David L.
Google
I hosted a sizable cocktail party (250+ guests) at the Club in June 2025, and it was amazing. I rented Harvard Hall and the Grill Room, which can accommodate 300+ for a cocktail event (surprisingly few high-end venues can), and they were perfect. Guests arrive through the Grill Room, which has lots of dark wood and a more intimate feel, before moving into Harvard Hall, which is a grand, high-ceilinged space. Both rooms have so much character—compared to, say, a hotel ballroom—so we didn’t need to decorate, other than placing a few vases with flowers on the tables. The food at the event—consisting of passed hors d’oeuvres, lots of stations (like sushi and seafood and carving stations), and a dessert spread—was fantastic. I can’t tell you how many compliments I got after the event, from people accustomed to event food being mediocre (shoutout to the lamb chops and the Far East station, which impressed even my guests from California who are used to excellent Asian food). The service I’d divide into two parts. In terms of the servers at the event itself, it was fine; the waiters aren’t super-friendly or warm (a lot of older men who have been working at the Club for years), but they were very competent and got the job done. In terms of the planning team and the banquet manager on the night of the event, it was superb. Alex has been in his role at the Club for around 15 years, after working in events at two luxury hotels, and he’s incredibly good at his job. My event had a lot of moving parts—an A/V component, live musicians, a program with speeches, a cake brought from the outside, party favors to be distributed at the end, a photographer taking pictures of the proceedings—and everything went off like clockwork. If you are looking for a great event venue, look no further! (Note: you do need to be a member to host an event at the Club—but if you’re a Harvard alum, you should be able to join, after paying the entrance fee and dues and waiting a few weeks.)