If there ever was a need for an excuse to eat really good Mexican food, then Lolita’s slogan, “Tequila made me do it”applies to a diner’s desire to order everything on the menu too

Easier to get a reservation and easier on the pocket book than its big brother, Eleven Madison Park, the fine dining restaurant of the NoMad Hotel has a steady stream of repeat diners.

Dining on the second floor of a private home overlooking the Arno River with views of the Goldsmith lined wood shuttered shops that line the 14th century Ponte Vecchio bridge may make it a wee bit difficult to focus on the food.

A perennial favorite since 1998, No. 9 Park remains Boston’s darling go to for a reminder of just how good Beantown cooking can be. Chef and owner Barbara Lynch serves up velvety prune-stuffed gnocchi that is every bit as as sassy and savory as her acclaimed Southie swearing.

Taste buds tingle in this modern, refreshingly unfussy, French dining room. Top Chef 2011, Ronan Kernen, presents an elevated farm to fork experience in which humble ingredients such as poached eggs and bread cubes are tumbled together with foraged mushrooms to create one of most lively, vibrant, and delicious dishes on any many anywhere in the world.

Seasonal Italian regional dishes (many inspired by nonnas and their second to none home cooking), a superb wine list, and its Harvard Square location make this fine dining experience irresistible.

Steirereck’s signature dish, freshwater arctic char cooked table side in molten beeswax, highlights Reitbauer’s creativity. Of course, each plate may be washed down with a selection from the restaurant’s 35,000 bottle wine cellar.

The location is a conundrum. When GPS navigates to a parking lot of an apartment building, just go with it—you have arrived. The quirky location is only one of many surprises at this boutique eatery featuring a stone mill for grinding heritage grains and a wood fired oven.