Here's a look at the best new Boston restaurants, hotels, party rooms, corporate event venues, conference centers, and private rooms to open this winter. These new and renovated Boston venues can accommodate groups large or small for private and corporate events, meetings, business dinners, cocktail parties, conferences, weddings, and more.
The team behind the acclaimed Island Creek Oyster Bar has opened Row 34, a seafood-focused restaurant with a New England-inspired menu. The recently opened Fort Point hot spot is an architectural wonder, featuring a walk-in steel-and-glass beer cooler designed to look original to the 100-year-old space. But those beers aren’t just for show. With 24 draft lines, a rotating cask, and a substantial bottle cellar, the restaurant is ideal for anyone looking to experience the American craft beer industry. A 1,050-square-foot private dining room known as the “Cooler Room” fits 45 guests.
A London-based brand known for gourmet chocolate stores, Hotel Chocolat is jumping into the café game with the Cocoa Bar-Café on Newbury Street. An intimate space for 16 guests, the café will double in size from March through November, when the weather will permit alfresco dining. For a full buyout, 40 guests can nibble on a variety of chocolate-based treats as well as sandwiches. The café also offers the option of hosting private tastings. It opened in December.
Help guests keep their New Year's resolutions with the healthier options at Farm and Fable. At the new South End shop and 650-square-foot cooking facility, as many as 40 guests can participate in cooking classes and demos in a casual atmosphere. The upper level is packed with vintage cookbooks and high-end cookware sourced from area markets, while the lower level is a teaching kitchen where guest chefs can lead teambuilding sessions.
Known as one of Boston’s more luxe locations, L’Espalier’s salon is now open for private events. Centrally located on Boylston Street in Back Bay, the famed restaurant accommodates groups of as many as 25 in its salon for seated dinners or receptions.
Named for the neighboring voting precinct, Ward 8 Restaurant and Bar opened in late December in Boston’s Italian North End. Classic cocktails are served at the four-sided bar, which seats 32. Guests can feast on chili duck wings and crispy pork tacos in the 75-person dining room among exposed brick walls and white subway tiles. While there are no private rooms, the 2,500-square-foot restaurant is available for semiprivate functions and full buyouts.
Located in a freshly renovated two-floor 15,000-square-foot building in South Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood, the Club by George Foreman III provides private groups of as many as 100 people with boxing-theme luxury fitness experiences. The club offers additional athletic experiences, like boxing-inspired Pilates and spinning, as well as an on-site juice and coffee bar for post-workout refreshments. A sauna, a steam room, and showers round out the amenities.
The trend of gathering for painting parties boomed in 2013, and now Somerville’s jumping into the mix. Paint Nite Somerville, set to open mid-February, will be a 1,500-square-foot event space inside an industrial-style building with oversize windows and hardwood floors. Guests get their own canvas and supplies, as well as wine and beer, and spend a two-hour block guided by a "master artist." The facility holds 50 people for events such as fund-raisers and corporate parties.
The cult of CrossFit has never been stronger. Meeting the need for exercise-related teambuilding activities, Coolidge Corner CrossFit is a 4,100-square-foot space where groups can experience a variety of physical activities. Despite CrossFit's rigorous reputation, nobody has to be a seasoned yogi or triathlete to step foot in the door. The Brookline outpost, which fits 100 and is available for rental, opened its doors in mid-January and features everything from the latest equipment and newly designed changing rooms to a Reebok retail store and free parking for members during class time.
The South End speakeasy Wink & Nod scored its coquettish name from the secret gestures that would gain you entrance into a Prohibition-era hangout. In the space formerly known as Noche, the soon-to-open bar promises handcrafted cocktails in a woodsy, red leather atmosphere that will include a bar and a spacious lounge area with plush couches and chandeliers. Small plates will be paired with classic spirits at the secretive lair. The 3,500-square-foot space will be available for full and partial buyouts of crowds of as many as 173.
Located in the heart of Harvard Square, Alden & Harlow serves thoughtfully sourced American food by popular Boston chef Michael Scelfo, previously known as the friendly face behind the Russell House Tavern. Now the owner of his own space, Scelfo created a warm, inviting venue. The 5400-square-foot restaurant does not have private dining rooms, but is willing to work with customers looking to host private events.
