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Restaurants The selected restaurants have been divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments. Restaurant meals are subject to state sales tax of 5%, which will be added to the bill at the end. If a service charge (usually 15-20%) is not added to the bill, a tip of 15% should be left. Most restaurants add an additional 15-20% for parties of six or more. The prices quoted below are for an average three-course meal and for a bottle of house wine or cheapest equivalent; they do not include tax, service charge or tip. Gastronomic Ambrosia on Huntington Ambrosia offers food as art, crafted by award-winning (Chef of the Year) Anthony Ambrose and served in a handsome, two-level dining room. Classic French technique marries with subtle Asian influences in dishes like the wood-grilled center-cut pig chop served with sweet Indonesian seasonings and sautéed rice galette. Even the bar food is great. Hugely popular so reservations are imperative, especially for the private dining room. 116 Huntington Avenue, Back Bay Tel: (617) 247 2400. E-mail: sales@ambrosiaonhuntington.com Website: www.ambrosiaonhuntington.com Price: US$46. Wine: US$28. Aujourd’hui Aujourd’hui is impressive in every way, from the formal elegance of the oak-panelled room (vast windows showcase the Public Garden) to the flawless service and stellar wine list. Dishes like the starter of langoustine ravioli or the main of pepper-crusted tuna with tiny pea beans, red onion confit and eggplant relish epitomise the New American cuisine. The place is perfect for power dining and romantic evenings and has received many honours, including the elusive AAA Five Diamond Award. Tasting menus, as well as super-nutritious ‘alternative cuisine’, are also available. Four Seasons Hotel, 200 Boylston Street, Back Bay Tel: (617) 451 1392. Fax: (617) 423 0154. Website: www.fourseasons.com/boston Price: US$60. Wine: US$36. Icarus It looks traditional (deep greens, Mission oak) but the food at Icarus is utterly modern and imaginative. A heavy emphasis on local produce combined with real flair yields dishes like the grilled Niman Ranch pork chop with quince, mustard and lentils, the heavenly roasted crab cakes and the daily ‘pasta whim’. Desserts are especially superb, such as the chocolate molten soufflé cake with vanilla bean ice cream and raspberry sauce, cooked to order and served for two people. There is a four-course, lowered fat ‘square meal’. No lunch. Brunch Sunday. Live jazz in the bar Friday. 3 Appleton Street, South End Tel: (617) 426 1790. Fax: (617) 426 2150. E-mail: geatfood@icarusrestaurant.com Website: www.icarusrestaurant.com Price: US$50. Wine: US$30. L’Espalier In an atmosphere of opulent refinement, diners are cosseted in three intimate dining areas within a grand 1880s townhouse. The food, considered by many to be the best in town, is French with a New England accent: skillet-roasted guinea hen with mousseline-stuffed morels; oysters with Champagne cucumber sorbet; roast apple-fed suckling pig. There are also frequent wine tastings. No lunch. Closed Sunday. 30 Gloucester Street, Back Bay Tel: (617) 262 3023. Fax: (617) 375 9297. E-mail: info@lespalier.com Website: www.lespalier.com Price: US$68 (fixed-price menu); US$85 (seven-course tasting menu). Wine: US$35. Restaurant Clio Located in the elegantly restored Eliot Hotel, the small and chic Restaurant Clio has been pulling top awards since it opened. Top chef Ken Oringer’s sophisticated French-American cuisine includes such extraordinary dishes as roasted Muscovy duck with kumquats, black radish confit and fresh chestnuts; lacquered foie gras with sweet and sour lemon and bee pollen; or watermelon salad with sheep’s milk feta cheese, calaminth and sugar plums. And they work. A tasting menu is available nightly at US$95-125. 370A Commonwealth Avenue, Back Bay Tel: (617) 536 7200. Fax: (617) 578 0394. E-mail: kschloss@cliorestaurant.com Website: www.bostbest.com/Clio Price: US$65. Wine: US$40. Rialto Although background noise could be softer, the excellent service and the atmosphere that oozes comfort makes up for it. It will be evident why Rialto has received glowing accolades once the seasonal menu offering a mixture of Italian and Spanish cuisine has been tried. For appetiser, the grilled littleneck clams with Andouille Sausage are recommended, to be followed by the slow roasted Long Island duck with braised escarole and Sicilian olives. No lunch. Charles Hotel, 1 Bennett Street, Cambridge Tel: (617) 661 5050. Fax: (617) 234 0893. Website: www.rialto-restaurant.com Price: US$60. Wine: US$30. Business 75 Chestnut The carefully planned menu balances traditional dishes with just enough pizzazz as in the grilled rack of lamb crusted with hazelnuts and Dijon mustard, or the New England lobster dinner. The setting is quietly posh, with the bar carefully separated from the comfortable dining room. The look is vaguely Federal, in keeping with the historic district, but concepts like a lobster martini (with chive and melon confetti), keep things light-hearted. No lunch. Brunch Sundays. 