Barlette

Barlette is a tiny, reservation-friendly cocktail bar tucked into the Coolidge Corner Arcade building at 318 Harvard Street in Brookline, opened in 2023 by Rachel Trudel and chef Emily Vena (of Cobble, located one floor above). It launched as an alcohol-agnostic BYOB concept where guests supplied their own spirits and the team provided house-made mixers, garnishes, and ambience, then earned its full liquor license in November 2024 and reintroduced itself as a cocktail bar. Even after going licensed, it kept a real spirit-free program: its seasonal cocktails are each offered with a spirit-free option alongside the alcoholic version, so non-drinkers get the same drinks rather than an afterthought. Boston magazine's zero-proof roundup singled out the bar's "faux Negroni" and an espresso martini built on a house-made zero-proof coffee liqueur. Emily Vena's culinary background drives the menu, with playful wordplay names and produce-forward house mixers, and the room itself is intimate, open Wednesday through Saturday evenings with a schedule that shifts week to week. The bar was named a Best of Boston honoree ("Best Reason to Reserve Early," 2023) and has been covered by The Boston Globe and Boston magazine. It is a strong spirit-free destination, though as a now-licensed full bar it is no longer fully alcohol-free.