Food News

2 Boston bars earn spots on 50 Best’s top 100 U.S. bars list

Both bars are new entries on the 50 Best list.

The Wig Shop is one of the 50 best bars in North America. Handout

April 1, 2026 | 1:21 PM

1 minute to read

Boston is home to two of the best bars in North America, according to the 50 Best, a media organization that puts together global rankings of restaurants and bars.

The British-based food media brand released its ranking of North America’s 50 best bars of 2026 — a misleading name, given that 100 bars make the list.

But the organization on Tuesday dropped only the first half of the list, bars that ranked in spots 51 through 100.

Two speakeasy-style Boston bars offering craft cocktails made the first drop of the list as new entries, according to 50 Best.

The Wig Shop (no. 86), helmed by acclaimed beverage program director Oscar Simoza inside of an actual former wig shop. In fact, the only “sign” of this speakeasy down Temple Place is the sight of wig-donning mannequin heads, along with a neon sign that reads “wigs.”

Much of its menu also leans into its wig theme, with sections called “new hair-do’s” and “vacation cuts,” or drinks like the Mezcal-based 2-4 Cut Time.

The other bar that made the list is Hecate (no. 88), located beneath Krasi and down an alley. The space is dimly-lit and intimate, leaning into a mystical theme and Greek mythology.

That spiritual vibe is captured in the drinks as well, with cocktails like Snake Oil (vodka and gin with eucalyptus, buckwheat, cedar smoke, and tobacco bitters) and the rum-based Palo Caldero.

There are snacks, too, that take some influences from its upstairs neighbor: for example, popcorn dusted in tzatziki spice, olives with orange peels, and pupusas with feta.

Both cocktail bars opened in 2022.

The rest of the 50 Best list will be announced during a live ceremony on April 22 in Vancouver, according to their website.

The other bars that made the list include a range of cocktail spots and dive-y bars in Mexico, Canada, and U.S. cities like New York, Washington DC, and Portland, Oregon.

The Wig Shop is located at 27 Temple Place, Downtown Boston; Hecate is located at 48 Gloucester St., Back Bay.