Saloon — Boston’s Speakeasy Whiskey Bar

Yes, Saloon, located on Somerville’s Davis Square, serves some of the best whiskey and whiskey cocktails in Boston. Perhaps the best. But that comes with a price. In order to get a drink you’ll have to elbow your way through a crowd of mustachioed hipsters and drunken frat boys who would have been better off sticking with beer.

When I finally got served, reaching across the broad, tattooed back of a woman hunched over the bar, I ordered a Rittenhouse Manhattan, which (not coincidentally) was the cheapest thing on the menu and still set me back $10. The bartender was knowledgeable and knew her craft; the drink was delicious. Unfortunately, half of the drink ended up on my shirt because delicate cocktail glasses and crowded bars don’t mix well.

Half of the bar was closed for a private party, cramming the rest of us into an already over-crowded space where there was little seating and even less counter space to rest a drink. The décor, however, is exactly what you would hope from a whiskey bar: rich leather and floral wood. Saloon is below street level, with nothing but a small sign to announce its existence.

All of this adds to create an exclusive feel which tips a little too far toward pretentious. And that begs the question: How can Saloon be pretentious while it serves bros in shorts and tank tops? Cause they were there.

After I finished my half Manhattan (the other half was on my shirt, remember?) it was time to go. I was not prepared to shell out another $10–20 dollars to spend more time in Saloon.

If you go, go during a week day. Do all you can to avoid the weekend crowd. Maybe you will have a much different experience than I did.

Saloon

255 Elm Street

Somerville, Mass. 02144

617 628 4444