Where to eat clam chowder in Boston

“Clam chowder is a religion in these parts,” says Kathy Sidell, with a zeal more commonly reserved for champion hometown sports teams. “It’s where Boston rules,” adds the chef and founder of the hip seafood outfit Saltie Girl, which now has a sister venue over in LA.

Sidell isn’t alone in her unbridled enthusiasm for a steaming bowl of New England clam chowder, or Boston “chowdah,” as it’s often affectionately called. Perhaps it’s no surprise that this velvety dish has become a local institution in the East Coast city, so beloved that Boston even hosts Chowderfest, a festival each October where the city’s top chefs and restaurants serve up their own take on the New England classic.

The key ingredients for its success have long been present in the Massachusetts coastal city: an abundance of both fisherfolk and fresh clams, coupled with New England’s chilly winters, which call for hearty, creamy soups to truly warm the cockles. “Its thick, creamy, clammy, briny, smoky personality cures a cold winter day in the Northeast,” confirms Kathy.

While no one’s certain about the exact origin of chowder, what’s known is that Indigenous peoples in New England were fond of clam-based stews. When the Europeans arrived, cream or milk and butter were added, thickened with flour to create a French-style roux. The name ‘chowder’ is thought to derive from the French chaudière, meaning cauldron, the vessel in which immigrants cooked their fish stews when they settled in America’s coastal regions.

Today, the chowder formula remains simple enough — clams, salted pork or bacon, potatoes and onions swimming in a milk or creamy base. Yet when these humble ingredients come together to create a bowl of the hot stuff, that’s when the magic happens. The New England version is pure comfort food, with its rich, silky white base. Over in Rhode Island, they make theirs with a clear broth, while the Manhattan version is known as red chowder, using tomatoes instead of cream. “Don’t even mention Manhattan,” Kathy deadpans, rolling her eyes.

In a city where chowder runs through the veins and each restaurant puts its own distinctive spin on the marriage of land and sea, vegetable and fish, it pays to do a little research beforehand. So, here are the best clam chowder joints in Boston for every type of occasion.

Saltie Girl

Best for: new-wave chowder
When this high-end spot opened in Boston’s Back Bay in 2016, it sent a ripple through the city’s dining scene. Not only did the restaurant debut a menu of posh tinned seafood that stretched over several pages, it also began serving one of the most delicious clam chowders on the East Coast.

It all comes down to consistency, says owner Kathy. “Some people say the test of a true New England chowder is that when you stand your spoon up, it shouldn’t fall over easily.”

It’s a concept that Saltie Girl happily embraces, reducing the clam-and-cream stock and thickening it with shallots, celery and fingerling potatoes. “There’s no elegance here, it’s all earthy and hearty,” Kathy adds. The bowl arrives on the table served with a chef’s kiss — finished with a fried clam and a pinch of irresistibly salty lardons.

Eventide

Best for: game day
Knock it out of the park with a visit to this stylish restaurant, just a short stroll from Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox baseball team. Inside, it’s all Scandi-chic blonde wood and leafy green plants framing tall windows that flood the dining room with light.

A steaming bowl of clam chowder has become a matchday ritual here, and with good reason. This version stands apart thanks to smoked salt pork that delivers an intense savoury hit, plump soft-shell clams and an unexpected splash of dashi, a Japanese fish stock that adds depth.

The broth runs a touch lighter than tradition dictates, making it ideal for a quick lunch minus the digestive haze. Portions favour quality over quantity, offering satisfyingly flavourful plates that hit the spot, with no doggy bag required.

The Banks Seafood and Steak

Best for: a special date
At the fancier end of Boston’s food scene, this Back Bay restaurant entices diners with starched white tablecloths, dark mahogany furnishings and a swish marble bar perfect for shucking towers of oysters. Seafood arrives daily from nearby docks, so every dish tastes of the Atlantic.

What makes the clam chowder special here is that it’s elevated to fine-dining heights by swapping traditional bacon for seared Berkshire pork belly, a premium heritage cut often called the ‘Wagyu of pork’. And while most Boston restaurants serve chowder with dime-sized oyster crackers in plastic packets, The Banks keeps things classy with a warm, just-out-of-the-oven dinner roll instead. If you happen to be in town on a Sunday, swing by for its jazz brunch, with live music and formidable Bloody Mary cocktails.

Union Oyster House

Best for: traditionists
You’re in safe hands at the Union Oyster House, a venerable Boston institution that first opened its doors in 1826 and has been serving diners ever since, making it America’s oldest continuously operating restaurant. The olde-worlde charm has scarcely changed in two centuries, nor has the recipe for its clam chowder. Slide into a creaky wooden booth, perhaps even the one favoured by John F Kennedy — who was known to dine here on Sundays during his years as a senator — and settle in to see what all the fuss is about.

This Boston classic is served chunky and robust, with a rich broth studded with diced Idaho potatoes, generous clams that burst with briny sweetness and a final dash of Worcestershire and Tabasco to perk things up. Flavour-packed, it’s easy to see why the Union Oyster House ladles out a staggering 38,000 litres of clam chowder to hungry customers, each and every year.

Boston Chowda Co

Best for: takeout
For the best grab-and-go clam chowder, head to this long-running food stall and cafe cocooned within the historic Faneuil Hall Marketplace in downtown Boston. As one of America’s first urban marketplaces, it’s also the perfect spot to watch the parade of local street performers putting on a show.

The family-owned stall serves clam chowder made with local Atlantic surf clams, rich cream and hand-cut potatoes, with servings available in a takeaway cup. For the full experience, order it in a crusty bread bowl, where both the chowder and the bowl itself are meant to be savoured. Wickedly creamy and cooked in small batches, this chowder has earned glinting awards at Boston’s Chowderfest.

Neptune Oyster

Best for: the vibe
Within wafting distance of the briny seafront, Neptune Oyster in Boston’s North End scores top marks for both its setting and its steaming chowder. Inspired by a Parisian oyster bar, this chic slip of a restaurant, with its pressed-iron ceiling tiles and low-lit boule lights, seats just 37 diners.

Its chowder is lighter than the classic and more brothy than most, allowing the freshness of firm, sweet-flavoured Wellfleet clams shine, freshly harvested from the nutrient-rich waters of Wellfleet Harbor on nearby Cape Cod. Potatoes are tender without a hint of mushiness, while salt-cured pork belly adds umami. A sprinkle of thyme and paprika then dials up the heady aromas.

There are no reservations, so be prepared for queues snaking around the block, especially on weekends. But once you finally score a seat and a bowl of their clam chowder slides invitingly across the bar toward you, it all becomes worth the wait.