Best of Boston

The zinc bar and weathered-subway-tile walls are as authentic as the French fare that attracts neighborhood residents and suburbanite foodies, though any of them yearning for haute cuisine might be disappointed: This isn’t L’Espalier, nor is it meant to be. France’s answer to the American corner bar and grill, a brasserie is all about inexpensive, well-executed standards (croque-monsieurs and steak frites rather than chicken clubs and steak tips), stiff drinks, and an atmosphere steeped in joie de vivre—in other words, Gaslight’s specialties.