To celebrate the end of Restaurant Week 2010, a couple of friends and I went to Rialto, a sophisticated Italian restaurant located in the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square. The restaurant shares its space at the stylish hotel with other attractions such as the famous jazz club Regattabar; the restaurant Henrietta's Table, famous for its organic and local offerings; and Noir, a chic 1940s-themed bar. Entering the Charles Hotel, we immediately sensed an air of elegance that set it apart from the more college-oriented restaurants around Cambridge.

There are several things that separate Rialto from other high-end Italian restaurants. First, while it's definitely ritzy, the environment is much louder and friendlier than you'd expect, and both the bar and the restaurant sections are marked by a good amount of chatter and laughter. Second, the bread is to be eaten on the tablecloth instead of a separate bread plate (a French custom) and is served with olive oil (which was garnished with rosemary) and sea salt. Third, there is an external section of the kitchen placed among the tables, where the chefs can be seen preparing the cold dishes. I watched one chef use a cutter to produce thin slices of prosciutto while preparing Parmesan cheese and pickled beets for one of the appetizers, finishing the plate off with some candied walnuts and placing it on the counter for the servers to carry away.

Besides giving diners a chance to see the chefs at work, the kitchen island also allows servers to pick up non-entrée dishes without walking into the kitchen, saving them valuable time.

During Restaurant Week this year, dinners at all participating restaurants cost $33.10 without tax or gratuity (the total at Rialto came to be around $42 per person) and consisted of three courses. The first course had lighter items such a soup or salad, while the second boasted a selection of five mouth-watering entrées, after which there was a choice of three types of dessert. What I ended up ordering was heirloom bean soup for the first course, arctic char for the second and tangelo citrus sorbet for dessert.

The creamy and richly flavored heirloom bean soup impressed me right away, although I would have preferred the dish to be warmer. The spring onions topped the soup excellently, while the carrots provided a good contrast in texture. My dining partners enjoyed a variety of other light dishes, such as risotto with asparagus and the prosciutto appetizer plate I mentioned seeing the chef prepare.

In between the first and second courses, our waiter refilled our bread and water frequently. Seeing that I was taking notes, he kindly offered to give me a copy of the menu, which was an unexpected but considerate gesture. By the time the entrées arrived, our group of six had already had our bread refilled twice, a testament to the restaurant's delicious bread and prompt service.

The arctic char, which is similar to salmon, was stunning. My friend described it as the best fish he had ever had, and I could hardly argue that the tender meat and salty, oily skin of the char wasn't amazing. The dish was served with pea sauce, pea tendrils, mushrooms and pine nuts, which complemented the fish perfectly in taste and texture. Another friend described his herb-stuffed pork loin with asparagus and polenta as scrumptious.

The desserts, which followed quickly after we finished our second course, varied in richness. Those who ordered the chocolate espresso torta said the cake was extremely rich even without the cream, while my tangelo citrus sorbet was cold, light and refreshing. It tasted like real fruit and went great with the chocolate wafer and sauce.

As an overall experience, Rialto is unbeatable. Our waiter was patient, prompt and very friendly. Before he took our orders, he asked if we had any questions, without being rude in noticing that it was clearly our first time at the place.

He explained to us what risotto (slow cooked rice dish with broth and cheese) and semifreddo (ice cream or gelato) were and gave us a clear idea on how the dishes were prepared and how they would taste. When one of my dining partners had water spilled onto her arctic char, he immediately noticed the situation and offered a re-plate. Her dish was replaced in less than five minutes.

The décor in Rialto gives the restaurant a calm and sophisticated ambience. White curtains and beige circular sofa seats around the tables give the place a classy yet unpretentious feel, while the window walls provide a beautiful view of Harvard Square. The restaurant was seated to a full house on Friday night, accommodating well over 100 sociable and well-dressed customers.

Although Rialto is not the typical choice for a college student, the food and experience is worth the one-time splurge. Make sure to call the restaurant in advance for a reservation, and be prepared for spend upwards of $50 for a many-course dinner.