The bar at Angelo's

My pick is Red Stripe in Wayland Sq, cozy great food, nice ambiance. Not Italian but they do some I-ish dishes.

The East End has delicious food and an incredible selection of whiskey of all kinds. Their cocktails are also good. The atmosphere is very cozy and the staff are wonderful.

Al Forno. Great bartenders. There’s 2 bars in colder seasons (one downstairs with fireplace, one upstairs) but small so a little bit of a gamble depending if it’s a weekend (would get there by 6 if weekend).

And you certainly won’t be sacrificing food quality.

Mills tavern

East End

Persimmon

Not Providence, but Cranston and it'd be Macera, very cozy and they have a full bar so they can make you whatever you want or pick from their menu. And their pink vodka is really good, I always go with gnocchi.

This is my personal favorite fancy restaurant to go to. When i go here the waiters especially make me feel very comfortable in there.

Needle and Thread is nice and has great food. The chocolate mousse with Mexican spices was/is chef's kiss.

The East End. Make a reservation and ask for a table by the window.

I go to Blake’s pretty often cause there’s almost always a space at the bar

Gracie’s

Mills is a good choice

My favorite is Pizzico

This is the best answer.

New Rivers for a full meal, the Eddy for great cocktails and filling snacks. The East End is a solid runner up - their cocktails program is more expansive than New Rivers, but I don’t think the food is as good.

Ooh, and I’ve forgotten the Red Door - it’s more of a bar atmosphere than a restaurant atmosphere, but both the drinks and the food are great.

Downstairs at Pot Au Feu

Plant City 345345

Fun little speakeasy.

Incredible food at New Rivers and cozy farmhouse vibes

Slow Rhode is insanely cozy and has top notch food and drink. Haven’t been to every other suggested place but you won’t go wrong at Slow Rhode.

Parkside. Simple chill bistro atmosphere, nice bar, and excellent table service. After dinner you can take a short walk over to the pedestrian bridge.

I can't tell if you're planning to take your MIL to a restaurant with a full bar, or plan to sit on bar stools for your meal. I just want to suggest that if you've never seen her sit on a stool for an extended period, don't make that part of your plan. Bar stools are not universally comfortable for all bodies (which is something that might not occur to folks who find them just fine. Seemed worth mentioning.)

I'm old enough to be a MIL and I love how well you seem to know her tastes and priorities for a good night out ... Have a great time!

New Rivers, Persimmon, Gracie’s. Can’t go wrong with any of those!

Alforno, downstair bar

Lucky Enough

The East End

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The tomahawk is killer.

Am I doing something wrong because I legit can never get a reservation there? Always booked up like a month in advance on the website

It’s popular for a reason. You can still walk in as they don’t book all of their tables with reservations, but suggest going by 6 for this or you may have a wait.

In summer, it’s a little more flexible as they only take reservations for outside on the day of based on the weather forecast. So you can call when they open and make one then.

You also don’t need a reservation for the bar. Of course that is only great if you’re looking for a party or just 2 maybe 3.

Appreciate it!