There is far more to eating in Boston than its image as "Beantown" might suggest. Above all, there's the seafood , especially lobsters, scrod (a generic term for young, white-fleshed fish), clams (served steamed and dipped in butter, or as creamy chowder) and oysters (some of the world's best come fresh daily from Wellfleet and other Cape Cod spots). You could base a day's tour of the different neighborhoods around the foods on offer: breakfast in the cafés of Beacon Hill ; lunch in the food plazas of Quincy Market or The Garage on JFK Street in Cambridge, or dim sum in Chinatown ; for dinner, a budget Indian restaurant in Cambridge, an Italian place around Hanover Street in the North End, or expensive seafood overlooking the Harbor.

The central aisle of Quincy Market , lined with restaurants and brasseries, is superb for all kinds of takeaways, including fresh clams and lobster, ethnic dishes, fruit cocktails and cookies (all over the city, you'll find marvelous chocolate and ice cream), which you can buy from different vendors and eat in the central seating area.

Chinatown, where restaurants stay open until 2 or 3am, is the best place for late-night eating .

Boston

The Blue Diner 150 Kneeland St tel 617/695-0087. Classic restored Fifties diner with lively jukebox, slowly inching its way upmarket but with excellent traditional and unpretentious American food. Open till 4am on weekends. Buzzy's ...

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Cambridge

Bombay Club 57 JFK St, second floor, Harvard Square tel 617/661-8100. One of the very best of Cambridge's many Indian restaurants, with a good-value lunch buffet. Cambridge Sail Loft 1 Memorial Drive, Kendall Square tel...

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