The Paramount

Tourists and other Charles Street newcomers worship the stand-in-line-for-it breakfast, yet as good as those banana pancakes are, it's the candlelit dinner service that makes the Paramount beloved by true Beacon Hill denizens. Exceptional no-nonsense fare like sirloin steak tips and chicken marsala goes down as smoothly as the amiable vibe. In a neighborhood with an appetite for tradition, the 77-year-old Paramount sends all comers away satisfied. RUNNER-UP: 75 Chestnut