Best view of the city

Top of the East Lounge is the bar that sits on, well, the top of the Eastland Hotel on the corner of Congress Street and High Street. Take the elevator to the roof and the lounge is to the left. You can't help but take in the view immediately - large windows surround the entire room. The bar is centered with tables for big parties and brown leather couches surrounding it. The room is handsome and elegant. There's no slummin' it up in that piece.

The drink menu is something like 8 pages long. There is an extensive list of rum drinks ($5-7), vodka drinks ($6-10), tequila drinks ($5-18), gin drinks ($5-8), scotch ($9-85, yes a glass of Macallan 25 Year Old Anniversary scotch is $85), whiskey drinks ($5-22), bourbon ($7-9), cognac and brandy ($6-22), ports ($6-20), champagne cocktails, wines and martinis. There are no beers on tap. The bottled beer selection includes Miller ($4), Budweiser ($4), Geary's Hampshire ($5), Flying Dog Pale Ale ($5), Samuel Adams ($5), Shipyard Export ($5), Amstel Light ($5), Corona ($5), Guinness ($5) Hoegaarden ($5), Smithwick's ($5), Stella Artois ($5), Tetley's English Ale ($6, it's so good and has a widget) and Paulaner Hefe Weisse ($6).

Happy Hour is 4-6 pm every Monday through Friday. Specific drinks are $1 off regular price. Monday is rum and tequila drinks, Tuesday is bourbon, Wednesday is Manhattans and Martinis, Thursdays are beer, and Friday is wine ($1 off glasses, 15% off bottles).

Lunch served 11:30 am-2 pm daily. The menu consists of burgers, sandwiches and wraps ranging in price from $9-15. Appetizers are served until 10 pm and include seafood plates (shrimp, clams, crab fondue), wings, onion rings, quesadillas and flat-bread pizzas ranging in price from $7-14. If you're still hungry after 10 pm you can order a $12 cheese plate until 11 pm.

Because of the view and the ritzy drinks, the Top of the East might be the place to take your parents when they visit. And it would be a great spot for a first date - assuming you've got the money to blow. The music is low, there are no distractions and all you have is alcohol, a great view and hopefully good conversation. The crowd is mature - you may see lots of gray hairs. And this place is definitely not a hook up spot, unless you're a gold-digger.

There was only one thing missing from the lounge - those tasty warm nuts. But it won't keep me from returning. My empty wallet will.