Photo taken at The Inn at St Botolph, Boston, MA.
Table of Contents:
When to Visit Boston?
We visited Boston in the beginning of May and we got a range of weather. The first two days were chilly enough for a sweater and then it warmed up to 75‘s° for a day and then it dropped back down to the high 50‘s° - low 60’s°. The winters in Boston are bitterly cold from December - March with the average temperatures falling between 24° - 37°. Boston’s summers average around 86° but a few days peak above 100°. The best time to visit Boston weather wise is June - October, but if you go slightly before or after you’ll miss the crowds!
Do You Need a Rental Car?
If you are staying inside of Boston and plan to spend the majority of your trip in the city, then you do not need a rental car, the public transportation T system (https://www.mbta.com/schedules/subway) or Uber will suffice. Flying into the Logan International Airport puts you in East Boston right next to the airport T station where you can take the blue line to the North End in 5 minutes. The Charlie Card weekly pass to ride the T is only $20! This was our first time riding on public transportation and Hunter and I were so impressed, it was clean, easy to use and there was always at least one station attendant at every T station who was friendly and very helpful.
Restaurant Recommendations
Cafes and Coffee Houses:
Render Coffee: Their honey lavender latte is amazing! This coffee house is in the South End surrounded by gorgeous historical brownstones and had a beautiful patio space out back!
Cafe Madeleine: Not only did this corner street cafe look like it’s straight out of France, but they have the most deliciously flakey croissants that we have tasted! Their everything but bagel seasoning croissant was fantastic - the croissant was filled with a mixture of cream cheese, chives and Everything But Bagel seasoning. The only thing that slightly broke my heart was that they don’t have any coffee syrup flavors, but their espresso is delicious!
Brunch:
Petit Robert Bistro: Not only is this restaurant absolutely charming and looks like it’s straight out of Paris, with a gorgeous street side view of the South End neighborhood, but their food and especially their mimosas are delicious!
Thorntons Restaurant and Cafe: This cafe was cute and family owned, which we love, however we didn’t personally love the food. Although what we ordered wasn’t our favorite, the restaurant was packed and had great reviews so maybe just stay away from the breakfast burrito.
Dinner:
MIDA: (Italian) Mida was hands down one of our favorite restaurant that we went to in Boston! We ordered the gnocchi which was so light, flavorful and the perfect portion to fill you up but not be stuffed. Hunter ordered the carbonara dish which he talked about how delicious it was for several days afterwards. Lastly, the waiter so highly recommended the tiramisu that we decided to try it, and let me tell you.. we are still talking about that dessert today. It was the best tiramisu we’ve ever had, and the presentation of pouring espresso on top on the dish added the perfect touch.
Greco: (Greek Food) We went to the Greco on Newbury Street and their gyros we’re amazing! They have a selection of chicken, lamb, pork or ground beef.
Casaercce: Located in the North End, (Boston's 'Little Italy') with all the charm of a tiny italian restaurant, with exquisite food and ambiance. I had the lobster ravioli, and Hunter had the bolognese lasagna, it was the largest meal on the menu and (it wasn't crazy huge portion at all, but) when he finished it all every server patted Hunter on the back and was so proud! It made it more of an experience.
Legal Seafood: HANDS DOWN THE BEST SEAFOOD WE'VE EVER HAD! We split a bowl of New England clam chowder, which of course was incredible. But then we split a lobster roll and it was absolutely the best we've ever had! We highly recommend having dinner here at least once. The restaurant has great ambiance with dimmed lights and upscale finishes.
Santarpio's: Nuzzled in East Boston, Santarpio's pizza is the best place to get pizza in all of Boston. We had the meat lovers pizza and it was delicious. Hunter loved the thin crust! Authenticity radiates in Santarpio's, everything is made fresh and all the staff had amazing italian accents!
Mikes Pastries: BEST CANNOLIS IN BOSTON!! They have tons of different flavors including chocolate chip, Florentine, chocolate-covered, mint chip, espresso, hazelnut, chocolate ricotta, strawberry, limoncello, peanut butter, Nutella, Oreo, chocolate cream, yellow cream, amaretto, chocolate mousse and chocolate-dipped. Hunter ordered their original ricotta filling and I ordered the mint chocolate chip, both were super yummy! Mikes is filled with other pastry’s as well, next time we go I’m getting an eclair! Tip: Make sure to have plenty of time to wait, because there will be a huge line out the door!
Activities
1. Visit the most famous picture spot in Boston - Acorn Street, the charming, cobblestone covered street in Beacon Hill!
2. Pack a picnic and visit the Boston Common park.
3. Embark on the Freedom trail - a 2.5-mile-long path that passes by 16 historical locations. Marked largely with brick, it winds from Boston Common in downtown Boston through the North End to the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown.
4. Newbury street shopping! (I bought my first pair of Doc Martin's on Newbury street, and the ambiance of Newbury street added extra significance to this long awaited purchase!)
Most of our visit we were apartment hunting ( spoiler! ) but with every turn of walking around this gorgeous city and soak up the historical views. Our favorite part of Boston is how European the architecture is. Hunter and I have always been attracted to European design, art, and architecture. This is the closest that we could get to Europe inside the U.S.!
Lodging: Inn at St Botolph
Located in the heart of South End, walking distance to restaurants, parks, cafe's, and shopping on Newbury streets! The Inn at St Botolph was a perfect reflection of a cozy home away from home surrounded in Bostonian elegance and charm. The staff was so kind and ready to offer lots of recommendations for where to eat and what to do! We recommend staying here on your next visit to Boston, but make sure to reserve your room in advance, they book up quickly!
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