Here’s Your First Look at The Haven’s Larger (but No Less Cozy) New Location

The Whisky Room is a cozy lounge with an electric fireplace at the new location of The Haven. Photo provided

Even with just eight seats at the bar, the Haven became the top seller of Belhaven—Scotland’s No. 1 brewery—in the entire United States. Now, more than 10 years after debuting as Boston’s original Scottish pub, the Jamaica Plain restaurant is about to open a new location at the neighborhood’s Brewery complex boasting double the barstools, even more beer and single-malt whisky, and updated, cozy vibes.

The Perkins Street location in Hyde Square has closed (at least for now), says owner Jason Waddleton, while the Haven awaits final inspections to reopen on Amory Street. June will be a period of “soft-opening,” Waddleton says, with new dishes available while the chef fine-tunes an expanded menu. The Haven will also put finishing touches on the new décor, and add to its calendar of live music, comedy, and other programming this summer. Mark your calendars for a grand opening in mid-July.

The former Bella Luna and Milky Way Lounge has been transformed into a sleek, but no less comfortable, Scottish-style pub. The Haven has expanded from 60 seats with a cramped kitchen and no storage to about 86 seats inside, 50 on a private patio, and much more room for the staff at its new location.

Speyside, the main dining room at The Haven. Photo provided

Distinctive dining areas include an 18-seat bar with a wheelchair-accessible portion and “the Highlands,” a row of high-top tables; plus a lounge with an electric fireplace called “the Whisky Room.” “Speyside,” named for a style of Scotch from a particular region, is the new restaurant’s main dining room, with cushy benches and counter seats beneath windows overlooking the Brewery parking lot. “The Snug,” featuring more standard-height tables and chairs upholstered in blue tartan, will soon be demarcated by slatted wall panels in the image of the Scottish flag. Lastly, “the Assembly Room” is a dynamic events space and overflow dining area, equipped with a small stage, projector screen, and an upgraded sound system.

Antler chandeliers and two walls accented with dreamy wallpaper from Scottish design house Timorous Beasties are among the design details that update the Haven’s cozy look. Brendan Killian, a local oil painter responsible for the sheep decorating the original Haven, is painting a cheeky mural starring a young Queen Elizabeth II on a wall near the new bar. Boston native and Scotland-trained furniture maker Dan Wallace, of Order of the Arrow Woodworking, built the mid-century-style shelves for the back of the bar, as well as geometric light fixtures and all of the counter surfaces and tabletops. Boston firm Zephyr Architects led the redesign.

The Snug will eventually be enclosed by slatted wall panels in the image of the Scottish flag. Photo provided

The Haven has brought on Jamie Kembrey to expand the menu. Taking advantage of Bella Luna’s former pizza oven, the internationally experienced chef is perfecting a dough recipe for pies, including one topped with brown sauce and lamb sausage. (He hasn’t ruled out haggis pizza, either.) Other new dishes will include more vegetarian options, such as a vegan sausage roll made with house-seasoned, plant-based meat; and a riff on Toad in the Hole that replaces the traditional sausage with roasted vegetables. Of course, existing menu favorites like the Haven burger, fish and chips, haggis, a cheese board served with oatcakes, deep-fried Mars Bars, and more will make the move to the new location.

Expect more from the bar, too. Along with Belhaven, Tennet’s, and other Scottish brews, the Haven is adding more local craft beers. The spirits selection has also grown beyond single malts and other Scottish spirits: New creations include the Highland Margarita, made with tequila and Drambuie; and the Beastie Daiquiri with Ardbeg Wee Beastie Whisky and lime juice.

But that doesn’t mean the Haven’s famous Dram Nights are going anywhere. In fact, the monthly, expert-led Scotch tastings will return to the new venue, and Waddleton even plans to livestream events like them in the future. Among the A/V upgrades to the Assembly Room is a camera that can project online, as well as to the three TVs in the main bar and restaurant, Waddleton says. The first comedy show in the new space is already on the books for late June, with live music and other events to be announced.

An 18-seat bar at The Haven will feature single-malts and more. Photo provided

It’s an exciting time for the close-knit team behind the Haven, which has grown to more than 20 employees, Waddleton says. The expansion will create more opportunities for staffers like manager Michael Carnes, who recently received a diploma from the Edinburgh Whisky Academy. “In the restaurant world, we’ve got a niche,” Waddleton says. “Our aim is to be the vanguard of [single-malt whisky and other Scottish fare], and now we have more space to do it.”

Meanwhile, Waddleton isn’t quite ready to say goodbye to the pub on Perkins forever, but he’s not ready to divulge the possibilities there just yet. For now, his main focus is at the Brewery, where the Haven will open imminently. Stay tuned for the official announcement.

284 Amory St., Boston, 617-524-2836, thehavenjp.com.