There's much to recommend Sakurabana as the perfect downtown lunch stop: quick service, great specials, and terrific sushi. At both lunch and dinner, an extensive menu and large portions don't hurt the cause either. Enjoy steaming miso soup and a round of sashimi for dinner, or enjoy sushi and drinks at the bar. The menu is comprised of sushi, maki, and hot Japanese dishes. All of the sushi and maki is incredibly fresh, and the maki choices range from the standard to the sublime; a good judge of a sushi bar is how fresh their salmon is, and Sakurabana passes the test every time. If you opt for a lunch special, there are several combinations: two maki rolls, miso soup and salad, or miso soup and a variety of sushi, or a teriyaki lunch box with your choice of meat, shumai, miso soup and fruit. Smart casual dress. Reservations accepted for dinner.

Classic hotel resturant filled with out of town business men power broking over lunch. The new chef brought to the hotel is interjecting this space with new and exciting menu features.

Umbria Ristorante has brought the ambience of an Italian villa to the financial district, and owner Frank de Pasquale of Bricco also is importing many ingredients from an organic farm in Umbria, Italy. The service is a bit inconsistent -- sometimes it is great, sometimes very slow. Usually when it is slow, the dessert is free. The restaurant can get very crowded at lunch, and the tables are close together. The eggplant is good but very filling for an appetizer. The salad is frequently underdressed, so it can feel like a large plate of greens. The soups are typically quite good.

Cafe Fleuri, one of the Langham's restaurants, offers a children's menu during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The cafe also offers a pregnancy menu for expecting moms, with items such as a Preggy Pizza, a safe Caesar Salad, and a healthy yogurt sorbet banana split. The hotel also features a Saturday Chocolate Bar and Sunday Jazz Brunch.

The atmosphere is not amazing, more that of quick lunch spot, but it is the food that makes this place great. The grilled meats are the best - always juicy and smoky on outside. Unfortunately the falafel is on the dry side. I HIGHLY recommended a western Turkish special they have called etli sac kebabi. It's a flavorful lamb dish that is just outstanding.

Bertucci's may not recreate a North End-like atmosphere, but its convenient location and creative, top-notch brick-oven pizzas are nothing to scoff at. To attempt authenticity, try a large neapolitan thin-crust pizza ($18, good for 2 or 3 people; fight over the olive) or sample one of the many savory, generous pasta or meat entrees. The daily express lunch (11am-3pm) is a good way to get just as much quality (as well as free salad) for much less of your time and money (all entrees $8). Finally, a word about the hot rolls that come with meals: everyone loves them. The wait can be long—especially on weekend nights—-call ahead to put your name on the list. Additional locations in Cambridge and along the east coast. Entrees $8-18.

Fast counter-style service and friendly workers get your order to you well-prepared and in a hurry. Their summer burrito with tofu is a favorite among the herbivores I know and a few of their smoothies have vegan options if you subtract the honey. This used to be called The Wrap, with kinda small burritos but very yummy.

Would you like sesame ribs ($5) or a lobster tamale ($9) with your Big Kahuna Polynesian Pupu Platter ($18)? Despite being a little culturally confused, this sleek, chic, brand new tapas bar boasts a unique selection of lunch and dinner plates. Wear something tight and make it a night; no hats, ripped jeans, or sneakers. Feel the pumping bass from the speakers on all 3 of Sanctuary's enormous levels, whether you're hanging out in the downstairs VIP lounge or sipping the already famous sangria (5 varieties, $7/glass) at one of the bars upstairs. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.