Gimlet

"Prolific restaurateur Andrew McConnell’s most glamorous project is this sprawling, opulent ode to dining of decades past. Sink into one of the heritage-listed 1920s building’s many burgundy leather booths, or sidle up to the central bar for the best martini in the city—at once dry and creamy, paired with three types of olive that complement its changing temperature. Tartare is mixed tableside, oysters pair with seaweed butter, and hulking T-bone steaks are charred over coals. Come any time from midday to midnight, and for any occasion from a big-dog business lunch to a dalliance in a dark corner to a late-night craving for a fancy cheeseburger. Can’t get a table? Try Apollo Inn, a bar with superb snacks, or Supernormal, a longstanding modern Asian diner known for its lobster roll. Both are by the same crew as Gimlet, and both are just up the road. photo credit: Earl Carter" - Ellen Fraser

"Prolific chef-restaurateur Andrew McConnell’s latest show-stopper is Gimlet, a refined bar and eatery in a grand 1920s building with comfy burgundy-leather booths and a house martini that’s quite possibly the best in the city. Expect perfectly executed Euro-centric dishes like tartare served table-side, oysters with seaweed butter, and dry-aged t-bone steaks. Other McConnell spots include Supernormal, a neon-lit Asian diner known for its lobster roll; the more formal Cutler & Co; wine bars Cumulus Inc. and Marion; and The Builder’s Arms, a fancy pub. Don’t leave town without eating at one of these." - ellen fraser

"Chef and restaurateur Andrew McConnell owns several beloved institutions in town, including upscale butcher Meatsmith to wine bar Marion. His most recent venture, Gimlet at Cavendish House, is his masterpiece. With its black marble bar, chandeliers, and curved banquettes, it’s all about old-school elegance and excess. Start with the eponymous gimlet cocktail, and then go all out with the caviar service and southern rock lobster wood-roasted in saffron rice. Or if you come for lunch, the steak tartare prepared tableside has the perfect amount of theatrics to make any weekday more exciting." - Audrey Bourget, Sharlee Gibb