Reviews on Open Table can be helpful: http://www.opentable.com/boston-restaurants

HTtY

eheh, thanks HTtY...but...
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Hi Chris...I have a few suggestions.
The most like L'espalier is probably Menton...at least that is very upscale and very french. They serve a multi course prix fixe menu. I have never been there, so can't give a personal recommendation. I'm not sure if it is as romantic as the old L'Espalier location, but it should give you a similar experience.

I recently ate at Bondir in Cambridge. I think that has very nice ambience, though a bit more casual feeling. The food was outstanding, however. And I found the service very attentive. The food is very creative, and it's got a farm-to-table thing going, so the menu changes every day based on what's available.

Oleana is another good choice. Mediterranean/Middle eastern, excellent food, and the restaurant while small is quite romantic.

Craigie on Main, in Cambridge, is another great choice. Maybe the best food in town right now. I've been twice, and loved the food both times. I do find the dining room a little cramped, so not sure if it has the romantic feel you are looking for, but you would not be disappointed by the meal.

Unfortunately Oleana and Bondir are probably the toughest reservations in Boston/Cambridge right now. So it might be tough to get.

You mention Blue Ginger, so maybe you live in the 'burbs? Perhaps you might consider Lumiere in West Newton. I just ate there last week for my DH's birthday dinner and it was very good. It's not quite as upscale as Menton or L'Espalier, but I like the food a lot and the ambiance is nice. Not too noisy. Service is very professional. the chef, Michael Leviton, has been a finalist for the James Beard award (for the Boston area) several years running...don't think he's won it yet.

Do any of these sound right? if not, I can think of a some more...just give a few more parameters.

I forgot...I should definitely have included Hammerseley's amongst my suggestions. its one of my favorites, I think the food there is outstanding. They are famous for the roast chicken, of course, but I never seem to order it because they always seem to have a lobster or fish dish that I can't pass up.

chinacat: Thanks a lot! It all sounds great. I would only ask for more recommendations ...juuuuust in case if you don't mind. I would like to repeat the 'old l'espalier' experience but unfortunately after their relocation, things changed so, the romantic feel of the old house is no longer there (at least for us, as we went to the new location about a few months ago). I have not been to any of those you mentioned but they do sound great. We are looking for something that is NOT noisy, quite ambient, good food and service is a must. My wife works long hours and very hard so a nice night out would be great. She would like the feel of being pampered and catered just like we had experienced at l'espalier. She is also more inclined to go for the 'clean' and new vs old and crowded feel...She is a bit picky. She also seems to like the likes of rooms such as the restaurant at the Taj in downtown (if that helps...) but without that 'hotel' feeling.

Understanding that Boston Magazine is an advertisement driven rag - this list might offer some inspiration.

http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/2012/10/50-best-restaurants-2012/print/

You might consider a drive to the White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport for the night.

Adding to china_cat's great list, I'll suggest No. 9 Park. It has the "house" feel.

I was disappointed in Menton - bizarre pacing of courses, too many misses on the flavors, staff that isn't quite ready for prime-time, and not a single memorable dish. But, it hits the romantic and fancy notes.

No 9 Park would be another good option, as would Sorellina.

Unfortunately, I think that Boston does better at the more casual end - Blue Ginger, Hammersley's, etc - or perhaps my tastes just run that way.

Dear friends,
Thank you all for the suggestions. I am checking the Hammersley's in Boston, No 9 Park, and Harvest in Cambridge...and trying to narrow at the finalist...
I also noticed Rialto....any thoughts?

...sorry for the multitude of posts..this is p.s. to previous post.
I appreciate the timely response from all. I know you are busy and not just sitting around in front of the screen waiting the next post to hit! Thanks again.
Chris

No. 9 Park strikes me as the closest Boston high-end dining choice to the old L'Espalier townhouse feel.

Chris, you should also check chowhound's greater boston area board for recommendations. There will be a lot more recommendations there.

It's the "quiet, not too crowded" part of your request that is really hard to get around here. I think Hammersley's, #9 Park, and Craigie all suffer a bit from tables very close together, and a little noisy. Perhaps if you choose one of those, you might call and tell them its a special occasion and ask if they can give you a quiet table or a corner spot.

I've never been a fan of Rialto, though admittedly its been years since I've been there. I do like Harvest quite a bit. I think the food may not be quite as upscale or creative as the others mentioned, but it is quite good. I put Harvest and Lumiere in the same category, and I like both. I think they are a bit quieter than the others.


I think I agree with Travelgourmet, that Boston doesn't do "high end" very well. That special, pampered feeling and romantic ambience you got at the old L'Espalier...I don't think we have any restaurants like that anymore.

Funny you should post this question when last week on one of the public readion stations there was a discussion about how much dining in Boston is moving away from the high end white table cloth style and toward a more casual, lower price, fun atmosphere. Ming Tsai was a guest and was discussing his soon to be open Blue Dragon on the waterfront. Asian pub fare, no reservations, lower prices, more casual. So no surprise you are having a hard time finding a place for your celebration. Tsai mentioned Menton as an example of the type of dining that is losing favor in Boston but is still an excellent choice. the closing of Locke Ober was the prompt for the segment.

correction - public radio

hello all again
thanks for all the great info. some of the suggested choices were booked so i made reservations at lumiere and harvest. which do you think fits the romantic bill better?
thank you again.
chris

Dear friends,
Thank you all for the suggestions. I am checking the Hammersley's in Boston, No 9 Park, and Harvest in Cambridge...and trying to narrow at the finalist...
I also noticed Rialto....any thoughts?

Hammersley's is easily one of my favorite restaurants. Not necessarily romantic, but the food never fails and the service is always warm.

I've found that not all restaurants release their tables on OpenTable, especially between 7 and 9. So it's worth phoning any restaurant that you are interested in, that shows no tables on OpenTable. It's worked for me about 50% of the time.

Thank you all for your input. Great info. I have made reservations to 2 restaurants. Harvest and Lumiere's. I need, of course, to go with only one. Which one would fit better the 'romantic bill?'
Thanks again.
Chris

Which restaurant did you choose? What was your experience? My husband and I will be in Boston for a couple of days in a couple of weeks and I'm searching for restaurants.