12 Essential Bars in Boston, According to Industry Pros

Boston is known for many things—the Red Sox, a deep brewing history, world-class educational institutions and more. It’s also emerging as a top drinking destination for far more than just beer. These days, one can find excellent libations all over the place, from neighborhood watering holes to chic natural wine bars to craft cocktail dens.

But which ones are worthy of a coveted spot on your drinking itinerary? We posed the question to drinks industry professionals in the know. Here are the best bars to visit in the greater Boston area.

Photography by Eddie DiCroce

Best Overall Bar: Backbar

Union Square, Somerville

Backbar is certainly outside the mold of other of-the-moment bars, but that’s precisely its appeal. There are no fancy, cushioned booths here, no intricate design features. Instead, the decor is mostly a hodgepodge of Star Wars memorabilia, cat-themed trinkets and pop icons-inspired paraphernalia. But there’s a line to get in on most nights, and a steady stream of regulars who keep coming back for the spot’s quirky takes on classic cocktails and thought-provoking originals. There “no pretensions,” quips Nick Lappen, head of bar at Temple House in Chengdu, China. “Just great drinks in a nerdy laid-back atmosphere.”

The drinks change here roughly every season and range from light and approachable to strong and adventurous. Right now, highlights include the Candied Yam Collins, which features Irish whiskey, shochu, lemon, maple, sage, the gentian-based liqueur Avèze, sweet potato and soda water—”savory but refreshing,” the menu says. There’s also a “nutty take on a Vieux Carre,” the Ye Olde Chestnut, a blend of rye, Cognac, chestnut-infused Sherry, maple syrup, amaretto and walnut bitters.

“Every drink they serve has been tested, debated and tweaked until it’s the best version it can be,” Lappen says.

Best Cocktail Bar: Blossom Bar

Brookline Village, Brookline

Boston sees no shortage of good bars, but Blossom Bar is a notable addition to the already-blooming scene. “The very second a member of the team touches a bottle or a tool, there’s this sense that they have thought about and rehearsed the motion,” says Anthony Brocatto, the bar manager of Green Room, a beloved craft cocktail bar in Northampton, Massachusetts.

The bar program leans heavily on tropical, tiki-adjacent drinks with complex preparations and ingredients. Standouts include the Tortuga Express, which marries rum and banana oat milk with dates, amaro, lime and mint, and La Gota Fría, which features rum, salted mango, strawberry Campari, gentian-based amaro and coffee liqueur.

The drinks pair exceptionally well with the mouth-numbingly spicy Sichuan food on offer. But attention to detail is where this establishment truly shines. “It feels as if precision and intention are at the forefront of every action, and I find that profoundly inspiring in how I approach the craft,” adds Brocatto.

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Most Inventive Bar: Birds of Paradise

Brighton, Boston

When it comes to imaginative drinks with picture-perfect presentation and genius flavor pairings, Birds of Paradise is solidly one of the most charming, upscale cocktail spots in the city. The drinks here are largely inspired by air travel and often combine iconic global flavors in unexpected ways. Take the San Juan to Hanoi, which marries the complexity of aged Puerto Rican rum with creamy, buttery Vietnamese coffee.

“All of Ran’s projects are excellent, but the vibe at Birds is the most ‘cocktail bar’ of them all,” says Lappen. “The travel theme and idea of connecting two locations through a drink is a great vector for creativity behind the bar.”

Don’t sleep on the snacks, either. The temaki (Japanese hand roll) program features a number of classics with uber-fresh ingredients, such as negi toro (fatty tuna) and tamago (egg).

Best Wine Bar: Rebel Rebel

Union Square, Somerville

There’s a good reason that Somerville’s young crowds often gravitate toward this cute little wine bar. Gabrielle Malina, founder of the wine pop-up First Crush, describes it as “a place where I want to hang out with a couple of friends.”

Here, you’ll find a frequently updated list of natural wines from around the world. Don’t hesitate to ask the friendly staff for suggestions or pour you a sip of something you’re curious about. Situated inside Bow Market, you can take food from other vendors inside the bar—a selling point that’s less common in Boston. The interior features a handful of bar seats and a few tables by the windows, but when the weather is nice, the outdoor patio offers ample space for small group hangs.

