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The fifties were never so cool as they seem at this retrostyled lounge, pool hall, and bowling alley buried downstairs next to the Hynes Convention Center.

The first Anglican Church in Puritan Boston was established in 1686 to serve the British Army officers. When the majority of Anglicans fled Boston along with retreating British forces in the evacuation of 1776, the chapel became the first Unitarian Church in the New World. The church is known for its ambitious program of classical concerts.

Home of the “L Street Brownies,” famous for their Jan 1 plunge at this South Shore landmark.

Sinful bonbons and Boston’s best hot chocolate.

The network of short streets connecting Washington and Tremont streets has, in recent years, assumed a new identity as the Ladder District. Once derelict and abandoned after dark, the area now throbs with clubs, bars, and restaurants. Anchoring the new district, the Millennium Tower houses the ultra-chic Ritz-Carlton Boston Common (see Ritz-Carlton Boston Common) and the top-of-the-line Loews Cineplex (175 Tremont St). A few stalwarts, such as the landmark used-book seller, Brattle Book Shop, are holding out against the moneyed big boys.

Authentic Persian cuisine is served in this casual spot. Citrus-based glazes and relishes give meats amazing piquant flavor.

A showcase of French chocolate pastry and confectionery.

The extremely posh Langham occupies a jewel of an Art Nouveau building, the former Federal Reserve bank in the heart of the Financial District. Spacious rooms feature modernized Second Empire decor with rich brocades.

Legal is a Boston chain where diners can always count on getting immaculately fresh local fish in a fine-dining setting. The clam chowder is legendary; raw clams and oysters are impeccable. Legal’s only shortcoming is that it doesn’t take reservations.

The ironic location across from the aquarium doesn’t detract from the first-class dishes of impeccably fresh fish.