Best of Boston

2013 Best Seafood Restaurant

Island Creek Oyster Bar

A few of the dishes that have already become legends in the few years since this sophisticated Kenmore Square spot opened: the fried-oyster sliders, which come smeared with chili-lime aioli and topped with pickled onions and arugula; the lobster-roe noodles, tossed with nubs of grilled lobster and braised short rib; and a house-made-saltine-topped casserole packed with scallops, fresh fish, lobster, and shrimp in a sherry-cream sauce. But if all you’re really after is a basket of fried Ipswich clams—well, those are great here, too.

500 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, 617-532-5300, islandcreekoysterbar.com