75 Chestnut Street, Beacon Hill Tel: (617) 227 2175. Website: www.75chestnut.com Price: US$52. Wine: US$27. The Bay Tower Room This is the place for that ‘big splurge’, ‘special moment’ or ‘mega-deal’. Since The Bay Tower Room is perched 33 storeys above the city and designed so that every table affords views of the skyline and harbour, they could have skimped on the food but they haven’t. Dishes to splash out on might include seared foie gras or a ‘Martini’ of shrimp and Maine crabmeat for starters or halibut wrapped in grape leaves and poached in lemon and tomatoes for a main. Alternatively, stop by for coffee and the super (moderately priced) desserts ... the view is free. 60 State Street, Financial District Tel: (617) 723 1666. Fax: (617) 723 7887. E-mail: contact@baytower.com Website: www.baytower.com Price: US$60. Wine: US$27. Julien Julien offers gilt-edged dining in what was once the Federal Reserve Bank vault. Despite the magnificent setting, urbane service and classic French food, it is not overly formal (fairly romantic actually). Terrific choices include the seven-hour braised veal shank, macaroni and leek gratin, served with roasted carrots and truffle salad or the dover sole and fricassée of ceps, served with celeriac purée and vanilla bean sauce, as well as any of the extraordinary desserts. There is a piano bar on the upper level. Meridien Hotel, 250 Franklin Street, Financial District Tel: (617) 451 1900. Website: www.lemeridienboston.com Price: US$70. Wine: US$34. Locke-Ober Café A Boston tradition for 125 years, Locke’s is a serene retreat from trendiness. The club-like, wood-panelled setting is perfect for a menu featuring well-executed classic dishes: steak tartare, buttery chateaubriand, crêpes suzettes, sublime chocolate mousse. Their signature dish – lobster savannah – is a reminder of more sumptuous times. Waiters are unflappable and charming and the downstairs bar is even clubbier. Closed Sunday. 3-4 Winter Place, Downtown Crossing, Financial District Tel: (617) 542 1340. E-mail: locke-ober@locke-ober.com Website: www.locke-ober.com Price: US$58. Wine: US$35. No. 9 Park Under the aegis of one of Boston’s coterie of female master chefs, No. 9 is effortlessly polished. There is a café-bar area with separate menu and two comfortable dining rooms. House-made pasta is excellent, as is the roast duck, and all dishes are characterised by clear, strong flavours. Closed Sunday. 9 Park Street, Beacon Hill Tel: (617) 742 9991. Price: US$48. Wine: US$20. Trendy blu The white tablecloths, white walls and huge steel and glass atrium-like window seem to appeal to the young professional set who flock to the lively and stylish blu. Chef Dante deMangistris prepares tasty treats like seared black pearl salmon with sweet and sour sesame sauce. The attached café offers lighter fare. 172 Tremont Street Tel: (617) 375 8556. Fax: (617) 375 8551. Price: US$52. Wine US$22. The Dish The Dish is relaxed, friendly and ‘happening’, with a laid-back look – all exposed brick and wooden floors. Great fun and hugely eclectic, the easy elegance of the new American-style cuisine is fused with Tuscan, Asian and Mediterranean elements. Yet the dishes (such as Cajun meatloaf with ricotta-mashed potatoes for only US$14.95) always represent comfort food to the nth degree. It also serves brilliant designer pizzas. No lunch. 253 Shawmut Avenue, South End Tel: (617) 426 7866. Fax: (617) 426 7867. Website: www.southenddish.com Price: US$35. Wine: US$18. Hamersley’s Bistro This renovated piano factory provides a handsome, unfussy setting for Americanised French country food. The hallmark here is comfort and care – for the food and the customer. The signature roast chicken laced with garlic, lemon and parsley is as elegant as the most elaborate creation on the menu. Vegetarian dishes are available, as well as a lighter bistro menu for patio dining. 553 Tremont Street, South End Tel: (617) 423 2700. Website: www.hamersleysbistro.com Price: US$55; US$35 (set menu). Wine: US$27. Mistral A little bit Provençal, a little bit New York City, this continues to be one of the hottest spots in town. The bar offers lighter bistro fare, while the main event takes place in the chic beige dining room. But with gourmet pizzas available alongside dishes like grilled tenderloin of beef with horseradish whipped potatoes, garlic toast and asparagus, Mistral’s food is always modern, innovative and fun. No lunch. 