Restaurants

New and improved outdoor spaces on our radar

They include new terraces, increased capacity at fan favorites, and new product offerings at established seasonal pop-ups.

Rooftop at the Revere

May 24, 2022

As the weather warms up, patios, rooftops, and beer gardens have opened for the season, so there’s no need to fear if your apartment lacks alfresco space. This year, there’s even more variety than ever throughout Greater Boston, including new terraces, increased capacity at fan favorites, and new product offerings at established seasonal pop-ups. Here are seven new and improved outdoor spaces to keep you entertained into the dog days of summer.

The Terrace at The Fed

For the first full summer ever, The Langham, Boston, unveils a suave outdoor space as a seasonal extension to the British-inspired cocktail pub, The Fed. Known as The Terrace, this 26-seat patio overlooks Pearl Street and the Norman B. Leventhal Park, emanating an intimate garden party vibe with plush furniture and a full menu of New England classics with a twist, courtesy of Executive Chef Stephen Bukoff. To wash it all down, craft cocktails by savvy mixologist, Paige McGroarty, are ever-rotating but always fresh, or beer fans can opt for The Langham’s newest collaboration with Framingham-based Jack’s Abby, a pre-prohibition style lager deemed ‘Liquidity’ — on tap only at The Fed and its terrace.

Cisco Seaport

This year when the Nantucket-based brewery popped up for its third consecutive season, it brought a slew of new things with it. Firstly, it’s shifted locations, now directly opposite Ocean Prime on Seaport Boulevard. The green turf was swapped for cobalt blue and extended to increase capacity to 996, up from 895 last year. Signage portrays Cisco’s newest packaging, which for the brand-favorite Grey Lady includes a new recipe (hello fresh lemon peel, goodbye cloves), and unmissable next to the tap handles of beer are bottles of liquor from Triple 8 Distillery, including vodka, tequila, rum, gin and whisky, as well as their canned varietals, Nantucket Cran, Nantucket Blue and Nantucket Lime Tequila Soda. When you’re not sipping or snacking on bites from Rexicana Surf Cantina, partake in a game of cornhole or oversized Jenga.

Rooftop at the Revere

This ever-popular rooftop just got a makeover, thanks to a complete renovation of the downtown hotel’s indoor-outdoor space on the 10th floor. Decked out with new furniture, a new bar, fresh paint, and glam cabanas, the patio also gained more space to entertain — now able to fit up to 65 more guests. In case scooping up a cabana isn’t private enough for your party, a portion of the rooftop is available to rent out, glitzed up with brand new loungers, sofas, and fire pits that are perfect for early summer or late fall evenings, and setting ambiance any night of the week.

Night Shift Owl’s Nest

For fans of this Somerville-based brewery, its seasonal beer gardens, or “Owl’s Nests” are popular, to say the least. So popular, in fact, that in addition to their original seasonal locations along the Esplanade and Herter Park, Night Shift Brewing is adding four new nests to their summer catalog this year. Locations include South Station (125 Summer Street Plaza); Canal District Kendall Square (Cambridge); Hood Park, Charlestown (500 Rutherford Ave.); and University Park, Cambridge (65 Sidney St.). Night Shift’s newest release, Day Lite — a crisp, wheat lager with Cara Cara orange peel–will be available at all locations, in addition to the brand’s flagship beers, like Whirlpool (New England Pale Ale), Santilli (American IPA) and Fluffy (New England IPA), as well as their Hoot hard seltzer and Night Shift Brewing wine.

The Barking Crab

This long-standing haunt along Sleeper Street is open for the season, modernized with a new interior, including a brand new bar and flooring, all under the unmissable red and yellow tent. The fresh look is an overhaul of the existing space, without sacrificing any of the rustic sailor charm of its prime waterfront real estate. Menu favorites are back too, like the delectably thick-cut onion rings, pan-seared crab cakes, namesake crab platters, and of course, lobster rolls — served both Connecticut-style with warm butter or the Maine variety with cold mayo and celery.

Terra Rooftop Lounge

Eataly’s third-floor, greenhouse-style restaurant brings the outdoors in, year-round with its earthen interiors, living walls, and wood-fired menu items cooked over an open flame. This summer, however, Terra extends its rooftop venue with a new rooftop lounge and open-air dining space, perfect for enjoying the southern Italian fare, including Pugliese skewers with the freshest meats selected from Eataly’s butcher counters. It’s also the ideal spot for a cocktail, like the new Sipsmith Summer Jam offerings from Terra — made with Sipsmith gin and Rigoni di Asiago jams, which are served atop every cocktail for a colorful and creative seasonal sip.

The Lexington

Chef Will Gilson has updated and expanded the outdoor areas at his tri-restaurant complex in Cambridge Crossing. On the main level, Geppetto opens its patio for the first time ever, able to host 30 diners for Italian favorites, like fried mozzarella and saffron arancini appetizers, as well as Wilson’s staple bolognese and of course, a Negroni (served on draft!). Above, The Lexington serves up contemporary American cuisine, with one of the only rooftop patios in the neighborhood, expanded this year to hold up to 60 people.