Best of Boston

The service is knowledgeable, attentive, and friendly. The menu is smart and eclectic. And the kitchen keeps a keen eye out for the fresh ingredients of the season—just as it should. The fried oysters in a cornmeal batter are terrific (and served with a crisp jicama-pepper slaw), and Claremont’s signature crab cakes have a wonderful seared crusty exterior encasing juicy, succulent crabmeat. A modest, but sensible wine list. Nothing fancy here—just excellent food, reasonable prices, and a refreshing appreciation of fine cooking—with no pretense. Claremont has become a fixture in the South End because it’s the kind of neighborhood place you go back to again and again. We do.