A New French Restaurant Brings Warmth to the South End, Writes Local Critic

A Lyonnais Enclave “Woven With Elegance”

Julia Clancy reviews Bar Lyon for Boston Magazine this month. On the whole, she writes, “the food is lovely,” and the restaurant is “a lesson in expert hospitality, without fanfare.” Bar Lyon doesn’t “skimp on the lovely French fats;” instead, it uses them for balance, in escargots, with endive and roquefort, and with the quenelle de brochet or pike dumplings. The cassoulet is “a beautiful beast of a dish,” Clancy writes, with sausage, pork belly, and confit duck leg working with “an undertone of sweetness” from Tarbais beans. Clancy ultimately writes that “general warmth” makes restaurants last, and she gives Bar Lyon three stars out of a possible four — “generally excellent.”

The Neighborhood’s Need Should Be “Rewarded With Sharper Cooking”

Devra First reviews Alcove for the Boston Globe. At the new restaurant at Lovejoy Wharf in Boston’s West End, the servers are friendly and know their stuff, First writes, but some of the food falters as the menu spans New England, Europe, and the Mediterranean. There’s some genius in the menu, including “an avocado filled with smoky, rich harissa aioli, then charred so it looks as though it’s still wearing its black peel,” and the prosciutto with creamy stracciatella and drizzled with balsamic provides good flavor for First. There’s also tender Spanish octopus and a satisfying cheeseburger, but there are a handful of dishes First calls “well conceived but less well executed.” Overall, First gives the restaurant one-and-a-half stars, between “fair” and “good,” writing that “the West End has shown how much it needs this place and wants to support it.” First hopes that the cooking can rise to the occasion.

• Restaurant Review: Jamie Mammano’s Bar Lyon [BM]
• Is This the Restaurant the West End Has Been Waiting For? [BG]