221 Columbus Avenue, South End Tel: (617) 867 9300. Fax: (617) 351 2601. Website: www.mistralbistro.com Price: US$55. Wine: US$25. Radius Here, très chic and cosmopolitan multi-level dining (with a very trendy bar) curves out from lush central banquettes. The place is packed with foodies who revel in Michael Schlow’s inventive cuisine, which is as modern as the setting. Dishes might include lobster and chanterelle-stuffed squid or sweet potato cake with dates and curry ice cream. There is a vast communal table for the lucky few that get in without a reservation. Closed Sunday. 8 High Street, Financial District Tel: (617) 426 1234. Price: US$65; US$125 (nine-course tasting menu). Wine: US$35. Tremont 647 Talented young chef Andy Husbands fuses Asian, Latin and Italian into an adventurous American cuisine in this delightful small bistro. It is casual – a long room with bar at one end and open kitchen. Grilling is handled particularly well (with rubbed spices providing crusts). Intensely flavoursome dishes abound: Chilean sea bass with hoisin and sesame glaze steamed in a banana leaf with coconut jasmine rice; jalapeño pepper, goat’s cheese and garlic pizza; or chocolate-pistachio cake with fudge frosting and sambuca sauce. Even the ‘tater tots’ (normally plebeian potato balls) are special – fontina-stuffed and truffle-scented. No lunch. Brunch Sundays (pyjamas encouraged). 647 Tremont Street, South End Tel: (617) 266 4600. Fax: (617) 266 4443. Website: www.tremont647.com Price: US$39. Wine: US$24. Budget The Barking Crab For a waterfront picnic, it is hard to beat this establishment’s steamed clams by the bucket or the lobster awash in melted butter. Both the food and the setting are unpretentious, although there are yuppie touches (‘crab burgers’, the music). While there is plenty more on the menu, seafood stars and is fresh, plentiful and perfectly prepared. There is also a terrific range of local micro-brews and a hearty Sunday brunch. No reservations. 88 Sleeper Street, Harborside/Financial District Tel: (617) 426 CRAB/2722. Price: US$22. Beer: From US$4. Betty’s Wok & Noodle Diner Tasty Asian-Latino fusion food is served fast in a vaguely 50s-diner-gone-posh setting near Boston University. The signature shredded cucumber and seaweed with wasabe vinaigrette should not be missed, nor should the ‘Juan-tons’ (beef won-ton with Cuban chilli-citrus dip) or the spicy shrimp balls with ginger, red chilli-jamarama and Chinese mustard. The choices of noodles, sauces, meats, vegetables offer endless possibilities. There are also bargain daily specials and hefty sandwiches. 250 Huntington Avenue, Kenmore Square, Fenway Tel: (617) 424 1950. Fax: (617) 638 3242. Website: www.bettyswokandnoodle.com Price: US$25. Wine: US$24.95. Cosí Sandwich Bar This venue serves haute fast food – with delicious freshly baked flat bread as the base for its posh sandwiches. The price depends on the number of fillings selected, of which some of the best are smoked turkey with brie and honey mustard sauce or Buffalo chicken with caramelised onions and blue cheese-celery spread. Even basic tuna salad gets edgy with cheddar cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. There are also great coffees and inventive cocktails. Open Monday to Friday 0700-1700, this place is even efficient at lunchtime. 133 Federal Street, Financial District Tel: (617) 292 2674. Website: www.xandocosi.com Price: From US$5.75 (per sandwich). Wine: US$18. Le Gamin This tiny café in trendy South End is crêpe heaven. The real thing, these ethereal little pancakes wrap a profusion of delectable fillings, sweet and savoury. Hearty salads make a satisfying lunch, while there is a small selection of heftier bistro-style dishes (chicken with a red wine and shallot sauce, steak au poivre). Le Gamin is also the place for authentic onion soup. Open all day with all kinds of breakfast treats. 550 Tremont Avenue, South End Tel: (617) 654 8969. Fax: (212) 627 9087. E-mail: boston@legamin.com Website: www.legamin.com/Boston.htm Price: US$30; US$3.50-10.50 (crêpes). Wine: US$24. Linwood Grill & BBQ Linny’s is growing famous for its Southern comfort food and its hearty Sunday brunch. Forget the ‘decor’ (trailer park kitsch), the food is light-hearted and delicious, pulling together Caribbean, Texan and Cajun influences, for example, Jamaican goat curry, Texas ‘jailhouse’ chilli, or catfish steamed in cornhusks. Appetisers are huge and there are plenty of BBQ choices. 