The Alley Bar

A bit on the pricey side but the service, food, and drinks are all pretty good. You can’t beat the location– literally in an alley. And it’s nice to say that it is a hell of a lot better looking than it’s counterpart on the inside of the hotel. It looks crazy in there with all the severely out of date décor.

Great location and a great vibe! The manager Gina and her staff were very friendly, attentive and pleasant to be around. The Boston Harbor Hotel has really made creative use of this laid back outdoor space! Food and drink are reasonably priced and completely satisfying. They also have great acoustic music! The musician playing the night I was there was very pleasurable to listen to!

A bit pricey but great atmosphere and use of space. Bar inside is super dark and draconian, outside space is nice. Live music on Thursdays was super nice.

Food was ok. Service was really slow last Friday evening (6−9pm). I was served an alcoholic drink though I requested a virgin version because I’m 7 months pregnant. At one point, it took over an hour and a half just to get a side of fries. Mocha cream cake for dessert was delicious.

So apparently some genius at The Rowes Wharf hotel decided to open a bar at the hotel with the exact same name as another bar less than half a mile away in the financial district also.
The other «Alley Bar» happens to be a well known gay bar in Boston catering to a mature «bearish» type crowd.
Google «The Alley Bar» Boston and guess which one comes out on top? Yes that’s right, the gay one.
Call directory assistance and guess which one they connect you to? That’s right. The original. The gay one.
Call a cab and ask them to take you to The alley bar… You get the picture.
I hear the original is having a lot of fun with the confused customers.
Nice job Rowes Wharf.

This is such a creative use of space along the waterfront that I am sure others in the area will try to replicate it. Maybe it’s not possible, though. This space is just so perfectly unique. You may feel like you have left Boston and been transported to a spot in Italy or France.
Only open on weekdays between 4 and 10, they clearly market to an audience who comes directly after work (or sneaks out before the work day ends) in order to tie one on before catching the commuter train. Forget your troubles and get happy with this sweet location and a few potent cocktails that may set you back a bit when you ask for the bill. There are some simple, carb heavy snacks like sandwiches and pizza to keep you going as you drink up, but this is not a fine dining destination. It is a bar. It is for drinks. It is for more drinks. Some are good. All are expensive.
The crowd gets raucous with devoted Red Sox fans (and even some of the owners who dock their yachts nearby), aggressive bankers trying to get your business and all kinds of folks craving a drink before the work day ends. The crowd increases as the night lingers. I got a lot of business cards tossed in my direction. That can be fun if you are in the mood.
Nice new addition to the downtown area.