HIDDEN GEM in Brookline. I must have walked past it several times and not noticed it until my friend introduced me to it. They do both reservations and walk-ins but it's safer to make a reservation ahead if you can. It's pretty easy to make one as well; we only booked a day ahead for a Friday night. Amazing first impressions as well. They make a tiny space work perfectly; I did not feel claustrophobic at all even with full house. They have really cute decors and the space is decorated well. They have their seasonal cocktails that you can choose your choice of liquor for and martinis (both vodka and gin). They brew their espresso fresh as well so the space smells so good every time it is brewed. I got a Peru Plunder and it was fruity and light (a dangerous one). Their apple pie old fashioned has an interesting aftertaste in a good way. The bartender and the server were attentive and friendly as well. I had a great time and will definitely be coming back. -9.1/10 read more

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Hidden gem in Coolidge Corner alert! Located in the arcade ticked away in the corner, where you see a sign that says "Bar is open. Ring bell " You ring the bell and a pleasant person opens the door, asks how many are in your party and if there is room, you step inside to find an intimate room with several seating nooks, a lovely bar and an atmosphere where you can actually have a conversation. I think there were 20 seats in the whole space. We ordered 4 drinks and a chips and dip. For $82 we had a lovely experience. You can also rent this place out for a private party. Truly a great vibe, delicious drinks and a positive experience! read more

What a lovely find! A tiny cocktail spot with a well-curated set of seasonal drinks, a few classics on tap, and "bar snacks" that pair wonderfully well with their drinks. First off, they are no longer reservation only/reservations for nooks, and are no longer BYOB. (I mention this because several reviews mention reservations for BYOB.) What they offer is a short list of seasonal cocktails designed so that you can choose the spirit (or lack thereof) to customize your experience. For example, I had the Apple All Fritz with bourbon, but you could have it with gin, rum, tequila, vodka, or "spirit free." I'm pretty sure someone next to me ordered it low ABV, so it was made with a blend of spirit and alternative. The drinks themselves are well crafted and interesting. The Apple All Fritz has an "orange foam" that is both creamy and citrus in a way that makes it act like the bitters finish in a well-balanced cocktail. There's an olive garnish that gives you a bit of saline to balance the sweetness of the drink. They also offer small bites to eat. On my visit, there were four options: mixed pickles, pig in a blanky (wrapped Hebrew National hot dog), chips, and "bread and spread." I had everything but the chips and enjoyed them all. The bread was this thick whole wheat-looking sourdough, lightly toasted on the outside so that it was crisp *and* tender inside, with bean spread topped with a salty/sweet/umami shishito pepper relish. It was so good I wanted to lick the bowl. :-) The vibe is very "date night" friendly, at least when I was there. It's not a place for big groups (unless you're renting it out?) I saw mostly couples, with one set of three friend and another single person like me at the bar. I overheard one couple having very "we met online first date" conversation. The overall effect is like hanging out in the living room of a cool friend who makes great drinks. The staff are friendly and efficient. They did me a solid in reserving me a seat for after an event, so I knew I'd have time to eat before having to catch a bus an hour later. Oh, and the bathroom, while not in the bar itself (it's in the larger building where they're located) is a clean all-gender single stall. read more

Loved our visit here! The bar has a cozy, dimly lit ambiance with chic design elements. The best seating option is The Nook. One of the nooks we reserved wasn't available at the time of our reservation, but the team worked quickly to get us seated as soon as possible. Located in the Coolidge Arcade building, the bar is easily accessible. Street parking can be limited on weekends, but the best option is the Center Street EAST parking lot, which is right next to the building. Highly recommend visiting! read more

