1293 Washington St.
Newton, MA 02465
617-244-9199
Most folks who have visited Lumière since its opening in 1999 will tell you that the name says it all. French for “light”, restaurant Lumière lends just that to the West Newton dining scene-it’s a shining beacon of a bistro serving up some of the area’s most highly regarded modern French cuisine.
The name Lumière also refers to the original cinemas of France, a nod to the restaurant’s location just across from West Newton’s popular art-film house. If you plan to sample chef-owner Michael Leviton’s award-winning dishes before or after a show, reserve early. The cozy 65-seat restaurant has made such a name for itself, tables fill up quickly.
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A Newton native, Chef Michael Leviton learned his first cooking basics from his mother Roberta, a noted chef, and author of the now classic Jewish Low-Cholesterol Cookbook. He honed his skills during college at Wesleyan University, where he impressed his fellow students by cooking elaborate, multi-course meals on a single burner in his dorm room.
After graduation, armed with a degree in psychology, Leviton headed out into the world to learn his craft. And learn he did. His experience working with many of today's most celebrated chefs covers both coasts - with San Francisco mainstays like Joyce Goldstein at Square One, Alain Rondelli at Ernie's, Elka Gilmore at Liberte and at Elka restaurant in the Miyako Hotel, as well as East Coast heavyweights Daniel Boulud at New York's Le Cirque, and Francois Payard and Eric Ripert at Le Bernadin.
Returning to the Boston area, Leviton was Executive Chef at Up Stairs at the Pudding until in February 1999 he opened Lumière, an upscale French bistro in West Newton. With its menu of simple, seasonal dishes created from locally and sustainably raised and harvested ingredients, Lumière has received numerous accolades - Best New Restaurant to open in 1999, Bon Appetit; Best New Restaurant and Best New Chef, Boston Magazine, 1999; Gourmet magazine's Best Restaurant in America, 2002; The Saveur 100, 2002; a mention in Alan Richman's Perfect Meal Column in GQ, 2002; Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRoNA) Awards in 2005, 2006 and 2007; and Best of Boston Awards from Boston Magazine in 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006.
In 2008, Leviton, who was named one of the Best New Chefs in America for 2000 by Food & Wine and is a regular contender for the James Beard Best Chef: Northeast Award, opened his second restaurant, Persephone at the Achilles Project in Fort Point Channel. Housed in a striking Summer Street storefront, Persephone features Leviton's award-winning cuisine on seasonally-inspired menu of small to mid-sized plates made with local, sustainable ingredients.
