Sonsie

Back Bay, Massachusetts

This Newbury Street restaurant – now somewhat of a Boston institution – catalyzed the revitalization of the entire commercial thoroughfare when it opened in 1993. Sonsie introduced the concept of indoor-outdoor dining to the area, with large glass doors that open to the sidewalk in warmer weather in the style of a Parisian café.

Sonsie made the most of its existing architecture. Originally built as a stable, the renovation of the hundred-year-old structure revealed original beadboard walls which were fully restored, while its square shape and soaring ceilings allowed for the creation of an ideal see-and-be-seen layout.