Barlette - Bars Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

Wow, what a concept! A BYOB cocktail bar! It's popular, tiny, and by reservation only. Tickets are purchased ahead of time - so all you have to do is show up! You are provided with the mixers, shaker, ice, strainer, measuring instruments. The bartenders help guide you through the process, but they are not allowed to touch your drink after giving you the ingredients and equipment. Their menu has been slightly refined where you choose one from each section. This helps guide one through the experience and sequence for best enjoyment. All of the drinks were interesting and distinct. The mixers they provide are made in-house, of very high quality. Pro-tip: research the menu beforehand, so you know what spirits to bring with you. I had the opportunity to enjoy (I am better at describing food than drink, but I'll do my best): - Reverse Plank (added vodka) - This one had a unique balance of tartness and sweetness like I've never seen! The house-made pomegranate and pepper sweetener was a great addition as well. - Figlet (added whiskey) - A little sweeter, with some wisps of herbal notes! An elevated Fig Newton in drink form, if I may! - Pistachio Sour (added tequila) - In my almost 10 years of enjoying cocktails, I don't think I've ever had one based on a nut, It made this drink all the more interesting. A little sweetness, some aromatics, and a hint of pistachio. Turkish Delight was a nice touch too! The bar staff was terrific. They were friendly, welcoming, and did a great job doing everything in their power to contribute to an enjoyable experience. If you want more or less sweetness, some more aromatics, etc. they are happy to provide you with the ingredient to make it happen! From the snacks menu, I was able to try the tomato pie. This is kind of like a pizza, with everything made in house. Bread, tomato sauce, and a cheese-based topping. Not mind-blowing, but interesting and mild. You are also welcome to bring outside food (I think). In terms of value, $40 seems okay. Depending on the spirit you choose, if I have my prices of well bottles right, it comes out to around $15-17 per drink. However, the caveat here is that many of the options can be had without alcohol. In that case, you are paying a bit over $13 for a mocktail. Then again, you are paying for the experience, and I assume the idea is for people to bring in liquor. Finally, the vibe inside is pleasant, somehow a perfect meld of both homey and intimate. Because of how the experience is structured, everyone has a seat and people aren't reaching over you. With all this, while it was a great way to spend a Friday evening, I do not necessarily see myself returning unless I'm with someone else. The reason is this: from watching "How to Drink" on YouTube, I learned that one tequila vs. another can make a drink go from amazing to awful. While all the drinks I had were great, I would rather defer to the mixologists about what spirit to use. read more

Barlette - Bars Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

Cool little refuge from the outside world, like a decompression chamber. Can get a nice snack of gyoza or karaage in the same arcade at Gantetsu Ya. read more

Wonderful, personalized service and an exquisite espresso martini. Intimate space made for a great date night. Thank you! read more

Barlette - Bars Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

One of my favorite places in Boston to host private events. The owners are so nice and kind and the space is absolutely beautiful. I highly recommend it for birthday parties and small gatherings read more

Barlette - Barlette - Bars Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

Love this little spot! Very friendly hosts with some great recs, delicious snacks, and good vibes.

Amazing little bar with speakeasy vibes. The drinks are excellent--both in taste and presentation. It's tucked away in a small shopping center, which slightly detracts from the ambiance. One suggestion: consider blacking out the windows and door near the entrance to give a sense of separation and preserve the speakeasy feel. read more

Barlette - Bars Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

This place is so special. The concept is a BYOB make-your-own cocktail bar. You bring your own liquor but they provide everything else to make a list of cocktails. You can choose 3 out of the different categories and you can stay as long as you long bc there's no turnover. The staff is incredibly welcoming and it truly makes you feel at home. You can even bring your own food to have with your cocktails!! It is a STUNNING venue and it's super intimate but also vibes and perfect for friends or dates. The only thing is, it's kinda hard to find in the plaza but if you enter and go all the way down, you should see the bright signs welcoming you in! The actual cocktails were all intentional, well thought out, and delicious. The owner creates a journey for you with an opener, a deeper cocktail, and then an ending. If you don't fully love your drink, you can ask for a sweetener or ask the owner to fix something up for you. You can add any spirit you want to the cocktails to make it your own. Overall, this is probably one of my favorite things I've ever done in Boston. I can't give it enough praise! Thank you so much and I'll be back! read more

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Cozy ambience, very friendly staff, and excellent cocktails. Nestled in the back corner of the Arcade Building, ideal spot for a drink after a night at the Coolidge Corner Theater. Highly recommend! read more

This place is SO fun. You buy prepaid tix (~$40). You need a reservation, this place is tiny and reservations sell out in like 2 seconds. We were the first ones to show up and we sat in a cute little nook corner. The decor is gorgeous and art deco-ish. Literally can they decorate my house??? You get 3 drinks and have a few choices for each round. Everything was so fresh and delicious and the service was incredible- our server was literally the owner and she was helpful with making drink selections and so personable. In terms of food we took a look at the snacks but decided to grab sushi from genki ya because we were more hungry for a full meal- the stuff they offered was truly little snacks! What a fun idea! We'll be back for sure, if we're lucky enough to get a reservation :) read more

