Best of 2011: Boston's 10 Most Notable New Event Venues

Glamorous pan-Asian restaurant and lounge Red Lantern opened in June. The Buddha-studded restaurant, with birdcage lanterns dangling from 22-foot ceilings, holds 225 for seated functions and 275 for cocktail receptions. A private dining room, complete with a 40-inch flat-screen TV for video plus a sound system and microphones, accommodates 40 seated and 50 standing. The restaurant also has a semiprivate raised area that holds 100 standing and 70 seated. It is available for daytime buyout and in the evening with restrictions. Signature menu items include wood-fired steaks, sushi rolls, dumplings, and wok dishes.

Catalyst, a restaurant and meeting area that debuted in tech-centric Kendall Square in September, offers modern American cuisine in several boardroom-style spaces designed for groups. The Crick, Franklin, and Watson rooms, along with the foyer, each accommodate 100 guests seated at round tables. Each room offers opaque glass sliding walls, which are soundproof, plus flat-screen TVs obscured by wooden panels. The dining rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing for natural light. A heated patio can host cocktail receptions.

Celebrity chef Jody Adams opened Trade at Atlantic Wharf in late October. The waterfront restaurant is available for buyout and can host groups of 170 for a seated party and 250 for cocktails. A glass-walled private dining room seats 32 or holds 45 for a reception. The globally inspired menu highlights specialties from chef Adams’s African and European travels while incorporating local ingredients. Options include fluke ceviche with kaffir lime salt, pomegranate-glazed eggplant, and Wellfleet clam chowder with crisp pancetta. The restaurant is Wi-Fi accessible. Flowers may be brought in from outside vendors.

The Hawthorne, a cocktail lounge from the owners of Eastern Standard and Island Creek Oyster Bar, opened in November after much anticipation. Decorated with 50 pieces of artwork and meant to channel a sleek, urban residence, the space has a back room with its own mixology bar that can host events for 30. Smaller, semiprivate areas can host gatherings for groups of two, five, and 15. Menu items include deviled eggs, soft pretzels with bourbon mustard, and Reuben toast. For the beverage list, mixologist and proprietor Jackson Cannon created specials such as the Belle de Jour, made with pink cognac, benedictine, pomegranate, and champagne.

The well-respected nightlife team behind Royale launched Guilt nightclub in June. The 5,000-square-foot venue is beneath Royale, offering a more intimate space. The 409-capacity club is available for semiprivate events every evening and for buyout on Fridays and Saturdays. The space has four HDTV screens, a retractable screen with a projector, greenrooms, and two full bars. Two V.I.P. areas are offset by wrought-iron railings. Burgundy walls, golden sofas, and mirror-studded walls create an Old Hollywood feel. The well-known address was formerly JukeBox, one of Boston’s longest-running clubs.

Descent, a crimson-walled, modernistic lounge located beneath the theater district’s W Hotel, opened in November. The subterranean space is available for buyout. It’s anchored by a 40-foot-long bar with cherry red bar stools, coupled with a red glass-encased DJ booth. The lounge can accommodate 100 for a cocktail reception or 40 seated at banquettes. Specialty cocktails include the Red Light Caipirinha and a chocolate Manhattan made with mole bitters.

Forum opened its floor-to-ceiling glass doors in July on Boylston Street in the Back Bay. Available for buyout, the splashy dual-floor restaurant accommodates 320 guests. On the second floor, a private dining room that can accommodate 30 has a dedicated bar and audiovisual equipment. A semiprivate dining room with two six-top tables is also available. On the first floor, a 45-seat bar, lined with HD televisions, is available for buyout, as is a 10-person table in the back. Custom menus are available. Forum is known for its cocktail list, which has a craft selection with house-made infusions and handpicked herbs.

Available for buyout, Corbu Spa & Salon opened in September in Cambridge’s Charles Hotel, near Harvard Square. Its “farm-to-spa” treatments are inspired by menu items at the hotel’s restaurants, Henrietta’s Table and Rialto, and were developed with help from the chefs. Therapies such as massages and body scrubs incorporate fresh ingredients plucked from the hotel’s gardens and nearby farmers' markets. Spa concierges can customize events and packages based on client requests. The venue is 4,000 square feet, with seven treatment rooms and a fully equipped salon, and technicians can conduct seven services at a time.

Boston’s Ritz-Carlton, overlooking Boston Common, is undergoing renovations that include a refreshed lobby and a new brasserie, called Artisan Bistro. Avery Bar, the first step in that renovation, opened in July. The bar is illuminated by chandeliers, while Himalayan rugs dot the marble floor. The space seats 67 and accommodates 75 for cocktails. An alcove can seat 12 or hold 25 standing, and drawn curtains create a private feel. Another alcove has seating for six, with views of the bar area. An extensive cheese collection complements a list of specialty martinis and classic cocktails. The space is outfitted for Wi-Fi, and the hotel’s concierge team will take care of requests for music and flowers.

The Salty Pig, a casual charcuterie and cheese bar, opened in June across from the Back Bay T stop. A recovered wooden bar seats 14 with chairs produced from recycled material, including one fashioned from recycled Coca-Cola bottles. The menu spotlights a range of mix-and-match cured meats and cheeses, plus flatbread pizzas. The bar program concentrates on local draft and bottled beers, incorporating local New England brews. Buyouts are available for 65 inside and 50 in the courtyard.