For more than 25 years, this was where Boston came to celebrate its milestones: a restaurant on Beacon Hill nestled alongside the Common, named for its address so one always knew where to find it. No. 9 Park was Barbara Lynch’s flagship until the chef shuttered her properties last year.
Now there is a new restaurant in its place. Nine, opened in August, harks back to its predecessor in both name and spirit. It is in the hands of restaurateur Allan Rodriguez, who came to Boston from Mexico not long after No. 9 Park opened. He opened his first restaurant, El Centro, in 2009; follow-ups include La Neta and Sabina Mezcaleria. Nine is a bold next move for a space that seems to attract bold operators.
There is continuity, however. Members of the No. 9 Park staff remain, including chef de cuisine Andrew Simonich. A diner paying less-than-close attention could be forgiven for first thinking the old standby had simply gotten a needed makeover. Nine’s layout is familiar; the aesthetic is brighter and more modern but retains its genteel comfort. Floors are now pretty marble tile and herringbone wood; walls are hung with antique clocks that always say the time is 9; brick archways lead from bar space into dining room. Barstools are a plush and velvety mocha, and beside the bar is a covetable dining nook with windows that offer a view of the city beyond.
This is still French-inspired fine dining. But one look at the menu makes it clear things have changed. The prune-stuffed gnocchi with foie gras are gone! The dish was an eternal signature at No. 9 Park.
Other than that, the tasting menu would not have seemed out of place at the old joint. It includes Vermont quail, house-made pappardelle, foie gras, bavette steak, and more, many of which are also available a la carte. And on the a la carte menu, dishes such as chicken tortellini, tagliatelle alla bolognese, and duet of Rohan duck feel like through lines too.
But the biggest change starts at the bar, where the program focuses on gin.
On a recent evening, a show is in progress. The star: gin and tonics. Two diners, presented with a list titled “The Gin Palace,” make careful selections in the dim light of the bar. There are more than 30 varieties of gin to choose from, plus assorted tonics and mixers. The bartender explains flavor profiles, suggests tonic pairings, then combines their choices in balloon-shaped goblets with plenty of ice, adds posies of mint and wedges of lime, and presents the drinks with a flourish.
Everyone here seems to be drinking gin, whether in these Spanish-style gin and tonics, martinis garnished with fat olives, or cocktails such as the currently featured About Thyme, which combines the spirit with yuzu-ginger shochu and thyme liqueur, a sprig of fresh thyme laid on top. It’s priced at $9. (No one seems to have splurged on the $70 Tidepool cocktail, which comes with a spoonful of caviar as garnish.)
Everyone also seems to be eating oysters. There are bar snacks, too, from charcuterie platters to bagna cauda with vegetables and crostini. The Nine burger is made with wagyu beef and topped with mimolette cheese and spicy garlic aioli — another through line, familiar to those who frequented the bar at No. 9 Park. Dishes such as steak tartare with Japanese-style shokupan or butter bean cacio e pepe, a side to be shared by the table, showcase the kitchen’s playful and creative side.
Dinner begins with a treat: an amuse-bouche of shortbread with tomato jam and a toasted meringue topping, like a fine dining s’more. (It has been long enough since I was served an amuse-bouche that I had to double-check whether the term is indeed spelled with a hyphen.) There are also Parker House rolls served with a little dish of sprinkling salt and another of butter so creamy it could double as luxury face cream.
Tuna crudo is a striking composition, squares of fish laid out like collapsed dominos, a line of crisped shallots running down the center, citrus segments and fresh herbs perched on the sides. Beside it is a streak of beet puree punctuated by black garlic-infused dots.
Pasta remains a highlight of the menu. A hank of thick pappardelle is dressed with pesto made from carrot tops, its herbal flavor complemented by tangy Meyer lemon and sweet, nutty pistachios. Ricotta salata is shaved on top, and a runny egg lends richness when stirred into the pasta. The list of wines by the glass leans French, with a few pricier selections offered in 3- or 5-ounce pours, nice for anyone who has Burgundy taste on a beer budget (or is simply drinking a little less these days).
Main courses include several fish dishes — salmon with sofrito, artichoke, and fava beans; halibut with baby carrot, tomato confit, and the Greek potato puree skordalia — and lamb with fennel, Calabrian chile, and feta.
The tasting menu offers chocolate ganache with espresso, strawberry, and hazelnut for dessert — or chocolate souffle, also available a la carte. Meyer lemon panna cotta comes in dimpled rounds arrayed on the plate with citrus segments, almond slivers, and an icy peach sorbet.
A mignardise of raspberry-peach gelee ends the meal. The staff is solicitous, friendly, and funny. Sade plays in the background, still sultry after all these years.
For loyal fans of No. 9 Park who came for holiday lunches and milestone dinners until the end, Nine offers a smooth segue. Come for the gin and tonics and stay for dinner. Or vice versa.
9 Park St. Place, Beacon Hill, Boston, 617-936-3440, www.ninerg.com. Appetizers and snacks $15-$35; pasta $34-$44; main courses $29-$180; desserts $16-$25; chef’s tasting menu $180.
Devra First can be reached at devra.first@globe.com. Follow her on Instagram @devra_first.