This restaurant and bar is located inside the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel.

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the Oak Room is a regal, comfortably elegant restaurant that offers a traditional steakhouse menu with a distinctive twist. The Oak Room is adorned with gold, maroon and green fabrics and draperies that complement the dark wood paneling and mirrored walls. Cameos and lacunaria accent the intricate white plasterwork that details the 30-foot-high ceiling and twin Waterford crystal chandeliers illuminate the room.

The Oak Bar has been recently restored and is reminiscent of a British Officer's Club in the Orient. The same dark wood paneling and mirrors that flank the Oak Room are offset in the Oak Bar by smooth marble. Heraldry symbols decorate the ornately gilded and painted coffered ceiling. The furniture and décor create an inviting atmosphere to enjoy a relaxing drink or close a business deal. The dress code is business casual, but after 6pm, no shorts, cut out or tank top T-shirts, hats and sport sandals.

Laurel Grill and Bar is ideally located on the edge of the Back Bay and the South End. Convenient to all the Back Bay has to offer the trendier South End location is a little more relaxed than its Back Bay counterparts. The contemporary American restaurant specializes in a variety of fresh fish, steaks as well as pastas and vegetarian selections. The location was home to the owner's first restaurant the Blue Wave over since 1991. Several years ago the chef owners transformed the large open space into more intimate and less noisy dining environment. Originally designed as an urban oasis the restaurant continues to remain both a relaxing place to enjoy your meal and still feel the buzz of the South End dining experience.

A tiny restaurant located on Mass Ave and Marlbourough Street, The Wine Cellar is a popular fondue and wine place. The owner is a vibrant wine enthusiast who loves educating on wine as much as he loves Boston. He is often found handing out wine cards on the street that depict wines and their vintage. Inside, there is a great full mural of Boston's garden. It was awarded by the Wine Spectator 2005 'Two Glasses' of Excellence for its extensive 600 plus wine list. Situated in the garden level of the building, The Wine Cellar is decorated to make you feel as though you're in Europe. The food is above average, but the presentation, fondue style, is really the draw for this place. The menu includes 9 cheese appetizers (roughly $20 each), then fondue meat plates ($20-$40), followed by chocolate fondue (roughly $20 each). There are over thirty fondues here. There is also a non-fondue menu, and features french style items. Indulgence for Two is an $88 dollar full menu meal that includes a cheese fondue, 4 menu items, and chocolate fondue. Mass Ave, where the restaurant is located, is a typical Boston thoroughfare: ridiculously busy with all sorts of one-way side roads, cow paths, and alleys that lead to nowhere. In other words, driving and parking around the restaurant is a challenge or an adventure, depending on the perspective. However, the restaurant reserves two spots right out front for its diners, so if you're dining and you're a little lucky, you can park directly in front of the restaurant.
Back Bay residents get 10% for being "locals". Ask about it....

PLEASE NOTE: L'Espalier moved to its new home on the second floor of the Mandarin Oriental on Boylston Street.

UPDATE: L'Espalier opened its doors at 774 Boylston Street for dinner at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12.
Fearlessly led by Frank McClelland, one of the top 25 chefs in the nation according to Food and Wine, L'Espalier is as good as it gets. And it gets good. Ascend the narrow staircase into the first of L'Espalier's 2 classically-decorated dining rooms (get a table in the more modern upper dining room if you can) and prepare yourself for high-class French food, catering to no less than serious eaters with serious finances; this is one place that'll get you psyched for Parents Weekend. The menu is a standard three-course prix-fixe for $75: spanning a wealth of tastes, from foie gras to Hawaiian red snapper to grilled lamb, the seasonal selection is substantially varied and guaranteed to delight every palate (course if that isn't enough, there's always the 6-course Degustation Menu for $95; $135 and up with paired wines). But perhaps the best thing L'Espalier has to offer: their special events, like “cheese Tuesdays,” a 4-course dinner with matching wines and a grand cheese sampler, all led by the restaurant's top cheese and wine meisters for a bargain $55. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard. Afternoon tea: There are two tea service choices offered: 'Make Way For The Ducklings' ($27) - your choice of tea plus a selection of petit fours and pastries - and 'Red Riding Hood's Basket' ($36), which adds tea sandwiches and canapes. For 15 dollars further, a glass of fine champagne can be served with either. Vegetarian substitutions can be requested. The tea choice is a typical 8 or so varieties and your cup is refilled from teapots carried by the staff rather than leaving them on your table. The accompanying food includes lobster salad, cucumber and cream cheese sandwich, strawberry terrine and the classic L'Espalier swan.

