L'espalier

Unquestionably the top restaurant in Boston. There are many incredible restaurants in Boston, but when you want unparalled service and incredible food, L'espalier is the place to go. You'll pay a lot, but the overall experience is unmatched. more

When you think of a classic French restaurant, this is the sort of establishment that comes to mind. Each meal easily costs $100/person, and that's not counting drinks! Add one bottle of decent wine, and you could easily be shelling out $125+/person. That would probably explain why everyone there seems to be on a date celebrating something major like their tenth wedding anniversary. The food is really good but not incredible. The service, however, is impeccable. They're also suprisingly vegetarian friendly and will make any dish on the menu to order regardless of the meat content. Most surprisingly, they were also tolerant and even welcoming towards my toddler nephew. I can't necessarily say the same about the snooty clientele, though. more

While the food was great, I would still say it wasn't worth it. I will commend them for being incredibly accommodating though! This must be the first restaurant I've been to that made such an effort to provide a full menu of vegetarian options for me. They basically said, just tell us what you want and we'll take care of it for you. The service was excellent...I'd go again if it wasn't so expensive. more

My husband and I received a gift certificate to dine at L'Espalier as a wedding gift from a good friend. We had never been before, but had always head it is the best fine dining in Boston. We used the gift certificate on our first anniversary - and it was an amazing dining experience. We were waited on hand and foot. Some of the fancy service got a little distracting - and it did feel like someone was constantly at our table - but that's all part of the experience! It was a little uneasy for us, since we'd never dined at this type of restaurant, but we pulled it off without too many faux-pas. We're glad to say that we have dined at L'espalier - but we don't think we'll ever afford to go back on our own dime! The food was delicious - and the dessert was simply to die for. They even write "Happy Anniversary" in chocolate on our dessert plates. Very nice touch. more

This Back Bay is my favorite Boston place to celebrate a special occasion. The food is perfection, as is the entire dining experience. The restaurant has large dining rooms on the first two floors of the building (my favorite is upstairs in the back). The room is tastefully decorated in grey and shades of white and there is a gorgeous fireplace. The menu has a wonderful selection of fish and meat and there are a few delightful vegetarian options. Guests choose between the regular menu or a 7-course tasting menu which includes a selection of wine to accompany each of the small courses. I totally recommend it! They happily accept substitutions if there are one or two items from the selection that you cannot eat, or do not care for. Allow plenty of time if you choose the tasting menu. The wine list is like clibing Mount Kilimanjaro. The good news is that it's pretty easy to select a bottle that nicely complements a meal for $50 or less. The service is superior and provides the right touches to make the evening perfect. The staff is knowledgeable, warm, and courteous. They engage you in every aspect of the dining experience yet are never intrusive. more

L'Espalier is one of those restaurants that is best reserved for very special occasions or if you have millions of dollars that you are aching to spend. Dinners are not just exquisite, but consist of 8 to 11 course dining experiences. They can even handle a vegetarian option if you so desire. The staff here is gracious and that which you would expect in a 5 star restaurant. They are very helpful- and perhaps it is best to leave the wine selection to them. Yes it's expensive, but L'Espalier is a truly gourmet adventure. more

L'Espalier is as good as it gets in terms of food, service, and atmosphere. It's a wonderful restaurant, especially to bring someone special.Just understand that you'll pay for its wonderfulness. more