The team behind a Needham Heights restaurant is bringing new life to a historic Newton landmark.
Scott Drago and Adam Patti, owners of Blue on Highland, are reimagining The Biltmore Bar & Grille as The Biltmore Tavern at 1205 Chestnut St, just over the Needham line in Newton Upper Falls. They’re preserving the building’s 1920s character while transforming it into a neighborhood tavern that feels both familiar and fresh.
“We got the opportunity to move into the space and take it over, and it worked well with where we are,” Drago told What Now Boston. “Being right down the street from Blue has a lot of nostalgia to it. It was a speakeasy back in the ’20s, and it just has that character to the building. We felt as though it was a good fit with us and what we do—to be able to expand Blue and build our business, but also get the build more back to the way it was.”
The menu will focus on elevated comfort food with a neighborhood feel, including burgers and steak tips. Drago described it as “somewhat of a Blue on Highland menu, but with a little different twist, a little more on the tavern fare.”
Design updates honor the building’s history while creating warmth and intimacy. Original flooring has been exposed, Edison bulbs will provide soft, warm lighting, and woodwork and 1920s-style starburst wallpaper will give the dining areas a period-inspired touch. The bar will feature high tops and a view into an open kitchen, while the heated, covered patio—with retractable awning and a TV—offers an inviting outdoor option. The tavern will seat about 96 guests, blending indoor and outdoor seating for a cozy, neighborhood feel.
A few hidden gems nod to the building’s past, including a four-lane bowling alley tucked into the basement—a feature that hints at the Biltmore’s lively history—and the team hopes to partially revive it, offering a playful glimpse into the space’s original charm.
The Biltmore’s history runs deep. Opened in 1914, it outlasted other early Newton establishments like Whittemore’s Tavern from Auburndale and remains the city’s longest-operating bar. “A little bit of a slice of history,” Drago said.
The team anticipates opening The Biltmore Tavern by May 2026, ideally before Memorial Day, bringing a mix of neighborhood charm, historic reverence, and elevated tavern fare to Newton.
