Drinks at Copley Square's Oak Bar are expensive, but you're not paying for the alcohol as much as you are the atmosphere. Located in the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, Oak Bar is a part of the venerable Oak Room, a mainstay for businessmen on expense accounts and Boston's well-to-do. The room is dark and warm -- one almost expects to turn around and see a group of old English bankers enjoying cigars at one of the dark wood tables. More probable, since smoking is not allowed, are older hotel guests sipping scotch and young men in well-pressed shirts working to impress their dates. The specialized drink menu is a reminder that this is a hotel bar, as cocktail names embrace area institutions like the Boston Pops and the Red Sox.

Cocktails can cost more than $15, though they are certainly impressive in their customized glasses and served with fancy tailored accoutrements. Included in the price is a dose of self-satisfaction that this august environment exudes. Make sure you look respectable before trying to get in: after 6PM, shorts, t-shirts, hats and sporty shoes are not allowed.

Categories: Restaurants-American, Restaurants, Cocktail Lounges

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