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Best Bars 2026 No. 15

Dear Friend Bar

This cozy hideaway, lined with bentwood bar stools and brimming with all the charm of a European café, was among the first true cocktail destinations in Dartmouth’s now-buzzing downtown. Cocktails are innovative, with a distinct culinary lean, like the umami-driven Just a Dashi, made with Suntory Toki, shiitake dashi, amaro and spruce. A sparkling Cosmopolitan calls for turmeric-infused vodka and sea buckthorn. Beers and ciders are largely local; wines are from further afield and lean towards funkiness.

Shell Game
The food menu highlights East Coast treasures, like fresh scallops in almond milk and marinated mussels with crunchy pangrattato.

Drink
The Community Cocktail — pair it with an oyster dish ($10 from each order goes to the charity Feeding Others of Dartmouth Society).

Stay for
The tasting menu rises well above standard bar fare.

Oh Shucks
Oyster Happy Hour, 4 to 5 p.m.

Photography by Scott Summerhayes


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