Live DJs, multiple rooms, and a mural by Problack

Some people would say that Boston is unrecognizable these days with all of its decadent new restaurants and party spots.

Others might argue that it’s looking more and more like the Hub of 40, 60, or even 80 years ago. 

Certainly both things can be said of Hue, a “restaurant, cocktails, and entertainment venue” opening in the newly renovated Copley Square Hotel. In addition to bringing a contemporary food and party vibe, the place is also a throwback to iconic spots of yore.

Behind the enterprise is: George Aboujaoude of Cafeteria, Bijou, Committee, and Eva on Newbury Street; Maurice Rodriguez of La Brasa and Fat Hen in Somerville; event organizer and longtime regional Hennessy rep Robert Eugene who runs the Silk R&B Party, and tech entrepreneur Nick Saber.

Highlights from their media release include (we’ll get you more details after we get a chance to eat, drink, and party on the premises):

• Hue will feature an upstairs dining room serving a menu of Pan American dishes (American comfort foods with Asian accents), where prices will top off at $30 dollars. 

• Plates for sharing will include Sticky, Crispy Chicken Wings with Sweet Chili Sauce, Kofta Meatballs in Indian Spiced Tomato Sauce, Silky Tofu with Chili Garlic Sauce, Vegetarian Impossible Burger with a Spicy Thai Tomato Jam, and Slow Roasted Pork Ribs with a Spicy Tamarind glaze. 

• Downstairs is home to Hue’s music programming and more great eats and drinks. The downstairs menu will feature both sharable dishes (Escargot with XO butter and Toasted Bread, and Red Braised Short Ribs with Coconut Polenta and Fontina) and larger plates like Twice Cooked Noodles with Beef in Oyster Sauce, and Whole Fried Fish with Sweet and Sour Sauce. 

• Hue will boast one of Boston’s most ambitious beverage programs with bars both upstairs and downstairs that will offer full bar service and a comprehensive wine list and Hue has just been approved for bottle service. 

• The upstairs lobby bar is sure to become a neighborhood hangout. Downstairs it will be “see and be seen” at a nightclub-sized long bar. A backroom speakeasy with a specialty wine/Champagne bar embraces a deco vibe.

• A deejay will be spinning background music nightly after 9 pm; Hue is also licensed for live music—a calendar of bookings will be forthcoming. 

As for the look of the place, “Designer Kristen Bender Daaboul of Raha Home took inspiration from Hue’s historic setting. The Copley Square Hotel—built-in 1891—is the second longest operating hostelry in Boston with a fabled history of dining and entertainment.”

Furthermore, the “highlight of the downstairs main dining room is a mural by local artist Rob ‘Problack’ Gibbs honoring many of the jazz greats who played here in the 1940s.” In their own ways, Gibbs and Daaboul paid tribute to the legendary long-gone Storyville Jazz Club and Cafe Budapest, both of which were located in the hotel.

The more things change …

copleysquarehotel.com