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Chef-owner Lydia Shire champions rich and luscious foods. Boston Brahmins frequent Locke-Ober for the re-imagined American fare and original 1890s decor (see Locke-Ober).

Everything old is new again since über-chef Lydia Shire took over Boston’s oldest gourmet restaurant (c.1875) and breathed new life into the classic haute cuisine dishes. Her crisped duck with elderberries and ginger achieves the perfect crackling over succulent meat. The city’s most established families dine here.

Ranked among America’s best restaurants, L’Espalier impresses as much for its brownstone-mansion location as its exquisite French cuisine (see L’Espalier).

Set in a gracious townhouse, lit by candles, and staffed by impeccable waiters and brilliant cooks, romantic L’Espalier serves Boston’s finest contemporary French cuisine. Chef-owner Frank McClelland’s vegetarian entrées are every bit as sophisticated as those with meat.

Chef Thomas John wins national accolades for his Indian flavors and French technique. Fine food makes up for gimmicky decor.

Chainmail curtains dividing the cavernous room and a hookah lounge enclosed in a bamboo “tent” give Mantra definite drama. Chef Thomas John mixes his native Indian spices with French technique, like encasing lamb in a crust of poppy seed and cardamom.

Refined New American dishes with southwestern accents are complemented by killer margaritas, colorful decor, and good wines.

Morse is principally a South End fish monger. But they also cook fish to order for great sandwiches or fried fish dinners at a relative pittance. There are a few tables in this cheery shop, or they’ll pack dinner for a picnic in nearby Blackstone Park. No lobster.

Although tiny Naha has fine tempura and noodle dishes, fans of Japanese food come here for the sushi: it’s fresh, delicious, and affordable.