Without a sign, it took a bit of time to find this place, but when we did, we were in it for the long haul. 1602, named after its address, is one of those bars with no phone number, email, or Facebook page. Sounds pretentious, right? Well, it’s anything but. Located in Brockton Village, this down-to-earth bar has some of the friendliest bartenders in town.

Darkly lit, there’s quite a bit of seating at tables and at the bar. You can often find one of the owners, Elliott, manning the bar and this guy seriously knows his bourbon, scotch, and whisky – just get him chatting. If you’re not already charmed by his drinks cred and boy-ish good looks, he’s also got a pilot license. The bar starts to get busy after 10pm when the DJ arrives, and by 11 it’s hard to move around and hear each other talk. But unlike many places in the area, 1602 attracts friendly folk and has a loyal following, us included.

Photo credit: Bruce Emberley