Here's a look at the best new and renovated venues in Boston for spring, such as corporate event venues, party rooms, conference centers, restaurants with private rooms, unique venues, and more. These event and meeting spaces can accommodate groups large or small for business dinners, cocktail parties, conferences, and private and corporate events.
2. Barrio Cantina
Über-chef Michael Schlow is known for his groundbreaking restaurants such as Via Matta and Radius. Now, he’s taking a different perspective on traditional Mexican food with his latest location, Barrio Cantina. Located in the Fenway Park neighborhood, Barrio accommodates private events ranging from 12 to 200 people. The menu boasts 80 tequilas, and Barrio offers full audiovisual capabilities with DJ hookups and wireless Internet.
Photo: Dave Baldwin/Thrillist
1. Tavern Road
Chef Louis DiBiccari and his brother Michael opened Tavern Road, a bar and restaurant in Fort Point, earlier this month as a neighborhood spot with a locally sourced menu. Trademark dishes at the 120-person venue include porchetta and spaetzle mac and cheese, along with more unconventional flavors such as goat, rabbit, and striped bass.
Photo: Courtesy of Marlo Marketing
3. 76 Main
Island hoppers looking to host events on Nantucket’s tony Main Street finally have their chance thanks to 76 Main, the highly anticipated boutique hotel set to open in early June. Owned by N magazine publisher and Massachusetts real estate mogul Bruce Percely, 76 Main can host corporate retreats for a maximum of 40 overnight guests. For events, the hotel has an outdoor courtyard and dining room, but it can partner with nearby meeting venues to accommodate larger groups.
Photo: 76 Main
4. Belly Wine Bar
Hotspot Belly Wine Bar has recently expanded its repertoire in order to cater to small events. Belly’s new spring options for festivities include Fondue for Your Crew and the Arm & a Leg: Lamb Jam, a four-course family-style dinner for groups of four to 12.
Photo: Melissa Ostrow
5. Vine Brook Tavern
Located outside Boston in the town of Lexington, the Vine Brook Tavern is a comfortable American restaurant with a kick of European flavor. Groups of 12 or more can convene in several private spaces in the upstairs dining room, complete with a private menu. A spacious bar area serves smaller, semiprivate gatherings. Downstairs in the dining room guests can feast on the restaurant’s popular “Blunch” option: Think fish and chips and lobster rolls next to crispy Challah bread French toast.
Photo: Courtesy of AllHeartPR
6. Boston Center for Adult Education
The Boston Center for Adult Education recently launched a corporate planning program with event space and educational opportunities. With options from stand-up comedy to exotic cooking, it can custom-build teambuilding programs for events.
Photo: Courtesy of Imagine Unlimited Communications
7. The Place
Centrally located in walking distance from Faneuil Hall, the Place, under new owners, has morphed the downtown staple from a booze palace into a polished bar and restaurant redesigned by HGTV host Taniya Nayak. The current capacity of 300 people will expand to 340 this month when an outdoor patio opens. The space has 24 LCD flat-screen TVs, and its revamped menu offers comfort foods like grass-fed beef burgers and brick-oven pizza.
Photo: Eric Levin/Elevin Studio
8. Salon Capri
In addition to his Dedham and Newton locations, Salon Capri owner Nick Penna’s recently opened Newbury Street salon can host gatherings of as many as 60 people. The family-run space, available after-hours, is popular with the city's stylish set.
Photo: Salon Capri
9. The Farmhouse
Farm-to-table is more than a trend; the food movement is a way of life at Needham’s newest restaurant, the Farmhouse. Husband-and-wife team Dora Tavel-Sanchez Luz and chef Gabriel Sanchez bring contemporary American cuisine like fresh farmer’s salads and roasted free-range chicken into a comfortable atmosphere furnished with reclaimed wood from dilapidated farmhouses around New England. Opened in March, the restaurant seats 100 people and offers a 14-seat community table next to the bar for family-style events.
Photo: Courtesy of The Farmhouse
10. Swissbakers
Morning meetings just got a whole lot sweeter thanks to the opening of Swissbakers in Allston. Located near Harvard Business School, the Swiss bakery is known for crunchy breads and sweet treats like choco weggli and can host gatherings of as many as 100. Other popular menu items include a create-your-own-sandwiches lunch option, traditional linzer and leckerli cookies, and caffeinated options such as Swiss-style espressos.
Photo: Courtesy of Swissbakers
