Place to meet for drinks in Arlington?

[Weiszguy]

Hi - I want to meet a friend for a drink in Arlington tonight. I was hoping to go to Flora, but they are closed on Mondays. I'm a bit out of the loop in terms of Arlington Center - is Tryst still there and do they have a bar? Any other ideas? Thanks.

[bear]

Both Lexx and Via Lago on Mass. Ave. in Lexington have small bars.

[Northstar22]

Ristorante Olivio has a great new bar and Angelo the owner is a great guy. Give it a shot.

[yumyum]

If it has to be Arlington, it has to be Tryst. But I agree with Striper, head across Rt. 16 to Somerville and you'll have more options. My pick would be Highland Kitchen for excellent cocktailery. I don't know if they are open on Mondays, so call first.

[RoseWethersfield]

HK is closed on Monday. You do need to order something to eat to have a drink in Arlington.

[Bluebell]

Yes, I also agree - Tryst has a few munchy bar food options in the front you can enjoy w/ their fancy cocktails. Cambridge offers a lot more though - I'd recc Chez Henri or West Side Lounge. Quality and creativity goes downhill as you go up MassAve, unfortunately! Also - don't forget Sabur in Teele Sq - not too far from Arl, and good drinks and interesting wine selection.

[grant.cook]

There are 6-7 restaurants with liquor licenses in Arlington, but due to local laws, nothing that could be called a pure "bar" - Tryst and Not Your Average Joes are the closest to having a comfortable bar to sit in, but you do need to order food as part of that (and Tryst does have some nice apps).

Other places - Flora and Restaurante Olivio in the East, Punjab in the Center, and I think Jimmy's Steer House have liquor licenses, but overall, I'd hit Tryst.

If you want to stay close to Arlington, but want more of a bar, I'd hit Joe Sent Me on Mass Ave. (more casual/local, but good burders), or PJ Ryans just up from Davis Square (Irish pub). If you want more of a lounge-bar, you'd need to head to Orleans, in Davis Square, or head further down Mass Ave to hit Christophers, Toad (live music), Temple Bar, Chez Henri, or West Side Lounge.

[StriperGuy]

The best place to meet for a drink in Arlington is in Somerville ;-)

Arlington is a largely dry town.

[itaunas]

Tryst does have a bar and for Arlington has pretty decent drinks. (Varies somewhat with the bartender and only pretty basic cocktails, but you can get a Negroni, have even got them to make a French75. So you aren't stuck to flavored vodka martinis, but don't have sky-high expectations.) The bar is also a nicer place to eat than the dining room. I am pretty certain that Arlington requires you to have food with drinks and the sandwiches are pretty good, as are some of the appetizers.

[pamalamb]

I have had a lovely time having drinks at Tryst. I don't think you have to order food... I know we sat for a while, drinking, before we decided to order a couple of apps to share.

[grant.cook]

You do have to order food.. sometimes the bartender might be a bit lax about enforcing it, or give you a lot of time to figure out what you want, but don't plan on sitting at a bar in Arlington and downing 2-3 martinis without having to order at least an appetizer..

[saltyair]

I third Tryst