Food Faneuil Hall, Downtown Boston & the Waterfront
Union Oyster House
A place to eat in Faneuil Hall, Downtown Boston & the Waterfront, pricey ($$$) and worth about 1.5 hours. Best time to go: Dinner.
Why go
Open since 1826, the country's oldest continuously operating restaurant, with a raw bar and chowder by Faneuil Hall.
It is one of 8 curated places we feature in Downtown Boston & the Waterfront, alongside 2 sights, 1 activity and 1 place for a drink. 6 more of our picks sit within about half a mile in a straight line, so it pairs easily with Union Oyster House and Bell in Hand Tavern.
- Type
- Food
- Neighborhood
- Faneuil Hall
- Price
- $$$
- Time needed
- 1.5 hr
- Best time
- Dinner
Nearby
Our closest curated picks, including 3 beyond Downtown Boston & the Waterfront. Distances are straight-line, not walking or driving.
- 1Union Oyster House
America's oldest operating restaurant (1826), serving oysters at a raw bar.
Food · Boston · 0.0 mi straight-line - 2Bell in Hand Tavern
Tavern dating to 1795, one of the oldest in the country, with live music near Faneuil Hall.
Drinks · 0.0 mi straight-line - 3First Night Boston
Free citywide New Year's Eve festival for 50 years, centered on City Hall Plaza with ice sculptures, music and food.
Activity · 0.1 mi straight-line - 4Freedom Trail
2.5-mile red-brick line past 16 Revolutionary-era sites.
Activity · Boston · 0.1 mi straight-line - 5Neptune Oyster
Small North End oyster bar famous for its hot buttered lobster roll.
Food · Boston · 0.1 mi straight-line - 6Omni Parker House
Hotel on School Street since 1855, birthplace of Boston cream pie, a block from Boston Common.
Stay · 0.3 mi straight-line
On these curated routes
Union Oyster House is a stop on our Boston New Year's Eve route. Open it to see the full day-by-day plan.
More places to eat in Downtown Boston & the Waterfront
Another curated place to eat in Downtown Boston & the Waterfront. See the full Downtown Boston & the Waterfront guide.
When to go: weather by month, based on Boston
Our climate figures for Downtown Boston & the Waterfront come from nearby Boston. Average daily highs in Boston run from 34°F in January to 82°F in July; October is usually the wettest month. For Union Oyster House itself, we suggest: Dinner.
Modelled monthly averages for Boston from NASA POWER, not a forecast. Boston weather by month (covers Downtown Boston & the Waterfront).
Getting there
Map links open a live search for Union Oyster House, so hours and directions come straight from the map app.
- Coordinates
- 42.36139, -71.05694
- Destination
- Downtown Boston & the Waterfront, Massachusetts
- Website
- unionoysterhouse.com
Union Oyster House: quick answers
How much time do you need at Union Oyster House?
Plan on about 1.5 hours at Union Oyster House. That is our curated estimate for a typical visit; groups that linger will want more.
When is the best time to visit Union Oyster House?
Our pick: Dinner. Insider tip: Sit at the semicircular oyster bar downstairs.
Which TripsCircle routes include Union Oyster House?
Union Oyster House appears on Boston New Year's Eve, a curated route you can open on TripsCircle and plan with your group.
Add Union Oyster House to your crew's plan
Save it to a shared TripsCircle itinerary, settle the timing with a quick poll, and split the costs with everyone going to Downtown Boston & the Waterfront.
Plan Downtown Boston & the Waterfront
- Downtown Boston & the Waterfront travel guide 8 places
- Boston weather (covers Downtown Boston & the Waterfront) weather by month
Lists & regions
Also in Downtown Boston & the Waterfront
- Boston Common Sight
- Christopher Columbus Park Outdoors
Curated recommendation, not live listing data. Confirm hours, prices, bookings and access before you go.