Alibi

I really like the décor and theme here so I’ll give them that. This bar is located inside the Liberty Hotel and I guess parts of the hotel & bar used to be a prison, hence the theme.
This place seems really upscale and I’ve heard they have a dress code which I don’t really get. Maybe it’s just me but I find it rare for lounges (which is what I would consider this to be) to have a dress code. Normally those are reserved for clubs or nice restaurants? On that note though, one of our friends was able to get through in flip flops and I came straight in casual work attire with a backpack so maybe they aren’t that strict after all.
It’s obviously very pricey here. Drinks are around $ 15 (+2 for tip maybe) so you’re looking at nearly $ 20 a drink. They’re ok… sure they’re fancy and taste decent but I think you can get similar drinks at other places in more of the $ 10 – 12 range.
Also a nit picky thing: the table our group picked in the back right was one of the only ones that didn’t have a light, making it extremely hard to see the menu.
The waitresses/​bartenders don’t seem to be the friendliest either. I think overall I just didn’t have a solid good or bad experience here. It is very much a 3-​star «meh» place.

This place was sooooo rude! Don’t waste you’re time! They basically took our seats away, for «incoming» customers, after we spent an exorbitant amount of money on drinks and food! And it was just ok!!! Management was completely unreceptive to any response. It was unacceptable!

I had 60 people at the Alibi last night for my 50^th birthday. I dealt with Chris up until the party and then Andrew took over the night of the party. The food was perfect and the drinks were great. The atmosphere was fun! I had so many calls this morning regarding the fabulous time my guests had at Alibi. Everyone from management, servers, bartenders, and security were polite, professional, and attentive. We will absolutely be back!

Really cool bar inside the old Charles Street Jail and this one is on the ground floor and looks like it used to be a bunch of jail cells. The place is dimly lit and has a lot of seating and gets pretty crowded on weekends. Walls are exposed brick and are lined with famous mug shots of movie stars and recording artists which was pretty funny. Staff is nice and you can actually order appetizers here as well. Cool vibe and quieter than going upstairs into the main lobby bar which gets pretty crowded and loud. Drink menu is cool and some good concoctions, worth a stop in to check this place out! Has outdoor seating in the summer!

I was not at Alibi for a very long time because it wasn’t as great of a time as I hoped it would be (Unfortunately). I thought it was really cool how it looked like a prison and I found the various celebrities mugshots on the wall to be very funny and clever. I just wish there more people there, I could have possibly went on a slow night. I expected a way better experience!

Torn on the place as I have been there a million times. Overall awesome atmosphere, particularly in the summer when the patio is open. Service is always consistently bad and waitresses are very rude. So from experience standpoint it’s a no go.

Very much in love with the pasta carbonara —very signature like to give it a slight twist of clam sauce .
Also threw me off to Top off the caesar salad with a couple anchovies but it was delicious.
I love it when establishments require of their ladies to be dressed up in some sort of uniform. the girl that took care of us was gorgeous and absolutely attentive to our needs.

Most clienteles here are hotel guests or MGH workers. The location is great — just across the street from the Charles MGH station. There is also an outdoor patio to sit at when it’s not freezing out. The interior is cute and to the theme of former prison. However, that’s about it for the stuff they’ve got right.
The big thing they messed up is the drinks. They are boring and not mixed all that well — even a simple classic cocktails tasted like water — there are many reasons that can be, reaffirming what I’ve also heard from others, that people don’t come here for the drinks. The service was really slow too. On top of that, the drinks are really expensive and I can easily buy one of the best drinks you can have from a premium SF speakeasy at the same price.
What a let down. I was preparing to like it because of the prison theme and all…

If you want to be a high quality place to get a drink please address your tables. Im sitting with my party of 9 on 2÷20÷16 and both of our tables are rocking back and forth heavily where we are spilling drinks. This is unacceptable. Whats worse is where we asked the staff to address the issue and they threw business cards on the ground and didnt even label the table.
Unacceptable.
Drinks are great…

This is the best bar on Beacon Hill by far. Full stop. Ask for Jaclyn at the bar. Fantastic service, good buzz, great atmosphere. Best way for us to reenter Boston after many years in China.

