Deco Diva

Ask any resident of Beacon Hill—especially the under 45-crowd—where they go for cocktails after work, and they’ll tell you: 1928. Not quite tucked away on 97 Mount Vernon, this speakeasy-style restaurant feels cozy and insider-ish, a step down off Beacon Hill’s storied streets into a warm, inviting space that evokes the past while serving up a present-tense menu of upscale comfort food and cocktails.

This year marks 1928’s fifth anniversary, and its success has led to a second establishment of the same name in Rowes Wharf. Owner Kristen Jenkins says the food and unique atmosphere resonate strongly with a loyal crowd.

“Guests tell me 1928 feels intimate, glamorous, and different from other restaurants. People say they notice something new every time they visit. A lot of people in the community consider 1928 ‘their place,’” says Jenkins.

Named after the year her grandfather was born, the restaurant is filled with antiques and furniture Jenkins has sourced from her other business—Leonard’s New England—to create a sensual Art Deco feel. The ambience is dark and opulent, with tufted leather seats, lush greenery, and antique paintings on the walls. Jenkins says she was inspired by a period that looked forward to a bright future.

“I kept coming back to the spirit of 1928. It was a moment in history associated with prosperity, optimism, glamour, beautiful interiors, cocktails, music, entertaining, and a wonderful sense of being carefree.”

Several menu items also nod to a more decadent time: Oysters Rockefeller sauced with louche absinthe perch on mounds of hot pink salt, deviled eggs are topped with beluga caviar, and there’s plenty of vintage-inspired frothy cocktails, such as the popular Pornstar Martini, a sweet vodka-based concoction with passionfruit and vanilla under a crown of champagne foam.

The past matters, especially on Beacon Hill, and Jenkins, whose love of old things runs deep, made sure to preserve as much as she could of the building’s history. Sections of old wallpaper from the 1920s are deliberately left exposed on columns, and she refurbished a mid-century mural of a coat check boy that was concealed behind a wall for decades, a souvenir from Au Beauchamp, the French restaurant that occupied the space in the ’40s and ’50s.

Jenkins says that 1928’s ambience has naturally evolved over time, and that she still swaps pieces in and out to delight and intrigue diners.

“Beacon Hill has so many layers of history, architecture, art, and personality. I never wanted 1928 to feel like a restaurant that could have been placed anywhere. It belongs in Beacon Hill.”

1928 is located at 97 Mount Vernon Street and is open for dinner Monday through Friday from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday from 4 to 10 p.m. Weekend brunch is available from 11 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. 1928 has a second location in Boston Harbor on Rowes Wharf. For more information, visit 1928-restaurants.com.