Visiting Boston

2 of the best food destinations in the U.S. are in New England, according to Tripadvisor users

Boston is one of them.

A lobster dish served at The Banks Seafood and Steak in Boston. Brian Samuels Photography

By Kristi Palma

January 17, 2025

1 minute to read

If you raved over a dish eaten in Boston or Portland over the past year, you weren’t alone.

A Boston cocktail was among the best worldwide in 2024, according to Forbes Travel Guide inspectors

Tripadvisor recently released its Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Destination Awards and Boston and Portland, Maine ranked among the 10 best food destinations in the U.S. Boston ranked No. 6 and Portland ranked No. 8.

“If eating your way through town sounds like the perfect trip, these destinations will whet your appetite—from breakfast till supper,” wrote the Needham-based travel site.

The awards “celebrate the highest level of excellence in travel,” according to the site, and are based on the quality and quantity of millions of ratings and reviews from users between Oct. 1, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2024.

The No. 1 destination for food is New Orleans, which also ranked No. 8 on the world list.

This year there were seven Best of the Best Destination categories: food destinations, trending destinations, top destinations, culture destinations, honeymoon destinations, solo travel destinations, and top destinations of the last 25 years.

Boston was also named among the top 25 destinations, ranking No. 16 right after Maine’s Mount Desert Island at No. 15. New York City topped that list.

Check out Tripadvisor’s list of top 10 best food destinations in the U.S.

Kristi Palma

Travel writer

Kristi Palma is the travel writer for Boston.com, focusing on the six New England states. She covers airlines, hotels, and things to do across Boston and New England. She is the author of the award-winning Scenic Six, a weekly travel newsletter.