Best Downtown Bar: Offsuit

Chinatown, Boston

For those looking for more of a speakeasy vibe, Offsuit hits all the marks. Tucked away in the storied Leather District, the 20-seat cocktail bar offers an intimate experience that blurs the line between food and beverage, combining ingredients that span the culinary and mixology landscape.

“Life’s too short to drink boring stuff,” says Courtney Moy, bartender at The Koji Club and the brain behind hot cocktail pop-up Good Neighbor.

“Ryan Polhemus is doing some very creative things with his team at Offsuit,” says Moy. And by creative, we mean creative. Among her favorite drinks is the Tuxedo Connection, “one of the smoothest, illest riffs on a Chrysanthemum.” The unusual libation combines ingredients unlikely to appear together anywhere else—we’re talking pecan ice cream, Chardonnay and shiitake mushrooms. (Yes, really.)

“Then there’s also the Hired Gun, which combines burnt tortilla with smoky mezcal, sour cream and pineapple, transporting guests to the streets of Mexico.”

If anyone can make those combos sing, Offsuit can, Moy promises.

Rite Tea and Whisky Bar — Photography by Kristin Teig

Best for Singles: Rite Tea & Whisky Bar

Brighton, Boston

Nestled in the Charles River Speedway development, this tiny tea and espresso bar transforms on Friday nights into the “best curated whiskey bar in Boston,” Moy says. Small and unassuming, the spot cultivates a cozy ambience that makes guests want to linger. Owner Ren Wheeler is “magic,” she adds, praising the establishment’s thoughtful Scottish whisky selection.

The rest of the week, the place is worth a visit as well. Proper tea and coffee brewing techniques are on full display at the shop, which Wheeler designed to highlight beverages they once considered illicit.

“It’s, like, a rite of passage for someone post-Mormon to go to Starbucks for the first time,” Wheeler told Edible Boston earlier this year. Wheeler was raised in the Mormon church, which preaches total abstinence from tea, coffee and alcohol, but left in their early 20s.
As an added bonus, next door is Boston’s one-and-only sake bar—Koji Club—which would make an excellent second stop on a Friday night bar crawl.

Best for Gen Z Drinkers: Trina’s Starlite Lounge

Inman Square, Somerville

A short walk from Inman Square’s many popular restaurants and live music venues, Trina’s provides an inviting and no-frills space to stop for a drink or three.

“I feel very lucky that I had Trina’s in my neighborhood when I moved here,” says Jackie Cain, long-time writer and editor of TimeOut Boston. “Even when it’s crowded, the bartenders are very friendly and the crowds are friendly.” It’s an unpretentious and approachable bar welcoming to those on the early end of their drinking life.

Hungry? At brunch, try their fried chicken with buttermilk waffles, which come alongside a spicy hot pepper-infused syrup. The drinks are approachable, with fun flourishes that don’t veer into preciousness—think the Rockin’ Chair, which features black tea-infused bourbon, Domaine De Canton Ginger Cognac Liqueur and lemon—plus “classic cocktails done well,” Cain says.

The retro-style booths in the main dining room can accommodate small groups and the main bar gives more room for socializing. “My vibe is low-key and unpretentious, and Trina’s is the embodiment of that,” Cain adds.

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Best New Bar: Merai

Brookline Village, Brookline

Combining electric Thai flavors with inventive, high-volume cocktails, newly opened Merai has already carved out an enviable niche in Brookline’s competitive bar scene. It’s the second act by the team behind its sibling, the sensational Thai spot Mahaniyom, and delivers the same sharp focus and high-contrast flavors.

The owners originally envisioned Merai as a Thai dive bar. In reality, it’s a touch more elevated, though it retains the vibrancy and inviting atmosphere that embody the best dives.

As for the drinks, “there are inventive ideas that tell a story,” Cain says. “They’re bringing ingredients to Boston to make people think of new ways about food and drinks.” Consider the Strawberry Cheesecake, a sweet and savory libation made with vodka, gin, strawberries and—unexpectedly—cheese foam. The food here, too, often subverts expectations. Case in point, the Thai hot dog, which subs out the expected weiner for house-cured kra paw sausage and salted egg yolk mayonnaise.

