7 Best Bars in Kendall Square/MIT, Boston

This nightclub boasts five ever-active performance spaces and has nicely carved out its niche as one of New England's most eclectic alternative-rock venues. National and local acts vie for the large upstairs and cavernous downstairs rooms (ska band Mighty Mighty Bosstones got its start here), while intimate combos play ZuZu's, Corner, and Sonia. There are also DJs, belly dancing, folk, jazz, country rock, and dancing. Nightly shows at 8 pm usually run $15 to $55, and most are general admission--standing only. Fuel up for all the dancing at Middle East restaurant, which is only open for dinner.

For those looking to avoid Boston's ultrasceney clubs, Middlesex is a welcoming, laid-back night club for all sorts of people looking to dance the night away. A range in cover (usually around $10) kicks in for DJs spinning crowd-pleasing EDM, house, techno, and hip-hop until 2 am.

This speakeasy hidden above Central Kitchen is easily one of the coolest places in Cambridge to grab a drink. A boozie heaven (although there are a ton of mocktails as well), there are craft cocktails, pops, and shooters all served in a dark and sexy modern space. The four-shot DTO (daiquiri time out) is a fun opener to the evening, and the martini menu offers creative variations on the classic. The small menu is great for snacking, with deviled eggs, tinned baby scallops, and stuffed dates on the list.

This collegial, cavernous microbrewery is the oldest brewpub in the greater Boston area and has been the happy haunt for MIT techies and craft-brew geeks since its 1989 founding. They push the boundaries of beer, from bourbon barrel-aging an imperial stout to creating the first true solera aging process in the United States for beer. Order CBC's Cambridge Amber, Charles River Porter, and Blunderbuss Barleywine fresh in pints, or go for a "tower" (an 83-ounce glass "yard"). In warm weather, try to nab a coveted patio table, a catbird seat for people-watching across bricky Kendall Square. Cheerful staff serve above-average pub grub, even at weekend "beerunches." 

You may feel like you're in Dublin when you're sipping well-poured pints, eyeing the dusky atmosphere with wood-paneled walls, and eating black-and-white pudding or rib eye roasted in Guinness inside Cambridge's oldest wooden mercantile building. Musicians jam Wednesday evening, Saturday late day, and Sunday afternoon.

Overlooking Central Square, this 5,400-square-foot ballroom-dance floor hosts a kaleidoscope of DJs and live bands, and often free burritos or nachos. Three hundred people may show up to dance salsa, creating a lively scene for dancers at any level. Open Monday is for bachata (sultry midtempo Dominican dance), Friday and Saturday for salsa, and Tuesday blends both. With lessons at 8 or 9 pm, depending on the night, the joint really gets hopping by 9 or 10 pm.

This genuine Irish pub has doubled as a bohemian oasis since 1969. Drink Guinness and Bass on tap and many Irish whiskies; hear light rock, Irish, or country music nightly, usually by 10:30 pm; shows are 21-plus. Narrow and cozy, the Plough is a comfy, noisy den for locals and students, yet a fine place to have lunch alone. The cover charge varies, but the popular weekday beer and burger specials remain the same. Fun fact: literary magazine Ploughshares was founded here.