#cocktail-bars

#cocktail-bars

Expatriate opened in the summer of 2013 as a moody, stylish companion bar to Naomi Pomeroy's legendary Beast across the street. Owner and bartender Kyle Linden Webster, the late chef's husband, brought recipes and aesthetics inspired by his world travels to the Concordia neighborhood, as well as a genre-spanning collection of vinyl. The drinks matched the vibes: lush, layered, often drawing inspiration from Southeast and South Asian countries.

Bea is a neighborhood favorite. A mere 12-14 minute walk west from Times Square gives you enough distance to breathe normally again. Inside, it's low-lit and lively, with servers and bartenders who manage the pre-theater rush like they've seen it all a million times. The bar program is what sets Bea apart from others of its ilk with a short but sweet cocktail menu offering novelty and fun.

Dip into New York's Shinji's at True Laurel, a new concept from Square Pie Guys at Mago, and a Michelin-powered dinner at Songbird Parlour. For fans of blends and bubbles, check out the Festival of Undiscovered Grapes in San Jose, a celebration of oysters and bubbly wine in Mendo, or an afternoon of sparkling wine and wellness in Napa. Save some calendar space to close out SF Sketchfest. Jump ahead to this week's top events.

Nipperkin - Not only does it feel like you're having a cocktail in your suspiciously wealthy and eccentric aunt's parlour, but every single drink here is so deftly judged. Their focus on British produce showcases unexpected flavours in classics, the view of the bartenders tempering ice lulls you into a doe-eyed daze, and the people watching would have given Jilly Cooper plentiful material. (RIP Dame J)

The calendar year may be winding down, but luckily, such is not the case for New York City's bar and restaurant scene. As anyone who lives here can tell you, December is never quiet: just walk by Rockefeller Center or Bryant Park if you don't believe us. But tourist hordes and giant Christmas trees aside, this last month of the year is quite literally festive, which means dining and drinking out right now takes on an extra glittery and magical sheen.

And it's not just the pubs that are worth their salt in the capital. It's bars too. From sophisticated cocktail dens to sweet wine bars and trendy natty wine joints, London has everything whatever your tipple of choice may be. Now it's official: 35 bars in London have been named amongthe world's best in the Top 500 Bars list. And we can vouch, because we've sampled drinks at nearly every bar named on the list.

It's a good time to be a Greater Boston diner in 2025, with exciting and diverse restaurant openings occurring all over the metro area. Each week, Boston.com will highlight the restaurant openings worth knowing about across the Greater Boston region. Some spots will already be open, while others are set to debut soon or later this year. At least one featured restaurant will always be a bonus item - either a pop-up, a collaboration, or event at area restaurants.

What makes Vietnam's bar scene so special right now is its embrace of local ingredients, new craft spirits and innovative pairings with contemporary Vietnamese cuisine. Molecular mixology and no-alcohol options are also on the rise.

The Library Bar inside the Copenhagen Plaza hotel, situated next to the Central Station, is more about history, jazz, and wood paneled walls than traditional CPH "cool." Think Chesterfield armchairs, gold-framed oil paintings of nobility, vaulted high ceilings, and you're there-it's more old-fashioned gentlemen's club than funky. Champagne, cognac, whiskey, and cigars are the name of the game, here, although to smoke these days you'll have to brave the weather.

Bar Lunette, a French cocktail bar that is drawing (more) crowds to Coolidge Corner.