The best hidden restaurants and bars in Boston

The Beacon Hill Hotel has been around since 2000, but recently underwent a multi-year refurbishment and feels fresh while maintaining the charm of the side-by-side 19th-century townhouses it occupies on Boston’s historic Charles Street on Beacon Hill. But the best part is that there is a new menu coming to the roof deck and I know it is about to become the insider spot of the summer. I last dined on the roof deck in 2017 when someone at the hotel specifically offered to bring our lunch upstairs. And to be honest I haven’t given it much thought since, but after a recent visit I realized what a true hidden gem it is.

Did you know there is a secret magic show cocktail party happening on Beacon Hill? If you could use a little magic in your life, check out Four-Handed Illusions. The experience is held at the historic Hampshire House in Beacon Hill. The best part is that there is a mandatory cocktail party dress code which gives the entire evening an air of sophistication, and just makes it more of a night out. 

Hecate is the coolest new bar that has opened in Boston proper in the past few years. Owned and operated by the same team behind Krasi, this underground speakeasy feels as if it belongs in New York City, rather than Boston in the best way. As you enter, your eyes slowly adjust to the darkness and the bartenders, who are referred to as your “spirit guides” whip up the stylish drinks in the background as you wonder who else has managed to snag a table at the coolest spot in town.

1928 Beacon Hill is a new hidden gem on Beacon Hill run by Chef Victor Valencia. Located half a block up from Charles St. on Mt. Vernon, this spot feels as if it has always been there, which is the key to the making of a new classic. The prohibition era cocktails served in a speakeasy-style space is just the place you will want to cozy up in every Friday night.

Located on Temple Place downtown, Estella is an insider's secret (for now!). Owner Helder Brando opened Estella, inspired by his mother, the restaurant’s namesake, and her passion for good food. The upper level of the restaurant gives guests an intimate space to enjoy a great meal with friends and loved ones. But the street level bar area and the basement level lounge bring a much-needed vibrancy to Boston night life.

From the street-level, people searching for Alden & Harlow will instead find The Brattle Theatre. But look to the side of the building for the stairs leading to this subterranean hideaway and discover the bustling, multi-room dining and drinking destination from beloved local chef Michael Scelfo. With reclaimed wood and brick walls, this warm and sprawling establishment offers a varied menu of modern American dishes. Highly inventive, the fare here is meant to be shared, so be prepared to order a parade of small plates—from hickory-smoked carrots to chicken-fried rabbit.

Hiding in the back of burger joint JM Curley’s, there’s an “Adults Only” sign hung beside a closed blackout curtain. If you don’t know it’s there, you won’t find it. Push back the curtain and you’ll enter an intimate, reservation-only steakhouse that seats a mere 18 people. A la carte cuts include the obligatory filet mignon, ribeye and New York strip (you’ll also catch the occasional giant tomahawk, if you’re lucky), while sides range from the traditional creamed spinach to the trendier rosemary truffle fries. Wash it all down with an old fashioned libation, like a tableside absinthe fountain that’ll have you and up to five friends in good spirits for the rest of the evening.

Discreetly located within Boston’s Leather District, Offsuit is a tiny, 20-seat bar tucked inside Troquet on South. Head to the backdoor entrance and call—don’t knock on the door—to be let into this homey nook serving classic cocktails and playing an extensive library of vinyls. While the space is sprinkled with sophisticated furnishings like marble tables, antique lamps and bookcases, this place doesn’t take itself too seriously, so expect whacky touches like Mr. Potato Head glassware and boozy milk and cookies. With a motto of “no frills, no fuss,” Offsuit also abides by the rule of no reservations. 

Veer slightly off Winter Street and head towards what looks like a salon—and is actually a fake storefront that houses the hidden doorway to this Downtown Crossing fixture. Once the site of the beloved Locke-Ober, Yvonne’s has preserved pieces of the past (like the refined 19th-century mahogany bar) while introducing some modern touches, including creative cocktails and “social plates” meant for sharing. Soak in the dark and moody—yet still sophisticated—ambience around you, which includes dim lighting, rich upholstered furniture and book-laden library. There’s even a second hidden door inside this spot that leads to an underground club for wild weekends.

Hidden away in an old, brick warehouse near Fort Point Channel, Lucky's can easily be missed. The corner entryway is set back—almost in the shadows—behind a column and a discrete sign on the awning above is the only thing that could tip off otherwise unaware passersby on Congress Street. If you’re scouring the Seaport and still can’t find it, just look for the orange glow radiating from its basement windows—a preview to the casually retro vibe you’ll discover inside. A popular place for after-work drinks, Lucky's also features live music on the weekends, when the line forming outside will certainly guide you to its exact location.