A local French bistro with classic decor and a great selection of appetizers and entrees. Tucked below street level where you have a great view of some of the Back Bay's outstanding buildings, and you can watch the Newbury Street window shoppers pass by. Tables are available downstairs near the bar or upstairs in an open, but not-too-noisy atmosphere. A nice selection of wine is available by the glass, half bottle or full bottle. Some menu favorites include the Bouchee burger with foie gras, mussles in white wine sauce with cherry tomatoes, or any of the flatbread pizzas. If you manage to have room left for dessert, there's tarte tartin, creme brulee, and other French treats. Outdoor dining is also available in season. Reservations are recommended on weekends, and can be made on Open Table.

Though it's much more expensive than Cambridge's offerings, the food is only slightly better, meaning you're paying for location in the Back Bay. Which, if you're sitting outside on a nice day, might be worth it. Try one of the Tandoori Specials made on their traditional clay oven, such as the filling Tandoori Mixed Grill ($22) or Tandoori Rack of Lamb ($25). The menu spans the range of classic North Indian offerings: tandoori specials and a wide array of chicken, lamb, beef, seafood, and vegetarian dishes (entrees $15-25). Dim lighting and intimate tables create a romantic setting, but it is not uncommon to see power-lunchers or larger groups chowing down. Your best bet is to enjoy their lunch buffet (M-F 11:30am-3pm, $9; Sa-Su noon-3pm, $12) while sitting on the huge outdoor patio. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

Famous for its sangria, Tapeo is home to authentic Spanish food and European decor. Tapeo is Zagat-Rated. The tapas bar, with its killer selection of Spanish appetizers, offers a lively and adventurous atmosphere daily from 5:00- midnight. Tapeo Restaurant & Tapas Bar's Web site features a virtual tour. Click HERE for the Newbury Street restaurant's menu, with specialties ranging from Piedra (where the food is grilled on a stone from the Canary Islands) to their signature Pescado a la Sal (fresh fish baked in salt where the salt acts as a cooking agent which enhances the tenderness of the protein).

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Sister restaurant to Dali of Inman Square, Tapéo offers delectable tapas, meaty Spanish entrees, and sweet sangría in the heart of see-and-be-seen Boston. Although the menu changes seasonally, most of the more notable tapas ($5-7) like the baked goat cheese with tomato and basil, roast duckling with berry sauce, and saffron scallops are ubiquitous. Dishes are delivered with admirable alacrity, but lingering is requisite if you want to fully savor the luscious desserts like the chocolate tart ($5.50) and fruit-filled crêpes ($7.50). The real charm of Tapéo, however, lies in its 3 low-lit bodega-style eating areas, where small tables can become surprisingly intimate islands in the sea of bustling waitstaff and playful fellow diners.

Don't forget to save room for their Tiramisu and Chocolate Amarena Cake!!

UPDATE: 33 Restaurant re-opened with new menu items and a revamped interior. Click here for the new eats. A trendy and funky South End hotspot located on Stanhope Street next to Stix. Attire is more business casual. Known for their interesting cocktails and celebrity sightings. The three-course, $33 prix fixe menu is offered at all times and presents a good bargain for scene-chasing diners. The menu can best be characterized by and is known for having a variety of vegetarian options as well as it's ability to meet your dietary needs. Their cocktail list is extensive to cater to the after work crowd that can quickly turn into a party scene at night. There are 2 floors to the place. Downstairs has a small and sexy lounge.

Azure offers rare and exotic seafood, resulting in a tantalizing shock to the senses and the bank account. A bit too expensive for any old Saturday night out, it's a fabulous place to go with parents or friends with pockets deeper than yours. Located off the lobby of the Lenox Hotel in the Back Bay, Azure offers its inventive New American fare in a mellow, romantic, and azure-infused atmosphere. The muted glow of backlit walls, glassed-in open kitchen, high ceiling, and understated gold accents that linger about the room soothe diners during what tends to be a lengthy and luxuriant meal. The menu is not lengthy but combines a number of classic delicacies with more innovative dishes. Decadent entrees like potato-encrusted Halibut and five-spiced roasted duck (both about $27) showcase chef Robert Fathman's excellent talent. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.