Somerville's Best Bar

Somerville’s bar scene refuses to sit still. One block from the hushed, book-lined sanctuary of Lehrhaus, where the tea arrives with a timer, you can find the glittering disco heat of Vera’s, a place that makes you question the season.

This is a town that runs on the diesel of its own contradictions. We’re talking about a city that worships the crispy edge of a hand-cut fry at Highland Kitchen while simultaneously demanding the refined brine of a perfect martini at Backbar.

Our deputy editor got lost in the bowels of Davis Square for an hour last week, so trust the intel. These are the rooms that rewrite the night.

Tall Order

Highlights
Exceptional, knowledgeable bartending staff
Chef personally discusses each dish
Patio seating with relaxed atmosphere
Rare whiskey flights offered side-by-side
Flawless service recovery and hospitality

Tall Order operates with the quiet confidence of a place that knows exactly what it is doing. The bartending staff possesses an encyclopedic grasp of spirits, yet they never condescend. I asked for something peaty and strange; they delivered a rare whiskey flight served side-by-side, allowing for a scholarly comparison. The chef personally visited each table, explaining dishes with the earnestness of a museum docent. Patio seating offers a reprieve from the city's clamor. When a minor mix-up occurred, the recovery was flawless, almost theatrical. I left impressed. That is not a common occurrence.

You might also want to check out the best taxi service in Cambridge.

Trina's Starlite Lounge

Highlights
Best Non-Seafood Tower Winner
Famous for signature hot dogs
Hand-cut fries, blissfully hot
Bartender’s advice proves perfect
Staff make date nights memorable

Trina's Starlite Lounge is a study in controlled chaos, and I mean that as a compliment. The sign outside brags about a non-seafood tower; the audacity alone warrants a visit. I ordered a signature hot dog, which arrived with a snap that echoed. The hand-cut fries were blissfully hot, almost dangerously so. My bartender, upon observing my indecision, offered a suggestion that proved perfect, a small miracle. The staff treats date nights with a reverent seriousness, ensuring nobody's evening derails. This is a bar with a soul, albeit one that enjoys a good argument.

You might also want to check out the best brunch in Somerville.

Backbar

Highlights
Inventive rotating themed cocktail menus
Custom drink creation with bartenders
Intimate, small, music-filled space
Spectacular dirty martini execution
Seasonal and weekly menu variety

Backbar hides behind an unmarked door, which feels both pretentious and necessary. Inside, the space is intimate, small, and filled with music that makes you lean closer. The cocktail menu rotates with the seasons, a weekly exercise in whimsy. I requested a dirty martini with an absurd level of brine; the execution was spectacular, a briny dagger of a drink. But the true joy lies in custom creation. Describe a mood, a memory, a color. The bartender crafts something that shouldn't work yet does. Go early. The room fills with the devoted, and the sound swells.

You might also want to check out the best brunch in Somerville.

Dali

Highlights
Impeccable bar service
Legendary longtime bartender
Lively, vibrant atmosphere
Excellent Spanish desserts
Signature house margarita

Dali is a fever dream rendered in Spanish tile and candlelight. The bar service is impeccable, a masterclass in efficiency and warmth. A legendary bartender, who has seemingly been there since the building's inception, poured a signature house margarita that tasted of salt, lime, and decades of practice. The atmosphere is lively, verging on raucous, but never unpleasant. I sampled excellent Spanish desserts, which arrived like tiny, sugary architecture. This is a place where time distorts. I arrived for one drink. I stayed for three. The margarita is blame.

You might also want to check out the best pub in Cambridge.

Zuzu's Petals

Highlights
No-screens policy fosters connection
Cozy and chic atmosphere
Kind, welcoming staff
Dry wine and delicate desserts
Ideal for dates or girls' night

Zuzu's Petals enforces a no-screens policy, which initially felt like a hostage situation. It was liberation. The room is cozy and chic, a velvet-lined escape from the digital world. The staff are kind, almost absurdly welcoming, as if they've been waiting for you specifically. I ordered dry wine and delicate desserts, both of which complemented the low hum of conversation. This is ideal for dates or a girls' night. Without phones, people actually talk. I overheard a stranger recount a dream about a panda. It was better than any screen.

You might also want to check out the best bar in Allston.

Vera's

Highlights
Exceptional bar service and recommendations
Surprising bourbon and rum selection
Festive, cozy Christmas atmosphere
Disco dance floor in back
Delicious drinks worth returning for

Vera's is a Christmas miracle that operates year-round. The festive, cozy atmosphere is so aggressive that I checked my calendar. The bar service is exceptional, with recommendations that border on clairvoyant. I asked for bourbon; they suggested a rum that I never knew existed. The selection is surprising, a hidden arsenal of bottles. At the back, a disco dance floor awaits, a glittering contradiction to the warm, woody front. The drinks are delicious, worthy of a return visit. I left humming a song I do not know. I may have danced. That is between me and the mirror ball.

