Best oysters (indoors)

It's partly the reflective surfaces -- the mirror that runs the whole length of the bar, the detailing on the banquettes and windows, the shiny clock, and the silver platters. And it's partly the hard surfaces and the way noise bounces off them, intensifying the buzz in the room. Then there's the mostly Alsatian wine list, blessed with zesty whites and bracing sparklers whose very purpose seems geared toward the consumption of shellfish. All this combines to make Brasserie Jo the best place in the city to partake of one of New England's finest products: oysters.

Metallic and highly prized Belons from the coast of Maine. Meaty Wellfleets from the Cape. And it's not just New England, either: try the tiny, sweet kumamotos from the West Coast. They come from all over, in all shapes and sizes, and end up on the half-shell at Brasserie Jo. Like the rest of the hearty food at this sprawling Alsatian brasserie, they are best consumed in winter, when the flavor of oysters is at its peak. That's also when nothing can beat a room full of Gallic-bred cheer and good old-fashioned consumption for warming the body and soul.

Brasserie Jo, 120 Huntington Avenue, Boston, (617) 425-3240.