When it comes to crafting killer cocktails, something wonderful is happening across the Charles River in Cambridge and Somerville. Local restaurants and bars have really stepped up their cocktail game to the absolute delight those who love a good drink. Here are our top five cocktail joints in Cambridge and Somerville, each has an amazing atmosphere, innovative drink menus, but also great food. Count on every one of these local treasures to guarantee you a fun night on the town.
Top Cocktail Bars in Cambridge and Somerville
Backbar – Union Square, Somerville
Backbar
This Union Square bar with its speakeasy vibe is a favorite among local imbibers. You can find it hidden away behind the innovative Somerville restaurant Journeyman, down an alleyway off of Sanborn Court. They serve some exquisitely executed classic cocktails, but its their own creations that are the real draw. Try the Thunder Gun Express made with privateer amber rum, applejack, ginger, lemon, and rhubarb. Or tell the bartender your favorite spirit and let them create something just for you. Backbar also has a “Genius Hour” every day from 4 – 5:30 PM, where they provide free wi-fi and invite you to bring your laptop or tablet to finish up the workday while sipping on a late afternoon cocktail and enjoying some of chef Tse Wei Lim’s wickedly good ramen.
You can also have a gourmet experience at backbar with their Omakase tasting menu. The chefs at Journeyman and the bartenders at Backbar collaborate to create an inspired menu of seasonal dishes paired with delicious and thoughtful cocktails. Reservations for the tasting menu require at least 48 hours notice.
Brick & Mortar – Central Square, Cambridge
Brick & Mortar
Named as one of the best bars in the country by Food and Wine, Zagat, and Esquire, this dark and cozy bar lives above Central Kitchen restaurant, but finding it can be a little tricky. To get there you have to enter through an unmarked door to the left of Central Kitchen, and go right up the stairs. The space has a very cool, industrial feel with exposed brick and a beautiful copper bar. There’s always a new phenomenal cocktail to try while enjoying the great music coming from the turntables behind the bar. If you’re hungry, they offer a small but delicious selection of food. Try their great B&M burger topped with bacon and cheddar on a toasted brioche bun. Or go for the Oyster po’ boy. You won’t regret it.
Green Street – Central Square, Cambridge
Green Street
This neighborhood institution, which has been around since the Great Depression, was taken over and beautifully transformed by Cambridgeport local Dylan Black in 2006. Since Black has been at the helm, Green Street has become a destination spot for imbibers in the know. As Serious Eats writes, “Green Street still attracts a local crowd that reflects the remarkable diversity of its Cambridgeport neighborhood, but also now ranks as one of Boston’s foremost places to get a serious drink.” Named the 2008 Best Cocktail Spot by Boston Magazine, Green Street’s top notch bartenders are ready to mix up any of the 100 options on their drink menu. If one hundred options sounds overwhelming, they have a beautifully curated cocktail list full of standards and new additions. Feeling adventerous? Try the Zombie, a mix of
Named the Best Restaurant in Central Square by Boston Magazine in 2013, Green Street’s delicious, seasonal menu definitely does not take a backseat to its fabulous drinks. Enjoy the Wellfleet Clam Stew, made up of
Alden & Harlow – Harvard Square, Cambridge
Alden & Harlow
A subterranean and artfully lit restaurant with a hip vibe, Alden & Harlow is located in the space once occupied by Casablanca, the beloved Harvard Square institution, which closed in 2012 after fifty years in business. Though much more than just a dedicated cocktail bar, this Harvard Square newcomer has a serious drinks menu. Boston Magazine writes that Alden & Harlow bar manager Seth Friedus “has launched one of the most dynamic cocktail programs anywhere in the city, incorporating everything from house-made draft bitters to a walk-in brimming with infused spirits. Friedus has even managed to bridge the invisible barrier often erected between bar and kitchen, working closely with sous chef David Tollerud to utilize seasonal produce, brines, sauces, and whole flower hops grown in Tollerud’s own backyard.”
Try the outstanding cocktail Beneath the Stars, made up of Mezcal, pickled green strawberries and jalapeno, sherry, and lime. And try their take on the perfect summer drink, the Morning View – a delicious concoction of overproof bourbon, lemon, local strawberries, spring peas and angostura bitters. Alden & Harlow’s terrific food garnered them a three star Boston Globe review, calling the food, “rich, but it is balanced with smoke, salt, acid, and spice.” The standout dishes are: their kale salad served with a creamy pistachio dressing and honey and fennel; the corn pancakes served with shishito peppers; their mouthwatering burger; and the chicken fried local rabbit.
Cuchi Cuchi – Central Square, Cambridge
Cuchi Cuchi
Walking into Cuchi Cuchi is like stepping into the glamorous bygone era of 1920s Hollywood. They’ve got a great array of modern and classic cocktails and a romantic, soothing vibe.
Boston Magazine recommends ordering the Cosmo. They write, “Once upon a time, the cosmo was a good, tangy alternative to the manly martini. Then Sex and the City came along, leaving behind it a big, syrupy, neon-pink wake. These days, not many bartenders can still make it right—tart, a tad sweet, and fantastically quaffable—but the ones who can, it seems, are all employed at Cuchi Cuchi.” Or try their Singapore Sling, a classic 1915 recipe of gin, cherry heering, benedictine, cointreau, organe, pineapple juice, and soda water.
They also serve a globe-trotting menu. You can start in Argentina with a Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce, hop over to France with some Gratin Daupinois, a dish of thin-sliced potatoes in cheese and cream, and then finish in the Indian subcontinent with the Grilled Indian Lamb – all without needing a passport.
Want to live close to these fantastic hubs of food and drink? Contact one of our agents who specializes in the Cambridge and Somerville markets by calling 617.864.1414 or visit our website to check out our Cambridge & Somerville homes for sale.
Related Post: Interested in great cocktail bars in Boston? Check out our post on Top 5 Cocktail Bars in Boston.