The Beacon Hill Bistro is a French and American restaurant in the Beacon Hill Hotel. For breakfast and lunch, the cuisine is Nouveau American while the dinner menu is unmistakably French with a focus on les fruit de mers. The wait staff is friendly and courteous and very helpful with the menu. Although the ambiance is good, guests sometimes find the decor heavy and the seating cramped, especially when the restaurant is busy and when large groups are involved. However, when empty on a weekday morning, the restaurant’s robust trimmings make the dining experience cozier. Given its setting and choice of cuisine, individual reactions have varied. Read detailed reviews. But most agree that this is one of those lovely restaurants that make Boston a favorite city for dining. Some highlights on the menu are the Artichoke Soup, Roasted Lamb Loin, and Coconut Mousse with Passion Fruit Sorbet and Lemongrass Basil Syrup. Though recommendations are to stick with the relatively standard seafood and meat entrees and stay away from inventive combinations such as the Stuffed Rabbit Loin with Pumpkin Risotto to avoid disappointment. The wine list is organized by price, easy to navigate, and there are a lot of good wines so you can't go wrong. To add, the restaurant has a full bar with an apt selection of aperitifs, spirits and liqueurs, so if you want to begin with a Campari and end with a nice single malt you won't be displeased. The restaurant is on the expensive side but serves as an ideal option for corporate dining and/or special events. However, despite some of its non-standard concoctions, the prices are never exorbitant as each entree is priced in the mid-twenties. In terms of location, the restaurant is a stone's throw from the Beacon Street side of Boston Common - close to the Common’s parking lot and the Park Street T-stop, but probably equidistant to the Charles Street T-stop, which is also on the Red Line. Wine and Dine Monday Dinners February 23rd - Paris Bistro Wines March 9th - Russian River March 23rd - Bordeaux Blends from around the World April 13 - Australia April 27 - Umbria May 11th - Blind Tasting Four Courses/Four Wines

Cost: $ 55.00

Reservations: Please call us at 617-723-7575

The dining room, designed by Cheryl and Jeffrey Katz of C&J Katz, radiates a quiet and timeless elegance in the form of a muted taupe palette and dark polished wood floors. Let the chef pamper you while you linger over creative updates of European delicacies and a view of the Boston Common. No. 9 Park is the ideal spot for those with plenty of time and money to spend on a memorable evening. The tasting menu of 7 or 9 courses ($85/110 or $135/185 with wine) offers an array of the chef's daily specialties with innovative additions. But the extremely attentive staff is more than willing to help you design your own dining experience, complete with savory options like appetizers of Maind diver scallops and entrees of butter poached lobster ($17), duet of veal, or crispy duck ($35). Sweet choices, such as the rhubarb rose vacherin with Tahitian vanilla meringue, are simply divine, and complimentary macaroons accompany the check. A café menu (entrees $15-25) in a similar style is less formal than the main dining room, and the bar serves up a variety of liqueurs, wines by the glass ($9-14) and a dazzling pear martini ($11). Entrees $20-50. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

A low grade neighborhood wine and package store. Nothing fancy, but they sometimes have good deals in their bargain wine bin.

Local slightly sketchy package store. With beer and liquor in the front, and wine in the back, Jobi will meet your needs, but fails to offer you a large selection.