Amar, the swanky, once-acclaimed restaurant at Raffles Boston, will close

The sky-high restaurant will become a private event space.

The dining area at Amar, on the 17th floor of the Raffles Boston hotel, seen in 2023.Josh Reynolds for The Boston Globe

Amar, the luxurious Portuguese restaurant inside the Raffles Boston hotel, will close on Sunday, April 26.

In May, the space will become a private event venue, “reflecting growing demand for curated celebrations and tailored experiences,” said a Raffles spokesperson.

The 17th-floor Back Bay destination opened to much fanfare in 2023 thanks to glittering skyline views, celebrity-spotting potential, and the reputation of executive chef George Mendes, late of the Michelin-starred Aldea in New York.

Uni toast with Maine sea urchin, cauliflower, shiso, and milk bread at Amar in 2023.Josh Reynolds for The Boston Globe

Globe Critic Devra First painted a vivid portrait on an early visit. “Amar is classy and lush in equal measure, with windows that stretch from floor to soaring ceiling, walls patterned with jumbo flowers in moody hues, and a massive gold-and-glass chandelier that blooms from the center of the ceiling,” she wrote. “Is that Bob Kraft across the room, or is it his white-maned doppelganger?”

In a subsequent review, First awarded the restaurant three stars.

Mendes left Amar in the spring of 2025. He’s now hard at work on two South End restaurants, slated to open this summer: Agosto, featuring a tasting menu with global inflections, and Baby Sister, a bakery-cafe.

Kraft (or his doppelganger) can continue to dine at Raffles’ other restaurants: Long Bar & Terrace, Blind Duck, Café Pastel, and La Padrona.