Two Massachusetts “Speakeasies” Make List of Best in the World

Massachusetts is home to numerous fantastic restaurants, making it challenging to pick a favorite. From delicious farm-to-table food in the Berkshire hills to some of the best Italian food outside of Italy in Boston's North End and everything in between, Massachusetts is chock-full of culinary greatness.

Besides awesome restaurants, Massachusetts also boasts some of the best BARS in the country. In fact, the Bay State has quite a history with alcohol. Historians agree that bars in Massachusetts are about as old as the state itself. Early settlers wasted no time setting up local taverns, even before schoolhouses in some cases.

Massachusetts is home to what are believed to be the oldest bars in the United States, like the Green Dragon Tavern, which dates back to 1654, or Warren Tavern in Charlestown, which was the first building the town erected after the British burned the whole town during the Battle of Bunker Hill in June of 1775.

Since the country's inception, the bar business in Massachusetts has continued to boom. In 2023, the state was home to 828 bars and 1,645 beer, wine, and liquor stores, so needless to say there are plenty of choices.

Recently a new global ranking named not one, but two Massachusetts bars are the best in the world.

Two Massachusetts Bars Make List of World's Best

The World's 50 Best, a British-based media organization that puts together global rankings of restaurants and bars, recently release their list of the best 100 (yeah, the name is misleading) bars in the world. Two gems from the Bay State made the list, although they might be hard to find as the both fall under the "speakeasy" category.

Coming in at number 86 is The Wig Shop located on Temple Place in Boston. The hidden bar is located in a former wig shop, hence the name, and the only sinage the bar has is a neon sign that reads “wigs.”

Coming in at number 88 is Hecate which is located beneath under the Greek restaurant Krasi on Gloucester St in Boston. After walking down an alley, guest will find an quiet, dimly-lit bar whose cocktails and snacks lean into a mystical theme and Greek mythology.