The Wig Shop
Cocktail bar · Downtown ·
Creative cocktails & custom drinks in a speakeasy-inspired lounge
Creative cocktails & custom drinks in a speakeasy-inspired lounge
"Located in an actual former wig shop, the Wig Shop is now one of Boston’s buzziest cocktail bars. Run by the mega-talented Oscar Simoza, the cocktail menu is wildly playful — take, for example, the Rise & Grind, a coffee cocktail topped with whipped cream and served in a teacup with a mini croissant on the side — and there’s always great vibes in the space. Be prepared for a wait to get in, though." - Erika Adams
"From the team behind jm Curley and Bogie’s Place comes equally fun next-door neighbor the Wig Shop. This Downtown Crossing cocktail lounge, an homage to its predecessor Wig World, is simultaneously playful and poised, with wig gags galore amid opulent blue velvet couches and gold drapes. It’s a fanciful setting for impressive drinks ranging from classic — like Bergamot spritzes and Remember the Maines — to fresh, including one with bourbon and sesame oil (Soy Boy) and a rum concoction spiked with so much caffeine you can only have one per visit (Rise & Grind). Champagne, wine and beer, and snacks like lobster-topped pancakes round out the package." - Erika Adams, Eater Staff
"When I push through slightly sticky dark double doors at 27 Temple Place into a dimly lit cocktail bar, I’m immediately transported into a gin-soaked time warp that pays homage to the space’s former tenant, Wig World. Inside, blue velvet couches face each other in semi-private nooks curtained by sheer yellow drapes, a neon window display features named wigs like the long-haired ice-blue “Vivian” and Donna with her curly bright-pink ’do, and cheeky mini wigs top some liquor bottles while brass lamps illuminate low gold-and-glass coffee tables. The team, led by manager Oscar Simoza (an alum of Silvertone Bar & Grill), turns out elaborately staged drinks — think an updated Remember the Maine (rye, sweet vermouth, Cherry Heering, absinthe) finished with glitter foam and cotton candy — with an expeditor on the bar to handle the theatrics. A retro, crowd-specific playlist and a focus on performance-level service complete the vibe; the 36-seat spot shares a liquor license and back-of-house infrastructure with JM Curley and Bogie’s Place, and generates roughly 25–30% of the restaurant group’s revenue." - Celina Colby
"A Downtown Crossing bar notable for its romantically lit ambiance and a lineup of meticulously crafted, delicious cocktails that have made it an immediate favorite on the local bar scene." - Erika Adams
"A playful, opulent cocktail lounge that nods to a former wig shop with neon signage and retro wig-ad menu art, offering both classic and adventurous cocktails (from mai tais to caffeinated rum drinks and a tequila-and-cuttlefish-ink creation), big bowls of punch, champagne and snacky plates like lobster-topped pancakes amid blue velvet and gold-draped décor." - Rachel Leah Blumenthal
