Opal’s Most Opulent “Social Event Dining Spaces”

What is a social event space? It’s Opal’s unique term for an intimate, semi-private dining experience that connects you to the restaurant in a one-of-a-kind way. And we’ve got just the selection of stunning spaces from across our collection to serve your group – whether that’s a curated wine dinner with 10 of your closest friends or a corporate mixer for 30 colleagues.

---

“Think venue, not just menu.” It may not be Opal’s official mantra when creating our resort restaurants, but it has certainly always been the mindset. Because, when it comes to memorable meals, great food is only half of the equation. The other is the atmosphere, the vibe, the feeling you get from the energy of a thoughtfully and carefully designed space. That’s why, in addition to stunning sites like open-concept chef bars and design motifs that celebrate the destinations in distinctly novel ways, many of our restaurants boast “social event spaces” – essentially, more intimate areas or rooms located within the restaurant allowing guests to relish some privacy in stunning environs, while also still being in full view of all the restaurant action.

“We had often referred to them as ‘private dining rooms,’ but it’s sort of a misnomer,” says Scott Luper, director of food and beverage across all of Opal properties. “Because private indicates a room that is totally removed from the restaurant experience. These are quite the opposite. With walls of glass, they let you take in the atmosphere and culinary action from a unique vantage point that is, sure, more private than eating in the main dining room, but it’s not cut off.”

And these rooms are certainly something to look at in themselves, all boasting their own unique mix of showpieces – think eye-popping feature walls of stacked-stone coral or live moss, statement chandeliers, unique lighting and elements of decor, and inviting tablescapes that dazzle. With that in mind, we’ve scoured our collection to create this custom list of social event spaces and types of groups they can easily – but certainly not exclusively – cater to.

DELRAY SANDS RESORT’S AQUARIUM-INSPIRED SALON [DELRAY BEACH, FL]

Best for Intimate Bridal Shower Brunches for Toasting with Bubbles Among Bubbles

Accommodates: 8 to 12 Guests

When Delray Sands Resort was renovated back in 2015, no corner of this property went untouched – including the signature restaurant, Latitudes, which premiered to much fanfare, largely for its head-turning bubble-themed modern vibe. Think hand-blown glass bubble chandeliers, glass-paneled windows filled with water that actually bubbles, and even chrome diver’s helmets as design accents. 

While it all feels a bit like dining in the middle of the deep blue, it especially comes through in the restaurant’s social event space. Completely enclosed in three walls of glass – much like an aquarium – the room features a back feature wall and ceiling consisting of white wood peppered in circular cutouts that are backlit, giving the sense that you’re surrounded by bubbles in motion. And as hard as it may be to tear your gaze away from the interior, floor-to-ceiling windows flanking the rest of the dining room ensure your group have absolutely unobstructed views of the Atlantic.

LIDO BEACH RESORT’S COASTAL COOL CORNERS WITH EPIC SKYLINE VIEWS [SARASOTA, FL]

Best for Big Family Reunion Luncheons Who Want to Spread Out

Accommodates: Up to 28 Guests Collectively

Located on the eighth floor of Lido Beach Resort’s Palm Tower, Drift Kitchen & Bar treats guests to not just fresh seafood and contemporary American fare, but one of the most expansive views of the north-facing Gulf coastline with floor-to-ceiling windows that run the entire side of the restaurant. 

However, it’s the two social event spaces both located on the eastern side of the restaurant that offer a unique view you won’t see from any other part in the establishment: The glittering skyline of mainland Sarasota, packed with theaters, art galleries, museums, and more (so much so, it’s nicknamed Florida’s “Culture Coast”). The stunning coastal-cool décor doesn’t hurt either: Hanging terrariums filled with sand and air plants, clay pendant lights reminiscent of coral, and sliding glass doors make it a perfect place to enjoy breezy private dinners that are still in full view of all the restaurant action. And with two of these rooms available for booking together – Skyline North (accommodating up to 10 people) and Skyline South (accommodating up to 18 people) – you’ll have plenty of room to mix and mingle.

WENTWORTH BY THE SEA’S GLASS WINE ROOM [PORTSMOUTH, NH]

Best for a Ladies’ Night Out Decked to the Nines

Accommodates: Up to 12 Guests

Between the lively lounge, the theatre-style chef’s bar, and main dining room with an iconic dome ceiling mural, there’s gorgeous gathering space after gathering space in Salt Kitchen & Bar, Wentworth by the Sea’s signature on-site restaurant. But when it comes to private dining that’s still in full view, no other room does it better than Salt’s social event space, the Wine Room.

That’s owed to, yes, the glass wall separating it from the main dining room, but it’s the expansive feature wall adorned in a wine bottle display that demands attention while tipping a hat to the restaurant’s carefully curated 1,300-bottle inventory. “It’s a backlit, gleaming showpiece, so the eyes of guests sitting in the dining room always go right to it,” says Luper. “So if you’re a group that is first having dinner before a night out in the town and your dressed to the nines, this is always the place to see and be seen.”

