Here's a look at new Boston eateries, bars, hotels, conference spaces, private rooms, and other venues available for events this spring. The new and renovated Boston event spaces are available for corporate parties, weddings, fund-raisers, outdoor functions, business dinners, teambuilding activities, conferences, meetings, and more.
3. Shore Leave
Live on island time at Shore Leave, a subterranean tiki bar and restaurant in the South End that opened in November. The 4,184-square-foot restaurant serves Pacific-inspired cuisine and tiki drinks in a stunning atmosphere, complete with a 90-foot, 37-seat Caesarstone and wood bar with a bamboo front. The entire venue holds about 165 standing guests, with 104 seats. The venue does not have private dining rooms but can accommodate groups of at least 15 guests.
Photo: Brian Samuels Photography
1. American Rhino
American Rhino’s 10,000-square-foot multipurpose retail space opened downtown in Faneuil Hall in November. The first floor retail area, which measures 3,000 square feet, is available for private events, as is the second floor “Rhino Lodge,” a cozy lounge area that features a mix of low and high-top tables, ideal for casual meetings or cocktail parties. The two floors can be used together or separately for cocktail-style events of as many as 180 guests or seated dinners of 100. There’s also a screen and projectors available.
Photo: Courtesy of American Rhino
2. La Cucina
La Cucina opened at Assembly Row in late January. Featuring high ceilings, exposed piping, and a large marble bar, the Italian eatery has several options for private events. A 600-square-foot, private dining room seats 36 or holds 50 guests for a standing cocktail reception. That room can be divided into two spaces, which accommodate 24 and 12 seated guests, respectively. In addition, a 200-square-foot loft is available for semiprivate events of as many as eight seated guests, or 15 for receptions. A highlight is the dessert menu, filled with traditional Italian sweets like semolina cake and panna cotta.
Photo: Courtesy of Marlo Marketing
4. No Relation
Hidden inside Shore Leave is No Relation, a secret sushi restaurant that opened in January. The eatery offers a 14-course Omakase menu in the modern 240-square-foot space, which seats just nine guests.
Photo: Reagan Byrne
5. The Longfellow Bar
Named after architect Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, the Longfellow Bar is tucked inside the beloved Café Algiers building in Harvard Square, above chef Michael Scelfo’s flagship restaurant Alden & Harlow. The two-floor restaurant, which measures 2,200 square feet, opened in January. For receptions, each floor accommodates 50 guests. There’s also a second-floor patio, which measures 200 square feet and accommodates 12 seated guests.
Photo: Nina Gallant
6. Table by Jen Royle
Find family-style dining at Table by Jen Royle in the North End. The 500-square-foot restaurant and private event space, which opened in late January, serves Italian favorites. The venue is available for buyouts and seats 32 guests: 18 at a large table and 14 at a smaller table. For receptions, it can hold 42 guests. The venue also offers audiovisual capabilities.
Photo: Russ Mezikovsky
7. Kamakura
Kamakura opened in November, bringing an authentic taste of its namesake Japanese city to Boston. The 3,600-square-foot restaurant seats 78 guests on its three floors. Opt for an intimate dinner for 16 alongside the chef at the 400-square-foot kaiseki bar on the first floor, or host a more casual event at the 600-square-foot open-air “Kumo” bar and lounge, where a retractable roof opens up to provide a stunning view of Boston’s Custom House Tower for as many as 30 seated guests. The first and second floor dining rooms can be booked together to seat about 50 guests.
Photo: Brian Pu Luiz
8. BKBX
A 9,000-square-foot adventure training center from the team behind Brooklyn Builders, BKBX opened on the ground level of Continuum in mid-January. Activities vary from climbing walls and group fitness classes to a recovery studio and cryotherapy. The 2,000-square-foot studio space can accommodate as many as 24 participants for each class, while the bouldering space holds as many as 100.
Photo: Courtesy of BXBX
9. Bar Mercato
In late February, Bar Mercato opened in the Hyatt Centric Faneuil Hall. Inspired by European food halls and public markets, the culinary melting pot features an 1,800-square-foot space offering everything from charcuterie to mezzes and gourmet fried foods to seafood. A 52-seat dining room features a 40-foot bar with an additional 19 seats. The restaurant, which is available for full buyouts, also has a grab-and-go café counter.
Rendering: Courtesy of Bar Mercato
10. Tony & Elaine’s
Kitsch is back at Tony & Elaine’s, a throwback to mom-and-pop Italian joints of the '60s and ‘70s. The restaurant has the cozy comforts of an old-time spot, like red leather booths and checkered tablecloths, wood paneling, and retro decor. The menu of red sauce classics includes chicken parm, Italian subs, and spaghetti. Spread over two floors, the 50-seat restaurant includes a 26-seat private dining space on the lower level that measures 500 square feet, as well as the 600-square-foot main dining room on the upper floor. The restaurant opened in January.
Photo: Courtesy of Tony & Elaine’s
