Restaurants
Go to the roof for airy slopes and refreshing cocktails.
Roof top bar at The Envoy Hotel. Handout
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10 Places to Order Frozen To-Go Cocktails This Summer
We may not be able to travel very far due to the pandemic, but stays are still an option. One way to channel the holiday mood: go to the nearest rooftop bar or restaurant and enjoy the view of the harbor or the sparkling cityscape with a cocktail in hand.
These rooftop bars and restaurants are still open, with many having changed their rules and regulations to ensure a safe and hygienic environment. Some require reservations, others allow walk-ins, but all offer temporary respite as we get used to a more secluded summer.
Coppersmith in South Boston.
Coppersmith
Make your way to the upper deck of this popular Southie eatery, where widely spaced tables and hanging lamps make for a dreamy gathering place. The weekend brunch features Shakshuka, French toast, and egg sandwiches, while the drinks menu includes cold beer, wine, and cocktails. Coppersmith also offers take-away cocktails in the form of Capri Suns for adults, which have a new flavor every week. Reservations are recommended and can be made on OpenTable. (40 W. Third Street, Boston)
Cunard tavern
Located in the Jeffries Point neighborhood of East Boston, the Cunard Tavern has added sidewalk seating to its outdoor seating. But if you’re looking for a rooftop breeze, make your way to the upper deck bar, where you can enjoy bacon-wrapped dates, oysters and fish tacos, and beer, wine, and cocktails. When you’re enjoying your drinks, you can order a few to take away – the Cunard Tavern offers take away cocktails like a honeydew melon martini and a frozen flavored paloma. Reservations are required (each reservation has a 90 minute limit) and parties are limited to six people. (Orleans St. 24, Boston)
Daedulus
Find your way to the rooftop terrace of this Harvard Square restaurant, where the lights twinkle at night and plenty of parasols provide shade on sunny days. Open for lunch and dinner, the restaurant serves burgers, fish and chips, tacos, and quinoa bowls, while cocktails range from Moscow Mules to a Daedalus Smash. Reservations through OpenTable are strongly recommended. (45 1/2 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge)
Deck 12 in the Yotel
Deck 12, formerly known as the Sky Lounge, overlooks the harbor from Yotel’s roof terrace, where you will find plenty of comfortable seating and an extensive menu of food and drinks. Caribbean nachos, bifteki, fried chicken sandwiches and Mexican chocolate bread pudding are available as well as sparkling wine, beer and cocktails like the Deck 12 Spritz. Reserve by phone at 617-377-4747 or by email [email protected]. (65 Seaport Boulevard, Boston)
Dorchester Brewing Co.
After a massive renovation last year, Dorchester Brewing Co. was born with a phenomenal rooftop terrace. Not only can diners enjoy a solid beer selection, but M&M BBQ, the brewery’s in-house restaurant, offers really first-class barbecue. The move: Combine a light beer lager with a plate of ribs and coleslaw. Dorchester Brewing recommends reservations, but also accepts walk-in guests. (1250 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston)
Felipes Taqueria
In the mood for Mexican food? Visit Felipe’s in Harvard Square for tacos, quesadillas, burritos and churros on the rooftop restaurant. Combine your meal with a frosty margarita or a refreshing horchata. Felipe’s doesn’t take reservations so you may have to wait in line for a while. (21 Brattle Street, Cambridge)
Legal port side.
Legal port side
The promenade deck on the Legal’s third floor has a retractable roof and walls that provide an airy, sun-drenched space to sip wine with a view of the harbor. The menu on the top floor is a bit more concise and consists of shared plates and a separate sushi menu, but the drinks menu offers 27 wines by the glass, as well as cocktails and punch mugs. Toilet stations are available throughout the three-story restaurant and reservations are strongly recommended. (270 Northern Avenue, Boston)
Lookout tower on the roof
The Envoy Hotel’s rooftop bar is a great place to enjoy the waterfront views with friends or on a date. Open for lunch and dinner, the Lookout serves classic bar fare – think burgers, truffle and parmesan fries, and chicken legs – alongside a succinct cocktail, beer, and wine menu. Watch the sunset with a glass of wine? Sounds like a solid Friday night. Reservations are currently required and can be made here. (70 Sleeper Street, Boston)
Pier 6
Charlestown Pier 6 has a waterfront rooftop deck where you can enjoy shrimp cocktails and lobster rolls as you watch the boats roll across the harbor. Local craft beers are on tap, along with wine, frozen cocktails, and preparations like the Percy Fawcett, made with tequila, jalapeño, lemon, bittersweet, and agave. Reservations are strongly recommended and have a maximum sitting time of 1.5 to 2 hours. (1 8th Street, Boston)
[email protected]
Overlooking downtown Boston, this hotel lounge is one of the largest rooftop bars in the city, spanning over 16,000 square feet. Take a seat at the high tables, comfortable sofas or lounge chairs in the bar and enjoy a bourbon-based Saratoga cocktail or a Secret Garden enriched with vodka. For dining, the bar offers snacks such as guacamole and fries and chicken legs, as well as larger dishes such as lobster rolls and rock steaks. Reservations are required and can be made on OpenTable. (200 Stuart Street, Boston)
Guests enjoy the sunset in the Six West restaurant on the roof of the Cambria Hotel.
Six west
This relatively new rooftop bar at the Cambria Hotel Boston debuted in South Boston in October and has stunning city views and, if you’re lucky, a panoramic sunset. While the menu is currently reduced as the hotel is bringing staff back, there are still small plates of homemade meatballs, eggplant croquettes, and truffled chicken nuggets, as well as larger entrees like Bolognese and carbonara. For drinking, a sixpresso on the rocks with coffee liqueur and cold brew ensures the right amount of caffeine. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made on Resy and are limited to two hours. (6 W. Broadway, Boston)
The Boston Colonnade
If you go to the top of the colonnade you will likely be using their pool. (And rightly so! It’s a good one.) But once you’re there, head to the Colonnade’s rooftop bar for strawberry margaritas, mocha mud slides, white and red sangrias, and aperol syringes. Hungry? The kitchen also offers a poolside menu that includes turkey wraps, Caesar salad, chicken tenders, and oysters. Hotel members have free access to the rooftop bar and pool, but non-members must pay $ 45 and reserve 48 hours in advance at 617-425-3408. (120 Huntington Avenue, Boston)
Trillium Fort Point
Trillium’s Seaport branch has a small but neat rooftop terrace perfect for people-watching while you enjoy a permutation of 16, a canal load, and everything else they have in store for the day. The Eastern Standard pretzel is a solid snack and comes with Bavarian mustard and warm beer cheese. Reservations are required and can be made from 9:00 a.m. on Resy Day. The maximum party size is six people and guests must limit their attendance to 90 minutes. (50 Thomson Square, Boston)
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