Have to give this place five stars now as I am still dating that Norwegian girl mentioned above that I met outside.

Bouncers walked down the line of folks getting their IDs checked and decided that our group wasn’t allowed in because some of the guys in our group were wearing sneakers. (Which is fair, I guess) So we were getting ready to leave and another doorman comes up to us and says he’ll let us in if we pay him $ 50. Super sketchy behavior and rude, awful overall experience. Will never be supporting them with my business in the future.

Fun lounge/​bar inside the liberty hotel. Definitely has a different vibe than a lot of other boston venues to go out on the weekends given the décor (brick walls and iron bars). There’s a small dance floor and seating but normally is reserved. There’s normally a line to get in or the «one in one out» rule, but worth checking out at least once if you live in Boston. It’s nice in the summer since the patio is open. Overall, normally a fun time but can sometimes have an older crowd (mid to late thirties/​early forties).

Ambience: 5 stars
Bartender: 4 stars
Drinks: 3.5 stars
Food: 2 stars
Prices: 1 star
I went with a girlfriend to grab a quick drink and a bite to eat. Nine dollars. For five onion rings. I don’t even understand that. I mean they were good, but how much does it cost to make an onion ring, like 3 cents? Do you really have to give FIVE? Can’t you give a basket? Or at least an even number for two people to share? That just makes you look really bad as a business.
The cocktail menu was too heavy on vodka-​based drinks for my taste (vodka is for children people) but I ordered a tequila drink that was very good. Unfortunately, the drinks were a little inconsistent – I ordered a second one and it wasn’t as good as the first.
Overall the atmosphere was really fun and nice and I really enjoyed it. It’s just too bad the rest of their concept isn’t as good or thoughtful as their décor.

Nasty attitude from the doorman.

I’ve been here probably 5 or 6 times and that is 5 or 6 times too many. What makes me come back? Company events, friends who unfortunately are at MGH and never want to leave the area, and a cool ambiance that keeps luring us back (not again!).
The are a few cool things about Alibi — outdoor patio area is nice and open and especially on a cool summer day is an amazing time to spend a few hours on the couches enjoying some drinks. The interior is also quite nice — fairly cozy and comfortable, cool photos on the wall and décor that makes for some interesting talking pieces.
But, all of the comes at a steep cost:
1. Service sucks — this last time was the absolute worst. Barely anyone in there, wasn’t attended to for at least 10 min, drinks took forever to come, never was asked if we want refills, ordered some food which never came. Apparently the waitress recognized her own insufficiency by offering us some on-​the-​house shots when we finally managed to just ask her for the check (thanks but no thanks — it would have been nice to get ANY kind of drink when we actually wanted them)
2. Get really loud inside — don’t go, sit inside at peak hours and expect comfortable conversation with soft-​spoken people
3. Prices are high for what you get (especially with the poor service)
4. Did I mention the service sucks? I mean even when we’ve gotten a waitress to pay attention to us they’ve been totally uninterested at best. A smile once in a while would be nice.
That’s it for me. I’m sure people will continue to go to Alibi due to its location, ambiance and cool backstory but just know that there are bars in Boston where you can be treated like you’re not invisible.

I didn’t know a bar full of Jos A Bank 500 for the price of 1 suits, shirt and ties out of the box, and hush puppies made an establishment «trendy». My friend was denied for his sneakers which probably cost more than the bouncer’s fake alligator loafers purchased at Filenes Basement in 1999. What a joke of a place, this isn’t NYC and never will be.

