A Once Perfect 10
Bar 10
Westin Hotel, Copley Square
Boston, MA


Thumping house beats and flickering candlelight emanate from this chic bar off the lobby of the Westin. A few high tables and bar give way to a floor full of cushy chairs, booths and low tables. The atmosphere is always so great that you would never place yourself in a “hotel bar,” but rather some trendy, downtown martini bar. With fantastic drinks that really pack a punch, Bar 10 had been one of my favorite haunts in the city. That was until recently…

Bar 10’s martini prices had always been high (around $10-$12 a piece), but now the prices have increased so as to make most drinks closer to $14 dollars. While this price increase will not deter the business men who are expensing all their drinks, it will dissuade the younger, hipper crowd who filled the bar from Thursday to Sunday. To be fair, two drinks at Bar 10 are equivalent to about four or five somewhere else – the martinis are strong. They do what few bars do, and use almost pure alcohol in all of their mixed drinks to surprising effect.

The drinks may hurt your wallet, but the bar menu is not so daunting. Great flat bread pizzas (try the Toscana), quite nice bruschetta and an array of really great hors d’oeuvres make eating at Bar 10 an unexpectedly delightful experience. One more thing to note about the food is that Bar 10 serves good, in fact very good, clam chowder! While a creamy soup doesn’t always mix with a glass of vodka straight up, it is worth trying!

The bottom line about Bar 10 is as follows: Bar 10 is a great hotel bar that serves some of the strongest and best martini’s in the city, accompanied by some good food, BUT the prices are now almost too high to really enjoy the night.