Fool's Errand
Bar · Fenway
1377 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02215
Highlights
Specialty cocktails, unique pub snacks in a hip retro setting
Specialty cocktails, unique pub snacks in a hip retro setting
"If you’re an 18th century European princess, you’ll feel at home in Fool’s Errand, because with glimmering gold chandeliers and patterned wallpaper, it probably looks a lot like your bedroom. For the rest of us, it’s still a great place to go, and not just because there’s a picture of Snoop and Martha Stewart holding each other in the prom pose in the bathroom. This tiny little cocktail bar doesn’t have any seats, but it does have good drinks and a menu of finger sandwiches and small bites that would really impress you if they were passed around at a wedding reception." - dan secatore, tanya edwards, valerie li stack
"Science says that standing up increases your focus, creativity, and wit.* With that being said, Fool’s Errand should be where you head for a first date. This tiny cocktail bar is decorated like the bedroom of a 9-year-old princess (think chandeliers and loud patterned wallpaper) and doesn’t have a single seat. Grab a spot along one of the shelves facing Boylston Street, order a cocktail and one of their finger food snacks (we suggest the juri squash croquetters), and use the magic of standing up to impress that person you met in your intro to poli-sci class. *Yeah, sorry, we have no idea if this is actually a scientific fact. But you gotta admit, it feels like one." - dan secatore
"Tiffany Faison’s jewel-box of an adult snack bar is tailor-made for solo drop-ins. Sidle up to one of the sixteen bar seats and peruse the rotating menu of “snacky things” for a finger-food dinner. Here, high-low cuisine with a wink is the name of the game, like the caviar service which pairs 30 grams of California white sturgeon caviar with Lay’s potato chips and chive-topped sour cream. Plus, slivers of high-end ham served with strawberry jam and Wisconsin bleu cheese on Ritz crackers. Heartier bites include a wagyu beef hot dog on a brioche bun that diners can customize with toppings like jalapeno goo, kimchi relish, and warm caramelized onions. Wash it all down with a “My Brain Hurts” — a cocktail that pairs genepy, an herby French liqueur, with (what else?) glacier freeze Gatorade." - Nathan Tavares
"When Fool’s Errand opened in Fenway in 2018, the original concept was inspired by European wine and cocktail bars that owner/chef Tiffani Faison had encountered on her travels. Originally opened as a standing room only cocktail boudoir not much larger than a walk-in closet, this small-yet-mighty bar reopened in 2022 after a pandemic-era refresh with sixteen seats and a small outdoor patio. Still, it retains its laissez-faire, decadent attitude: come for the European wines and flavorful cocktails, stay for the indulgent bar snacks, like crudité served with whipped ranch labne, or crispy pork empanadas." - Todd Plummer
"First impression? A European-inspired "adult snack bar?" Color us interested. Local chef Tiffany Faison has made waves across Boston with her large-scale, destination dining restaurants such as Sweet Cheeks and the late Tiger Mama, and this intimate space serves as a smart counterpoint. If you're in the mood for a fantastic cocktail or a glass of wine and some elevated bar snacks before catching a game at Fenway Park, this is where to do it. How’s the crowd? When this spot originally opened in 2018, it was a standing room only affair, so there were a lot more drive-by's and quick customers. Since reopening in 2022 after a pandemic-era refresh, there are now sixteen seats and a small outdoor patio for the warmer months, so guests take a little more license to linger. Still, it feels like a spot you go to before or after somewhere else, so you're likely to see date nighters, folks on their way to Fenway Park, and young professionals who occupy this neighborhoods numerous new condo developments. How are the drinks? Cocktails are where this bar menu shines, with both shaken and stirred offerings, as well as more indulgent "nightcaps" (the Grasshopper is a delightful throwback). That being said, don't sleep on the wine list, and make sure to ask for the day's handwritten menu of selections. Although this is a small venue, its wine buy benefits from being a part of Tiffani Faison's larger restaurant group. If there’s food, is it worth ordering something to eat? A tight offering of nine or ten snacks keeps things tasty without going overboard. Things like spring pea and pecorino arancini, salumi of the day, and brown butter toasted Marcona almonds make for indulgent snacks to pair with your cocktails and Fenway people-watching. Did the staff do you right? It's a small space designed for people to be quick-in, quick-out, but the friendly staff never make you feel rushed. Wrap it up: what are we coming here for? It's a unique, intimate experience where every drink and every snack feels perfectly curated. Consider it a tasty alternative to the sidewalk hot dog stand before the Red Sox game." - Todd Plummer
