What was once a popular tavern, centuries ago, is now a modern and popular restaurant in Brookline, Massachusetts. Writer Julie Hatfield had a chance to visit Punch Bowl Restaurant and find out that everything old is oh, so new again. 

Save this article and plan to visit Punch Bowl Restaurant soon. Photo images, including cover image, by Timothy Leland. Graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.

The ghost of the Punch Bowl tavern, opened in Brookline, Massachusetts, in 1740, has just come to life again in the form of the 2021 Punch Bowl restaurant, opened in May of 2021 in almost the same spot as its 18th Century forerunner. But this time, it’s enclosed inside the new Hilton Garden Inn at the corner of Washington Street and Brookline Avenue. The original Punch Bowl tavern had been a private home.

A rendering of the original 18th Century tavern in Brookline, Massachusetts hangs behind the hostess stand at the new Punch Bowl restaurant.

Hungry for more? Read about the historic taverns George Washington frequented.

Almost 300 years ago, Punch Bowl tavern was the way station for travelers going from Boston west, or from New York north or from Canada south, all by stage coach. Brookline selectmen had their annual suppers at the tavern and British officers, not to mention local thirsty townspeople, partied here just before, during and after the American Revolution. It was such a popular eating and drinking spot that the neighborhood around it became known as Punch Bowl Village. When you arrive at the hostess stand of the new Punch Bowl you see a large rendering of the old tavern on the wall. And while the space of the restaurant itself is airy and clean modern, unlike what the original must have been, the menu is an inventive play on the first tavern’s history.

Although Executive Chef Alexandra Lowry (previously of Barbara Lynch’s Butcher Shop in Boston) scoured the history books, she could find nothing of the original menu, so instead she cleverly named many of the dishes with referrals to what she figured people must have eaten and drunk back in the 18th Century: small plates include an arugula and dandelion greens salad, entrees are pan seared hake with parsnip latke, smoked mussels and clam broth, and desserts include Maine blueberry cobbler made with cornmeal johnnycake and pink peppercorn ice cream. Although the original tavern surely offered plenty of local fish, Lowry has included those but also crafted them into modern New England cuisine. Chalkstream trout, for example, is flown to Brookline daily from Scotland. Our delicious Scottish trout was served with “ancient grains,” asparagus, beets, and mint gremolata.

Lowry’s special touches: a liquid for the East Coast oysters that had fermented pineapple and green strawberry chunks in it, a squid ink aioli for the delicately fried Point Judith calamari, and a touch of candied fennel atop the lemon olive oil cake. They make many of the expected dishes rise to a higher level of gourmet eating. (Yes, candied fennel!)

Executive Chef Alexandra Lowry with the interior of the Punch Bowl restaurant and open kitchen in view.

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Likewise, the beverages at the 21st Century Punch Bowl evoke earlier times: The Molly Pitcher, named after the American patriot who delivered pitchers of water to the Revolutionary War soldiers, is made up of dry rose wine, Lillet blanc, peach puree and house made black pepper syrup. The Muddy River Mule is a wonderful concoction served in a copper mug with fresh raspberries. It is named after the much-too-pretty-to-be-called Muddy River, which flows beside the Hilton Garden as it flowed beside the original tavern. It consists of raspberry infused vodka, ginger beer and fresh lime juice. The cocktail list includes single huge “large format” cocktails for four to six people, and these are served sangria-style, in large glass containers with spigots at the bottom, presumably the 2021 version of – you guessed it – a punch bowl.

The Point cocktail (left) and the Muddy River Mule (right).

Punch Bowl’s extensive wine list is the first in Massachusetts to be all female, courtesy of certified sommelier Jen Ziskin, owner of this and two other local restaurants, La Morra and Heritage of Sherborn. “All of the women on the list,” noted Ziskin, who researched every one of the nearly 70 women before curating the list, “are either wine producers, heads of vineyards, winemakers, or possibly all three.” I figured that I had to try the 2018 Pedroncelli Pinot Noir from the Russian River made by Julie Pedroncelli since we share the same first name. The Julie wine, as I call it, was smooth and velvety, a perfect complement to my Colorado elite prime sirloin steak with charred red onion puree, smoked tomatoes and curly fried potatoes. The beer selection is as imaginative as the wine list and includes the draft beers Fiddlehead IPA, Mighty Squirrel – Guavaland, and Bayerische Weihenstephan, among others. Canned and bottled beers complete the list.

Fried Point Judith calamari in squid ink aioli with pea tendrils is one of the small plates at Punch Bowl.

The main floor restaurant has an outdoor patio that sits beside the Muddy River, and a rooftop terrace continuation of the restaurant on the third floor will no doubt be as popular as the original Punch Bowl, come summer.

A third floor rooftop terrace at the Punch Bowl restaurant overlooks Huntington Avenue and part of the Emerald Necklace.

Punch Bowl Restaurant
700 Brookline Avenue
Brookline, Massachusetts
Visit their website to learn more.

— Story by Julie Hatfield, photos by Timothy Leland.

Hungry for more? Read Julie’s review of another Massachusetts restaurant.