We got VERY lost trying to get here and despite having a reservation for 7:30pm and showing up 30 minutes later the staff were very accommodating. We were seated right away and to start we had the calamari which it was pure perfection, so good and it wasn’t fried in two inches of flour which my hips can handle from time to time. Then we had the white pizza and as well it was so delicious. I started with a glass of Prosecco and then moved on to a drink that was a combination of Peach Ciroc and Pineapple juice and it was sooooo damn good, like O.M.G!
The Liberty truly has a cool spot here and the valet guys were so nice. Didn’t catch their names but it was the two guys working on Friday evening, from 8pm till 9:30pm. Would not hesitate to come back, especially since I have my eye on that patio.

I like the drinks are really good! the pizza here is good & calamari but not their sauce w/​it as well! The place is expensive but it’s better than Pizza Hut!

Underwhelmed. Was my birthday last night and security asked for my ID at the door, no ones at the door. Proceeded to tell me it would be a half an hour before they would allow me entrance even though I explained friends were waiting for me inside.
Pretty distasteful. Didn’t argue. Won’t be back for awhile. Maybe Alibi is too cool for school.

I had a gilt city voucher with strict directions. Can’t sit outside, one glass of wine (for two people?), and a $ 40 food credit. (For the record, after being told it was one glass of wine total for both of us and acknowledging the ridiculousness, they later corrected themselves and brought us the second glass after we asked for the check.)
Food was AWESOME. Especially liked the shishito peppers and the tagliata (sliced) sirloin. The food was seriously a shocker considering the plates we were given were the same set I bought at party city for a Super Bowl party (ie cheap plastic) — at least the silverware was metal!
Being forced to sit inside, I can say that the chairs were so incredibly uncomfortable that I found myself sitting sideways to avoid the worn down front that was digging into the back of my legs. I also found it super awkward they have a host stand around dinner time that no one stands at.
All in all– I had no expectations going in, it was a delicious meal, but the party city plates is what I’ll remember most.

Sometime during my wild youth, with days spent scouring Berkeley’s farmer’s markets for only the freshest of rainbow chards and nights spent doing G-​d knows what, but it probably involved sweat pants and Bravo, I decided that I should start working at San Quentin State Prison, as in, the men’s prison perched just across the bridge from our house in Berkeley — so yes, I am familiar with a good jump suit (though, quelle horreur, they are not orange IRL, but more a of denim on denim ensemble) and getting down on the ground for an emergency drill when a fight breaks out in the Yard — and as I had been alerted that Alibi is in an old jailhouse, I put on my game face and got ready to get down.
As expected, when I arrived and was immediately made aware that the average age is 23, matching heel height is 4.5in, and the approximate dress size is «handkerchief that barely covers one’s tush», I knew that no amnt of time spent at SQSP would have prepared me for this night.
Scene is dungeony meets hotel bar, with lady patrons skewing a bit young and their male escorts hitting the low-​mid thirties mark — mix of guests staying at the hotel and bros who’d wandered down from their Beacon Hill abodes. It’s an effing madhouse. Unless you have a table or are a ¹⁰⁄₁₀ hottie, you’ll probs get turned away or made to wait in line. As I’m a lady I’m unclear how much these «table» things cost — all I know is that we had one and it allowed me to waltz in and out at my leisure. Do it.
If you’re looking to dance, this isn’t the place — space is tight, and while you can kind of grind up on each other, it’s still more of a lounge than anything. Also, if you have a burning desire to have a heart to heart w someone, now is not the time as noise approaches earsplitting levels even quite early in the evening. Apparently the old cells weren’t build w acoustics in mind, which is weird.
Drinks are $ 15ish, I think? Nothing will blow your mind w flavor explosions, but I don’t think that’s why anyone is here. Prepare yourself to get agro to get a drink — ppl stack 2 – 4 deep around the bar and it can get to be a bit much.
Overall, it’s not a bad place to spend a night, but if I was bankrolling it, I’d probs be less excited by the value proposition — though it’s much more enjoyable than its rivals downtown.
Also, awarded countless bonus points for being the locale where a man I had been politely chatting with for literally no more than 5m tried to put his face on my face, which was met with what I can only describe as confusion and terror on mine, though per T, this was my fault, as realistically my dress was tiny and my hair was «on fleek,» which I guess indicates I’m open for business? Men. Things I will never understand.