You might also want to check out the best sushi in Allston.

Avenue kitchen + bar

Highlights
Pizza and rigatoni stand out
Brunch benedicts never miss
Killer cocktails, relaxed vibe
Lobster roll perfectly done
True neighborhood spot charm

Avenue kitchen + bar is the neighborhood spot everyone claims to want but rarely finds. The pizza and rigatoni stand out, defiantly simple and good. Brunch benedicts never miss, arriving with hollandaise that threatens to slide off the plate. The lobster roll is perfectly done, a buttery testament to restraint. Killer cocktails accompany a relaxed vibe, which is the bar's true cocktail. I sat at the counter, watched the kitchen work, and felt absurdly content. This is a place that does not try to impress. It simply does. The charm is genuine, not manufactured.

You might also want to check out the best places in Cambridge.

Highland Kitchen

Highlights
Exceptional neighborhood restaurant and bar
Memorable coconut curry lamb stew
Welcoming, Cheers-like community atmosphere
Fair pricing with swift, kind service

Highland Kitchen is a neighborhood restaurant that behaves like a community center with better alcohol. The coconut curry lamb stew is memorable, a bowl of warmth that solves most problems. The staff are swift and kind, moving with a practiced rhythm. The atmosphere is welcoming, almost Cheers-like, where the bartender knows your name by the second visit. Prices are fair, a rare commodity in this era of inflated tabs. I felt an irrational fondness for the place, as if I had been coming for years. It is exceptional. I will return. The stew will be waiting.

You might also want to check out the best thrift store in Cambridge.

Lehrhaus

Highlights
Loose-leaf tea served properly
Best fries, no exaggeration
Books and cozy atmosphere
Beer and shot with class

Lehrhaus is a bar that serves loose-leaf tea properly, which feels like an act of rebellion. The best fries, no exaggeration, arrive golden and salted with intent. The space is filled with books and a cozy atmosphere that encourages lingering. I ordered a beer and a shot, and it was done with class, a refined take on the dive bar classic. The tea, however, was the revelation. It arrived in a pot, with a timer, as if the leaf were a prima donna. I sipped, I read, I existed. This is a bar for thinkers. Or at least for those who enjoy fries.

You might also want to check out the best wings in Cambridge.

Premiere on Broadway

Highlights
Calamari earns highest praise
Generous portions, fair prices
Attentive service from Joey
Haddock, chicken parm shine
Ambiance elevates dining experience

Premiere on Broadway is a classic restaurant and bar that understands portion control is a myth. The calamari earns the highest praise I can offer, which is that I did not share. Generous portions come at fair prices, a mathematical anomaly. Joey, the server, was attentive to the point of psychic, refilling my water before I knew it was empty. The haddock and chicken parm both shine, but the calamari is the star. The ambiance elevates the dining experience, a touch of old-school formality that feels refreshing. I left full. I left happy. I left planning my return.

You might also want to check out the best places to live in Somerville.

Spoke Wine Bar

Highlights
Best eat and drink in Boston
Worth sitting at the bar
Reservations recommended to avoid disappointment
Grown-up Funyuns sun choke donuts
Tomatoes with cheese whiz sauce

Spoke Wine Bar is, without hyperbole, the best eat and drink in Boston. I will defend this claim with my fists. Sitting at the bar is essential; the bartenders are conversationalists and sommeliers in equal measure. Reservations are recommended, as disappointment is a bitter cocktail. The grown-up Funyuns, which are actually sun choke donuts, are a salty, crunchy revelation. The tomatoes with cheese whiz sauce sound like a dare, but they taste like a triumph. This is a place that takes risks. They pay off. I clapped. Not ironically.

You might also want to check out the best park in Cambridge.

The Independent

Highlights
Cozy, festive, and welcoming
Unique orange wine and cocktails
Excellent locally sourced food
All-ages friendly atmosphere
Inviting decor with games

The Independent is a cozy, festive, and welcoming bar that feels like a friend's living room, if your friend had excellent taste in orange wine. The unique cocktails include a orange wine that tastes like a sunset had a baby with a citrus grove. Excellent locally sourced food accompanies the drinks, with a menu that changes with the seasons. The atmosphere is all-ages friendly, a rare gem where families and couples coexist. The decor is inviting, with games scattered about. I played a board game. I lost. I did not care. This is a place for all, and I mean that sincerely.

You might also want to check out the best sushi in Somerville.