Area Four

 

 

Love the vibe! Not an extensive selection of beer but all are from the region. Great service and the pizzas are awesome (I have never had anything except pizza).

 

Good place for pizza. Beer selection is quite good for a restaurant but this is not a must-try location for beer geeks. Great place for a meal.

 

 

 

 

 

After drinks at Meadhall, my wife and I took the short walk over to Area Four for dinner. Very cool looking place. A cafe when you walk in, then a bar, then the kitchen, the a dining room in the back. Floor to ceiling glass windows allow you a panoramic view of the outside while you eat. Huge chalkboards tower above tables displaying the menu. One huge community table on the left, then a bunch of tables on the right which are on tracks. They can be slid horizontally to make two 2 seat tables of one 4 seat table quick easily. Ingenious idea. We had a salad to start, then two different small pizzas, then a chocolate cake dessert with coffees. The whole meal was delicious. For beers, they only have about 12-15 on tap, but they pride themselves on only having New England beers on tap. I tried the new Slumbrew Hefe, which was decent. Our waitress was pleasant and friendly. Prices were very reasonable for food and drinks. Area Four hopefully sets a new trend as to what a restaurant/cafe/bar can be in the city.

I've been here a couple times now, each time for dinner and a few beers, and each time I've been impressed. I'd say Area Four is more of a restaurant than a bar, but I'd happily stop in for just a beer sometime.

The building is modern, but the space is much warmer than the exterior would imply. You enter with a small bar to the left and some tall tables to the right. The room is surrounded in glass with lots of concrete and metal offset by rough wood and the fire of the oven. Up a few steps, the dining area marches back in the long direction with the kitchen open to the left. Despite its openness and cool palette, the space feels inviting and cozy, almost like a modern ski lodge or something.

All the food has been excellent, and well worth the prices, which run a dollar or two more than my typical weekday dinner out. I wouldn't mind seeing a less expensive sandwich or two added to the short menu, but honestly with the high quality of pizzas, short rib sandwich or chicken that I've tried so far, I'm not sure I'd ever skimp here. There is a simple pizza and plenty of small plates, too, if you want a cheaper snack.

The beer list isn't extensive, but it's a great, rotating showing entirely of locals. I've seen unusual offerings and harder-to-find beers from McNeill's, Smuttynose, Blue Hills, BBC, Harpoon, Cottrell, Allagash and plenty of other New England brewers here. The prices are reasonable, and I love the half-pint option.

Area Four is in a bit of a weird spot and seems busiest after work. I haven't made it down here later at night, but given its proximity to some of Boston's best beer spots, it's definitely worth a stop for a local beer and great meal.

A bar that takes the locavore idea to a high level, serving only New England beers.

About 12 beers on draft. Allagash Black, Pretty Things Jack D'or, Blue Hills etc. I don't recall seeing a bottle list. They may not have one because they try to keep things green, hence their wine also comes from keg and box only, also largely from local producers.

Two options for draft sizes, 9oz and 16 oz I believe. Reasonable prices, especially on the keg wine.

The bar is small, maybe 10 stools. The restaurant itself is narrow but long. Big windows overlooking the couryard next door is a nice touch. Didn't try the food but the smell of their pizza filled the room and made me want a second dinner.

Area Four is in the best beer neighborhood in the Boston area so I can't say its a beer destination, but its worthy of adding to a crawl with Cambridge Brewing Company, Lord Hobo, etc. Its a chill place with a lovely view, good New England brews and a focus on local ingredients so I give it a thumbs up.