Nothing attests to the transformative power of a balmy breeze, sherbet-colored sunsets, and the gentle gurgling of the surf quite like Tavern on the Water—a nondescript bar if landlocked, but exponentially more inviting oceanside. Just add water, indeed.
Perched on a pier in Charlestown, this is a summertime spot, for sure: a weathered two-story box of a building that, from many seats on the second level, mimics the look and feel of a back porch. The beers trend domestic, the décor trends unintentionally retro, and the regulars trend thirtysomething—denizens of Navy Yard condos, weekend sailboat skippers, guys dropping in to keep an eye on the game. The afterwork crowd, still in power skirts or loosened ties, can jump-start their reverie by arriving from the Financial District via the nearby water taxi.
In the evening, a somewhat younger contingent, collars popped, forms a line off the first-floor patio and down the pier, sometimes more than an hour long. It's not the chance to sip vodka sodas or rum and Diets from plastic cups that's worth the wait. Rather, it's something else, a vibe that, owing to the scarcity of summer nights we're afforded around here, can feel downright vacationesque. Sure, some of that's merely a product of drinking outside. But the Tavern's remove from the city—underscored by the skyline across the harbor—gives it an upper hand in making patrons feel as though they've been whisked away.
Maybe on account of this ambiance (or maybe simply because the bar is on a pier), there's also an interaction with the water itself that supplies added charm. Not long ago, I watched as a man waddled off a passing Coast Guard vessel, his stride impeded by the bulk of work wear, a kind of survival suit. Seeing little reason to allow his job to interfere, he joined his friends for just a bit (though thought better of sharing a Coors Light with them). And you may remember hearing about how, a few years back, erstwhile Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra dove into Boston Harbor to salvage two overindulgent Tavern patrons who'd fallen in. With Coasties coming off the water and infielders going in, the Tavern has a way of using the harbor for more than merely atmospheric appeal.
Tavern On The Water, One Eighth St., Pier 6, Charlestown, 617-242-8040, tavernonthewater.com.
Originally published in Boston magazine,
July 2009
