Restaurants
Go to the roof for airy slopes and refreshing cocktails.
Roof top bar at The Envoy Hotel. Handout
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These beer gardens in the Boston area are now open for the season
It is wonderful to have drinks on a terrace on the sidewalk, but sip sangria while enjoying the sunset from 10 floors up? We will choose the latter, thank you.
Boston may not be a rooftop dining and drinking hub, but the city offers some excellent options, be it at a seaport hotel or at a waterfront restaurant in Charlestown. Below, we’ve compiled a list of rooftop bars and restaurants in the Boston area that are great for an al fresco getaway.
Coppersmith. – 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. Are you going with a group? Order margaritas and sangria in the pitcher that serves up to six people. (40 W. Third Street, Boston)
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. Note: The rooftop terrace is only open Thursday through Sunday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Orleans St. 24, Boston)
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. The restaurant is only open for dinner and serves burgers, fish and chips, pasta, and quinoa bowls, while cocktails range from Moscow Mules to Mai Tais. (45 1/2 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge)
Deck 12, formerly known as the Sky Lounge, overlooks the harbor from Yotel’s rooftop, where you’ll find plenty of comfortable seating and an internationally influenced food and drink menu. On weekends, guests flock here for brunch (think quiche, carne asada hash, and shakshuka), while evening gatherings attract dates and groups looking for beer, wine, and cocktails – the slush du jour provides a cool drink a hot summer day. (65 Seaport Boulevard, Boston)
Tom Bellotti, left, and Matt Hedges enjoy beer while sitting on the roof terrace of the Dorchester Brewing Company.
After a major renovation in 2019, Dorchester Brewing Co. was created 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 Galaxy Lights IPA with a plate of ribs and a side of coleslaw. (1250 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston)
Fancy some Mexican food outdoors? Make your way to 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. – Chip Nestor / The Boston Globe
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 top-floor menu is more succinct, including plates to share, sushi, and sashimi, but the drinks menu features dozens of wines by the glass, as well as cocktails and pitchers of punch. (270 Northern Avenue, Boston)
The Envoy Hotel’s rooftop bar is a great place to enjoy the waterfront views with friends or on a date. Open for brunch, lunch, and dinner, the Lookout serves classic bar fare – think burgers, truffle-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. (70 Sleeper Street, Boston)
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 concoctions like the Pier 6 Sunset, made with bourbon, vermouth, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and ginger beer. (1 8th Street, Boston)
A rooftop in the North End? We will take it. Downstairs, Ristorante Fiore consists of white tablecloths and carefully folded napkins, while upstairs a rooftop terrace provides a more casual atmosphere for rolling homemade spaghetti and a sip of wine. (250 Hannover Str., Boston)
This hotel lounge, overlooking downtown Boston, is one of the largest rooftop bars in the city, spanning over 16,000 square meters. 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. Finish with churros for dessert. (200 Stuart Street, Boston)
Sam Adams Boston Taproom. – Sam Adams
Sam Adams’ newest taproom is near Faneuil Hall in a much more touristy location than its original Jamaica Plain location. Escape the crowds by heading to the rooftop terrace, which overlooks a statue of the brewery’s namesake. Seats are first come, first served. (60 State Street, Boston)
This rooftop bar at the Cambria Hotel Boston in Southie has stunning city views and, if you’re lucky, a panoramic sunset. The menu is open for brunch, lunch and dinner and offers classic dishes such as steak fries, pizza and French toast, as well as shared plates of fried calamari, tuna tartare and baked goat cheese dip. A sixpresso martini with coffee liqueur and cold brew ensures the right amount of caffeine to drink. (6 W. Broadway, Boston)
Bar in the colonnade. – The colonnade hotel
If you go up on The Colonnade’s rooftop, you’re probably using the hotel’s pool. (And rightly so! It’s a good one.) But while you’re there, head to The Colonnade’s rooftop bar for spicy strawberry margaritas, mocha mud slides, and red and white sangrias. Hungry? The kitchen also offers a poolside menu that includes turkey wraps, burgers, chicken tenders, and oysters. Hotel members have free access to the rooftop bar and pool, but non-members must pay $ 50 and reserve 48 hours in advance at 617-425-3408. (120 Huntington Avenue, Boston)
Located in the newly developed Cambridge Crossing complex in East Cambridge, The Lexington is home to one of the neighborhood’s rare rooftop terraces with seasonal outdoor seating overlooking The Common. After you’ve got yourself a seat, we strongly recommend that you dig into the onion dip and potato waffle chips, seared scallops, and beer-battered fish tacos. Combine with The CX Common, made from gin, cucumber, mint and dry vermouth. (100 N. First St., Cambridge)
Trillium’s Seaport branch has a small but lovely rooftop terrace perfect for people-watching while you enjoy the brewery’s rotating selection. For snacking, Trillium makes a mean roast chicken sandwich as well as smashed fingerling potatoes, grain shells and tuna poke. (50 Thomson Square, Boston)
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