Ribelle

Ribelle in Brookline has been hailed as the best new restaurant in Boston and it's just around the corner from my best friend's place in Washington Square so it seemed an obvious choice for a birthday dinner. It seriously did not disappoint.

We sat at a table by the open window looking out on to the street, or back at the cool interior that made for a great ambience:

Ribelle has a number of small plates, sort of tapas style, that you can choose from to share. We tried the caponata on grilled semolina bread:

The caramelized vegetables were like jam, the crunchy bread the perfect contrasting texture.

 The chicory salad with shaved egg, shredded so fine it was the consistency of shaved parmesan:

Then for the main we had the squid ink pasta topped with lobster and sea greens:

It was what I'd imagine mermaids eating at a banquet in Poseidon's castle under the sea, with sea horses pouring their wine. (If mermaids drank wine, which of course is ridiculous.) 

And for dessert the olive oil ice cream:

The saltiness of the rich earthy olive oil and the sweetness of the chocolate drizzled over top came together on such a high note to finish the meal.

The Boston Globe described Ribelle's chef as being on a "creative binge" - spot on, I'd say. The food was innovative, with interesting ingredients but still actually tasted good. Reasonably sized portions (though not cheap) - perfect date night restaurant.

Five stars.