With sleek leather banquettes and blazingly white tablecloths, Union Bar and Grille caps the gentrification process of Washington Street. Stephen Sherman, the Culinary Institute of America-trained chef, produces a seasonally shifting menu that nods to trendy dishes (tuna with grilled fennel) but leans heavily on updated New England classics, such as lobster meat tossed with corn and chanterelle mushrooms and a succulent rack of lamb drizzled with fig sauce. The wine list is as aggressively new world as the menu, pulling in a lot of Californian meritage bottles along with New Zealand whites. Pastry chef Joshua Steinberg’s dessert menu seems to have a spot of chocolate on almost every plate.

Union Bar and Grille Information:

• American menu. Dinner, Sun brunch. Bar. Casual attire. Valet parking.