Top, Best & Fun Rooftop Bars in Massachusetts

"This venerable, decades-spanning stalwart in Harvard Square, which happens to have one of the best patios around, remains a fine-dining favorite in a trending-casual industry. It’s the kind of place that is excellent for entertaining the in-laws over mignonette-dabbed oysters or boards bearing local cheeses; waffles topped with fried chicken, decadent foie gras butter and wild apple purée; and buttermilk biscuits enhanced with rose rhubarb jam and almond crémeux. Don’t relegate Harvest to special occasions, though."

"Renowned in Cambridge for high-quality dining, Harvest has won numerous awards for its food, wine and service. Serving contemporary New England cooking, it can be found right on Harvard Square where it has been a regular sight since the 1970s. Harvest describes itself as a welcome respite from the hectic life of the square, boasting elegant decor and a relaxing ambience."

"A multi-level seafood restaurant and bar, located on the Boston Waterfront, that comes with a roof deck and rooftop bar with breathtaking views over the water and harbor. Casual all-day dining on the first floor, more celebratory eating and cocktails on second, the Legal Harborside third floor and rooftop deck offers drinks and Sushi bites in a fun and vibrant atmosphere. Equipped with retractable glass walls and ceiling, making it a four-season rooftop."

"Don’t let the stigma of Legal Seafood being a chain deter you from stopping in at Legal Harborside. This is the flagship location. The downstairs is a casual seafood eatery and the second floor is more formal."

"When this trendsetter opened four years ago, it was credited with kicking off Harvard Square’s dining renaissance. Since then, it has become the center of chef Michael Scelfo’s growing empire — he opened the seafood-focused Waypoint(entrées $15–$23) two years ago, and this fall he’ll launch the bar-restaurant Longfellow upstairs from Alden & Harlow. But the subterranean dining room of his original restaurant is still buzzing every night, packed with a crowd that feels like a true Cambridge cross section, from proud college parents to twentysomething entrepreneurs."

"The smoked chocolate bread pudding with sea salt ice cream at Alden & Harlow just melts in your mouth." —Robert Gonzalez, pastry chef at Bistro du Midi. "The chocolate torte with a cherry compote, smoked almonds, and black raspberry ice cream. It was a flourless chocolate cake that was moist and perfectly warmed. It had a contrast of textures and flavors that all worked together in unison." —Hannah Lurier, executive pastry chef at Alta Strada Wellesley"

"Restaurants Contemporary American Harvard Sq. Chef-owner Michael Scelfo churns out some of Cambridge's most inventive weekend brunch offerings. Pickled corn pancakes jockey for attention alongside the likes of hickory smoked pig tails with cheese crisps, grits, and a soft poached egg."

"This North End mainstay has been in operation since 1926; it’s one of the city’s best pizzerias. (Go to this particular location — the original — rather than one of many offshoots.) The secret to Regina’s success is a combination between the oven — it was built in 1888, and its cooking surface remains intact to this day — and the dough, which is left to proof for up to six days. The crust on a pizza from Regina is simultaneously chewy and crispy, and there are ample bubbles on the exterior ring."

"Ask anyone where to find the best pizza in Little Italy, Boston and they'll most likely say Regina's. Family-owned and operated since 1926, Regina's specializes in a secret-recipe brick-oven pizza made with a spicy-sweet sauce and housemade mozzarella. The enormous menu covers nearly every topping you could imagine, and a range of inexpensively priced wines and beers provide plenty of options for washing it all down."

"Address: 11 1/2 Thacher Street, Boston, Mass Website: www.pizzeriaregina.com. Established in 1926, Regina Pizzeria is a pizzeria established by Luigi D’Auria in the North End of Boston and is Boston’s oldest continuously operating pizzeria. The pizzeria has since become a regional chain in New England."

"Restaurants Japanese Back Bay. What was once a tucked-away sashimi bar has blossomed into a 100-seat izayaka, where you can now pair your nigiri with Japanese milk bread, ember roasted duck breast, King crab yakitori and wagyu beef dumplings. But the sushi is still a must, including the lobster BLT roll, the A5 wagyu sirloin nigiri and the still-incredible sashimi offerings upon which Uni built its reputation."

"Uni, located in the lounge of Clio, is a hip Back Bay gathering spot. energetic yet intimate, with a reverence for the food and a large selection of sakes. Sashimi is imported from Tokyo's Tskuji market, as well as local sources, and is paired with a menu of distinctive cocktails."

