Perched atop Beacon Hill and facing the Massachusetts State House, Barbara Lynch's flagship is the place that many of the local ingredientistas who take part in our survey say is their favorite dining spot in the city. The menu combines the cuisines of the Italian and French countrysides, featuring dishes like Lynch’s signature prune-stuffed gnocchi, a duo of Peking duck breast and confit leg with lentils and mustard greens, and butter-poached lobster with a Tuscan bread salad. Eating in the bar area is popular (you can order off either the dining room or the more casual bar menu) because of the expert mixologists who shake, blend and stir up "a wide breadth of cocktails that span the decades, from pre-Prohibition classics to contemporary favorites."