Where to have a dinner party in Boston?

July 5, 2007 6:53 AM

I need recommendations for a nice-but-not-uppity restaurant in Boston, Brookline or Cambridge. We have a group of 20-30 people, mostly academics and physicians, and we need a private room for a few hours on a weeknight in July or early August.

We prefer American or European cuisine. Seafood is fine, too, but not sushi. We'll be coming from Longwood so proximity to the hospitals is best, but Cambridge or Brookline may work as well.

We'd like to keep it under or around $100-150 per person including wine and appetizers.

We also need it to be a restaurant, not a hotel or banquet hall. And it should be nice, so as not to offend our guests, but also casual so as not to require them to wear jackets.

I'm new-ish to Boston and don't eat out much due to parenthood, so I don't know the scene. The main trouble I'm having is finding a place with a private room that is nice but not snooty. Any help from local gourmands is much appreciated.

posted by mds35 to food & drink (9 comments total)

I liked Upstairs on the Square in harvard sq (cambridge) for this sort of thing. I've been there in large groups, they put us in a room with a sliding glass door. It was relatively upscale, about $80 per person with drinks, and we were wearing t-shirts through dress shirts through suits, no problems. The decor is a bit .. pink .. but you get used to it and the food was good.

Private dining rooms there....
posted by neustile at 7:05 AM on July 5, 2007

I had lunch at Eastern Standard in Kenmore the other day and got to see the private dining area (the friend I was with is an event planner). It was nice and not stuffy--jackets are not required. The food was quite good. You may want to search Chowhound's Boston board as similar questions have been asked a ton of times. There's also a lot of reviews of Eastern Standard there.
Their private room seemed like it could be quite relaxed if the doors are left open to the bar area or more business-y if kept closed.
posted by jdl at 7:05 AM on July 5, 2007

This is a perfect question for the Boston Board on Chowhound. I don't have anything to offer you, but here are some similar threads from there.
posted by FreezBoy at 7:06 AM on July 5, 2007

I was at a group dinner the other night at Sibling Rivalry in the South End. I know it's not quite the location you were asking about, but is not horribly inconvenient from Longwood. It's very nice, although not too stuffy, and if you go on Monday nights you can eat off the "fight menu" which is a cooking battle between the two chefs/brothers who own the restaurant.
posted by jk252b at 7:20 AM on July 5, 2007

La Morra is quite close to Longwood and has a prixe-fixe deal all year long. I went with a group of about 15 for a birthday a year ago, and everyone had a great time. They also have private rooms.
posted by jessbrandi at 7:46 AM on July 5, 2007

Harvest in Harvard Square is excellent. Good menu for a diverse group compared to other suggestions.
posted by crhanson at 8:07 AM on July 5, 2007

I better study up on posting links:

http://www.harvestcambridge.com/
posted by crhanson at 8:08 AM on July 5, 2007

Henrietta's Table in Harvard Square -- very easy to like, familiar, well prepared food. Nice but not ritzy atmosphere. I haven't seen their private room(s), but they have them.
posted by daisyace at 9:09 AM on July 5, 2007

Second Henrietta's Table - we attended a rehearsal dinner in their private dining room a year or so ago, and it was lovely. Also their food is very good
posted by darsh at 1:54 PM on July 16, 2007