It's about time that Harvard Square got its own bubble tea joint, especially for those who refuse to splash out for the Greenhouse's overpriced and lackluster imitations. Replacing the short-lived Lollicup, Boston Tea Stop promises a welcome oasis for fans of the sweet shaken tea drink with tapioca pearls. But it's more than just tea at the Tea Stop: individually-designed drinks allow customers to add tapioca or coconut jelly to juices, teas (hot or iced, with or without milk), slushes, snows, and smoothies. The flavors seem almost endless, and though they use syrups instead of the real thing, the staff encourages students to mix and match for unique drinks like mango with passionfruit and strawberry with rose flower. Mochi, sweet sticky rice wrapped around ice cream, come in equally exotic varieties, with tiramisu, lychee, red bean, and strawberry with dark chocolate chips. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

Took over Iruna's space, which was also a tapas bar.

Redline fills the niche between Grendel's (friendly and lowkey) and Noir (expensive poseur). The bar is sophisticated in an unthreatening way, and drinks are remarkably reasonable, topping out at $8 for premium cocktails. Generous martinis are a very decent $7. Redline is usually crowded at night, especially after 1, when it picks up barflys from other local establishments. Despite its size, Redline has room both for lounge lizards and a small dancefloor complete with weekend DJs. Crowds notwithstanding, table service is quick and friendly, so grab a back table if you can. The kitchen specializes in fast, low-prep grill and pasta dishes at the same price point as other Harvard Square establishments attempting to win the sophisticated crowd. Lunch is usually less than $10, and dinner is pricier (appetizers $6-12, entrees $13-20, desserts $7-10). The substantial meat or pasta dishes are a pleasant surprise, proving that this bar and restaurant can indeed both fill your stomach with meat and potatoes and satisfy your jones for drinks and dancing. Sister establishment to Grafton Street and Temple Bar.

Om is a Harvard Square restaurant headed by New York and Providence chef Rachel Klein, who was named Best New Chef by Boston magazine in 2006. Chef Klein challenges her customers with innovative recipes and fresh and funky ingredients. Try Om for a shot of Zen in your dining experience. This place featuresover-the-top Zen luxury decor, a wall-ter fall, fancypants cocktails, and a whimisical bar menu. There are 2 floors to this place, the 1st floor is the dance floor which is pretty small. The 2nd floor is more of just a lounge. They only have single bathrooms, so the lines can be quite long, even for guys. However, don't get stuck in line - there are two sets of bathrooms, one upstairs and one downstairs. Deb Klein is no longer the chef and the cuisine last time I was there was disappointing and ordinary. The drinks are still good if you don't mind the NYC prices.

Bombay Club serves savory, MSG-free Indian cuisine. Be sure to sit by the window; glass walls overlooking JFK St. add light and excitement to the otherwise boxy, charmless dining room. The extensive menu of seafood, chicken, lamb, and vegetarian specialties is sure to please. Try a specialty naan baked with chicken, fruit, almonds, or cheese to whet your appetite. Tandooris include Tandoori Mirch, peppers stuffed with spicy cheese from the Punjab region, and Tandoori Shrimp Shashlik from the coast of Kerala. Indecisive diners should consider The Badshahi Thali ($16.50), a culinary sampler including several small dishes, naan, tea, and sweet, sticky gulab jamun for dessert. 10 course lunch buffet only $8, served M-F 11:30am-3pm, while the extensive Sunday brunch goes for $12 with all the mini-dosa your hangover can handle. Entrees $8-16. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

Malaysian inspired "hut" design dominates this spacious tiered dining room. High ceiling lined with natural wood paneling creates a warm and comfortable dining atmosphere. A large fresh water fish tanks houses the freshest "catch of the day". The "open" kitchen concept allows diners to experience the first hand look at the chefs in action.

] Although they're named after a Korean dynasty, Shilla's cuisine isn't quite fit for a king. While the convenient location in the basement of the Staples building may outweigh its veritable lack of atmosphere, it doesn't make up for the mediocre sushi—stick to their Korean specialties to get your money's worth. Shilla's huge menu gives you lots of choices but few standouts: sample one of the unusual appetizers ($5-12) before starting in on any one of their more traditional main courses. Vegetarian entrees are a plenty, with offerings such as tofu bibim-bap ($12) and vegetable chapchae ($11). “Big bowl specials,” hot pot dinners, meat entrees, noodle dishes, seafood dinners, and sushi complete the menu (entrees $11-20, sushi $3-6 per 2-piece order). This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

The Wagamama concept is modeled on the Ramen shops popular in Japan for over 200 years. Ramen are chinese-style thread noodles, served in soups with delicious toppings or griddle-cooked (teppan-fried). Wagamama has also a variety of side dishes including meat and vegetable dumplings, skewered chicken, deep-fried prawns and raw salads. You can enjoy a meal and drink for under $10 per head. Another branch is in Fanueil Hall.

Imagine Spice, add pictures to the menu, and you've got 9 Tastes. Nearly identical in choice, price, and quality to big sister Spice, 9 Tastes serves the Thai restaurant's extensive array of both standard and creative meat, seafood, and vegetarian dishes. Nibble on beef satay or Khao Tang Na Tang (puffed rice cake crackers with shrimp and chicken dip, $6) before diving into your drunken noodles ($10) or mango curry ($12). Spice your meal how you see fit; however, don't miss regional options like the Kha Pla ($13), a “new adventure from Northeastern Thailand” or the conventionally delicious Pad Thai ($7). Delivery in limited area 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm everyday. $2.00 charge for delivery. Minimum order $10.00. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.