The 18 Best Bars in Boston
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When people think about what it means to be “quintessentially Boston,” it's often not bars, but things like Boston cream pie, Fenway Park, and Revolutionary history inevitably top the list. But let’s not forget that before it was a revolutionary act, the Boston Tea Party (allegedly) began over a couple of rounds of rum-and-whiskey punch at patriot Benjamin Edes’ house. Simply put, drinking is a seamless part of Boston culture. Today, while traces of its rich history still can be found on every corner, Boston has evolved into a refined, cosmopolitan city. Its bar scene is fittingly complex, from neighborhood dives to out-there mixology concepts and elegant wine bars. If you’re looking to grab a drink in Boston—no matter what you’re in the market for—consider stopping by one of these perennial favorites.
Read our full Boston travel guide here.
This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
Nina GallantbarThe Longfellow Bar
$$$Just upstairs from chef Michael Scelfo's popular Harvard Square institution Alden & Harlow is Longfellow Bar, a sexy, two-story lounge with a seasonal roof deck. The 130-year-old building exudes charm, and Scelfo's loving restoration of the space has created one of the city's most intriguing places to have a drink. The bartenders here spin housemade seasonal syrups, infusions, and bitters into intriguing, somewhat surprising drinks. Consider the Fire in the Hole, a potent mix of Irish whisky, charred peach, and chartreuse.
Brian SamuelsbarShore Leave
$$Nothing about Shore Leave screams "Boston," and there's nothing wrong with that. Amid a restaurant scene that so often wears the city's history on its sleeve, there's something punchy and undeniably seductive about a subterranean tiki bar smack in the middle of the South End. An enormous drink list manages to capture that essential tiki bar vibe without relying on cloyingly sweet syrups or overly fruity concoctions. You'll find plenty of delightfully bitter and complex flavors; the Third Wave Swizzle, for instance, is made with Citadelle gin, cold brew, ginger, and honey.
Eric L. LevinrestaurantYvonne's
$$$Get past the speakeasy entrance—hidden in a faux hair salon—and you'll find yourself in one of Boston's coolest boîtes. The moodily lit space is outfitted with jacquard wallpaper, antique couches, and chandeliers, and there are plenty of banquettes, booths, and nooks, making it the perfect place to hide out in, whether for an after-work bite or a late-night cocktail. Creative types, young professionals, groups of girlfriends, even a Red Soxer or two can all be spotted here. The people-watching is nonpareil and the drinks are top-notch.
Courtesy Trillium Brewing CompanyactivityTrillium Brewing Company
$$Set in an industrial-chic space that pays homage to the neighborhood of Fort Point's shipping and warehouse history, Trillium is considered one of the finest breweries in a city known for its breweries. The menu is a rotating blend of classics as well as experimental and seasonal offerings, all of which are only available for sale here (or at the brewery's other location in Canton, Mass.). The Congress Street IPA is a hit, but don't overlook the smaller-batch, seasonal offerings, like the blackberry, blueberry, and peach barrel-fermented wild ales.
Jason ZuccoactivityBully Boy Distillers Tasting Room
$$Bully Boy’s distillery is next-level local. The Willis brothers grew up working on their family’s fourth-generation New England farm and in recent years, their Roxbury distillery has built up a cult following for its smooth whiskey, gin, rum, and vodka. Since opening an intimate, cozy 26-seat tasting room in 2017, it has also become one of the best craft-cocktail spots in the city. If you're having a hard time choosing, go for a flight like the "Boston Tea Party," a series of tea-infused cocktails.
Adam Detour/HecatebarHecate
$$$What is a cocktail if not a potion? This subterranean, speakeasy-type bar leans into all of the mythology and mysticism its eponymous Greek goddess implies—and the results are sexy and straight up intoxicating. The space itself is finished with black rock walls dotted with flickering candles, black furniture with gold and brass finishings, and a dramatic black bar that positively glows. Upon taking your seat, you’re offered a leather-bound menu replete with intricate illustrations and incantations, and while reading through and making a decision is fun, we suggest deferring to your bartender to whip up some magic. In a city that is often (wrongly) portrayed as overly staid and overly focused on its history, Hecate proves that high-concept, inventive experiences not only have a place in Boston, but can very much lead the way in this city’s drinks scene.
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Daiquiris & DaisiesbarDaiquiris & Daisies
$$The financial district’s buzzy High Street Place makes a serious case in favor of the “fancy food hall.” Case in point: Daiquiris & Daisies, a fast casual cocktail bar concept helmed by the same duo behind Fenway’s popular Hojoko. The menu is divided up between more creative and more classic cocktails, filling a much-needed void in the marketplace for excellent, unpretentious drinks in an environment that is as quick or as not-quick as you need it to be. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure style bar that can be a stopover on en route to somewhere else, or the destination in its own right. If you aren’t able to fly to the Caribbean for a proper rum drink, this reliably good bar’s expertly blended Pineapple Daiquiri will do just fine.
Courtesy FairmontrestaurantOAK Long Bar + Kitchen
$$$When the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel decided to shutter its iconic Oak Room in 2012 and revive it as OAK, a more contemporary bar, the area's staunchest traditionalists were skeptical. But ever since its reopening, this urbane hot spot has become a seamless part of the Back Bay bar scene. The cocktail list is cheeky, with fun options like the "How Do You Do?", a mix of Grey Goose, St. Germain, Aperol, and grapefruit. There are a couple of local brews on tap, as well, plus a nice selection of whiskey and Scotch. There's always a great energy here, especially in the warmer months on the patio overlooking Copley Square.
