Al Dente
109 Salem St.
617-523-0990
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Italian
A staple among the North End's Italian restaurants, this is a place where locals return again and again. Maybe it's the food, or maybe it's the familiarity. Either way, you'll find good, standard Italian fare. And the daily lunch specials are worth a peek if you're in the area.

Ambrosia
116 Huntington Ave
617-247-2400
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Continental
Ambrosia still caters to those who want to dine rather than just eat out.

Amrheins
80 West Broadway
617-268-6189
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: American
You'll find home-cooking at its finest at this South Boston Irish spot. And you're likely to spot a few local politicians mingling with their constituents. There's nothing fancy about this dining establishment, but the food is good and the atmosphere is real.

Anchovies
433 Columbus Ave
617-266-5088
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Italian
This casual South End neighborhood pub serves great pizza and other Italian favorites.

Anthony's Pier 4
140 Northern Ave
617-423-6363
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Seafood
Anthony's Pier 4 is a Boston dining tradition. Families have gathered at this waterfront restaurant for decades to celebrate special occasions.

Atlantic 101
101 Atlantic Ave
617-723-5101
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Seafood, American
A newcomer to the Boston dining community, Atlantic 101 serves up seafood specialties and traditional favorites.

Aujourd'hui
200 Boylston St.
617-351-2071
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Continental
Fine dining could not get any better. Look out the window and you'll experience a fabulous view of the Public Garden while savoring an equally fabulous dining experience.

Back Bay Brewing Company
755 Boylston St.
617-424-8300
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: American, American Fusion
This place features both casual dining in a pub atmosphere on the first floor, and a quieter second floor dining room serving a more extensive New American menu.

Bangkok Blue
651 Boylston St.
617-266-1010
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Thai
Bangkok Blue features great Thai food and warm-weather patio dining.

Bay Tower Room
60 State St.
617-723-1666
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Continental
The Bay Tower Room is an elegant and romantic dining venue at the top of one of the city's tallest buildings.

Bell-In-Hand
45 Union St.
617-227-2098
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: American
A sports bar with history, the Bell-In-Hand claims to be the oldest tavern in the United States. It's been in business since 1795.

Black Rose
160 State St.
617-742-2286
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: American
The Black Rose is Boston's version of an Irish pub. Stop by at night or on weekend afternoons to sip a pint and enjoy live Irish entertainment.

Blue Diner
150 Kneeland St.
617-338-4639
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Diner
When Boston bartenders shout "last call," revelers head to this 24-hour diner for a late-night snack.

Bob the Chef
604 Columbus Ave.
617-536-6204
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Southern, Soul Food
A South End restaurant with a lot of soul--soul food, that is. Bob the Chef enjoys a strong local following.

Boston Sail Loft
80 Atlantic Ave.
617-27-7280
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Seafood, American
Popular with the after-work crowd, especially on warm summer evenings, this restaurant serves up great fish 'n' chips and plenty of appetizers.

Cafe Budapest
90 Exeter St.
617-266-1979
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Hungarian
Romance is the name of the game at this Hungarian restaurant where strolling violinists serenade diners.

Cantina Italiana
346 Hanover St.
617-723-4577
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Italian
Great Italian food, including homemade pasta, is served in a casual atmosphere.

Chart House
60 Long Wharf
617-227-1576
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Steakhouse/Surf and Turf, Seafood
Located in the oldest building on historic Long Wharf, the Chart House is the place to go if you have a hankering for fresh seafood, and your dining partner is in the mood for a thick steak. You'll both get what you want.

Davio's Ristorante and Cafe
269 Newbury St.
617-242-4810
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Italian
Enjoy creative Northern Italian specialties either in Davio's elegant dining room, or in the more casual cafe.

DuBarry Restaurant Francais
159 Newbury St.
617-262-2445
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: French
A Back Bay favorite for more than 60 years, DuBarry embodies the fine art of romantic dining.

Durgin Park, Faneuil Hall
30 North Market St.
617-227-2038
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: American, New England
Yes, the waitstaff is rude. That's all part of the schtick--or charm--of Durgin Park. This is where you'll discover the meaning of "traditional New England fare." That means supping on Yankee Pot Roast followed by warm Indian Pudding--a delicious concoction of cornmeal and molasses.

Elephant Walk
900 Beacon St.
617-247-1500
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: French, Cambodian
When the proprietors of Elephant Walk decided to open a restaurant, they were concerned that Boston diners might not flock to a Cambodian eatery, so they decided to prepare Cambodian cuisine with a French flair. The result is Elephant Walk, one of the city's most popular dining establi shments and a five-time winner of Boston Magazine's Best of Boston award.

