8 Best Bars in Boston, Massachusetts

Dinner and a movie has never been easier at this one-stop shop for flicks, food, and fun. Purchase tickets online and select your own, specific, comfy seat, which, incidentally, reclines and has a back warmer in it. Settle in and order a soda, milk shake, or cocktail, a bottomless bowl of real buttered popcorn, and myriad other snacks and meals. The roster of films changes by the day but includes new releases, classics and cult classics, animated films, and some obscure selections only playing at the Alamo.

Not a driver? That's OK, you can still go head-to-head with your friends on a simulated Formula One video game experience; participants must be seven years old to race. Play as a team or as single opponents during 30-minute racing sessions, then recover from all the excitement with some tasty food and a champagne cocktail or craft beer; it's 21 and over after 7 pm. Check the website for frequent F1 Grand Prix watch parties with live commentary.

One of a few locations around the globe, this popular bar that is focused on playing darts was one of the first in town to offer organized socializing with cocktails on the side. The Flight Club's proprietary Social Darts is a technology-based multiplayer game that simulates the well-known dive bar pastime. Playing groups get their own seating area for 90 minutes ($15 per person) and can order drinks and food (sharing plates and flatbread).

This massive bar and restaurant entertains with upscale-style bowling, billiards, air hockey, shuffleboard, foosball, and more. ’80s kids can wax nostalgic while playing the retro arcade games from childhood, including Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros., and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The kitchen makes burgers, wings, tacos, and more.

It's all fun and games at Play Boston—or at least that's the idea. This 21st-century arcade geared toward adults has loads of redemption games including Willy Crash, Need for Speed, and Pop the Luck. Rack up points and win some prizes. You can order pizzas, burgers, and cocktails while you game, too.

What's better than minigolf, snacks, and drinks? That combination at any time of the year! This bar features tech-forward 9-hole courses (and you don't need a pencil to keep score) complete with hazard traps. Before or after your (approximately) 30 minutes of play, nosh on some shareable apps, flatbreads, or sandwiches. Keep in mind that Puttshack is 21 and over after 8 pm.

This new complex has live music, lit up bowling for $35--$45 per lane, TVs for the big game, and more. Drinks are social, including the four- to six-person cocktail "coolers," which is probably why the entire place is 21 and older after 7 pm. Snacks are fun noshes, such as waffle fries, grilled burgers, nachos, and a giant baked chocolate chip cookie.

Popular arcade games, pinball, and '80s pop culture provide the entertainment at this nightspot, but no one under 21 is allowed after 7 pm. The fun extends to weekly theme nights, including free play and Super Smash Bros. tournaments. The food is decent but nothing special—although there are milk shakes.