1. The formerly industrial area along the Fort Point Channel has morphed into a hip dining and drinking spot, and in October 2008, chef/restaurateur Barbara Lynch (of No. 9 Park) opened two of the nabe’s most talked-about venues. Sportello puts a sleek, modern spin on the classic lunch-counter concept, with stools lined up along a serpentine white Corian countertop where guests sample handmade pastas and freshly baked pastries. The 45-seat restaurant is available for buyouts.
2. Beneath Sportello is Drink, a speakeasy-style lounge that serves classic cocktails and holds 60 for events. The former wool warehouse has a red brick wall behind a three-sided blond wood bar, and simple pendant lights amid exposed pipes.
3. Just across the channel, the Intercontinental Boston hotel, open since 2006, has introduced another hip watering hole. The Miel Terrace Wine Bar, which opened in May adjacent to the hotel’s Miel Brasserie Provençale restaurant, offers 30 outdoor seats directly on the waterfront. The bar, illuminated by hurricane candles on the floor, is open from May to September.
4. Another harbor-view hotel, the Fairmont Battery Wharf opened in December 2008. The 170-room hotel features nine meeting rooms, including the 150-seat Constitution Ballroom, a 12-seat boardroom, and an adjacent skylit pavilion that holds 50.
5. For many guests, the Fairmont’s most enticing option is Sensing, a restaurant from three-Michelin-starred chef Guy Martin, who serves internationally inspired dishes like duck foie gras terrine and monkfish tandoori. The 1,481-square-foot restaurant seats 75 on green leather banquettes and blond wood chairs, while a lounge can be combined with the lobby to seat 60 and a waterfront patio seats 40.
6. For waterfront events of a different kind, the New England Aquarium debuted the Marine Mammal Center in July. The $10 million addition, which houses five rare fur seals, includes a tented harbor-front terrace that seats 225 or holds 500 and is open from July to October.
