10 New Venues in Boston for Fall 2021 Meetings and Events

Offering a blend of Japanese flavors and Asian dishes with French and Peruvian elements, Karma Asian Fusion opened in Burlington in April. The 5,500-square-foot venue is available for full and partial buyouts that accommodate as many as 130 guests. A 1,500-square-foot private function space accommodates 40 seated guests, while a 1,000-square-foot patio accommodates 20. Karma also boasts an impressive collection of top-shelf Japanese whiskey.

Located across the street from the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC), the 22-floor Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport opened in September with 1,054 guest rooms and suites. It features approximately 100,000 square feet of flexible meeting space spread throughout 32 spaces. This includes the 25,585-square-foot Ensemble Ballroom, the largest ballroom in the city, which accommodates as many as 2,840 guests in a variety of formations that can also be broken down into smaller rooms. There are also a variety of other event spaces, including the 17,000-square-foot Momentum Ballroom and the 3,000-square-foot Contemporary room, which can accommodate 210 guests for a banquet or 54 in a hollow square formation. In warmer weather, an urban rooftop pool deck on the fifth floor will allow guests to host seasonal events featuring views of the Boston skyline. The Omni Boston Hotel has full audiovisual capabilities.

Located in Watertown’s Arsenal Yards, Buttermilk & Bourbon's second location opened in August. The New Orleans-inspired restaurant, which accommodates a total of 160 seated guests, serves unique spins on comfort food, like honey-glazed biscuits, deep-fried beignets and fried buttermilk chicken. The 3,000-square-foot restaurant is available for full and partial buyouts. In addition to the 50-seat main dining room, there is a 20-seat bar, as well as the 450-square-foot garden room that accommodates 25 seated guests for private events. There will also be seating for as many as 75 guests on the 1,000-square-foot, all-season patio that has a retractable roof.

A two-story, 7,000-square-foot restaurant in Boston’s Back Bay, The Banks Fish House, which opened in July, serves inspired seafood dishes and a fresh take on classic New England fare. The Banks features a variety of private event spaces, including the fully private 42-seat Fireplace Room. Measuring 1,000 square feet, it’s equipped with a state-of-the-art audiovisual system and 70-inch TV. The Wine Room, a 250-square-foot space, accommodates 16 seated guests with views of the working wine room and open kitchen. The City Room, which boasts views of Boston’s historic Trinity Church, accommodates 60 seated guests in the 1,000-square-foot space. It can be conjoined with the 1,000-square-foot Top Shell Bar, which holds 50 standing guests or 30 with high-top table seating.

A modern-day French brasserie, the 6,800-square-foot Coquette opened in September in Boston’s Seaport neighborhood. It features a 124-seat main dining room, 45-seat cafe dining room and a 32-seat bar. The 28-seat private dining room, which measures 600 square feet, features an ornate barrel-vaulted plaster ceiling and oversize purple Murano glass chandeliers. Coquette is available for full buyouts or smaller events in the private dining room and has full audiovisual capabilities.

Located at The Exeter Inn in Exeter, New Hampshire, the 2,000-square-foot Epoch Gastropub reopened in July with a menu of small plates, sandwiches and sweets that showcase seasonal ingredients and local purveyors. The new dining room, which measures 1,166 square feet, is available for full or partial buyouts. The new outdoor space at Epoch, which measures 800 square feet, features seating for as many as 36. There is an additional fire pit section and sprawling lawn, which can be rented and tented for a bigger event. The property also boasts five smaller private dining spaces.

Located on 55,000 square feet of the East Boston waterfront, the 247-square-foot Tall Ship has been transformed into an oyster bar and event space that opened in August. Equipped with three custom mahogany bars, the vessel accommodates 300 standing guests amid uninterrupted views of the city skyline and harbor. Accommodating 900 guests, the renovated Pier One space features repurposed shipping containers with food vendors, a tropical-inspired frozen drink container, retail hut and stage for live shows. The expansive turf area offers a variety of seating, lawn games and lounge areas. The Tall Ship has full audiovisual capabilities.

A stylish, industrial rooftop bar, Blue Owl opened in September atop 907 Main, a boutique hotel located in Cambridge’s bustling Central Square. Serving globally inspired meals and creative cocktails, the 935-square-foot interior and 735-square-foot outdoor terrace can accommodate a total of 150 guests. The terrace is also available on its own, accommodating 40 seated guests. Blue Owl has full audiovisual capabilities.

A flexible event space that’s part of the newly opened Charles River Speedway complex in Brighton, GARAGE B opened in July. A spacious event venue, it features an open floor plan, richly textured concrete walls and high ceilings with exposed steel roof trusses. The 3,300-square-foot interior opens up to an additional 1,700-square-foot landscaped outdoor space that can be tented and integrated into an event. Fully equipped with an audiovisual system that includes Bluetooth, aux plug in and microphone plug-ins, GARAGE B accommodates as many as 240 standing guests or 160 seated.

Located inside the famed Charles Hotel in Cambridge’s Harvard Square, Bar Enza is a neo-trattoria that opened in late September. The 1,100-square-foot Italian restaurant accommodates as many as 200 seated guests. A larger private dining room, which measures 840 square feet, accommodates 40 seated guests, while the 320-square-foot smaller private dining room, which has full audiovisual capabilities, welcomes 16 seated guests. There is also a 500-square-foot patio that accommodates 30 seated guests.