Do you even live in Boston if you haven’t visited the Union Oyster House? The historic restaurant is recognized as one of the “world’s most legendary” by the folks at Taste Atlas, the online guide surveying the earth’s most iconic and notorious restaurants and their greatest dishes. To add to the festivities, Union Oyster House recently received a prestigious World Culinary Award.
World Culinary Awards, an annual celebration of excellence in the restaurant industry released its list of the best restaurants globally. In the category of best North American Landmark Restaurant for 2024, Boston’s Union Oyster House outshined 11 other restaurants, including local favorite The White Horse Tavern.
The accolades don’t stop there, Taste Atlas selected the 150 “most legendary restaurants in the world and their iconic dishes.”
The “iconic dish” you need to try at Union Oyster House according to Taste Atlas is its New England Clam Chowder. Taste Atlas notes:
Established in 1826, Union Oyster House in Boston is deeply woven into America’s culinary fabric as the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the U.S. Known for its New England clam chowder, a creamy, hearty soup brimming with clams, potatoes, and onions, this dish encapsulates the quintessential flavors of the Northeastern seaboard.
The consistency in quality, paired with the rich historical ambiance, are key reasons why this establishment is cherished amongst food enthusiasts.
The historic restaurant was once the home of an exiled French King. And it is America’s oldest continuously operating restaurant—running since 1826 in a building that was built in 1716!
Although Taste Atlas is recognizing the Union Oyster House and its clam chowder as the most “iconic” dish, they have another guide on where to find “the world’s best clam chowder.” Coming in at the top spot is Back Bay’s Atlantic Fish Company. The ranking is based on the collective feedback of food critics worldwide.
Also in the top 10 for the world’s best clam chowder are Neptune Oyster (3), Ned Devine’s (7), James Hook & Co (8) and Boston’s Barking Crab(10). Union Oyster House came in at number 13 on the list of 16.