Fine dining's rebirth of look, cuisine

These days, a comfortable bar area is required, even if there's a perfectly nice one downstairs at the Bristol Lounge. Now Aujourd'hui has its own, appointed in dark mahogany and upholstered club chairs, the walls adorned with old portraits that look like they came out of a Salem mansion. It's handsome, comfortable, and not only gives Aujourd'hui a more relaxed entry point, but is a draw on its own.

On a July weeknight, less than a week before the Democratic National Convention, the dining room, refurbished in a sort of Billy Baldwin style with lots of floral prints, under- and over-skirts on the tables and plenty of flounces, is only partly filled. The manager explains to us all the details of the renovation, pointing out the recessed ceiling above us with a trompe l'oeil painting of pale blue sky and very big chickadees (the Massachusetts state bird) flying across it. Cleared of all but a couple of banquettes along two walls, the room has a new spaciousness.

Service has always been a key element here, and the team hovering around our table holds up the tradition. Dressed in black suits, the men look crisply turned out; unfortunately, the women resemble museum guards. However, their attention is finely tuned, the water glasses are never less than full, and the courses are brought seamlessly to the table. The wine list is diverse, long, and expensive.

Aujourd'hui, which no longer serves lunch, has had a succession of chefs over the years, not unusual in a large hotel chain. It has also had a variety of culinary emphases, from hints of Southwestern to Asian fusion to that amalgam called New American. Jerome Legras, the new chef with a background at the Four Seasons in Tokyo and at Le Cinq in Paris, unabashedly concentrates on French. Each plate is as intricate and well-turned out as the decor.