Top of the Hub Restaurant and Lounge

Enjoy fine dining plus panoramic Boston views

One of Boston's best romantic restaurants, Top of the Hub features superb New England cuisine, panoramic views of the city, and jazz ensembles every night in its sophisticated lounge.

Located on the 52nd floor at the top of Back Bay's Prudential Tower, the restaurant and adjacent bar/lounge offer spectacular views of the city through floor-to-ceiling windows. 

The views alone would make this Boston's favorite restaurant for special occasions - proposals, anniversaries, birthday celebrations.   But the superb service, delicious food and wine, and elegant ambiance would make Top of the Hub a popular choice in any location.

If you're visiting Boston for the first time and want to splurge on a wonderful meal with memorable views, this is the place to come. 

What kind of food will you find at Top of the Hub Restaurant?

Top of the Hub emphasizes local Boston favorites and New England regional specialties, although a few dishes have a slight Asian twist.  You'll find very fresh veggies and fish (much of it local), and top quality meats. 

Just a small taste of what you'll find at dinner . . . you can start with traditional New England or Manhattan clam chowder or even a non-traditional but wonderful spicy lobster soup with coconut milk, lemongrass, and ginger . . . or a duck leg confit featuring pulled duck, ricotta manicotti, and a porcini sauce . . . or sautéed foie gras with tiny chocolate bits and a brandied cherry strudel. 

Salad choices include slow roasted baby beets with blue cheese, dill oil, walnut pesto . . . a plain green salad with cucumbers . . . baby spinach with roasted walnuts, pears, goat cheese, and port wine/lemon dressing.  The Cobb salad (baby shrimp, smoked bacon, tomato, egg, green beans, blue cheese) and Hub chopped salad (romaine, green beans, olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, and herb vinaigrette) are so wonderful that you may consider begging for entrée-sized portions.

But trust me, you won't want to bypass the actual entrées . . . a local 2 pound lobster with a traditional New England stuffing (crabmeat and Ritz crackers) . . . grilled tenderloin of beef with a red onion blue cheese tart and red wine sauce . . . mushroom ravioli with wild mushrooms, ricotta, a mushroom soy broth, and sauteed spinach . . . and more. 

If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you'll find limited choices, but the Top of the Hub encourages you to call ahead of time and discuss your preferences with the chef, who will create a special entrée for you.

On the lunch menu, you'll find a couple of the appetizers and salads from the dinner menu, as well as an array of other tempting soup, salad, sandwich, and entree options . . . chicken pot pie . . . a lobster roll with yucca fries . . . a grilled hangar steak with blue cheese butter and garlic herb fries.

Prix-fixe and chef's tasting menus at Top of the Hub

In addition to its a la carte options, Top of the Hub offers several attractive fixed price menus.  These range from 3-course lunch and dinner menus, to 5-course and 7-course dinner menus.  The popular Sunday brunch is only fixed price.

The lunch and dinner prix-fixe menus also offer optional wine pairings.  Top of the Hub does of superb job of pairing the perfect wine with each course, so if you enjoy wine with your meal, this option is worth considering.

Depending on the size of your appetite, the fixed price and tasting menus can be a good choice.  If you want only 2 courses, or want to avoid dessert, stick with a la carte.  Portions are a reasonable size (in other words, not huge - the emphasis here is on quality, not quantity), so consuming at least 3 courses is quite feasible.  Five or seven courses?  Eat slowly, and savor the wine with each course. 

In terms of your final bill, you may save a few dollars if you order the prix-fixe menus, especially with the wine pairings, but except for lunch, the difference in the final bill will probably not be great enough to drive your choice.  Although you'll see a few regular menu choices on the prix-fixe and tasting menus, most items are different - so order based on your food preferences.

However, the 3-course $20.09 prix-fixe lunch is a great deal!  This is the standard Restaurant Week Boston price - but Top of the Hub offers it year-round. 

Why you'll enjoy the Lounge and Bar

Photo courtesy of May Wong

If a meal in the Top of the Hub doesn't fit your schedule or wallet, you can enjoy the same views with a drink and perhaps a bite in the adjacent lounge/bar.  As a bonus, jazz ensembles play every evening in the lounge, sillouetted against spectacular night views of the city. 

One of the nice things about the Top of the Hub Lounge is that unlike some of the other Back Bay neighborhood night spots, you can enjoy quiet conversation.

Specialty cocktails start at around $10 - and avoid the "luxury" drinks unless you want to spend more for, say, a Rob Roy than for a 5-course Chef's Tasting dinner. 

You can also order food from the Top of the Hub Lounge menu, which is basically the same as the lunch menu.  This is a great option for a late dinner . . . or even just dessert mid-afternoon. 

If you're visiting Boston and planning to visit the Prudential Skywalk Observatory on the 50th floor to take in the 360 degree views, keep the Top of the Hub Lounge in mind as an alternative.  For not much more than you'd spend on the Skywalk tickets, you can opt for the Lounge.  Enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of tea and perhaps one of the yummy desserts along with the best views in Boston.

Insider tips

Especially if you're visiting Boston during the summer months - especially July and August - keep in mind that the city can be steamy.  The sky gets hazy . . . especially in the afternoon.  Although the close views from the Top of the Hub are still wonderful (you can look almost straight down at Boylston street, or a bit to the west toward Fenway, or other directions to see Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and the South End), distant views won't be as crisp. 

To avoid the haze effect, try to arrive in late afternoon and catch the sunset views.  Or opt instead for jazz in the lounge, and enjoy the city's night lights.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Lloyd

During other times of the year, you certainly may encounter seasonal effects - thunder and lightening storms in the spring, occasional fog in the fall, snow in the winter.  But keep in mind that these are more beautiful when you're 52 floors up enjoying a wonderful meal or drink in Top of the Hub that when you're trudging along wet or snowy sidewalks, and that whatever you see will seem special.

Details and directions for Top of the Hub Restaurant

Cost range:   $$$$   Prix-fixe dinner menus range from $55 ($75 with wine pairings) for the 3-course menu to $95 (140 with wine) for 7 courses.  Prix-fixe lunch is $20.09, and the fixed price Sunday brunch is $39 ($24 for children under 12)
Cover charge in Lounge when jazz ensembles are playing:   None.   However, $24 per person minimum does apply after 8pm if you're sitting at one of the Lounge tables (no minimum if you sit at the bar)
Meals served:  Lunch, dinner, late dinner, Sunday brunch; you can also order food in the Lounge or at the Bar
Address:  52nd floor, 800 Boylston Street; Back Bay; Green Line E/Prudential
What to wear:  You'll see lots of business attire in the restaurant at lunch.  For Sunday brunch and in the evenings, people do dress up a bit.  Happily, Top of the Hub does not require coats and ties for men.  Business casual and casual chic are fine - but definitely not jeans,  
For more information and menus:  617-536-1775; website