50 Best Cocktail Bars near Watertown

“Muy delicioso todo muy buena atención“

“I have lived in the Boston-esque area for twelve years and have eaten so many good meals, but the fish tacos here are the only meal I needed to have before my upcoming move out west(ern MA). Cocktails are fun and creative, service is 13/10, the XL portions of fries that require to-go boxes are the only fries I’ve ever found to reheat well, and if you’re lucky, Steve will be tending bar. I love going at the slightly quieter times but I’ll never gatekeep the euphoria experienced by a meal here. Bonus perks: Max & Chelsea have the best senses of humor, the murals on the patio are always amazing, the beer and wine selection are vast (also the mocktails!), and the decor always feels like your favorite “I Spy” book.“

“This is the second time in one week my friend and I have chosen this restaurant as our destination for food, drinks, and merriment and we were not disappointed.The staff is a delight, both times we were greeted with a warm smile and they were very knowledgeable recommending dishes and levels of spice. The naan bread is delicious and the appetizers and entrees we ordered were amazing as well bursting with so much flavor. The cocktails were crafted with precision and so much passion from the wonderful bartender. The live music is great! We definitely recommend Chulo restaurant and plan on returning again and again!“

“Love everything, from warm chips and salsa to entrees and delicious drinks.“

“Branch line is a Watertown staple! Best eggplant parm I've ever had. I specifically come here for it. Great atmosphere, food and service - can't ask for much more! Was disappointed to learn that they no longer offer the pretzel as an appetizer, another one of my favorites,“

“The Dungeon Master Roll the Dice“

“Perfection! I can't say enough about the magic-potion cocktails, flavorful dishes, cool vibe, fun staff and locals 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟“

“The staff, service and food were all exceptional. The atmosphere is relaxing and the menu is very interesting, especially the cocktail menu. The presentation of the food is impeccable and the staff is very attentive, making sure the water is filled and that the check is ready when we were finished. A perfect balance and what every restaurant should strive to mimic. A must try if you want to find a place that is unique. Thanks to the staff for a fun evening.“

“We were only looking for a grownup place to meet friends after the Boston Calling concert for some drinks and to catch-up. There's very little available in this neighborhood, so Sloane's was our only choice, and we never expected it would be so flawless, inviting, creative, and showcase such hospitality. I could live just on their appetizers, meant to be shared for the table. They're fun and playful and flawlessly executed. An instant win were the cheese and onion popovers, and the tomato tart but even the pigs-in-a-blanket were clever and original. Loved the cocktail menu where even traditionally sweet options were crafted with restraint to highlight flavor rather than dulling the mouth with sugar syrup. We finished with a couple desserts and let me just say the banana cream pie should be mandatory at every table! Service was so smooth and unobtrusive, they never blinked even though we monopolized our table for rather a long time with our friends. Highly recommend.“

“This place is the bomb. drove 2 hours to try it. service , food , and were phenomenal. Definitely coming back with friends. They even validated our parking.“

“food was amazing. ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥“

“We greatly enjoyed both our recent dinners at Puritan Oyster Bar. We arrived in time to take advantage of the half price oysters served 5-6 and then stayed for dinner. The oysters were the best quality and served beautifully. In fact all the food is presented well. I loved the cod in lobster sauce and my son loved the yellow tail tacos. A special green crab appetizer was delicious and served creatively in a large shell. Our server/bartender Kyle clearly cares about making the experience enjoyable and memorable for all the guests. He noticed that I wasn’t drinking my cocktail and he asked me about my preferences and then created a drink for me that I loved!“

“Family loves the selections and quality places. Our favorites are
• Poe-lenta - yummy Italian
• Taqueria El Barrio - high quality and authentic Mexican. We always get some of their homemade flour tortillas for our taco Tuesdays.
• Inchu-great asian bowls
• Gogo-ya - Japanese in taco or bowl style
• Far out ice cream - best ice cream in boston by far 😉

Haven’t tried all the rest but these are the ones we love.“

“Love assembly row…this is a fantastic, yummy and fun addition! Great ambiance… staff is friendly and attentive. Definitely recommend! :)“

“My boyfriend and I stumbled upon Siagon Babylon and it has easily become one of our favorite Boston restaurants. The plates are small and I recommend getting a couple to share (tapas style). We loved that each dish had classic southeast asian flavors, but was so unique. You will not find dishes like this anywhere else in Boston. Excited to come back for more!“

“Best cocktail experience in Boston! I worked with Phil to plan a private birthday event at Farmacia. Phil was incredibly responsive and easy to work with from my initial outreach. The cocktails are unique and perfectly crafted and the snacks were just as delicious. Phil is very knowledgeable, engaging, and truly elevated the experience for all guests. Will certainly be back for a night out or another event!“

