The Best Bars for a Date in Boston

Roxanne's on Beacon Hill mixes purple neon, tropical-looking wallpaper and close banquette seating into a room that can work for a weeknight drink or a bigger date night. Start with the floral Side Chick, The Staycation made with pea-flower-infused tequila or The Fortune Teller, which arrives with a bubble on top that you can pop, then add snacks from the evening menu. The bar opens at 4pm Monday through Saturday, and guests must be 21 or older.

Reserve 1928 Beacon Hill when you want the date to feel more like an occasion. The speakeasy-style bar sits half a block up from Charles Street on Mount Vernon, with Prohibition-era cocktails served in an antique-filled room.

After a walk through the Public Garden, settle in at Bin 26 Enoteca on Charles Street and work through small pours from its 25-page wine list. Small plates and a carafe make an easy order to open with.

The Wig Shop in Downtown Crossing brings glitzy interiors and a lively crowd to a speakeasy set inside a former wig shop. Share the Absinthe Ritual, a drink for two or more, and stay late if you want to turn it into a nightcap; the bar remains open until 2am. Guests must be 21 or older with ID.

At haley.henry in Downtown Crossing, half-bottle pours make it easy for two people to taste more than one wine. The list leans natural and small-production, with tinned fish, ceviche, crudo, charcuterie and cheese alongside it, while a playlist fills the intimate room. The bar is open Tuesday through Thursday from 3pm to 11pm, Friday from 3pm to midnight and Saturday from noon to midnight, and closed Sundays and Mondays.

Find Hecate through Public Alley 443 in Back Bay, then head underground into a 24-seat, candlelit speakeasy with Art Deco-inspired furniture and a black marble bar. The bartenders call themselves spirit guides, and the cocktail list includes Snake Oil, Dragon Gate and Hagalaz alongside ten snacks such as stuffed dates and fried chicken. There are no reservations, so arrive early. Hecate is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5pm to 1am.

nathálie in Fenway offers a warmer, more polished alternative to the sports bars around it, with natural, small-production wines from female producers and half bottles that make sharing easy. Tuesdays bring the Two'sDay Night Dinner Date, a four-course meal for two. The bar is open Tuesday through Thursday from 3pm to 11pm, Friday from 3pm to midnight and Saturday from noon to midnight.

Offsuit keeps the night hidden away in the Leather District, with a dark room, low light and an alley entrance behind Troquet on South. Call from the door rather than knocking; there is no password or dress code. Craft cocktails and snacks include combinations such as Italian bitters with pineapple, and the music can get loud. The bar is open Tuesday through Thursday from 5pm to 1am and Friday and Saturday from 4pm to 1am.

Backbar in Somerville's Union Square keeps the mood playful with a rotating themed cocktail menu that has included everything from Star Wars to bears. The room is small, with seats close together, and the entrance is an orange door down the alley between The Independent and Bronwyn. Backbar is open Wednesday through Sunday from 5pm to 11:15pm. It seats 39, and groups over four can expect a wait.

Bar Lunette in Brookline gives a first date a moody French-cocktail-bar setting without making conversation difficult. Checkered floors and vintage posters reference the building's old optometrist office, while the lighting and sound stay intimate. Start with the Hail Holy Queen, Stardust glitter daiquiri or Nutella espresso martini, then head to the Coolidge if you are pairing drinks with a movie. Arrive early for a seat.