Top 10 bars and pubs in Boston

Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks

Pull up a stool at the bar or lounge on the patio at this swanky, but not snobby, Kenmore Square bar and restaurant. The wine list will impress and the beer selection is solid but the cocktails are where they shine. Favourites include the Whiskey Smash ($10, not on the menu) and egg-centric cocktails such as the fluffy and decadent Flip Royal (ginger liqueur, rooibos tea syrup, Angostura bitters, $11). And while it can get packed – it's in the heart of the square and down the street from Fenway Park (home of the Boston Red Sox) – the service never lacks. Go for oysters or roasted bone marrow if you're feeling fancy.
528 Commonwealth Avenue, +1 617 532 9100, easternstandardboston.com. Open daily 7am-2am

Deep Ellum

Deep Ellum in the west Boston Allston neighbourhood is a food-beer-cocktail triple treat. Beer lovers will find bliss in its rotating draft selection, featuring local picks and German, Spanish and Belgian brews. You can't go wrong with any of the cocktails, but in the narrow, dimly lit and lively bar, with old westerns playing on the TVs, the Deep Ellum Old Fashioned (rye, cherry, orange, sugar, bitters, $10) feels right. Top it off with bar snacks like the Best Wurst Appetizer (housemade sausage, mustard and pickles, $6), then mosey next door for a tequila and taco chaser at its sister spot, Lone Star Taco Bar.
477 Cambridge Street, Allston, +1 617 787 2337, deepellum-boston.com. Open Mon-Fri 11am-2am, Sat-Sun 10am-2am

Stoddard's Fine Food & Ale

Corsets from the original tenants, Chandler's Corset Store, hang on the wall at this downtown drinking destination steeped in history, and the long bar, high ceilings, and attentive, polished bartenders add an air of grandeur. It's not all atmosphere, though – it has one of the best local beer selections in town, especially if you're seeking cask. Close to the theatre district, it's also perfect for post- or pre-show drinks and the house cocktail, the Moscow Mule ($10), receives high marks.
48 Temple Place, +1 617 426 0048, stoddardsfoodandale.com. Tue-Wed 5pm-1am, Thur-Sat 11.30am-2am, Sun 3pm-12am, closed Monday

Lord Hobo

Lord Hobo is one of the best beer bars in the city, but perhaps not the most hip. If there's a new, rare, or hard-to-find beer, Lord Hobo probably has it among more than 40 draft lines or its extensive bottle selection. It's not snobbish though: bartenders are always quick with a recommendation and a sample. The crowd is young, and while it can get packed, you can usually snag a bar seat or a high top. The red walls and dim lights make it feel a bit like a dungeon – but one you're OK spending all day (and night) in.
92 Hampshire Street, Cambridge, +1 617 250 8454, lordhobo.com. Mon-Wed 4.30pm-1am, Thur-Fri 4.30pm-2am, Sat 11.30am-2am, Sun 11.30am-1am

Trina's Starlite Lounge

Trina's, in Cambridge's hip Inman Square neighbourhood, may look like a dive, but it's more retro diner once you step in. It caters for a service industry crowd with its popular Service Industry Brunch on Mondays and fun, strong drinks and cheap beers. The kitschy, unpretentious vibe comes through the diner-like atmosphere, with favourites such as corn dogs, fried chicken, tater tots, and the appeal of a bucket of Miller High Life "ponies" (7oz beer bottles) for $11.
3 Beacon Street, Somerville, +1 617 576 0006, trinastarlitelounge.com. Mon noon-1am, Tues-Sun 5pm-1am

Brendan Behan Pub

The Behan may be the most perfect pub in Boston. Cosy, uncomplicated, and just divey enough, it feels like your neighbourhood bar even if you don't live in the area. The dogs love it too: people are allowed, encouraged even, to bring in their pooches while their owners work their way through the great beer list. You can also order in food, as there's a Chinese takeaway across the street and pizza nearby. It's cash-only though, so bring plenty.
378 Centre Street, +1 617 522 5386, brendanbehanpub.com. Open daily noon-1am

Brick & Mortar

There's no sign outside this Central Square cocktail bar, but if you head up the stairs over Central Kitchen, you'll find the perfect mix of classy and cheeky. Records spin behind the copper-top bar, there are exposed brick walls, uber-chilled vibes, and excellent cocktails served along with (also excellent) shooters and shots like the daily changing special, "Crush on a Stripper". They have fun here, and you probably will too.
567 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, + 1 617 491 0016, brickandmortarbar.com. Sun-Wed 5pm-1am, Thur-Sat 5pm-2am

Cambridge Brewing Company

Brewmaster Will Meyers and his team produce some of the best beer in Boston, and you can find it fresh at this Kendall Square brewpub. The house beers – such as the Tall Tale Pale Ale and Charles River Porter – are as worthy as the seasonals, such as Great Pumpkin Ale, brewed with local, organic sugar pumpkins, or the one-off sour and wild beers, and projects like an oak-aged wild fermented sour red ale. Students and locals flock here.
1 Kendall Square, #100, +1 617 494 1994, cambrew.com. Open Mon 11.30am-11pm, Tue-Thur 11.30am-midnight, Fri 11.30am-1am, Sat 11am-1pm, Sun 11am-11pm

Drink

This was named the World's Best Cocktail Bar at the 2013 Spirited Awards , so expectations are high for this Fort Point destination. Disappointment is unlikely, however, especially for those who are craft cocktail curious and adventurous. There's no set drinks menu - you tell your bartender what you like or what spirits you prefer, and they whip up something you never knew you needed. Queues can belong at weekends, so head in early or spend a weekday night here.
348 Congress Street, +1 617 695 1806, drinkfortpoint.com. Open daily 4pm-1am

Backbar

In an alley in Union Square with only a small sign out front, Backbar is a modern-day speakeasy, but no password is required: just head down the hallway to the small, cosy bar at the end to find some of the best drinks in the city. Caged light fixtures dangle over couches and high-top tables and a sprawling mural is painted in black against the white cinderblock wall. Cocktails are outstanding and surprising. Bar manager and co-owner Sam Treadway innovates with a milk punch special, a drink of the week and day, and a bartender's special, where you pick your spirit and a fruit.
7 Sanborn Court, Somerville +1 617 718 0249, backbarunion.com. Open Wed-Mon 4pm-midnight, closed Tue

Heather Vandenengel is the lifestyle editor for Boston's alt-weekly DigBoston, where she also writes the beer column Honest Pint