Cambridge Dining Guide
Best Bars & Cocktails in Cambridge
Cambridge's best bars — craft cocktails, wine bars, breweries, and Irish pubs. Your guide to nightlife in Cambridge MA.
14 restaurants curated
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.
North Cambridge
1Wusong Road
Tiki Bar · Harvard Square
Two-level Tiki bar and New England Chinese restaurant from Cambridge native Jason Doo, hidden in the century-old Conductor's Building on the edge of Harvard Square. Upstairs is Tiki drinks; downstairs is Hong Kong-deli rice plates.
Noir Bar
Cocktail Bar · Harvard Square
Candle-lit bar at the Charles Hotel with a 1940s film-noir atmosphere. French-inspired cocktails built on premium spirits and house-made ingredients. Part of the Charles Hotel dining collection alongside Henrietta's Table.
The Longfellow Bar
Cocktail Bar · Harvard Square
Above Alden & Harlow in historic Café Algiers space. Craft cocktails with house-made infusions, syrups, and bitters. The famous secret burger available all night.
Shay's Pub & Wine Bar
Wine Bar · Harvard Square
Harvard Square basement pub on JFK Street — curated wine list, strong beer rotation, from-scratch pub food built on local grass-fed beef and hand-cut fries. The heated outdoor patio is one of the most coveted spots in the Square in warm weather.
Grafton Street Pub & Grill
Irish Pub · Harvard Square
The original Grafton Group restaurant, now in the former PARK Restaurant space at the corner of JFK and Winthrop. Full-service pub food, extensive beer list, late-night kitchen, outdoor patio. Named after the cobblestone shopping street in Dublin.
Inman Square
1Darling
Chinese/Cocktail Bar · Central Square
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 · Central Square
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 · Central Square
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.
Mid-Cambridge
1Lamplighter Brewing Co.
Brewery · Kendall Square
Microbrewery and taproom between Central and Inman Squares on Broadway, with a shared cafe space with Longfellows Coffee. Known for funky fermentation beers — sours, wild yeasts, unexpected ingredients (sweet potato, chamomile, buckwheat) — alongside the core IPA program.
The Muddy Charles Pub
Irish Pub · Kendall Square
MIT graduate student pub in Walker Memorial on the Charles River. Nobel laureates, grad students, and guests of MIT affiliates welcome; general public cannot enter without an MIT ID. Cash only. Open only during the academic year.
Neighborhood Nine
1Frequently Asked Questions
Cambridge has an excellent bar scene spanning craft cocktail lounges, breweries, wine bars, and classic pubs. Harvard Square and Central Square have the highest concentration, with Kendall Square growing as a cocktail destination.