On par with upscale chains like Legal Seafood and P. F. Chang's, red and brassy Maggiano's comes without the intimacy and personality of North End restaurants, but it routinely draws throngs seeking its enormous portions of delicious southern Italian food. Groups of 4 can choose a 5-course feast from the “family style menu” for a bargain at $20 each, but a mere half-portion of a single entree like linguine with chicken and pesto (half $12/full $15) will undoubtedly leave leftovers. Other great options include Tuscan-style mussels ($7/$11), homemade gnocchi in tomato vodka sauce ($12/$15), and baked shrimp organata ($23). Weekly specials on Th. Reservations highly recommended. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

Founded by husband and wife team Marc Orfaly and Kerri Foley, and nestled between Boston’s Theatre District and Bay Village, Pigalle is a mom-and-pop restaurant of the highest quality. Orfaly’s French-influenced menu combines traditional Parisian bistro fare with pan-Asian flavors that include the Middle East. Pigalle’s intimate dining room is perfect for theatergoers looking for something special or a couple longing for that romantic night out. Kind of a weird location, small little side street with nothing else really " cute" near it, however the restaurant itself was really charming! Come here in spring/summer for $1 oysters! They will validate your parking if you park next door at Radisson Hotel.

Au Bon Pain means the place of good bread in French. Au Bon Pain is a stylish bakery café located at America's urban junctions and suburban crossroads.

Known mostly for their innovative pizzas all over the world, this Theatre District location has outdoor seating and a seasonal menu of interesting specials. Most children are far less adventurous than their adult counterparts. Luckily, CPK has a children's menu. For $4.99, kids 10 and under have a choice of pizza, pasta, or curly mac 'n cheese. Meals come with a drink; dessert can be added for an extra 50 cents.

Radius's team of hipster restaurateurs score yet again with this tastefully mod and highly authentic Italian experiement, which offers diners a choice of top-drawer food and drinks in one of four settings. Try the white-walled main dining room, the outdoor terrace, the late-night bistro and pizzeria, or the bar—a perfect place to meet dates for after-hours drinks. The restaurant offers a host of generously-portioned Italian regional specialties, like the phenomenal Fresh Pappardelle with Long Island duck, dried cherries, and rosemary ($19), but those in a drinking-and-snacking kind of mood should hit the bar for specialty drinks, scene-making, and lightly crunchy risotto balls ($10). The mostly upscale 30-something crowd packs this place nightly, so call for reservations. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard. The basil gimlet--fresh basil with lime and vodka--is not to be missed.

Occupying the old quarters of the Piattini wine bar on Columbus, Da Vinci Ristorante moved into this space that straddles the Back Bay and the South End. Da Vinci comes to us from the same owners and chefs of La Campania in Waltham, and hopes to bring the same Italian flair to this eternally struggling restaurant space. With Valet parking, a full bar, and average prices for city dining, Da Vinci is hoping to make a splash in the city as well as the suburbs.

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The Parish Cafe is like the Norton Anthology of Boston's culinary cosmos. The list of culinary contributors reads like a Who's Who of Boston chefs: Todd English (Olives), Jody Adams (Rialto), Lydia Shire (Excelsior—formerly Biba) and other big stars descend from their constellations to endow the menu with incredible specialty sandwiches ($9-20) which do marvelous things with chicken, portabello, lobster, brioche, focaccia. The best bartenders in the scene also contribute towards a highly creative martini menu ($5.75-7.50). The Parish Cafe was voted the best purveyor of sandwiches 4 years in a row, and the Unofficial Guide heartily concurs. They also offer a beer card program in which you must taste all of their offered beers to earn a prized mug engraved with anything you like. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

Rattlesnake is one of the only roof-top bars in Backbay. Serving up drinks and food on three different levels (including a second level pool area), Rattlesnake has a little bit of "scene" for everyone. The first level is crowded- with after-work drinkers. In the summer, the floodgates are open and people pile in to get a spot on the covetted spot on the deck. The menu features grilled pizzetas, burgers, and sandwiches (all of the south of the border influence. Link to the Dinner Menu

Cuffs, the bar of the Jurys Boston Hotel is a great place to relax and have a drink if you are an out of towner staying at the Hotel or if you are a Boston resident who enjoys hip and fun hotel bars. Set in the basement, this is a hotspot for a variety of ages: mostly the 20-40 something set. The outdoor area is sunken, so although you are in the middle of a busy area in Boston, you feel secluded.