Village Inn

Amenities

Dining

El Toro Bravo

Hand-painted Mexican murals adorn the wall, and Mexican music plays at this festive restaurant. But the best thing about El Toro Bravo – and the reason customers line up to wait for a booth on busy nights – is the genuine Mexican food. Everything from the chips and salsa to the entrees is expertly prepared on the premises. For starters, try the cheesy Cueso Fundido, flavored with sausage and jalapenos. Reasonably priced dinner specials are excellent. Try the Polo a la Parrilla (two chicken breasts with rice, bean and tortillas) or fajitas. You can also order ala carte items like tamales and burritos./ 50 West St - Phone: (410) 267-5949.

Lotsa Pasta

Mediterranean blue Amalfi coast scenes brighten white stucco walls of this Italian bistro. The 14 tables extend the color scheme with cobalt-blue bread plates atop white linen. All dishes are prepared from fresh ingredients. Choose from pizza, zuppa, antipasti, pastas and chef’s specials./ 36 West St - Phone: (410) 267-9950.

Buddy's Crabs & Ribs

This sprawling restaurant overlooking the waterfront and Main Street bustles with non-stop action with a busy all-you-can-eat buffet, big-screen TVs that always seem to be on and a plethora of families with children. Air ducts are painted bright red; the walls, yellow, green and blue, giving the place a carnival-like feel. Buddy’s specializes in crabs and baby-back ribs and has an extensive children’s menu. (Kids under 10 eat free.) 100 Main Street - Phone: (410) 269-1800.

John Barry Restaurant and Bar

With its dark woods and Oriental rug offset by gleaming chandeliers and tables set with crystal and china, this restaurant in the Irish-owned hotel exudes elegance. It’s formal but not stuffy, and the excellent meals certainly beat the typical hotel restaurant fare. Start with the Irish seafood chowder and perhaps the salad with smoked salmon served on a bed of fresh leaves with lemon and a traditional Irish soda bread. Entrees include beef Wellington, succulent steaks and a seafood extravaganza with pan-roasted Mahi-Mahi, scallops, shrimp and mussels flamed in white wine and finished with wilted spinach and roasted tomatoes./ 174 West Street - Phone: (410) 263-7700.

Yin Yankee Café

The sushi and the dining room are works of art at this popular Main Street café. Inverted Oriental parasols hang from the ceiling, and colorful dragon masks decorate walls painted in sunrise shades of orange and gold. The eclectic menu blends Eastern and Western cooking styles with impressive results. Sample the exquisite sushi, then choose among the innovative entrees like fish roasted in curry and wrapped in banana leaves; smoked duck with scallion shitakes, crispy beans and coconut rice; or bouillabaisse with clams, mussels, shrimp and Chinese noodles in tangy, tomato-coconut broth./105 Main Street - Phone: (410) 268-8703.