Brian SamuelsbarDrink
$$$Barbara Lynch, Boston's reigning doyenne of hospitality, opened this cocktail lounge in Fort Point neighborhood in 2008. Ever since, its unique, menu-less approach has only grown better with age. The bar staff will ask newcomers and regulars alike the same question: "What can I make for you tonight?" Based on your mood—or theirs—that might result in a crisp, gin-based cucumber concoction, a Prohibition-era whiskey cocktail, or anything in between. A perfect snack menu includes spicy olives, deviled eggs, crostini, and the like, as well as a wagyu burger and a confit garlic grilled cheese.
Kristin Teig/The Koji ClubbarThe Koji Club
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Hot List 2023Opening this 250 square foot space in Brighton’s Charles River Speedway development has been an emotional journey for Alyssa Mikiko Dipasquale, longtime manager of Boston’s O Ya omakase. When the pandemic thwarted her original plans, she first launched “The Koji Club” as a subscription-based sake tasting event over Zoom—which quickly started to sell out time and time again. When Dipasquale finally opened a brick-and-mortar space in the spring of 2022, she had already built a loving, loyal fanbase of sake enthusiasts throughout the city. Today, she carries on her mission of championing Japan’s most iconic spirit, using her deep connections in the world of sake to bring some of the rarest bottles to Boston. But don’t mistake this for some esoteric concept—this bar attracts as many newcomers and sake-curious, who arrive with little knowledge and depart with a taste for how versatile this spirit truly is. And more importantly, they come as strangers, and leave as friends. Everyone gets to be a part of the club here.
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Pat PiaseckirestaurantTrina's Starlite Lounge
$$It's pretty difficult to pull off a cocktail bar in Somerville, which is known mostly for its brunch scene and late-night party atmosphere, but Trina's Starlite Lounge hits the mark. Whether it's craft cocktails, local beers, or affordably priced bottles of wine, a rotating menu offers something to regulars and newcomers alike. Drink names are especially cheeky: the Defying Guava-ty, for instance, has tequila, mezcal, Cocchi Americano, guava, agave, and lime. Standouts on the food menu include a salty bologna sandwich and fried chicken with hot pepper syrup and maple-celery slaw. The affable staff will make you feel like a local.
Courtesy haley.henrybarhaley.henry
$$Although it's a small space, this wine bar in the heart of Downtown manages to make a lasting impression with its extraordinary selection of rare wines and crowd favorites and emphasis on small, undiscovered wineries and biodynamic producers. You can purchase two glasses of wine for half the price of any bottle, making it easy to explore the wine list without without a huge commitment. There's no full-fledged food service, but the small plates, charcuterie, pickles, Spanish and Portuguese canned fishes, tartares, and ceviches all are impressive.
barSullivan's Tap
$There aren't sports fans anywhere in the world quite like Boston fans, so any visit should include a quick drink (or several) at this iconic sports bar, where the patrons are jovial, and rowdy in all the right ways. Tucked on a side street just across from the North Station/TD Garden complex, this is the go-to sports bar for anyone catching a Bruins or Celtics game. The space is decked out with memorabilia, arcade games, and all sorts of Boston sports tchotchkes. Just don't show up wearing a Yankees shirt.
Courtesy Fool's ErrandbarFool's Errand
$$$When Fool’s Errand opened in Fenway in 2018, the original concept was inspired by European wine and cocktail bars that owner/chef Tiffani Faison had encountered on her travels. Originally opened as a standing room only cocktail boudoir not much larger than a walk-in closet, this small-yet-mighty bar reopened in 2022 after a pandemic-era refresh with sixteen seats and a small outdoor patio. Still, it retains its laissez-faire, decadent attitude: come for the European wines and flavorful cocktails, stay for the indulgent bar snacks, like crudité served with whipped ranch labne, or crispy pork empanadas.
Courtesy The Tall ShipbarThe Tall Ship
$$Visitors to Boston used to know East Boston only as the place you drive through on your way to the airport, but Eastie’s renaissance over the last few years has turned this once-quiet, residential neighborhood into a vibrant destination for locals and visitors alike. The Tall Ship is the best bar from which to take it all in, on sunny days at least: a sprawling outdoor space, set up on a large concrete pier adjacent to an historic 245-foot schooner, with highly drinkable cocktails and locally sourced beers, compulsively edible tacos, and a picturesque oyster shucking station on the ship itself. If enjoying an afternoon of cornhole, cocktails and views of downtown next to a tall wooden ship isn’t quintessentially Boston, we’re not sure what is.
Courtesy Blossom BarbarBlossom Bar
$$Come for the tiki, stay for the… Sichuan? You better believe it. Owner Ran Duan has been perfecting his bar skills from a young age, when this space was Sichuan Garden and his parents were in charge. Today, Ran runs the show, and has been racking up cocktail awards for years for his creative take on tiki mixology (house made syrups, fresh fruit, unexpected flavor pairings), and pairing them with transcendently spicy Sichuan fare such as dan dan noodles and Chongqing dry hot chicken.
restaurantThe Warren Tavern
$$Leave the tourist crowds behind and hop across the Charles River to Charlestown for a more authentic slice of Boston life. The oldest tavern in Massachusetts, Warren Tavern has at different times been a favorite watering hole of George Washignton, Paul Revere, and J.F.K., and today serves as a hangout for the numerous young professionals who call this neighborhood home. Few Boston taverns offer both historic chops and current-day resonance, and Warren Tavern manages to do so. The menu offers a rich selection of beers from Budweiser to local New England microbrews, and the surprisingly good pub food keeps a steady flow of patrons every night of the week. An order of short rib tacos and Thai chicken lettuce wraps, a couple of brews, and you’re all set for an evening of Grade-A Bostonian people watching.
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