"Amar, which means “love” in Portuguese, is the latest chapter in the nearly three-decade career of Michelin-starred chef George Mendes. This modern Portuguese fine-dining restaurant is located on the seventeenth floor of Raffles Boston — a 35-story hotel in Back Bay. Amar is a celebration and reinterpretation of recipes passed down through generations, using both New England and imported ingredients. The detail-oriented service is described as “white-tablecloth without actual tablecloths,” and customers are encouraged to dress up. The restaurant offers seafood-leaning fare, with offerings changing week-to-week based on deliveries from local fishermen and flights from Portugal. Amar will be the first restaurant in the country to serve giant squid from the Azores. The opening menu features six snacks, called petiscos, and seven larger plates, called pratos, including traditional salt cod fritters, wood-grilled Maine lobster with fennel, Azorean pineapple, and a Japanese-inspired chawanmushi with uni, mussels, and clams. This dish reflects the historical exchange between Portuguese missionaries and Japan. The restaurant opens on September 15 and operates from Sunday to Wednesday, 5:30 to 10 p.m., and Thursday to Saturday, 5:30 to 11 p.m." - Nathan Tavares
