I came to Boston without any expectations, so I was absolutely floored by the sheer beauty of the place. I had just visited last week when the snowfall was nice and poetic, not mean and abusive (lol). Unsurprisingly, I was the only person in Boston who was still mystified by the snow. Everyone who lived there was completely over it hahaha. I didn’t expect Boston to be so diverse, but it really was! The diversity was reflected in their rich restaurant scene. Boston food was delicious. I’ll show you all my favorite places so you’ll have an idea of where to roam the next time you visit!

The streets were so beautiful at night with all the lights, red brick buildings and snow dusting.

I stayed at the historic Marriott Long Wharf. It was located directly across from the aquarium. Highly recommend!

1. Quincy Market

Quincy Market has been serving the people of Boston since the 1820’s. This gorgeous historic market has everything from modern clothing stores (Uniqlo) to busking musicians, to the yummiest clam chowder ever at Boston Chowda. I loved the unassuming vibes and the liveliness of the place. It almost felt like walking back in time.

If you visit Quincy Market, you have to try the banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery. It is SO good.

I hate sourdough bread, so it was a pleasant surprise when I found out the bread bowls from Boston Chowda did not use sourdough. Tastes SO much better. Imagine a fresh, chewy, thick baguette overflowing with creamy clam chowder. Yummm ^_^

All of the busking artists were amazing, but I think Ryan Jordan had to be my favorite! Check out his music here. He kind of sounds like Adam Levine!

2. Boston Public Market

Down the block from Quincy Market is the Boston Public Market, which offers more hygge goods like artisanal loose teas, handmade soaps, organic cheeses and the like. I personally like the Boston Public Market even more than Quincy even though it’s kind of like comparing apples and oranges. I happened to visit when they had a farmer’s market going on outside so it felt more authentic and less touristy than Quincy. It was so neat getting to see the locals tread through icy snow to get their fresh produce. The produce stay fresh, of course, because of the cold. I’m surprised they even needed to ice the meats!

These handmade soaps smelled SOOO good. I couldn’t resist, so I bought the lemon loofa bar, sunflower bar and lemongrass bar. Can’t wait to use them!

As for teas, I got the smoky vanilla chai tea and it is absolutely delicious.

I also recommend getting a Pink Lady Hibiscus hot cider from Red Apple Farm out front because it is SO comforting in the cold.

Boston Public Market also has a variety of seafood on display, such as sea urchins, fish collars, stingray (shown below), and more.

3. New England Aquarium

The aquarium was right across from my hotel, so of course I had to give it a chance! This aquarium is different from the other ones that I’ve visited because of how it’s constructed. It seems to spiral upwards around the central major tank, where the enormous sea turtle swims in circles. You can pretty much spot the tank from any floor. It was a quick and entertaining visit. They had a handful of really exciting animals to behold.

4. Prudential Center

I know, I know.. out of all places, a mall?! The thing about the Prudential Center is that it’s thoughtfully built. It houses both affordable and high-end stores without any pretentiousness. Parts of it are built to (I think) mimic a greenhouse. It was interesting to see snow piling in the courtyard while evergreen plants thrived indoors under the protection of well-tempered glass. Be sure to stop by the gigantic Eataly to check out their endless selection of handmade products and semi-fresh produce! :P

5. Mosaic Church

Since there is a Mosaic Church in LA (where I’m from), I thought I’d visit the Mosaic Church in Boston. Turns out they’re not part of the same organization. Either way, I had an incredible experience at Mosaic Boston. The worship was beautiful and NOT overdone/distracting, the speaker was intelligent and eloquent, and the people were chill. That’s about all I could ask for in a church. Go check it out if you’re ever in town!

6. Tora

Tora was amazing. AH-MAZE-ZING. You will be pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food for such an unassuming hole-in-the-wall type of restaurant. I highly recommend the unagi bun, beef bowl, and basically any chirashi bowl. The unagi bun was a game changer. It was better than any pork belly bun I’d ever have. What a smart combination!

7. Royaltea

Royaltea gets a solid 1/2 star for its customer service but 10 stars for its drinks. We came back twice because it was such a yummy find. I recommend trying the mango tea with white pearls. The white pearls are SO addicting. I could probably drink this every day if only the cashiers weren’t so bishy. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Fix your attitude, ladies!

8. PURO Ceviche Bar

You know what… I should’ve listed this place first instead of last because it was my FAVORITE discovery in Boston. Everything we tried at PURO was delicious. Even the elote inspired me to make my own version at home. Every dish was so memorable and left me wanting more. We got the sea bass ceviche, raw oysters, elote, and carne tacos. We probably would’ve ordered much more if we weren’t already so full. GO TO PURO!!! Our server was so sweet. This place was perfect.

Let me know if you added any of these recommended places to your bucket list! If you have other recommendations for Boston, I’d also love to hear about it! :)

My 8 Must-Visit Places in Boston!