Fajitas & 'Ritas
25 West St.
617-426-1222
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Tex-Mex
When you have a hankering for fajitas and margaritas, this is the place to satisfy that craving. Or maybe you're in the mood for nachos and margaritas, or tacos and margaritas, or quesadillas and margaritas. In any case, Fajitas & 'Ritas promises to please.

Geoffrey's Cafe and Bar
578 Tremont St.
617-266-1122
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Cafes/Tearooms/Dessert Shops
Casual cafe dining is the order of the day at this funky South End eatery. Enjoy creatively eclectic entrees, but save room for dessert. This display case at the entrance is filled with an assortment of to-die-for confections.

Grill 23 and Bar
161 Berkeley St.
617-542-2255
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Steakhouse, American
At this great American steakhouse, diners feast surrounded by a decor that features brass railings, leather furniture, and rich wood.

Hammersley's Bistro
553 Tremont St.
617-423-2700
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Continental
Hammersley's Bistro has long been a Boston favorite. In fact, it was one of the first local dining establishments to offer fine dining in a bistro setting. Seasonal outdoor dining is an added pleasure at this South End eatery.

Hampshire House
84 Beacon St.
617-227-9600
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Continental
An atmosphere of Old-World elegance surrounds diners at the Hampshire House. Overlooking the Public Garden, dining rooms feature warm wood paneling, marble fireplaces, and crystal chandeliers.

Hungry I
71 Charles St.
617-227-3524
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: French, Breakfast/Brunch
On a winter evening, settle into a cozy table near the fireplace at this tiny Beacon Hill restaurant. In summer, treat yourself to a Sunday morning brunch on the colorful garden patio.

Jacob Wirth Company
31 Stuart St.
617-338-8586
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: German
The chefs at Jacob Wirth Company--also known as Jake's--have been serving up hearty German fare since 1868. Jake's is one of the city's only authentic German restaurants.

Jimmy's Harborside
242 Northern Ave.
617-423-1000
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Seafood
A longtime Boston tradition and favorite with visitors, Jimmy's Harborside offers a great view of Boston Harbor. Jimmy's dates to the days of big dining rooms and bigger menus featuring lots and lots of seafood, including swordfish, scrod, and sole.

Kebab-N-Kurry
30 Massachusetts Ave.
617-536-9835
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Indian
What do you get when you take a kabob, marinate it for 24 hours, then cook it in a charcoal clay oven? Boston's best kabobs, that's what. And it's official because Kebab-N-Kurry is a three-time winner of Boston Magazine's Best of Boston award.

L'Espalier
30 Gloucester St.
617-262-3023
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: French
Located in a Back Bay townhouse dating to the mid-19th century, L'Espalier is one of Boston's favorite fine dining establishments.

Legal Seafoods
800 Boylston St.
617-266-6800
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Seafood
Legal Seafoods is a Boston original with an international reputation. Locals love it, and so do visitors. In fact, some folks head straight to a Legal Seafoods location the minute they get into town. And others visit Boston just to dine at Legal Seafoods.

Locke-Ober
3 Winter Place
617-542-1340
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: American
A holdover to the days of the three-martini lunch and old-boy network, Locke-Ober transports diners to another place in time. Established in 1875, Locke-Ober remains a favorite Boston tradition. Male guests are expected to wear a jacket and tie.

Mistral
223 Columbus Ave.
617-867-9300
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: French
One of Boston's newer fine dining establishments, Mistral has already earned a top-notch reputation in the culinary community. Located on Columbus Street where the Back Bay meets the South End, Mistral allows guests to enjoy their dining experience in a comfortable and elegant setting.

Mother Anna's
211 Hanover St.
617-523-8496
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Italian
One of the North End's most popular restaurants, Mother Anna's has been operating at the same location on Hanover Street for almost 70 years.

Ristorante Toscano
41-47 Charles St.
617-723-4090
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Italian
This cozy Italian bistro is located smack-dab in the middle of Beacon Hill.

Sonsie
327 Newbury St.
617-351-2500
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Cafes/Tearooms/Dessert Shops, French
Sonsie is a European-style cafe on Newbury Street. Cozy and warm in winter, the restaurant also has a front wall that swings open garage-door-style on warm summer days, so that guests can enjoy fabulous cafe fare al fresco.

Ye Olde Union Oyster House
41 Union St.
617-227-2750
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Seafood, American
A Boston tradition dating to 1826, the Union Oyster House claims to be the oldest restaurant in the United States. Just imagine some of the noted historic figures who may have supped in this colonial-era dining establishment.