This Back Bay institution moved from a 19th-century townhouse to a tony spot adjacent to the Mandarin Oriental in fall 2008, but managed to hold onto the bulk of its intimate charm. Dining here brings you back to another era (when men still wore coats and ties to dinner) and chef/proprietor Frank McClelland’s overthe- top prix fixe menu only embellishes the experience: The dishes are a mix of French-influenced, traditional New England recipes like roasted Vermont rabbit with potato gnocchi and peas, and butter-poached Maine lobster with braised pork belly and sweet corn. His tasting menus can be amped up with caviar courses and an overflowing fromage cart, and the monster wine list puts plenty of stellar bottles alongside a few choice ones under $50. The cheese and wine nights are a riot—ask someone to sing the cheese song before the night ends.

L'Espalier Information:

• French, contemporary American menu. Dinner, Saturday tea.