"This half-nightclub/half-izakaya is one of Boston’s flashiest restaurants. And for once, we mean that in a good way. You can come here just for the sushi and sashimi and have a great meal, but you’re better off focusing on the small plates and ordering as many as you can."

"Located in the former union office in South Boston, Local 149 is unapologetically local, offering a great selection of craft beers, a delicious American menu full of everyone’s favorites, and fun pub grub at the bar. All food is made of locally sourced ingredients from the pub’s friendly suppliers, and the atmosphere is as great for groups of friends on a game night as it is for families coming for Sunday lunch. You can belly up at the bar with friends to sample one of many craft beers and watch a game on a large-screen TV."

"Sure, you should absolutely be eating vegetables and otherwise making smart nutritional choices when you can right now. But self-care also means indulging a little, so we have three words for you: Deep fried Fluff. This Southie spot’s absurdly decadent dessert offering, which pairs fried Fluff with peanut butter and Nutella, is enough to make you want to skip the main course all together."

"American , Bar Food"

"Flight Club – a new social darts club – is now open in the Seaport at 60 Seaport Blvd.Flight Club offers a super-charged social gaming experience like no other, with multi-player games set in semi-private playing areas, housed in a bar, serving delicious food and amazing botanical-based cocktails."

"Photo courtesy of Del Frisco's Via Mindy Valone/CM Communtications. Located in Liberty Wharf, arguably the hottest place to dine in the city, especially during warmer months, Del Frisco's offers outdoor waterfront dining on their stunning glass walled patio (to keep it comfortable even if the wind blows). But location alone does not sell Del Frisco's, their steaks are charred on the outside while staying melt in your mouth perfect on the inside, and the service is second to none."

"Whether it’s the signature steak or one-of-a-kind art collection that wins your desire at Del Frisco’s, the experience does not disappoint. Stunning harbor views, a sprawling waterfront patio, and a grand circular bar up the lavish factor at this happening spot."

"Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse is a high end steakhouse chain with locations in 15 American cities. Boston’s is located in the Seaport District of the city at Liberty Wharf. The restaurant features an elegant patio overlooking the waterfront."

"Put on by the American Repertory Theatre, The Donkey Show is part theater and part nightclub. The premise is a remake of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream in a 1970s disco club, a la Studio 54. The show happens around you while you’re enjoying a cocktail or two – and hopefully dancing your heart out!"

"Built in 1805 and renovated in 1830, the Nichols House Museum was constructed by architect Charles Bulfinch. The museum takes its name from Rose Standish Nichols, who lived in the house between 1885 and 1960, and represents the lifestyle of the American upper class during that period. The Nichols House Museum offers a room-by-room tour of the four-story row house, which is decorated in original furnishings."

"The Nichols House Museum is a museum on Boston's Beacon Hill. The four-story townhouse in which it is located was built in 1804. Since 1961 it has been open to the public as a historic house museum offering a look inside the domestic life of a typical family of Beacon Hill at the turn of the last century."

"Old South Church is a church of the United Church of Christ in Boston, Massachusetts. The church building was designed between 1870 and 1872 by the Boston architectural firm of Cummings and Sears in the Venetian Gothic style. The style follows the precepts of the British cultural theorist and architectural critic John Ruskin (1819–1900) as outlined in his treatise The Stones of Venice."

"If you are craving a freshly made sub for lunch, Al’s Café is one of the city’s favorite sub shops, known for great tasting food and excellent service. Stay cool with a cold sub, like the Lady Café Special, or warm up with a hot one, like the Chicken Pesto sub. Alan Costello and his family have been serving these mouth-watering sandwiches for over a decade, starting with their original site on State Street in the Financial District."

"A large is essentially two subs in one, so be prepared to eat more than you believed possible. The line for lunch is always out the door, but it gives you time to choose from the overwhelming selection of sandwiches, with everything from Italian’s Italian to the (almost) dainty Lady’s Cafe Special."

"Restaurants Vegetarian Harvard Sq. The Clover empire is a go-to for flavorful, healthy, fresh vegetarian and vegan food. Highlights include chickpea fritters, potato tempeh salad, and a meatball sandwich made with Impossible Burger."

"Greystone is a new cafe in the South End that serves a whole range of homemade pastries, like apple cake and spinach and feta galette. For now, the cafe is running only as a takeout window, but will eventually become a sit-down lunch and dinner spot as well."