Boston - September 27, 2006

Gallic Symbols

Bouchee Opens

Some icons endure through the ages. And — apologies, Freud — not all of them are about sex.

Some are about food. Like the erstwhile Du Barry restaurant and its Newbury Street mural — both bastions of French flair, both Boston institutions, both now gone.

The good news? They’ve been replaced by the brand new Bouchee, a gleaming and glorious brasserie lined with huge mirrors, mahogany-trimmed walls, mosaic tiling, and a zinc bar top. And the kitchen has snagged talented chef Tim Partridge (most recently of the now-shuttered Perdix); he’s back and cooking up French fare like steak frites, duck confit, and lemon tarts.

Then there’s the sprawling patio: Order up one of the bar’s superb wines by the glass, grab a linen-swathed table, dig into a velvety coq au vin, and watch tout Boston stroll by. It’s the perfect reincarnation of Parisian dining at its most seductive.

Come to think of it, maybe Freud was right after all.

Bouchee, 159 Newbury Street, Back Bay (617-450-4343).