As we ramp up for fall, these are some of the most important new event and meeting venues slated to open (or reopen), with options for everything from cocktail receptions and conferences to business dinners and corporate meetings. Here's a preview of the hotels, restaurants, bars, lounges, and other spaces the city will be buzzing about this season.
1. Sterling's
Sterling's, an upscale bar and restaurant, will open in the financial district in late October. The restaurant and bar will have an open floor plan designed for socializing, accented with 20-foot ceilings, leather booths, and a walnut wood bar. It will be available for buyout for groups of about 85. The menu will feature Mad Men-era classic cocktails and twists on 1960s American cuisine à la chef Travis Talbot (pictured). The space is operated by the Glynn Hospitality Group, which runs several pubs in the city.
Photo: Courtesy of Sterling's
2. Bogie’s Place
Bogie’s Place will open within Downtown Crossing’s JM Curley bar and restaurant this fall. The space is named after Boston’s legendary early-20th-century mayor, James Michael Curley. The windowless, 22-seat space, tucked into the back room of the bar, will focus on steaks. Few details have yet to be released, in keeping with the private-club mystique.
Photo: Courtesy of JM Curley
3. San Marco
Father-and-son duo Fillipo and Philip Frattaroli (pictured) will open the North End’s San Marco in late autumn. The space is available for buyout and can accommodate 130 seated or 160 for cocktail receptions. A private dining room accommodates 25 for dinner or 40 for cocktails; a semiprivate lounge accommodates 20. The menu will focus on rustic Italian cuisine, coupled with charcuterie and a raw bar. The venue will be outfitted with televisions, a projector, and a sound system. Staffers can arrange for flowers and live music.
Photo: Courtesy of San Marco
4. Puritan & Co.
Puritan & Co., with a fresh take on New England cuisine, is slated to open in Cambridge’s Inman Square neighborhood by mid-October. The restaurant, operated by chef Will Gilson (pictured), will be available for buyout. The space can hold 140 for receptions or 100 seated. Additionally, a semiprivate communal table seats 18. A private dining room will be added in the coming months. Signature menu items include stuffed quahogs, baked scallops, and bone marrow gratin. The restaurant has a portable AV projector screen and Wi-Fi. The staff can also arrange for flowers, linens, and live music.
Photo: Casey Photography
5. Unnamed Jason Santos project
Chef Jason Santos, known for his appearances on Hell’s Kitchen and for running the Greenway restaurant Blue Inc., will open a two-story venue in Boston’s theater district in the coming months. The unnamed restaurant will be close to the Wang Center and will highlight Santos’s unique spins on American fare. Santos is also known for his inventive cocktail program at Blue Inc., particularly alcohol-spiked milk shakes.
Photo: Jason Santos
6. Oak Long Bar + Kitchen
Oak Long Bar + Kitchen, a centerpiece of the Fairmont Copley Plaza’s extensive renovation program, was unveiled in July and is now available for semiprivate dinners for as many as 28. The regal Back Bay space was formerly the Oak Room, one of Boston’s most historic venues. Semiprivate dinners are to be held in the restaurant’s St. James section, decorated with red leather director’s chairs and feather-filled dining sofas. It is separated from the restaurant by a glass-and-bronze detailed partition and white granite uplit pillars. Menu signatures include oysters Rockefeller, hand-cut tagliatelle, and Nova Scotia halibut. Custom cocktails can be created for groups.
Photo: Courtesy of Marlo M/C
7. 75 on Liberty Wharf
75 on Liberty Wharf will open this fall. The waterfront restaurant is the latest effort from the team behind Beacon Hill’s cozy neighborhood grill, 75 Chestnut, and the iconic Hampshire House, which is the home of Cheers pub. The kitchen will serve brunch, lunch, and dinner. Expect classics such as lemon chicken, seafood stew, omelets, and lobster rolls.
Photo: Courtesy of 75 Wharf
8. Shojo
Shojo, a brick-walled lounge in Chinatown named for a mythical Japanese monkey-man, soft opened in August and is now available for events. Lunch service begins in September. The stylish venue, adorned with bright murals, is available for buyout and holds 68 seated or 120 for cocktail receptions. Asian-influenced menu items include suckling pig bao with shaved cucumber and housemade kimchi, braised pork short ribs with mustard miso, and duck-fat fries. Staff will coordinate with guests for music and other requests.
Photo: Courtesy of Shojo
9. City Landing
City Landing, close to Boston’s Greenway and the New England Aquarium, is now available for buyout. The waterfront restaurant debuted in late July, replacing the former Sel de la Terre restaurant. It accommodates 165, while a private dining room accommodates 27 seated or 45 for receptions. The private dining room can be turned into a meeting room, seating 12 boardroom-style with a drop-down screen. Signature menu items include mini lobster rolls on Portuguese bread and seasonal mushroom risotto; a full gluten-free menu, as well as themed menus for groups, are available.
Photo: Courtesy of City Landing
10. Asana
Asana, the Mandarin Oriental’s hotel restaurant, recently hired notable chef Rachel Klein to revamp the dining program. The menu now focuses on contemporary American cuisine and changes monthly. The restaurant has a semiprivate area of multiple tables for 40. There is also a chef’s table for 10 seated, which offers personalized menus as well as basic audiovisual equipment, including a projector and a television. Asana’s new signature items include lobster beignets with creamed corn and Chinese sausage with chili aioli and pea tendrils.
Photo: Courtesy of Asana