69 Kilmarnock Street, Fenway Tel: (617) 247 8099. Price: US$26; US$7 (brunch). Wine: US$16. Personal Recommendations Ben’s Café at Maison Robert This cosy café housed in the basement of the Old City Hall is a pleasant reprieve from the crowds on the street. Delicious French cuisine is served beneath vaulted ceilings and amid redbrick walls showing paintings. Large windows display a lovely flower garden during the warmer months. The canard en salade, grilled marinated duck breast with oranges and spinach, makes a tasty lunch. The elegant Maison Robert dining room upstairs is open only for formal dinners, with dishes like roasted lobster with corn risotto, braised celery and almonds. 45 School Street Tel: (617) 227 3370. Fax: (617) 227 5977. Website: www.maisonrobert.com Price: US$35 (dinner downstairs); US$23 (lunch downstairs). Wine: US$18. The Elephant Walk This friendly family place serves Cambodian, French and vegetarian food. Prices are extremely reasonable for the sophistication of dishes like the wild Alaskan black cod filet, grilled and lightly caramelised, served with a fresh ginger and coconut milk sauce and a red bell pepper pickle salsa or the sliced sea scallops layered with shredded green mango and topped with a creamy, spicy sauce then flame-broiled and served with French baguette slices. The front room is quieter. There is a good wine list and this place is justifiably popular. Reservations recommended for dinner (but not accepted Friday and Saturday). 900 Beacon Street, Kenmore Square, Fenway Tel: (617) 247 1500. E-mail: info@elephantwalk.com Website: www.elephantwalk.com Price: US$35. Wine: US$20. The Helmand Even though The Helmand is located off the beaten path, it is always crowded. Named after the region just west of Kandahar, this popular eatery is owned by Fozia Karzai, sister of Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan’s Prime Minister. Simple decor and beige walls complement the extremely tasty fare. Kaddo, pan-fried and baked pumpkin topped with a yoghurt garlic mint sauce, is a popular favourite among diners. The Afghani version of ravioli, Aushak, is a great main course. Reservations recommended. 143 First Street, Cambridge Tel: (617) 492 4646. Price: US$22. Wine: US$15. Lala Rokh Creative, slightly exotic Persian cuisine finds a comfortable home in residential Beacon Hill. The ambience is simple yet romantic and wonderful service compliments dishes that are subtle and delightfully ‘new’ – duckling sauced with pomegranate and ground walnuts, for instance. In particular, the chutneys and soups are stunning. No lunch weekends. 97 Mount Vernon Street, Beacon Hill Tel: (617) 720 5511. E-mail: info@lalarokh.com Website: www.lalarokh.com Price: US$35. Wine: US$26. Sage Tiny Sage flourishes among the tourist traps in the North End, with food that reflects the owner-chef’s Italian and American training. While the menu is eclectic and innovative, sophisticated handling makes even rustic dishes seem modern: such as the ricotta and sausage panzotti with roasted tomatoes and basil or the sliced roasted sirloin and braised oxtail, served with swiss chard roesti cake, pine nut salad and celery root purée. The pasta and the risotto dishes are stellar. No lunch. 69 Prince Street, North End Tel: (617) 248 8814. Website: www.northendboston.com/sage Price: US$45. Wine: US$18. Sel de la Terre This cousin of L’Espalier restaurant (see Gastronomic above) offers similar panache in a relaxed, family-friendly waterside setting. There is a wide choice for quality French country (mostly Provençale) favourites. The decor is unpretentious (stone floor, bleached beams); the desserts elegant; the brunch menu great – and more than that, this place is a bargain. All dishes at each course are priced the same, for example for main course, the sweet potato and Russet potato gnocchi with wild mushrooms, swiss chard and turnips or the grilled peppered venison with roasted acorn squash, celeriac and apple and red verjus sauce. 255 State Street, Financial District Tel: (617) 720 1300. Fax: (617) 227 1579. E-mail: seldelaterre@aol.com Website: www.seldelaterre.com Price: US$42. Wine: US$25. Taranta Taranta features southern Italian food and centuries-old family recipes. The setting is comfortably rustic, the service charming and the quality of food high. Pasta, focaccia sandwiches (a dandy chicken parmigiana is only US$5.95) and pizzas are available for lunch. Dinner options include pan-seared veal with a sauce of lemon-anchovy with oven-roasted potatoes, watercress salad and crispy capers, or the saffron-butter-brushed grilled trout served with sautéed seasonal greens with olives and red onions or the rack of lamb crusted with black olive and goat’s cheese. 210 Hanover Street, North End Tel: (617) 720 0052. Website: www.tarantarist.com Price: US$38. Wine: US$27. |
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