The few small steps down to La Voile’s subterranean dining room represent huge leaps for Boston dining. Husband-and-wife owners Stéphane Santos and Stephanie Zuberbuehler opened the Newbury Street bistro in late 2007 after closing their previous venture, La Voile au Vent, in Cannes. Her menu, prepared by a Mediterranean-born-and-bred chef, has classic French dishes such as warm duck salad and chicken roasted according to a recipe borrowed from L’Ami Louis in Paris.

On sunny days, the restaurant’s convivial crowds clamor for seats on the large terrace, but cooler weather brings diners inside, to the nautical-themed dining room. While people-watching from Newbury Street patios can be quite engaging, many would argue that La Voile is at its best inside. The wood paneling, antique furniture and 1920s zinc bar, all shipped over from France, feel romantic and cozy and make the place ideal for passing a chilly afternoon or evening in. Because of its popularity, reservations for weekend dinner are strongly suggested.

This contemporary Japanese eatery combines inventive cooking with a groovy, speakeasy atmosphere–a blend so seductive that former New York Times food critic Frank Bruni once named it the best new restaurant in the country. Located on a desolate street near Boston’s train station, the entrance is tucked away on a gritty, cobblestone alley. Swing the unmarked wooden door open, though, and the scene beckons. The building, a century-old firehouse, has a Japanese tavern meets SoHo loft feel, with soaring ceilings and shoji screens.

As fantastic as the atmosphere is, the food is the true star. Each day, chef Tim Cushman tweaks his menu of seventy-plus dishes to reflect what’s fresh and seasonal. Inventive combinations such as a hamachi sashimi with a spicy banana pepper mousse perfectly balance the freshness of the fish (most is flown in daily from Japan) with a kicky, unexpected condiment. The salmon belly, seared with a drizzle of hot sesame oil, has a buttery texture rarely found in American sushi joints. The most fantastic combo, however, is a fried kumamoto oyster with a yuzu kosho aioli settled on a small bed of rice and topped with briny squid ink bubbles–one of the more fantastic bites of food I’ve had in my life. Luckily, the dishes are small, so diners can relish the raw offerings and still have room left to try clever cooked dishes like foie gras gyozo, sake braised short ribs and shiso tempura with grilled lobster and charred tomatoes.

Nancy Cushman, co-owner and sake sommelier, reigns over her own list of twenty-some sakes and can suggest pairings with any of the offerings from her husband’s kitchen. (A well-edited wine and beer menu is also available.) Servers are friendly and well informed, happy to help a novice navigate the overwhelming amount of choices. Plan accordingly and arrive with an advance reservation, an empty stomach and good directions (and that’s the same advice that I give to friends visiting my favorite restaurant in Tokyo.)

Many visitors to the Boston area think they’ll find the best food in the city center. But to eat dishes Mimi Sheraton has called inspired and the New York Times has described as deeply inventive, you’ll have to head to Cambridge. Celebrated chef Ana Sortun, a James Beard award winner, uses her Paris training to produce creative Mediterranean fare with a twist. You could make a meal of appetizers like Moroccan lamb kefta and fried halloumi cheese, but then you’d miss such delicious entrées as the striped bass with tahini sauce and the crispy duck served on toasted pita with a rich cauliflower-and-pistachio pilaf. Sortun’s husband runs an organic farm where much of Oleana’s produce is grown. Although the restaurant has gained a national (and well-deserved) reputation for its excellent food, Bostonians know it as one of the best local places to dine en plein air. The pretty patio, surrounded by lush plantings, feels more Provençal than New England, weather notwithstanding. Reservations are an absolute must here, so call ahead even if you plan to dine on an off night.

Opened in late 2012 in the up-and-coming Inman Square, Puritan & Company focuses on and excels at modern American New England cuisine. A semifinalist for the 2013 James Beard award for Best New Restaurant, Puritan & Co. serves local favorites like delicately prepared seared dayboat scallops and unique dishes like swordfish pastrami. Chef Will Gilson will even make typically boring dishes exquisite, as he transforms the oft-underappreciated complimentary bread basket into a succulent treat with warm, melt-in-your-mouth Parker House rolls.

Ken Oringer, the James Beard award–winning chef who also owns KO Prime and Coppa, eschews trendy small plates and instead serves up classic Spanish dishes made with Spanish ingredients. The jamon Ibérico comes straight from the acorn-fed pigs of the Iberian peninsula, pan con tomate tastes just as it would in a Barcelona bar, and the pimientos del Padron, something I’ve never seen in any American tapas bar, promise the same game of edible Russian roulette they do in their home country (most are not spicy, but one in ten will burn like a jalapeño). Even the drink menu tends toward the authentic, with calimocho, a uniquely Spanish blend of red wine and cola, topping the list. (It sounds awful, but try it.) Since Toro opened in 2005, tables at the 65-seat restaurant have been difficult to snag. A no-reservation policy only adds to the chaotic scene at dinnertime. If you’d mind waiting at the bar—always a fun, bustling scene—try coming during off-hours or for lunch.