“Love the vibe! Great place to just get a drink, or eat to your heart's content. I have been holding Twisted Networking- Somerville, MA for a while in the side room- awesome! #askjo“

“Service is excellent and my salmon was perfect. Apps are good but smaller in size. Beer is cold. I would recommend you visit.“

“Came for one drink and ended up having dinner here because of the atmosphere. The bartenders were so down to earth and the esthetics were Instagram worthy! The food was great, we had the skewers and calamari for dinner the lobster raviolis 10/10.
Recommend for a nice Friday night out. Drinks I had the espresso martini but the sangria was the special of the week! 👌🏾👌🏾“

“Finally posting a review after many visits, including for private events. It's a magical space where every detail is thoughtfully curated. The owners are experimenting and pushing boundaries to create something special and different. The cocktails are off-the-charts, and the bites - when offered - have always been phenomenal!“

“Extremely cozy ambiance in your classic dark lighting interior with lots of exposed brickwork and music playing at just the right volume. Service was excellent and two of my party enjoyed a couple of very well made cocktails but on this visit I opted for a can of beer . Prices were about right for the quality of the cocktails but a little steep for a can of beer . Would definitely visit again when I have more time to stay later and get a little more relaxed.“

“Came to the city for the marathon and ended up at this spot without expecting much — it’s a sports bar, so I figured typical bar food. But man, the food really delivered. The potstickers were perfectly crispy and juicy, and the steak panino was packed with flavor, way better than I expected. Even though the place was packed, the service stayed friendly and on point“

“This company fires employees over nothing, due to mangers latent laziness, and refusal to back up there emploees. a good bricklayer made about 350 in the early 1980's @ chubbs tequila bar your local 7 iron workers had there charter revoked in philidelpia, I wonder why the landmark doesn't have a social media“

“Better Sorts is a great spot to hang out. The decor is great, it’s chill, and the drinks and snacks are great. The space is beautiful and the details, like glassware and cocktail accessories, are top notch. Hidden gem I. Downtown Boston!“

“Great tapas / quite filling“

“Amazing creativity on the cocktails!“

“Xavier was the best! We came in on a quiet Sunday night to celebrate a birthday, and he brought us a delicious tres leches cake with a candle! It was an awesome surprise. We loved the Good Vibrations drink, it comes with gin but he had it replaced with vodka to better suit our tastes. Xavier is a great server, very intuitive and attentive.“

“Great experience on the simulators with my 12 year old son. Great, friendly service and enthusiastic, helpful staff.“

“I honestly can't say enough great things about this hidden gem, the service was spot on from start to finish! Every cocktail was creative, delicious, and thoughtfully paired with their accompanying food. The bartenders were friendly, incredibly knowledgeable, and made the whole experience feel fun and relaxed. It was the perfect spot to celebrate a birthday, we’ll definitely be back!“

“Nook is that place that you absolutely LOVE, and want to share, but then...you'd have to share??‍♀️

Cozy atmosphere, fab bartenders, and the tunes are always *just right*

For Sumer they're doing a "Road Trip" and every drink has a been a delight. I reccomend the Gamera Rises!, No Sleep, Toni + Candace and the Blackstone Brickle“

“I love it there I drive from Springfield to Boston just to get my wigs from them and they have great deals“

“Great selection and the bartenders were awesome and knew their craft. And you can order food from any of the food options in the hall. I will definitely go back.“

“Had one incredible night this past weekend The management and staff were amazing! A truly fantastic experience. Thank you!“

“I really enjoy coming here for cocktails if in Fenway. Always seem to be an able to get a spot at the small bar. The bartenders are friendly and very attentive. Drinks are inventive but I usually have them make me classic off menu cocktails or let them take the reigns and surprise me.“

“Amazing evening with delicious food and tasty drinks! Everything we ordered from the table side guacamole, Brussels sprout salad, tacos, margarita and sangria flights and dessert were incredible!
It’s also set up so beautifully inside so I’m already planning another dinner there next week.“

“Love Hopewell, my fiancé and I come here once a month, maybe even more than that. The food and drinks are excellent — if slightly more focus on cocktails than beers, fwiw. A little pricy (what isn’t nowadays) BUT they have a nice weekly (Thursday?) chicken sandwich special if you’re cost-conscious. Only detracting mark: beware the appetizers that use the cute little cast irons, I have a hunch (I.e., 2x time food poisoning last fall) that someone might accidentally be using grandma’s classic “wipe down” method instead of typical restaurant grade sanitization on their CI😅 But otherwise this place slaps so still 5-starred🤷‍♀️“

