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A Back Bay Bar Crawl

Four stops, one evening. Hotel bars and polished cocktail rooms.

This is a working bar crawl through Back Bay, Boston's most concentrated drinking neighbourhood. Hotel bars and polished cocktail rooms. Four stops, one evening, mapped by editors who actually drink here on Friday nights.

The order matters. Start polished, peak in the middle, end somewhere quieter. Every room listed below is within a 10-minute walk of the next one — that's the value of a neighbourhood crawl.

Total time: about five hours. Total spend: depends on you, but plan £60-£100 per person. Save this page, send it to whoever you're meeting, and let Back Bay take care of the rest.

The Route

Four stops, ranked

Walking distance: under 1km between stops. Treat the timings as guidance, not gospel.

No. 01
Stop 1 — 18:00 Aperitif
Zuma Boston
Back Bay · $$$$ · Cocktail Bars
Zuma Boston draws a steady local crowd in Back Bay. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Start at the most refined cocktail room in the area. One drink. You're warming up.
No. 02
Stop 2 — 19:30 First proper cocktail
View Boston Observation Deck Bar
Back Bay · $$$ · Rooftop Bars
View Boston Observation Deck Bar draws a steady local crowd in Back Bay. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Move to the room you'd take a first date to. Sit at the bar, talk to the bartender, order a house special.
No. 03
Stop 3 — 21:30 The destination
The Rooftop at the Revere Hotel
Back Bay · $$$ · Rooftop Bars
The Rooftop at the Revere Hotel draws a steady local crowd in Back Bay. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
The bar that defines the neighbourhood. Reservations help. Stay an hour.
No. 04
Stop 4 — 23:30 Last drink
Alden & Harlow Boston
Local · $$$ · Cocktail Bars
Alden & Harlow is the Harvard Square restaurant-bar from chef Michael Scelfo — a celebrated New American kitchen with a tight cocktail programme that punches ab
End somewhere unhurried — a wine bar, a music room, or a quiet hotel bar. One simple drink.
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Photos via Google Places. Editorial selection by Bars for Kings editors. Source