red sauce by the gallon in the North End, and lobster rolls and fried clams in every direction — it was dependable and very Boston, but hardly adventurous or exciting. But in recent years, the city has pulled off the reinvention of the century.”
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There is some truth to that. For decades the safest concepts — steakhouses, Italian cuisine, and seafood — were the restaurants opening in Boston and are still prominent fixtures in the restaurant scene today. But Greater Boston has also seen growth in its niche bakeries, Asian cuisine, and more.
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But the list spends one paragraph touting the Seaport, a hate-it-or-love-it kind of neighborhood that is made up of lots of eateries, though few of them are independently owned. The restaurants mentioned included the soon-to-open Ci Siamo (a New York-based restaurant from Danny Meyer), Mai (part of Notoro Group, which runs several restaurants in Boston and outside of Massachusetts), the fast-expanding Lakon Paris Patisserie, Taiyaki NYC, and Woods Hill Pier 4 (part of a group of restaurants that are local to Massachusetts).
Outside of the Seaport, the publication highlighted BCB3 Hospitality, a newer hospitality group that’s been on a tear in opening acclaimed restaurants. Somaek, Zurito, and Sushi @ Temple Records have all received local and national recognition from food media and awards.
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“But the big moment that Boston finds itself in right now is happening not in the core historic downtown neighbourhoods like Back Bay or Beacon Hill,” the publication wrote. “It’s unfolding in the residential neighbourhoods just beyond.”
Now that’s more like it. The publication pointed readers toward Greek food in the South End (Kaia), Peruvian food in Somerville (Celeste), and the many neighborhood restaurants sitting in nearly every corner of the city and surrounding suburbs, like Dovetail in Charlestown.
“Boston has long felt confident in its role as a hub for innovation, health care, education, and history. What’s new for right now, however, is its creativity,” Condé Nast Traveller wrote. “In a city that has long rested on everything it’s accomplished in the past, and might not have always felt accessible to all, there is a lot to look forward to in the future. And everyone is invited to the table.”
Other destinations that made the list were Crete, Greece; Fes, Morocco; Hong Kong; Medellín, Colombia; Minas Gerais, Brazil; Parramatta, Sydney, Australia; Patan, Nepal; Prince Edward County, Canada; and Seville, Spain.
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