Cambridge Dining Guide
Best Bars & Cocktails in Central Square
The 3 bars & cocktails restaurants in Central Square worth walking to — ranked, with addresses, hours, and T access. Curated by Guide to Cambridge.
Cambridge's bar scene is more varied than most people expect. Beyond the classic college bars of Harvard Square, you'll find speakeasy-style cocktail lounges with house-made bitters, natural wine bars with curated European imports, local craft breweries, and neighborhood Irish pubs that have anchored their blocks for generations.
Insider TipCambridge bars close at 1 AM (some at 2 AM on weekends). For the best cocktail experience, visit earlier in the evening when bartenders have time to craft custom drinks.
Darling
Chinese/Cocktail Bar · 464 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
Chinese-inspired cocktail bar in the former Mary Chung space, with a reimagined dim-sum menu from executive chef Mark O'Leary (JM Curley, O Ya, Shojo). 40-seat lounge, 16-seat walnut bar, a hand-painted mural by Julia Purinton, and original exposed brick from the Mary Chung era.
The Middle East Restaurant & Nightclub
Bar · 472-480 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
Five-venue entertainment complex in Central Square — a Lebanese restaurant plus three concert spaces (Upstairs, Downstairs, and Sonia) that nurtured Boston's alternative and indie scenes starting in the late 1980s.
Phoenix Landing
Irish Pub · 521 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
Central Square Irish pub by day, DJ-driven dance club by night. Home base for the LFC Boston Supporters Club, with every English Premier League match on the TVs.