“I’m a huge Twin Peaks fan and this outside patio theme weekends are amazing! The staff is so friendly (I enjoyed nerding out about loving Kyle Maclachlan ) 😂 and it really makes being in the city so cozy. The playlist is spot on, and the menu and drinks are so to the show! Last night was my second time and it felt like I’ve been going there forever. Will definitely check out hopefully post Covid!“

“The wait staff is incredibly friendly. We heard the onion rings were heavenly. We were not disappointed. However the salad we ordered and shared was one of the best salads I have ever tasted. I think it was the Hot Cold Chicken Salad. Absolutely delicious! After 10 pm the sandwiches are half price and they all looked delicious too!!“

“10/10–same rating I would give Sarma! The mortadella app was fantastic (honestly I didn’t think I liked mortadella but this stuff melted in your mouth!!), and the cappelletti was unlike anything I have had before! The panna cotta was so special (we ordered all three desserts and they all were amazing!)! Everything was great!“

“My partner and I came for one of the individually ticketed ice cream making classes, and it was perfect. We were already huge Gracie’s enthusiasts, and this class made us even bigger fans. Aaron is a mastermind genius of ice cream and a hilarious, silly human. I promise you’ll learn a lot, and leave filled to the brim with ice cream, hot dogs and love.“

“This was one of the finest dining experiences we’ve had. We’ve heard about Giulia for months now, reputed as one of, if not the best Italian restaurant in Massachusetts, which meant we had extremely high expectations going in. Combined with the difficulty of getting a reservation due to the popularity (with many nights waiting at 12am sharp hoping that I refreshed fast enough), and finally we had secured a reservation.

The food is heavenly. We ordered the erbazzone and grilled rosemary flatbread for appetizers, and both were so delicious— especially the erbazzone, which was probably the tastiest appetizer I have tasted. I still crave it as I am writing this, and my girlfriend feels the same way. The flatbread was also amazing, though the erbazzone trumps almost anything from the night.

My girlfriend ordered the vegetarian bucatini, and I ordered their famous wild boar pappardelle. Both pastas were excellent, though not as standout as the appetizers. It was really nice to note that they deducted the price for the vegetarian pasta from 28 (which would include meat) to 18, which we really appreciated.

Finally, we ordered the yogurt panna cotta with beach rose, toasted coconut and winter citrus for dessert. Oh my god, this is the greatest food I have tasted in eons. My girlfriend thinks it’s the best thing she has eaten (and we’re both very judgy with food!). Neither of us had thought we would enjoy anything rose-flavored so much, with the taste recurring with each bit of saliva, slowly dissipating with time. It is as if rose bloomed in our mouth, slowly melted to our tongues, and withered away as we bit away and let it wither. The sweetness gave way for the rose, and the rose enhanced the coconut and yogurt tastes. We should have ordered another one.

Overall, this was probably one of the top three meals in my life, and certainly best in the New England area. I HIGHLY recommend everyone to go, and honestly it might even be better to just order their appetizers and desserts without pasta. Their pastas are good, but the appetizers and desserts are on a whole different level. 11/10 experience. Also cute seatings outside on a beautiful afternoon. A shame we forgot to take pictures of the appetizers and desserts because they were SO GOOD. Keep in mind the portion size might be a bit smaller than you would like, but in my opinion it adds to the experience. I hope they get a Michelin recommendation at least, if not a star this year.

Hope this helps to anyone contemplating on securing a reservation!“

“My husband and I had dinner last Sunday night. It was a beautiful experience with impeccable service. I am going to remember my quail dish for a very long time. Highly recommend“

“We went to Ward 8 before a concert last week and it was wonderful! The drinks were delicious, the food was delicious and came out hot. The servers were attentive and the atmosphere was great! We can’t wait to return.“

“Beautiful place love the view of all Boston 🥰💯“

“I had the Hot honey glazed chicken sandwich. It was the best vegan sandwich I’ve ever eaten and I’ve had a lot of vegan sandwiches.“

“A perfect spot to unwind after work! Fun mixed cocktails with classic food. Highly recommend.“

“one of the best meals we've had in a long time. highly recommend.“

“Great menu. Beautiful presentation of excellently prepared choices. Delightful competent staff. You’ll be lucky to have Carlos as your waiter.“

“extremely attentive staff, our meal was brought very promptly. bathroom could accommodate my wheelchair easily. we loved spending a special night there, and are already looking forward to our return visit“

“First time here and the shrimp tacos were delicious! French fries were thin and cooked perfectly.“