The Baldwin Bar

5 star bar, 3.5 star food. This place is def overall a 4+ star experience (if you drink) though!
There’s an upstairs (leather seats, library bar, supper club feel) and a downstairs (stunningly beautiful bar set up and regular tables) — totally different vibes. Different drink menus, but same food menu
Service is always friendly and prompt. Better than your average welcoming service. I always look forward to talking to them about drinks and food
DRINKS
(upstairs)
Who knew the big W had a lot of winners. Baldwin Bar is an absolute gem. You might double take at their $$ Boston price tags on their cocktails, but these drinks are crafted with more than love — with natural talent. They know how many times to shake and stir for that creamy, velvety, or smooth drink your mind, body and soul have been craving.
Betty Draper — they take a classic gin and citrus and make it ethereal with their coconut espuma which is like a thick frothy foam/​sorbet you work through to get to the drink
Contrarian Collins — a good gin and fruit drink that would probably blow my mind at most bars, but at Baldwin, I think their other drinks are a more memorable experience
Girl from Ipanema — If you like passionfruit, a drink can’t get much better. Perfect blend of complex flavors. Each sip feels like a tropical vacation! There’s some foam on top of this and they make some pretty colorful art on top
Rocky Mtn Revolver — if you dont like whiskey, dark alcohol, or alcohol in general, you’ll like this! the whiskey comes strong (as it should) but there’s magic here because this strong drink is über palatable
Baldwin Apple Revised — the best drink on presentation. the drink itself is great! but they take the egg shell and put apple chips on it and stick it on your glass. So impressed with their patience and creativity!
(downstairs)
it doesnt seem like their online menu matches with their physical menu, but we ordered a rum-​banana drink. i know this sounds gross, but the dark liquor came through strong and smooth with the banana hint. a little unsure if i actually tasted the banana or if it was an expectation bias…
Also ordered a vodka-​mint-​citrus drink that was made perfectly as the strong and sweet balance was unparalleled.
FOOD
(apps)
dan dan noodles — forgettable
ox meat and tripe — the best food i had from baldwin. this is a 5 star dish in terms of flavor and portion size. it comes cold, but the spice is HOT HOT HOT. i’m not one to tolerate too too much heat, but i thought the pain was worth this dish
prawns in spicy garlic sauce — the second best dish i’ve had here. comes with broccoli and i thought everything was cooked and seasoned perfectly. i hate when broccoli is too mushy from being overcooked, so i really appreciated the crunch from the veggies!
beef with julienne carrots & shredded duck with spring ginger — these two plates were basically identical. i dont think i could tell them apart as the veggies and sauce and the way to meat was chopped/​teared were all the same. would not recommend
Champagne Shower Diaries + Curious Observations:
I had dinner upstairs at 6pm on a Friday and was greeted with a free flute of champagne. This really blew me away and made me want to start flying first class exclusively. This touch of generosity kept me raving about this place
When I went upstairs at 9pm on a Thursday, I was not greeted with champagne sadly, but it looked like people before me were greeted with them (unless everyone previously ordered champagne…)
When I went upstairs around 7pm on a Friday after eating dinner downstairs, I was not greeted with champagne but people before and after me were
I’m trying ridiculously hard to find a pattern here, it seems like an early side of dinner may lead to better chances of free champagne!

I’ve been coming here for a long time and have only positive things to say about the staff, atmosphere, drinks, and food. I second what Delilah A. mentioned in that cocktails here will take some time to prepare due to the ingredients and attention to detail that the bartenders give. Its obvious that the two entitled reviewers Jenna and Jes were in the same party and just as obvious that they came on either a Friday or Saturday night without any reservations and expected to be serviced immediately, ahead of everyone else who has already waited for their turn. Anyone who has been to other upscale cocktail establishments know that your wait time for a drink can be longer, and with a full house it can back up… Clearly I am a little biased here but giving 1 star because they didn’t stop everything and shove them to the front of the line got my goat…