Best Casual Bar: State Park

Kendall Square, Cambridge

State Park’s location feels a little hidden; finding the entrance requires a walk through a complex full of restaurants and down a flight of stairs. It’s worth the trek, though.

The atmosphere inside is dark but not too dark, the vibe neighborhood-y and no-frills. Malina likes to swing by “with a group of friends and get a booth.” Expect drinks like the Debbie Gibson, a sweet-salty blend of gin, extra dry vermouth, watermelon brine and pickled brine, plus a bevy of thoughtful zero-proof cocktails like the Cactus Proof, a salted mix of cucumber, cactus, lime and whey.

In addition to vinyl nights and dance parties, State Park also serves some of the best food—hungry Cambridge students come to gobble up classics like the fried chicken dinner, which is served alongside Tabasco-spiked honey, black-eyed peas with collard greens and bread and butter pickles. If you’re around for brunch, don’t miss State Park’s flaky take on the classic Tex-Czech kolache, available in both sweet and savory form.

Upscale: Equal Measure

Fenway, Boston

The folks behind Boston institutions Eastern Standard (reborn in 2023 after a pandemic shuttering) and The Hawthorne (now gone the way of the dodo) delighted its fans when it announced this glitzy cocktail bar not far from Fenway Park.

For the out-of-towners, Equal Measure presents as an elegant, sophisticated spot that churns out exquisite and unexpected drinks—libations like the Creamsicle Dream, essentially a cross between a martini and a milkshake, with vodka, Aperol, orange cordial and apricot. For the locals, this ritzy bar feels like a continuation of the team’s good work, with Art Deco flourishes, high ceilings, velvet curtains and brass and marble finishes.

All of the above makes the spot ideal for people watching. “A good bartender makes great drinks, but a great bartender mixes the good people at the bar,” its bar director Jackson Cannon told Boston.com last year.

Cozy: Hecate

Back Bay, Boston

Tucked away in the alleyway behind its sibling Krasi, an award-winning Greek restaurant with one of the most comprehensive Greek wine programs in Boston, this unassuming gem specializes in cocktails inspired by Greek mythology.

“At Hecate, you enter the realm of spirits,” co-owner Demetri Tsolakis told Boston.com at the time of the spot’s opening in 2022. Indeed, the name Hecate is taken from the fearless, benevolent Greek goddess who protects the underworld from evil. The intimate space is fittingly dark and moody, with just a few tables and limited bar seats, plus an inventive cocktail menu that frequently incorporates Greek spirits.

Among the current libations on offer: Eternal Spring, which calls on gin, beeswax, sugarcane, coconut water, honey, anise and Greece’s prized resin spirit, mastiha; and Frater Bruno, a blend of gin, Campari, sundried tomato, Pecorino, fennel and bergamot.

Best Hotel Bar: The Fed in the Langham, Boston

Financial District, Boston

The best hotel bars evoke a sense of place, and that’s certainly the case at The Fed, a 2021 addition to the five-star Langham, Boston property, which is housed in an imposing structure once home to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

In spirit, the food offerings land somewhere between Great Britain and New England—something befitting Boston, a city teeming with colonial and revolutionary history. Seafood options abound, including expertly-shucked raw East Coast oysters, chilled plates of gargantuan shrimp cocktail and haddock fried in a Sam Adams-infused batter. For carnivores, there’s a satisfying burger featuring two smash patties anointed with bacon jam.

Drinks are named for various world currencies like the Franc, which features vodka, Cointreau, Lillet Rosé, lime cordial and cranberry juice, and the Lira, a blend of dark cherry-infused gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. The bar staff are also clearly versed in the classics.

“They whip up a mean dirty gin martini,” says Wine Enthusiast Digital Managing Editor Rachel Tepper Paley. “It’s served deeply briny—my personal preference—and ice cold, absolutely divine alongside the raw bar delights served here. It’s just the thing I want on a balmy New England evening—or anytime, really.”