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Absolutely terrible booking system and bad business practice. The owner canceled my reservation without notifying me and left me no choice but booking elsewhere. I started reaching out via email to secure my booking in January 2024 for my March birthday (March 22nd 2024 Friday). At that time - this place did not have an online bookings system set up so everything had to be done via email. I emailed the Owner/Bartender Rachel in January 2024 to inquire about a booking in March to celebrate my 30th birthday. After a couple of emails back and forth with Rachel (Owner/Bartender). She told me I was all set with my reservation. I even emailed back to double check if there was anything I needed to complete and I got no reply from the owner. About a month ago (Early March) I emailed Rachel (Owner/Bartender) to make sure if I was all set with my reservation. I got no reply. So I decided to email her again and after one week she finally responded and told me: "Unfortunately, due to a special event, we will be closed to the public on Friday, March 22nd." I was very confused and asked if Rachel was able to hop on a quick phone call with me but she didn't pick up. She finally replied via email and told me in order to have a Guaranteed Reservation I could only book through a private party. Which I was not told at the beginning when I first inquired in January 2024. I would have gone through private booking if I knew that would be the only way to secure a reservation. At that time - I was given the choice to book 7 seats at the bar or go through private (more expensive). So I went with regular service. Rachel (Owner/Bartender) said they were all booked for the weekend of March 22nd 2024 (Friday) and March 23rd 2024 (Saturday) my only option left will be March 21st 2024 (Thursday). My questions are: 1. Why was I not notified at the beginning if booking a private party is the only way to secure a so-called "RESERVATION"? 2. Why was I not notified when my "RESERVATION" was forced to be canceled? Instead I had to reach out a couple times!!!! Imagine showing up to the bar on the event date and was told I was canceled at the door - It would have been worse. I reached out months in advance for a reason because this place looks interesting and it would be an amazing idea to spend some quality time with friends and celebrate my 30th birthday. I am writing this here today because I don't want anyone to have gone through the same thing I've been through. I wish the owner would have done a better job in communicating and responding to your customers/potential customers. (Even the regular booking ones, not just the private booking VIP). read more

This is such an awesome, sweet little bar for you private event; we had the most pleasant and unique experience hosting my wife's anniversary there! The owners are amazing, the cocktails are top notch and the place is chic and cozy. read more

A microscopically tiny BYOB bar. Yes, you read that right: a bar that is BYOB! Requires advance tickets, which are hard to get (they go on sale 1st of each month for that month). Bring a bottle of something and they provide the cocktail mixers, mini shakers, glassware, ice, etc. You can also do non-alcoholic drinks. And a four course snack menu. For legal reasons, you have to do the work yourself, so it's definitely a unique, fun experience. Sibling of upstairs Cobble, one of the few legal BYOB restaurants in the Boston area. More of the backstory: https://boston.eater.com/2023/4/26/23697768/barlette-brookline-bar-opening https://www.bostonmagazine.com/restaurants/2023/01/06/barlette-byob-bar-brookline/ read more

Amazing creative cocktails made with quality ingredients and care! Fabulous vibe and the team there is terrific!

Cute, cozy bar in Brookline village!! Highly recommend for an intimate, low-key vibe. Great music and great vibes! A delightful experience :) read more

This is a hidden gem. What a fantastic evening my husband and I had. It's a BYO alcohol, so we brought 2 mason jars (gin and burbon) and we each got to pick 3 cocktails off their menu. Each time a beautiful tray arrived at our table with the glass (r dressed for the drink of choice) and a shaker all ready with the non alcholic, house made ingredients for our drinks. We got to add booze, shake and pour. All 3 cocktails were fantastic! Just as wonderful the food-along with each course a delicious snack arrived at our table. So we were able to sit back, nosh, chat and enjoy the evening. Thank you Rachel and crew for a great evening. read more

Barlette - Bars Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

I went last night with some friends for the cocktail seating. It was amazing and we all loved it! The cocktails are so creative and the presentation is so fun! The atmosphere was so relaxed and it was really possible to sit and talk with friends while also just enjoying the atmosphere. The cocktail bites were also delicious! The popcorn was great, the parfait was eaten in 2 seconds and my friends loved the truffle! Met the owner and she was great - so friendly and willing to explain the concept and just chat! Really welcoming!!! We loved it and hope to be back soon!! read more

Wow wow wow! I came to Barlette on NYE Eve (12/30) and had the best time celebrating my friend's birthday with her. I had got the tickets for us weeks before when the reservations dropped, and it was nice not having to think about a bill at the end (but I'm glad I remembered to have cash on hand for tip). We were seated at "the library" and got three rounds of mocktails. They don't have snacks included with the drinks anymore (I think that was the case prior / what I had expected based on reading earlier reviews) but I was still happy with everything included. You can BYOB here, but I honestly enjoyed having the mocktail option because it let the drinks themselves shine! And I believe they used a NA spirit, Seedlip, in our mocktails. I had the Figlet (fig, sage, lime), Pistachio Sour, and a third one that was light and ginger-y (it isn't on the menu anymore and I forgot the name). The Pistachio Sour really impressed me and the service was also phenomenal. The bartender was busy serving all the tables their rounds, but always made time to answer our questions and check in on us! read more