Nice ambiance!

Incredibly rude staff, stuck up atmosphere and crowd. This place will never get another dollar from me. They ruined a great night.

Loved this place. Funky and comfortable couches. Had a nice glass of Malbec and people watched. Fun black and white photos of celeb’s mug shots adorned the walls. Charlie sheen’s was my favorite. Lol we were there early (6pm) and I hear this place has a big following later in the evening. Pretty exclusive and hard to get into
Service was great.

How many of you can say, you’ve had a cocktail at a former jail?
Checking that off the to do list!
Alibi Bar and Lounge is located at the upscale Liberty Hotel. The ambiance is kept true to its former self: brick walls, jaill cells are still intact and famous B&W photos of criminals line the walls. The lighting is kept dim for couples on date nights but there’s also a large seating area for small group get togethers. The back patio is where its at in the summer time, be sure to check it out.
I had the bartender make me a Paloma. I was in a tequila kind of mood that night and wasn’t interested in their cocktail menu at all, most are cleverly named and echoing the jail theme. (its also very overpriced at $ 14 — $ 16 per drink!) Nevertheless, I had a fun time here drinking it up with the fam and if I ever land in jail, I have an alibi: WINNING!
Charlie Sheen’s got nothing on me.

This is a tiny lounge that’s super dark… It’s located on the first floor of the Liberty Hotel and I think it gets packed Fri and Sat. However, it’s just so dark in there it’s like they purposely do that so you can’t really see anything. There’s a lot of tables all around one part of the place and a pretty small bar once you pass an entry way.
For a bar the drinks were weak and was the same price as if it were at a club. I’d rather be on the second floor in the open space than in this dark cramp room…

Alibi is one of the popular bars in the liberty hotel. It’s a hot spot for young professionals, especially doctors as it is right next to MGH. Though it is dressier, it is very common to see people in scrubs.
I frequent quite often and especially love the summertime with the outdoor space. The cocktails are really good, and as almost everything with this hotel, they are themed with the jail in mind. The jailbait is one of my favorite drinks. It tastes amazing and is not too sweet.
You can get appetizers like duck fat fries or small pizzas. They are great as the food comes from scampo, the restaurant next door.
Service has always been great. Brittany is our favorite server.
It’s a sexy bar/​lounge decorated with celebrity mug shots and boasting quite a bit of the original jail structure. Enjoy!

This is the weakest lounge I’ve been to since I’ve been in Boston. Definitely not my scene! The crowd was wack– nasty people with dated wardrobes, stank faces & ratchet attitudes. Not to mention HELLA disgusting guys prowling with thirsty ass females… uhmmm. no thanks! yuckk!
Then there were the drinks… they sucked. Had 3 jameson and gingerale from 3 different bartenders. Only 1 was made right. I ordered a freaking Jameson gingerale, how do you get that wrong??!
Maybe its better on other nights… but def not returning to find out…
Throwing up the deuces to Alibi…

This bar has the potential to be an awesome place to get cocktails after work with some coworkers. However, my girls and I experienced a very strange night out here on Friday night. We came after eating dinner at Clink upstairs, and expected the outdoor area to be enjoyable considering the weather was beautiful. The bouncer would not let us out on the patio though because they were at capacity. I asked him if he could let us know when we could go out, as we waited right by the door at a table. After 30 minutes, we saw crowds of people going in and finally confronted him about it until another bouncer said it was okay. The patio was nothing spectacular.
There are a lot of guys wearing suits here and it just seemed to pretentious for me. The special drinks are expensive, but if you just get a regular cocktail they are not too bad ($ 10). My first Jameson/​coke tasted like coke though, but then my next one tasted like straight up whiskey. There didn’t seem to be any consistency amongst the boob-​baring bartenders. I also feel like my friend got a bunch of creepy guys spewing out horrible pick-​up lines at her.
I don’t think I will ever be back here because it just wasn’t fun for us. The music had some good throwbacks, but other than that there was nothing particular about this bar that I liked.