Here's a look at the best new Boston restaurants, corporate event venues, hotels, conference centers, and private and party rooms to open this spring. These new and renovated Boston venues can accommodate groups large or small for private and corporate events, conferences, meetings, weddings, business dinners, teambuilding activities, cocktail parties, and more.
Paying homage to Harvard alumnus President John F. Kennedy is the Harvard Square gastropub Kennedy’s on the Square. Nostalgic decor includes photos of the Kennedy era. The venue seats 94 guests at tables and red leather booths or offers a 12-seat private dining room called the Vault.
The Hyatt Regency Cambridge is undergoing a $3.5 million renovation of its meeting rooms and lobby. When finished later in the spring, the 25,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space will include the refurbished President’s Ballroom, a 7,000-square-foot space that will seat 640 guests or hold 1,000 for receptions. It will also have a 1,300-square-foot prefunction area. On the 16th floor, the Charles View Ballroom will be a 2,900-square-foot space that will offer views of Boston and the Charles River through floor-to-ceiling windows. The room will seat 220 for banquets or hold 400 for receptions.
Tony C’s Sports Bar & Grill, an 11,000-square-foot baseball-theme restaurant, opened in December at Assembly Row in Somerville. Sports fans can watch games on a four-sided Jumbotron display that incorporates multiple screens; the entire venue has 90 televisions throughout. For a more intimate experience, a dining area on an elevated platform can be sectioned off from the bar using sliding glass doors. It seats 60 or holds 100 for receptions. The entire venue seats 337 guests indoors, while the seasonal patio overlooking the Mystic River seats 184.
Located in Ipswich on Boston’s North Shore, Privateer Rum Distillery recently expanded its production facility from 7,500 square feet to 18,000 square feet. One notable feature of the distillery is its a fully functioning stern bar modeled after the U.S.S. Constitution. For events, the space holds 65 and allows outside catering as well as DJs.
The Spirit of Boston is undergoing a $2.5 million transformation expected to finish in April. The redesigned vessel, which has 9,900 square feet of event space, will feature contemporary furniture, an outdoor bar, remodeled interior bars, and new dance floors. The dining and cocktail menus will also be updated. The ship holds about 600, while private decks can accommodate groups of as many as 350. Semiprivate space is available for smaller groups.
The Moody Street staple Tempo is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month with a renovation and the addition of new 32-seat private dining room. Chef and owner Nathan Sigel will customize lunch or dinner menus for events in the space with options such as pan-seared New Bedford sea scallops and grilled Maine Family Farms natural pork chops. For planners dealing with food restrictions, Tempo also can create gluten-free menus.
Pyara Aveda Spa & Salon moved from its Harvard Square location to another spot in Cambridge late last year. The 7,500-square-foot space (3,500 square feet for the spa, 4,000 square feet for the salon) features a sleek, modern waiting area upstairs, with a smaller lounge downstairs. The spa accepts group bookings for service or is available for buyouts for private events in the evening and holds 50 people.
The beloved Inman Square bar Bukowski Tavern reopened in January after a six-month renovation. Taken over by chef Brian Poe of Poe’s Kitchen at the Rattlesnake and the Tip Tap Room, the tavern now features 1,200 square feet of space, including a dining room that seats 84 guests and a stainless steel bar with seating for 15. Classic cocktails accompany 36 draft lines, as well as 100 beers available by the can and bottle.
The Endurance Pilates and Yoga Studio opened in January in the South End. The 1,200-square-foot space is divided into two floors for classes and is available for private events on weekends and occasional weekday evenings for as many as 25 people.
Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill, part of the Northshore Mall in Peabody, is slated to open in the spring. The 7,500-square-foot eatery is part of a casual dining chain known for its barbecue ribs, burgers, and sandwiches and will be available for private events. The 256-seat restaurant also will have a seasonal 32-seat patio area.