OPAL GRAND RESORT & SPA’S LIVE-EDGE LOUNGES [DELRAY BEACH, FL]

Best For Guy Groups Who Want to Catch Up in Edgy Environs While Watching the Game

Accommodates: Up to 16 Guests

Opal Grand Resort & Spa offers two spectacular social event spaces in its version of Drift Kitchen & Bar – both of which are punctuated by sliding glass doors, dried live-edge oak beams that hang overhead, and unique chandelier lighting. However, the one based opposite the bar and spirit mixing room truly commands a presence.

That’s because of the billboard-sized wall of moss and air plants that serves as a living piece of art. But this eco-friendly marvel is about function as much as form, too: It pulls moisture from the air as well as absorbs sound to soften the acoustics. “With a TV on the opposite wall, this is a good place for guy groups to catch a game,” says Luper. So, in those moments of hushed anticipation over a nail-biting play, that wall ensures you can hear a pin drop.

JUPITER BEACH RESORT’S NAUTICALLY NOVEL LOUNGE [JUPITER, FL]

Best for Corporate or Club Outings Who Want to Mix & Mingle 

Accommodates: Up to 30 Guests

Opal’s latest iteration of Latitudes recently premiered in May of 2023 at Jupiter Beach Resort, as part of the resort’s almost-complete top-to-bottom renovation. But as much as Palm Beach County locals are loving the Spirit Room, Chef’s Seafood Galley, Mainsail Dining Room, and sweeping verandah, larger groups are flocking to the restaurant’s lounge.

“Groups like to book this space for cocktails before dinner or after for a nightcap because it’s roomy and a great area for standing conversations,” says Luper. “Still, there’s a scattering of smaller, cozy seating options, for those who want to have a seat here and there.” Located just left of the restaurant’s entrance and behind the bar area, the lounge also curves around the back of the Spirit Room, a lit-up glass room allowing patrons to peer at bartenders prepping and experimenting with different kinds of cocktail infusions, syrups, shrubs, garnishes, and more. Hanging lights with rattan lampshades and woven ropes that are reminiscent of sailing lines add to the nautically novel ambiance.

Looking for more of a sit-down dinner option for your large group? Latitudes also offers another semi-private area (also able to accommodate up to 30) nestled in the back portion of the restaurant that overlooks the pool deck.

LAKE PLACID LODGE’S WONDER OF A WINE CELLAR [LAKE PLACID, NY]

Best for Friends & Couples’ Groups Who Want a Curated Wine Dinner

Accommodates: 10 Guests

The best word to describe Lake Placid Lodge’s Wine Cellar and private dining space? Otherworldly. Vines and saplings crawl up the walls and across the arched ceiling composed of herringbone brick, rustic chandeliers hang overhead, and a series of lit alcoves display hundreds of bottles tucked away in slumber. Even the 13-foot-long dinner table has a unique story – it was fashioned out of a door from an old Spanish Mission (look closely, and you can even see the old keyhole).

But this isn’t just another mesmerizing dining spot to have a memorable meal, it is a functioning wine cellar for many of the rare vintages that make up the 1,500-bottle inventory, covering all varietals from major wine regions around the world: France, Spain, Italy, Australia and New Zealand, Chili and Argentina, Napa and Oregon, and more. And it’s one of the features that has helped the lodge earn its Relais & Châteaux status. Curious what we mean? Book a private wine dinner in the space and the sommelier and culinary team from Artisans – the lodge’s legendary farm-to-table restaurant – will be more than happy to create a curated wine and dinner pairing that tantalizes your group’s unique tastes.

OPAL SANDS RESORT’S BACKLIT BEAUTY [CLEARWATER BEACH, FL]

Best for a Milestone Meal with Those You Love Most

Accommodates: 14 Guests

Celebrating a retirement? A landmark birthday? An anniversary? There’s no better place to treat yourself to an award-winning meal than SeaGuini, Opal Sands Resort’s signature restaurant that takes Gulf flavors and Floridian ingredients and presents them in European-inspired dishes. And your perfect celebratory setting? The restaurant’s swanky social event space, backlit by wine displays and bubble-inspired décor. Enclosed in two walls of glass, the spot sits separate from the main dining room, yet still allows you to revel in all the action of the restaurant, particularly the hallmark exhibition kitchen anchored by an impressive mosaic-tiled pizza oven. In fact, you’ll be able to watch chefs assemble and push pizzas into the hearth-oven and crank out all kinds of freshly prepared pasta right from your perch.

THE RESORT AT LONGBOAT KEY CLUB’S YACHT-CHIC CORNER [Longboat Key, FL]

Best for Golf Groups Who Want to Relive their Rounds with a Round

Accommodates: 10 Guests

It’s no secret that The Resort at Longboat Key Club is a golfer’s mecca thanks to 45 holes of golf spread across two different on-site courses. But what might be lesser known? The social event space in Latitudes that can serve as an ideal place for golf groups to kick back with a beer and bites after a round. Part of the 2020 top-to-bottom renovation that transformed all guest rooms, public areas, pool, and dining outlets, this den-like nook is set just outside of the main dining room behind two sliding glass doors and stays true to the yacht-chic vibe of the resort with polished wood, a navy blue accent rug, and a wall adorned in jute rope balls.