For an "insiders" look at how Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts feels, frolics and feeds itself, Casablanca restaurant and bar is the place to go. Casablanca, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, is a casual, neighborhood "joint" that has grown to near-legendary status. Students and their professors, writers and their subjects, musicians and their muses all congregate at 40 Brattle Street. Casablanca offers a relaxed drinking environment with a bit more flair than other restaurants. If the exotic, Moroccan-inspired decor doesn't already remind you of the Academy Award-winning movie, then the gigantic wall mural of Bergman and Bogart probably will. Visit Casablanca and enjoy a glass of merlot with friends at one of the intimate tables. Is it the mildly exotic atmosphere? The enticing Mediterranean cuisine? The chance to tipple at the bar elbow-to-elbow with a nuclear physicist, a poet, or the next Kanye West? Who knows?

A reincarnation of the famed brunch spot UpStairs at the Pudding, UpStairs on the Square is divided into 2 main lounges. Both overlooking Withrop Square, the more casual Monday Club Bar downstairs and the sophisticatedly hushed Soiree Room upstairs are glittering and whimsical creations right out of a fairy-tale. Upstairs, nothing comes cheap: even appetizers run $12-15. Delectable menu options include rabbit two ways ($30) and Maine scallops ($28). The chocolate soufflé cake ($10) borders on a religious experience. The Monday Bar serves more traditional and wallet-friendly fare (in addition to some big screen TVs), though it's true that you get what you pay for. They both share the same pastry chef, though, so don't forget dessert downstairs. UpStairs complements its thesis-length wine list with a wide range of beers ($5.50+) and cocktails ($9.50+). Reservations are highly recommended. Afternoon tea: served from 3 til 5 pm, Thursday to Saturday and consists of a tea of your choice plus savories and sweets. As of May 2007 it costs $25 (add $7 for a glass of bubbly). The tea is poured from antique silver teapots and the food, served on a three-tiered silver stand, is a break from the norm with alternative breads like focaccia featuring highly and a prominent role for bacon-wrapped dates ('devils on horseback'). Interestingly, for $18 you can instead get a peppermint afternoon tea - mint tea, mint chocolate, mint parfait and mint brownie. Go here to impress a date. It'll make you look cultured without making making you feel stuffed up. Tea treats rotate on different days, which is nice. They are also flexible with changing the food to leave out something you don't like, say if you want more sweets than savouries or go vegetarian. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

Prepare for an evening of culinary pampering at Harvest, one of the most upscale establishments in Harvard Square. With excellent service, a spacious interior, and an outdoor patio that manages to stay open until the early fall with the aid of heaters, Harvest aims to keep your body comfortable and then, when you're not looking, hit you over the head with its inventive, mouth-watering cuisine. But like all good things (and some illegal drugs), you'll be paying a hefty price for an experience that will leave you pleasantly euphoric, but not necessarily stuffed. With modestly-sized entrees that fall within the $24-33 dollar price range, your best bet would be to opt for Harvest's 3 course prix-fixe ($48/$60 with wine), a perfect sampling of the restaurant's culinary concoctions. The menu changes weekly, so the oyster stew you loved so much last time might have been replaced by the equally delicious salmon in lobster bouillon; however, with a consistent variety of gourmet seafood, pasta, and vegetarian options in addition to their 2 featured steaks, even the most discriminating connoisseurs will go home happy. Desserts ($8-9) range from the velvety vanilla bean creme brulée to the tangy key lime napoleon. Brunch ($33 prix-fixe) offered every Su. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

Despite the fancy Cantabrigian clientele (including the mistress of munch herself, Dame Julia Child), Henrietta's Table exudes a friendly and relaxed atmosphere well suited to its simple, delicious New England cuisine. Meals begin with the best bread you've ever had, an incredible cranberry-walnut concoction ($16 in Henrietta's mini-store). The menu sticks to the country kitchen basics (meatloaf, fish, pork chops, chicken), all prepared with the freshest of seasonal ingredients. Mix and match from a selection of side dishes ($4.50), including golden, griddle-cooked hash browns. But don't forget to save room for dessert ($7), especially the acclaimed chocolate bread pudding. Good wine list and a separate full bar, as well as patio seating. Also the best and most expensive brunch ($39) in Harvard Square. Entrees $13-17, specials $22-28. Su-Th dinner special 2 courses for $24, 3 courses $30, including sides. Children under 5 eat for free and ages 6-12 get half off! This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

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.

Cafe of India is precisely what a cosmopolitan restaurant in firm contact with its origins should be: self-assured enough to serve both the basics and new and improved versions. While the restaurant is softly-lit and welcoming, the food is what you should come here for. Cafe of India has tandoori ovens and knows how to use them well: the lamb and chicken appetizers are moist, aromatic and perfectly-cooked ($6-8). Main dishes range $13-20, and are delicately spiced. Flavors are carefully blended and balanced, and the chefs will moderate spice levels to your request. The seafoods are the real prize. The sauce-based cooking allows seafood to be cooked precisely to the point of doneness, preserving its essential flavor and tenderness. Also be sure to try the peshawary naan, a flatbread stuffed with almonds and raisins ($6). For a more affordable stab at this fine restaurant, stop by for their daily lunch buffet ($10-14). This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

Harvard Square's Legal Seafoods.

Named after a famed cobblestone street in Dublin's Temple bar area, Grafton Street has been a Harvard Square favorite since 1996. This local institution combines the homey warmth of an Irish pub with a modern feel and an inventive New American menu by Executive Chef Dan Pogue. The bar offers an array of draught beers, and numerous signature cocktails dreamt up by Grafton's mixology team. The bar crowd trends toward the upscale; a sleek windowed facade permits passersby to gaze in on the many martini-sippers. Revelers at the lively bar can enjoy a late-night menu which adds taste and elegance to the usual pub fare, with artistic appetizers like Maine Crab Cakes with chipotle remoulade and sweet pesto sauce ($10.25), creative sandwiches ($8-$13.95), and thin-crust pizzas ($8-9.50). Live DJs play a variety of music on Thursday, Friday, and each Saturday, DJs Red Foxx and Mistaker blend a fun selection of upscale disco, funk, soul, and party classics. Lunch & dinner blend the classic comfort foods of Ireland's pubs with modern takes on American dishes. Favorites include the duck confit and the beef ragu. Grafton can be booked for private parties, and offers 3 different menus from passed hors d’oeuvres to a sit down dinner for such occasions. Sister restaurant to Temple Bar and Redline.

Adorable coffee shop in the heart of Cambridge, 5 minutes from Harvard Square. Excellent breakfasts and great sandwiches and salads all day. Best part of the cafe are the friendly wait-staff and relaxed environment. Great place to hang-out, bring a book and enjoy a great meal. Pies are also available for purchase.