Lofty Expectations at the Garden


1224870255Last week, Bostonista jumped at the chance to watch the Bruins-Maple Leafs game from The Lofts, part of a $4 million renovation project that was recently completed at the TD Banknorth Garden.

After taking the elevator to the sixth floor, we entered the space that was formerly Banners Restaurant to find that it had changed dramatically.

Gone was the dark sports bar. In its place is a bright and modern interior. The Lofts are situated along the ledge at one end of the Garden. There’s no fold-down arena seating here—each loft seats four people in a small booth (the seats are made of red faux-alligator skin), with space for two more on barstools terraced above the booth. In the middle of the room is the Club Lounge, which contains a raw bar.

The Lofts and Club Lounge are only part of the new area in the Premium Club. Banners has been reinvented as Banners HarborView, a reservation-only restaurant that has a view of the Zakim instead of the Garden. The area also has a function room and executive event suite.

Normally, Bostonista believes in watching the game when she goes to a sporting event, but she had a hard time focusing while sitting in the Loft. Despite having a great view of the rink, the only time we stopped chatting with our friends was when some spectators got a face full of glass.

It may have been because of the casual seating, which felt more like a restaurant or club than a sports arena. We also may have been distracted by the small five-course meal that’s included with every Loft ticket.

Sporty Bostonistas will appreciate the prime view the Lofts afford, while Bostonistas who don’t know icing from sticking can enjoy the comfortable seats and extensive wine list.

Loft seating is available in 10 game packages, with memberships starting at $14,810. Go to TDBanknorthGarden.com for more details.