This diminutive culinary oasis in the financial district started out admirably well and keeps getting better. The experience is polished, from the playlist (good ’90s party) to the minimalist décor (soft lighting, off-white walls, warm wood) and the unfussy service spearheaded by tirelessly affable owner Chris White. Above all else, though, the finesse is evident in the cooking. Chef Julie Hyde has substantial and elevated European training (Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, Maison Lameloise, etc.). And it shows — in her confident and consistently exquisite sauces. You can enjoy this experience à la carte, seated side by side, overlooking her open kitchen from a banquette in the front lounge. Or opt for full-on, with a tasting menu of six-plus courses in the 24-seat dining room at the rear. Either way, expect raw and cooked seafood dishes to be a highlight. Spring might mean sliced raw scallop in scallop-infused cream with ramp oil and pickled celtuce. Peak summer brings grilled Nova Scotia lobster with roasted Tigerella tomatoes, local cherries and buttermilk. In winter, expect roasted sablefish with lobster jus, sunchoke and hazelnut. Evolving iterations of sweetbread are always delicious.

A RETREAT in the core of the city. Danielle Martin

Whatever sensibly inventive dish lands in front of you, White will be poised to deploy an equally imaginative wine pairing as its perfect complement — like the multiple vintages of rare Cédric Bouchard Roses de Jeanne he’ll be popping this spring. So, whether dining à la carte or blind, trust him.