15 Best Cocktail Bars in Boston

Backbar is a small cocktail bar in the Boston area built around creative, artfully made drinks and constantly changing seasonal or thematic menus. Bespoke cocktails and an extensive spirits selection reward visitors who enjoy asking questions, exploring unfamiliar bottles, or letting the bartenders improvise.

Parla brings a speakeasy-inspired atmosphere to Boston’s Historic North End, pairing rustic reclaimed wood with a warm, playful setting. Its cocktail program riffs on classics while also pursuing unusual originals, supported by a deep collection of bitters, house-made shrubs, infusions, and tinctures.

Extra Dirty Cocktail Club creates a highly curated cocktail-and-food experience rather than a conventional drop-in bar visit. Its changing acts and themed experiences combine inventive drinks, distinctive food, thoughtful pacing, and staff who explain the story and progression behind each drink.

Hopewell Bar & Kitchen is a neighborhood-style cocktail bar in Allston where a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere meets a substantial food and drink menu. Cocktails share the spotlight with beer, including German selections, and approachable dishes such as fried chicken sandwiches, lobster rolls, mac and cheese, and bar snacks.

Brick & Mortar is a dark, intimate cocktail bar with exposed brick, community seating, and the energy of a lively hidden spot. The drinks are creative and the food goes beyond standard bar fare, with options such as anchovy toast and other shareable plates.

Equal Measure is a contemporary cocktail bar in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood, balancing highly curated drinks with small bites, wine, beer, and a carefully selected spirits collection. Its program draws on classics while exploring seasonality, sustainability, and unconventional culinary ingredients without losing drinkability.

Temple Records is a cosy Boston listening bar inspired by the vinyl-focused bars of 1950s Japan. A curated record collection plays throughout the evening, making the turntable and the bar itself central to the experience rather than background decoration.

Carrie Nation Cocktail Club combines a restaurant setting with a full cocktail program, energetic entertainment, and a hidden speakeasy-style space behind a red velvet curtain. Its food menus are designed to accompany the drinks, making it suitable for dinner before moving into a livelier nightcap.

Liberty Bar occupies the dramatic lobby rotunda of The Liberty Hotel in Beacon Hill, pairing historic architecture with craft cocktails and an energetic social setting. The menu includes house-infused liquors, wines, small plates, raw-bar selections, artisan pizzas, cheeses, charcuterie, and desserts.

Fool's Errand has the feel of a neighborhood hideaway in Boston, with a warm retro atmosphere, thoughtful cocktails, wine, beer, and a compact menu of distinctive snacks. It suits an aperitif, a relaxed catch-up, or a drink before dinner, with music and an easygoing setting that encourages lingering.

Chemist Cocktail Bar is a modern DJ listening lounge in Boston with inventive cocktails, wine, beer, and food that runs from late lunch through late-night service. The drink program includes distinctive house creations such as fruit-forward combinations with rum, gin, prosecco, citrus, and botanical ingredients.

Stratus brings cocktail-bar evenings above the Boston skyline, with indoor and outdoor seating, signature cocktails, spirits, wine, beer, and food at the bar. Its rooftop setting is the main draw: an atmospheric place for sunset drinks, city views, and a memorable night out.

The cocktail program leans creative and carefully balanced, while the setting can shift from relaxed drinks to lively rooftop entertainment. Efficient organization, attentive bartending, and a clean presentation add polish to the experience.

Avery Bar brings a polished yet intimate setting to Boston, pairing cocktails, wine, beer, spirits, and food with attentive table service. Its refined atmosphere works well for a pre-theater drink, a relaxed stop after shopping, or an evening centered on conversation rather than a crowded room.

Set beneath Beacon Hill, 89 Charles is a small, intimate cocktail bar shaped by speakeasy style, Art Deco details, Gatsby-era glamour, and old-Hollywood atmosphere. Its low lighting, antique brass, rich blues, and vintage accents create a polished hideaway for date nights, quiet drinks, or a refined start to dinner.

Over the Charles Rooftop Bar pairs cocktails, wine, beer, spirits, and food with an elevated view over the Charles River and Boston skyline. The rooftop setting feels relaxed rather than formal, making it suitable for date nights, solo drinks, family outings, or winding down after work.