Walk around aimlessly, there's so much to see. Take the road less traveled. Come hungry. Don't be put off by the lines at the bakeries, they move fast. Grab a gelato. People watch. But make dinner reservations in advance!

If you like home style Italian food, old buildings , brick and cobblestone roads that are very narrow and pastry shops you’ll love the north end. I’m a foodie so this place is like heaven to me. It really doesn’t matter which restaurant you choose to have lunch or dinner in, they’re all great. You don’t need to wait outside the ones that have long lines and a 1 1/2 hour wait, you can’t go wrong with any of them. Stop in and try them if you weren’t impressed then try another one the next day. About the only difference is the service. Some great, some good but none of them are bad. If they were they wouldn’t be here anymore. The food is great in every one of them. I’ve eaten in at least 50 of them and they’re all good. Same thing with the big 3 pastry shops. Mike’s gets the longest lines but Modern or Bova’s are just as good or better. People I’ve talked to like the cannolis at Mike’s the best but I like Moderns pastries better and Bova’s is open 24/7 and been there the longest. Hanover and Salem are the two streets where most everything is but don’t forget to go down the side streets either because there are a lot of great places to eat on them too. Very narrow streets and lots of people in the north end but it’s a MUST to visit.

What can one say about the North End, so many restaurants, so many bars, so many bakeries, so much history and so little time to take it all in. The Freedom Trail can take you through some of the historical sights but there is more. Hanover Street is the most dominant of Italian restaurant offerings. Who knew that the North End of Boston would be an Italian Food Haven. Take an adventure on the many side streets and discover bakeries, seafood, small pubs, for any foodie or gastro hunter, it is an adventure zone. So many of these restaurants and pastry shops reviews can be found online. The architecture is also unique and adds character to the neighborhood. Take several hours or several days to explore, to eat, to enjoy.

The North End is a great Boston neighborhood to visit on foot for its many restaurants & shops. The main shopping & restaurant district concentrates on Hannover Street. Italian restaurants of every description (and price point) are along that street, as are numerous pastry shops. Also wander through some of the quieter residential streets (many of them one-way) to see how the community lives.

Thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent in North End in our recent trip to Boston. Its Little Italy is my favorite of any of the major cities, and they have some of the best food and pastry shops. Very peaceful to stroll around, except for all the Red Sox gear that other people are wearing! Go Yankees!

Just walking around brings you back in history! Our favs: Mike's Pastry, Carmelinas, Modern Pastry, Salumeria Italiana, the Paul Revere statue, and the list goes on! Take plenty of time to just take it all in!

Stayed at a lovely boutique hotel (Harborside Inn) which was just a few steps away from everything we wanted to see and do: Freedom Trail, water, restaurants, etc. Easy to get transportation as well as feel the heartbeat of the city. Loved the restaurants that we could just walk over and pop into whenever we were ready!