Thursday, August 10, 2017

The Westland to Open Near Symphony Hall in Boston

Earlier this year, it looked like a long-closed watering hole near Symphony Hall that once included a speakeasy might reopen. Now we have learned that a new spot will be moving in, and that the person behind it also runs several other local restaurants and bars.

 Boston Magazine is reporting what we mentioned last month, that The Westland is opening in the former Symphony 8 space on Westland Avenue, with the article confirming that Douglas Bacon (the Avenue, Corner Tavern, Harry's Bar & Grill, the Hopewell, the Last Drop, White Horse Tavern) is the owner of the upcoming spot. The post says that the new place will be a "classic American tavern" that offers grilled pizza, burgers, local seafood, and steaks, while also focusing on local beers and American whiskey. A job listing from bostonchefs.com hints in a post for the White Horse Tavern that The Westland plans to open sometime this fall.

Symphony 8 opened in the fall of 2009, featuring modern American fare and comfort food, while also having a hidden basement bar called Prohibited where a password was required to get in. The place shut down in 2013 and has been vacant ever since, though from 2014 until earlier this year, it looked like it could actually reopen before we learned that The Westland would be taking over the space instead.

The address for The Westland will be 8 Westland Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115.

[May 7, 2018 update: An Instagram post from @thedrewstarr shows that The Westland plans to open on June 5, and that it will be a "classic American tavern featuring updates on your favorite food and drink."]

[August 28, 2018 update: The Westland never did open in June, and Universal Hub now indicates that the Boston Licensing Board has given Douglas Bacon until November to show significant progress on getting it ready to open or risk losing the license for the restaurant--which Bacon purchased all the way back in 2012.]

[December 26, 2018 update: Boston Magazine states that The Westland hopes to open before the New Year and that it will initially be open for dinner only, though lunch and brunch service are expected to be added at some point.]

[Earlier Article]
Symphony 8 in Boston Still Planning to Reopen

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]