Date night in Boston: which bar for which date

For a first date, go to haley.henry downtown or Backbar in Somerville. For an anniversary, book Yvonne's or the Blind Duck. For a nightcap after a late dinner, OAK Long Bar + Kitchen in Back Bay.

A good date bar is quiet enough to hear each other, small enough to feel like a choice, and easy to leave. These picks go by situation. If you would rather pick a neighborhood, start with the area guides.

A first date

haley.henry downtown keeps it simple. Time Out suggests tinned fish, charcuterie and other small plates, so nobody has to commit to a three-course dinner.

Backbar in Somerville is the walk-in option. Its site says no reservations. The room has only 39 seats, so go early on a weeknight and bring one person, not six.

An anniversary

Yvonne's downtown is the occasion bar. Time Out's advice is to head straight to the library, so skip the front bar. The venue lists Monday to Thursday 5:00pm to 1:00am and later on Friday and Saturday. Those nights it posts 4:00pm to 2:00am.

The Blind Duck in Back Bay sits atop the 17th and 18th floors of Raffles with city views, so save it for a night when the view is part of the plan.

Contessa in Back Bay is a restaurant where reservations are hard to score. Book early.

When the room should do some of the talking

Hecate in Back Bay is the pick if you like a little theater, since Time Out says the bartenders are your “spirit guides”.

In the South End, Frenchie has a 50-plus bottle list covering all of Europe. Time Out likes the greenhouse room in the back.

Metropolis Cafe in the South End has the extremely European-feeling horseshoe bar, a good seat for two.

In Salem

All Souls Lounge on Derby Street is the date pick, a cocktail bar built on vintage cocktails and quiet enough to talk.

A nightcap

OAK Long Bar + Kitchen is the classic hotel-bar finish. It is open daily 7 a.m. to midnight. Its page says last call for drinks is 11:45 p.m., so you can order one more.

The Longfellow Bar at Alden & Harlow makes house-made infusions, vinegars, syrups and bitters, if you want your cocktail to be the conversation.

The Beehive in the South End is the pick if you want music with dinner. Check the music calendar first, because the lineup changes the mood of the room.

Getting home

Check Last Train before a late night, and see getting home after last call for rides and rules. Salem dates need a ride plan, and our Salem guide has the train-home warning.