Bar Bites

Another great evening at Bistro du Midi cemented in my mind that this Back Bay gem is one of my favorite places in Boston.

Having been able to sit outside on my last two visits (here & here), I had never actually been inside Bistro du Midi’s downstairs bar area, which is normally open to the street in nicer weather.

At 5:30, the bar was almost empty and remained that way throughout the hour-plus that we were there. With soft French music in the background, it was the perfect place to catch up with friends Daisy and Megan before heading to the Boston Chocolate School.

We sat at the bar, where I perused the wine list and went with a summery Rosé. While we sipped our drinks, I grabbed a few photos of the space which is cozy, serene, and has a great open kitchen.

And views of the Boston Public Garden. It is a simply lovely space.

Since we had a night of chocolate and wine ahead, we split a few appetizers. There was the perfectly crispy-on-the-outside calamari.

And the crostini with eggplant and olive spreads.

And the un-photographed fried artichokes.

Despite the fact that we had two fried dishes, everything still felt very light and summery. Chalk it up to Bistro du Midi’s Provencal flair! Everything was simple and delicious, went perfectly with my choice of wine, and made me wish it was 70 degrees and the doors to the outside were open. . . and that we could stay for the entire evening.

I love sitting at the bar and catching up with my husband on an impromptu date or with friends after a work day, and Bistro du Midi provides a lovely environment to do just that.

Do you have a bar or restaurant that just says “relaxation” to you, a place you return to repeatedly because you love it so much?