Always vying with George's and the Marine Room for "most romantic" in local diner surveys, Top of the Cove is a mainstay for special occasions--first dates, marriage proposals, anniversaries. They're banking that its timeless elegance will enhance the evening's mood, and they're rarely disappointed. The finely proportioned historic cottage is one of the last remaining along Prospect Street, and it's shaded by 100-year-old Australian fig trees. Fireplaces glow on chilly evenings, and a gazebo and patio make the perfect setting for balmy summer dining or Sunday brunch.

The menu is peppered with French names and classic preparations with just a few welcome contemporary accents. Standouts include bacon-wrapped filet mignon in a syrah sauce, duck breast dressed with a balsamic-orange reduction, and a molasses seared elk with Swiss chard, grilled boniato and a blackberry-shallot compote. Sorbet is served between courses. The dessert specialty is a bittersweet-chocolate box filled with cream and fruit in a raspberry sauce--try it with a liqueur-laced house coffee. Aficionados will thrill to the epic wine list, but its steep markup threatens to spoil the mood. Lunch is lighter--salads, sandwiches, and pastas along with a few cuts of meat and fish.