Take the lid off events in Boston with a rooftop reception. The famously picturesque city offers a wide selection of rooftop venues that make the most of harbor, river and skyline views.
The third floor of Legal Harborside (www.legalseafoods.com) features a year-round promenade deck with harbor and city views. The bar and lounge boasts retractable glass walls and roof, as well as a copper-plated fireplace guaranteed to keep the space pleasant in all weather. Two adjacent patio decks are the place to be when it’s nice out. Groups as large as 225 can rent out the entire floor, and smaller groups can select one patio or the bar and lounge. Legal is a venerable restaurant chain famous for its seafood. For banquets, the private dining room seats 50, and the main dining room is suitable for 150.
Groups as large as 100 can make the scene on the roof deck at Splash Ultra Lounge & Burger Bar (www.splash-boston.com). Inspired by the trendy nightlife of Miami and Las Vegas, the hip, water-themed watering hole offers seven cabanas perfect for after-hours mingling. Along with the full bar and top-notch pool tables, Splash serves up gourmet burgers—including Kobe burgers and lobster burgers—all with a skyline view amid fountains and surround-sound DJ music. Splash is located in the Leather District between Chinatown and the Financial District.
The fourth-floor loft and open-air roof deck at Jillian’s/Lucky Strike (www.jilliansboston.com) lets groups as large as 50 gaze into downtown while sipping beer and nibbling top-notch bar fare. The loft is furnished with couches perfect for a relaxing mixer after a long day of presentations. The space is part of a 70,000-square-foot entertainment complex with 35 billiards tables and 16 lanes of bowling. Altogether, the facility can host gatherings as large as 2,000.
Atop historic Beacon Hill, the two-level roof deck of the elegant XV Beacon Hotel (www.xvbeacon.com) can host as many as 70 for intimate receptions. Guests enjoy stunning views of Boston’s skyline from the 11th and 12th floors. The 63-room Beaux Arts boutique property is also home to Mooo restaurant, a modern steakhouse.
