//
Neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts
Photo: ButteBag, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Known as "Little Italy" for over a hundred years, the North End proudly carries the torch of Boston's Italian heritage. Its narrow, dense streets consistently draw hordes of visitors looking to experience old world culture and first class dining. The West End was a sister neighborhood, until it was almost entirely demolished during the 1950s. Today it's the site of a huge sports arena and massive amounts of new construction.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Christ Church in the City of Boston
Old North Church was Boston’s second Anglican church. It is most famous for sending the message from Paul Revere that the British were coming by lighting the steeple with lanterns. "One if by land, two if by sea." Paul Revere had convinced congregant Robert Newman to alert the American militia in Concord, Massachusetts to British troop movements. Newman placed two lanterns in the church steeple and alerted the militia to the approaching British army as Paul Revere began his ride to warn John Handcock and Samuel Adams. By taking a more in-depth behind-the-scenes tour of the church, its history is revealed while exploring the bell tower, and its crypt.
Paul Revere is known for his midnight ride from Boston to Lexington, warning all the people along the way that the British were coming. He owned this home for over three decades and it's downtown Boston’s oldest building, dating from somewhere around the 1680s. The average visit is 30 minutes depending on the time of year.
The city's second cemetery founded in 1659, Copp's Hill Burying Ground contains more than 1200 marked graves. The remains of notable early Bostonians are interred here, including much of the Mather family; Samuel, Increase, and Cotton. During the Revolutionary war occupying British forces would use the headstones of particularly hated patriots for target practice. Visitors can still see the impressions made by musket fire in the gravestones today.
The Museum of Science is colossal—easily one of the biggest in North America. It has IMAX theaters, 3D theaters, and a separate planetarium. The museum not only has an enormous permanent collection spanning several stories, but it has the largest Van de Graff generator in the world, which produces frequent electricity shows, a weather generator, many multimedia presentation areas, and at least 2 temporary exhibitions at any given time. A few exhibits remain that were designed by Charles and Ray Eames, but they are showing their age. The roster of events changes daily, and is distributed upon entry. It's worth a visit as long as you are all right with the possibility of getting a migraine.
Historic New England
Comedy club.
Boston Garden
Home of the Boston Bruins and the Boston Celtics, each legends of the game and boasting multiple championship titles. The former is the oldest NHL team in America, and the latter was one of the eight original NBA teams. This arena replaced the old Boston Garden in 1995, and visitors can spot mementos of the locations previous life scattered throughout the premises. TD Garden is built on top of North Station for easy access, and offers an upscale food court "Hub Hall", open to fans and passerby. Plenty of parking is available on-site, and yes of course there's a Dunks too. The most popular sports venue in New England, its capacity is about 20,000 and it also plays host to concerts and other large public spectacles.
If you love sports, check out The Sports Museum. A variety of memorabilia from Boston teams is on display.
A feeling of the old neighborhood lingers. Open only for lunch, this often-overlooked North End spot not only serves up fantastic Sicilian specialties, it's one of the cheapest places to eat lunch citywide. Locals in the know form a queue in front of the counter that can spill out the front door. There are plenty of tables inside, but they can become quickly overwhelmed during tourist season.
Mike’s pastry is the tourist hotspot in the North End. You will have undoubtedly seen their distinctive string wrapped boxes before you arrive. Customers wait patiently in long lines out the door, and down the block to get their hands on these prized sweets. Mike's specializes in Italian pastries like cannoli and napoleons alongside a few other offerings: gelato, cakes, and biscotti. In addition, the pastry shop offers to customize your cakes for any event. If you don’t feel like eating dessert, try their fabulous hot beverages like espresso or cappuccino. There are places to sit inside, but the shop is mostly a take-out style establishment. Cash only.
Modern pastry is a seventy-year-old family run business that is one of the most popular bakeries in the North End. Narrowly piped in popularity by Mike's, but not by quality. Only you can judge who has the best cannoli. If you go here, be prepared to wait. If you manage to score a table, relax and soak in the atmosphere and great people-watching views. Modern pastry presents a wide variety of fresh Italian pastries like cannoli (which are made upon order), cakes, chocolate ganache, and torrone. But that’s not all, they also sell imported Italian goods like pasta, olive oil, fresh breads, coffee beans, and Nutella. Cash only.
There are only six tables and the menu is not very extensive, however the exceptional food makes up for this. For lunch, be sure to try the house salad "the Casalinga" with grilled chicken. For dinner, the seafood pasta is out of this world.
Some of the best sandwiches and artisanal treats in the city.
This location of the small pizzeria chain is where it all began in 1926. Boisterous and loud with being cacophonous, the closely packed tables here feel friendly and not uncomfortable. It's one of the few spots in the North End where locals and tourists both go for a pie. Pitchers of beer available. Expect to wait outside in line during peak hours, the line moves fast but not quite as fast as you want. The other locations of this franchise are forgettable, but don't make the mistake of lumping this one in with the rest. Cash only.
Great seafood at reasonable prices with harbor views? The secret is out, so go at off hours for the best seats. It gets busy, but actually doesn't get as crowded as you might expect. Waits to be seated here are unusual, as a more tourist-focused restaurant next door is perfectly positioned to absorb the masses.
Legendary but tiny Italian place that's always a great value. It's one of the more popular restaurants in the North End, but they don't take reservations, so expect a long line out the door and down the street. They only accept cash, but there is an ATM across the street if you forget.
This Italian gem has an amazing selection. Choose from about a dozen homemade pasta and sauce types. The tangy vodka sauce is truly excellent. Sop up any remaining sauce with fresh bread, and wash everything down with a cold Peroni beer.
