Côte Salisbury

You'll find yourself on one of Salisbury's best-connected squares, walking into warm lighting and the kind of buzz that suggests people know what they're doing here. Côte does the French brasserie thing without pretension—think classic bistro fare executed with real care. The steak frites are the obvious draw, but the duck confit punches well above its weight, and if you time it right, you'll catch the golden hour light hitting the dining room. It's not trying to reinvent anything; it's just doing the fundamentals properly, which in Salisbury, where decent French food isn't exactly thick on the ground, feels rather refreshing.