Best of Boston

2004 Best First Date Restaurant

Chez Henri

Some restaurants just make the people dining in them seem more attractive. That’s precisely the case at Chez Henri, the French-meets-Cuban hybrid just outside Harvard Square. Within these colorful walls, the Left Bank café feel meshes perfectly with chef Paul O’Connell’s luscious food (the steak frites</em with guava barbecue sauce and the Cuban sandwiches are outstanding). It all adds up to a rare balance of coolness and unpretentiousness—two of the best qualities in both a restaurant and a blossoming relationship.

One Shepard St., Cambridge, 617-354-8980, chezhenri.com/