This busy little restaurant has a great atmosphere and good service. Dim lighting gives it a romantic setting with brick walls and a fireplace in the center of the dining room. This restaurant makes their own pasta and sauce from scratch. A good majority of the large menu includes pasta and seafood dishes, as well as pizzas fired in the aforementioned oven.
Of the four, this is the original location. With only 20 seats, it's not the biggest place but great for fresh seafood.
This restaurant is rather large, just like the menu. Unlike other ristorantes in this area, Lucia offers an excellent selection of cheese. Just like restaurants in Italy, each page of the menu is dedicated to one category of food like salad, seafood, chicken, or pasta. The menu says all dishes are made to order and to allow the chef ample time to prepare the dish. Valet parking is available.
Maurizio's, top rated in the Zagat Guide and three time winner of Boston Magazine's Best of Boston Award, has been part of the North End dining experience since 1993. Chef Maurizio Loddo hails from the Italian Island of Sardinia and brings a wealth of additional cooking experience from France, Germany and Spain. Wines from Maurizio's exciting list are selected to complement the food. You will find exceptional and affordable picks from all over the globe.
Rabia’s has a creative and unique atmosphere with romantic dim lighting. Grapes and grape vines (which look very real) dangle and weave around trellises attached to the ceiling. If you are craving seafood, this is the place to go. The menu is heavily focused on all kinds of seafood, including items straight from their raw bar. The menu also has a large assortment of meats and pasta dishes.
The Florentine Cafe is known for their superior food and as one of the oldest bars in Boston. Nice ambiance, looks European. Windows open wide to the street in warm weather, just as cafes do in London. Big, friendly after work crowd at the ample bar. The menu presents a wide range of specialties from pasta to racks of lamb.
Dolce Vita was featured in the Improper Bostonian and Traveler’s Journal for its great food, served in a comfortable and open atmosphere. When the weather is nice, the windows open out to the street. A unique appetizer on the menu is a fresh fruit platter. This restaurant specializes in all kinds of meat like veal, lamb, chicken, and sirloin steaks.
Excellent local seafood and raw bar. Restaurant is small but ambiance and food quality are extraordinary. On any given weekend, you will find people lining up outside the front door before they open in order to secure one of their famous lobster rolls. At $29 they don't come cheap, but almost every publication in the city has awarded these lobster rolls with a "best of" designation.
Chef Jose Duarte brings a fusion of Peruvian and Italian in his Certified Green restaurant. The wine list consists of organic, sustainable, or biodynamic wines only. Excellent food quality and great service.
166 Canal St
The Fours is a sports bar that specializes in some great Irish pub dishes. All sorts of memorabilia litter the walls including jerseys and equipment signed by famous Boston athletes and athletes from all over the country.
In 2006 The Phantom Gourmet gave Caffé Vittoria a ‘Great Ate’ award. This place has many awards including ‘City’s Best Coffee House’ from City Guide in 2005. Caffé Vittoria sells cannolis, tiramisu, éclairs, and over ten flavors of gelato. They have an extensive drink menu including their signature martinis and specialty drinks. The café has a cigar lounge and hookah bar in the basement with a casual laid-back atmosphere. Cash only.
North End outpost of this Boston mini-chain.
Built as a boarding house for sailors in 1847, it remains an inexpensive hotel only for active and retired members of the merchant marines and afloat military personnel.
New construction boutique hotel with every modern convenience. Handicap accessible.
Good location at the foot of Beacon Hill. Near Massachusetts General Hospital and Whole Foods. Has a pool and free wi-fi.
Awarded "Best of Boston 2016" in a Boston Magazine reader's poll.
Great harbor views.
Located in the Beacon Hill neighborhood by the Charles River and its Esplanade. On a bizarre side note, the hotel occupies a former prison that once held former mayor James Michael Curley (imprisoned in 1904 for fraud), Frank Abagnale, Jr. (portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in Catch Me If You Can) and a Nazi U-Boat captain captured in 1945 who later committed suicide.
If you like waking up to water views, this is the place for you!
Fully furnished extended stay luxury accommodations. So high end rooms even come with their own butler. Right on the main drag in the North End.
Old school North End coffee house founded in 1932.
A one time speakeasy "hidden" underground away from the prying eyes of the law. Sells a wide selection of premium cigars, and is also known to mix a fine martini.
If you're looking for a nicer souvenir, the gift shops at the Old North Church are a great option. There are actually three different ones: Captain Jackson’s Historic Chocolate Shop; The Printing Office of Edes and Gill; and the main gift shop. You can probably guess what the first two specialize in, while the main shop has a little bit of everything. Even t-shirts for those in the market.
Today they do most of their sales online, but don't miss this great old shop in the West End. Four stories of outdoor gear, for camping, backpacking, and more uses. Plus a bargain basement!
By public transit
By far the largest station in the area is North Station. Not only is this a major stop on the Orange and Green lines, four Commuter Rail lines and the Amtrak train to Maine depart from here as well.
By car
Here are two more neighborhoods where driving is a terrible idea. The North End in particular has streets so narrow they barely accommodate pedestrians, much less automobiles.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Boston · International · BOS
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about North End and United States.
Travel tipsFind the cheapest countries to fly to from the US and UK in 2026. Compare realistic round-trip flight deals, budget airlines, and prime booking windows.
8 min read
Travel tipsFind the best time to visit Hawaii in 2026. Compare whale seasons, big-wave surf, dry shoulder months, hotel rates, and island microclimates.
8 min read
InspirationDiscover the best places to visit in April. Compare Dutch tulip fields, Thailand's Songkran water festival, Roman spring gardens, and cherry blossoms.
6 min read
Travel tipsA practical guide to travelling with medication and refrigerated drugs like insulin and GLP-1s. Learn airline rules, customs papers, and cooling tips.
7 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.