Best of Boston

2009 Best French Restaurant

Clio

Ever since L’Espalier shed its homey brownstone for the aseptic Mandarin hotel complex last year, the Franco-frontrunner has struggled to recapture the magic, leaving the field wide open for numerous worthy rivals. Buckets of beurre into testing, we narrowed our list to Clio, Salts, and Sensing (a gem, after a sloppy opening), all of which are seriously reenergizing this oft-stodgy category. In the end, though, Clio rose to the top. Now that his mini empire (Toro, La Verdad, Uni, KO Prime) is running smoothly, chef Ken Oringer has refocused on his flagship, turning out the kind of startling gastro-invention—e.g., scallop-shingled cod with yuzu-pea purée—we first fell in love with.

370 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, 617-536-7200, cliorestaurant.com