Baldwin & Sons Trading Co. — ultra cool has come to the burbs — thanks, Ran!
Is this really in Woburn? Yes, you’re not hallucinating! Located on the 2^nd floor of the Sichuan Garden II in the historic 17^th century Baldwin Mansion, open only 4 nights a week (Thursday — Sunday), you’ll find an outpost of cutting edge ultra hipness, the Baldwin & Sons Trading Co. You’ve already got to know this place is here, to go here. And you better have a reservation. The building itself is hard to miss and easy to get to, right off Rt 128. Park your car, go in the only entrance, then head to the right. You’re then in the also amazing Baldwin Bar. But tell the maitre d’ that you want to go upstairs — there’s a «secret» staircase on the side of the Baldwin Bar which transports you to Baldwin & Sons Trading Co. Both the Baldwin Bar and Baldwin & Sons Trading Co. are managed by the wunderkind of craft cocktails, Ran Duan, Winner of Bacardi’s 2015 Legacy USA Cocktail Competition. The interior space of Baldwin & Sons Trading Co. is dark — gorgeously, sumptuously, comfortably, invitingly, dark. Dark wood walls, dark wood tables, rich, dark comfortable leather chairs, a cozy couch area, a beautiful barrel ceiling, lots of candles. The setting is a library, but has the distinct tangible feel of a library in an outpost of the British Empire, maybe in India or Ceylon in the early 20^th century…
The drink menu is divided into book-​like sections, «light reading», «book club», «non-​fiction», etc — very clever. The drinks are imaginative, innovative, cutting edge, modern with classic references, top tier. We ordered the «Girl from Ipanema», the «Father’s Advice», the «Betty Draper» and the «Elixir of Youth». As far as food, the full menu from Sichuan Garden is available upon request, but the presented menu is streamlined, featuring outstanding highlights from the restaurant menu. Our favorite dish was the Double Cooked Fish Fillets, fresh gorgeous fish, leeks, perfectly seasoned, loved it. We also enjoyed the Dan Dan noodles, the pork dumplings and the Chengdu chicken wings. The food was excellent — did the food accompany the cocktails or vice versa? That shows the excellent synergy going on here!
The super cool Baldwin Bar is open 7 nights a week, but this even more cool, unique upstairs offshoot, is only open as I said, Thursday — Sunday. Make a reservation and be transported!

AMAZING! Great décor, cool staff and even cooler drinks.
Its a serious drink mixing experience here, and if your in a rush don’t come. If you want something that will blow your mind and wet your pants you’ve hit the spot.
Staff are on trend, sleeved and tattooed, leather aprons, and facial hair– they are super friendly and fun.
Cocktails come in beautiful brass glasses (like a brass pineapple) you want to pocket and take home and the giant punch bowls come in giant brass flamigos /​swans.
Will go back for sure but next time with an even bigger group!

We went to this bar on the recommendation of a few clients we have as well as one of the people in the group had been there a few times! We WAITED 50 MINUTES FOR OUR DRINKS which NEVER ARRIVED! We asked our server several times where our drinks we’re and she kept saying they would be right up! After waiting so long we decided to leave and they told us they we’re trying to get all the ingredients together! Coming from the customer service field I find this UNACCEPTABLE AND RIDICULOUS! We will NEVER COME BACK!

So disappointed in this bar that try’s so hard to be VIP, meanwhile it’s lack of parking and no working bathrooms had me at hello. Then it took me and my coworkers 50… Fifty minutes to get 4 drinks! Lol sad excuse for VIP if u ask me.

The Baldwin Bar shares the entrance and the phone number with Sichuan Garden II but is a very different business. You enter the Baldwin Mansion and make a right turn inside to enter the nice little bar, where you can get great cocktails, but also the regular Sichuan Food from the restaurant. Hot dry spicy chicken and golden mai tai make me fly.
There also is a speakeasy type of bar upstairs without any signage. You tell the bartender that you are there for the upstairs bar. If you are lucky, properly dressed and there is no event booked, you soon may disappear through a back door and enter a new universe with a 1920^th flair and phenomenal cocktails. Ran Duan was picked as America’s most imaginative bartender by GQ magazine. This is quite an experience.