Here's an Updated Post on this Topic...
"Where can we dine around Symphony Hall?" It's a question that friends and family often ask those of us who live in Boston. And, once the conversation is open, it's followed by, "Where can we park?"
Here's our primer on what you need to know for a great visit to Symphony Hall.
We say, make dining and parking a joint decision. Our first suggestion is always to leave the car at home or at a park & ride and take the MBTA to the concert.
But, if you must have a car at hand, the Prudential Center is our favorite parking place to recommend in the city. It has its own exit off the Mass Pike. It's connected to mass transit, has taxis available at the doors, and there's a great choice of dining options within the complex. And, best of all, Google estimates that Symphony Hall is a 6-minute walk down Huntington Avenue. (map)
Sel de la Terre or L'Espalier for your Symphony date
For wonderful food and great service at a reasonable price, we send friends to Sel De La Terre on Boylston Street for pre-concert dining. At this writing, they have a pre-concert special– show them your tickets for a discount on your dinner. And, you can use their valet parking service.
You could even return for dessert and post-concert conversation and then have the valet bring the car around. Please, call the restaurant to confirm the details, especially if you're reading this months from now.
If a splurge is on the menu, L'Espalier is right next door and shares that valet service. If a mini-splurge is more in line with your budget, reserve a seat in their Salon for a glass of wine and a bite before the concert or dessert and a cheese course after. Both restaurants are accessible from inside the Prudential Center via the Mandarin Hotel.
Another Great Choice is Brasserie Jo
We also recommend that concert goers consider a Boston gem that's often overlooked– Brasserie Jo at the Colonnade Hotel. This place always comes through with French flair, great service and a good meal. It's also a short walk on that same map, because it's across from the Prudential Center.
We'll Try Out a Few More Places for You
There are a few more places we want to test before we put our stamp of approval on them. We'll link to new ones and post an update in the comment section here. Sign up for the comment feed for this post or follow us on Twitter to keep up with our latest Symphony dining recommendations.
Other resources and opinions:
"Where to dine for Symphony?" is a question routinely asked of the crew over on Chowhound's Boston board. Here are a couple of recent conversations with some options that we haven't tried yet.
Chowhound suggestions October 2010
Chowhound Question -Post-Symphony dinner?
Chowhound Question: pre-handel messiah drinks and apps
Other parking around Symphony Hall
Other restaurants around Symphony Hall
Details:
Symphony Hall
301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-4557
(617) 266-2378
www.bso.org
Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: © 2010 Penny Cherubino
