Folio

Folio is a European-inspired bistro inside the historic Boston Athenaeum on Beacon Hill. The menu is built around made-to-order shareable plates, from pão de queijo, focaccia with tahini hummus and empanadas to tuna crudo, octopus carpaccio, lamb kofta and slow-cooked picanha. A curated list of old- and new-world wines and a cocktail program with names like the Velvet Bookmark round it out, with desserts such as a matcha and yuzu mille-feuille.

The setting is warm and a little unexpected, a European-style bistro inside one of Boston’s best-known libraries. Plates mix influences, from a croque monsieur and marinated boquerón anchovies to “Amazonian” duck confit with an açai reduction and branzino with vanilla bean purée. The menu marks which plates are nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free or vegetarian, which makes ordering easier for diners with restrictions.

What to Know

• Folio is part of The Catered Affair Collection, and its gift cards work at any of the group’s locations.
• A chef’s selection bistro board and deviled eggs are offered as starters for sharing.
• The cocktail list includes the Curious George, made with rum, banana and coffee.