"Tucked below street level in the South End, ICARUS has been feeding the finicky South End hordes with aplomb since 1978. Chefs Chris Douglass and Ron Abell work overtime to coax every last bit of flavor from dishes like sweet and toasty polenta topped with braised mushrooms (local, of course). Naturally, such dedication has built a fiercely loyal clientele. They return time and again-not only for the great food, but for the seamless service and the quiet dining room."

"It feels like the dining room of an upscale social club... Chris Douglass' cuisine ranks among the city's best, and the service is top-notch."

"Twenty-five years after opening in the South end, Chris Douglass' new-American restaurant shows not a spot of tarnish. The mood in the maroon-hued split-level room is in keeping with the kitchen's genteel seasonal cuisine, which marries lofty with earthy, refined with rootsy."

"...one of the finest restaurants in Boston to celebrate a special evening."

"For more than 20 years, Chris Douglass has been humbly cooking beautiful "New American" cuisine ... it's the consistency, passion for ingredients and comfortable dining room we love best."

"Venerable Icarus still flying high at Year 25

"...Icarus ranks consistently at the top of the Zagat ratings, both critical and popular...in no small part due to (chef) Douglass' commitment to local food sources..."

"... a South End legend since 1980."

Best Place to Dine

"In a town where menus often promise more than they can deliver, Icarus stands out with its straightforward, fresh-tasting, thoroughly modern New England cuisine."

"Chef-Owner Chris Douglass has established the country's first restaurant lending library"

"... one of the most distinctive, distinguished and dignified restaurants Phantom has ever visited."

"... one of the finest restaurants in Boston to celebrate a special evening."

"The chef who grew up in this restaurant has hit his stride. His is an intelligent way to approach food -- no foams or wild experiments here, but dishes and flavors with integrity."

"... one of our urban jewels to remember and to visit."

"There are those who have eaten at Icarus more than 100 times during the last 20 years,and say they have never had a reason NOT to go back. Strong praise in an industry so rife with competition ..."

"... comforting food that will carry you back to the beginnings of the Chez Panisse-inspired American food revolution, prepared with first-rate ingredients.