With a wide variety of teas, coffees, pastries, and espresso drinks, and a sunny, airy courtyard location, Peet's attracts everyone from students to yuppies to crunchy locals. Come with your own mug and get 10¢ off your beverage (coffee starts at $1.50, tea at $1.70, and espresso drinks $2.75+). Pastries ($1-3) are notably better than those at competing chains (a.k.a. Starbucks). Peet's is also the place to come if you want to get coffee or tea to brew yourself—they stock over 30 varieties of each and the knowledgeable salespeople will help you pick a type to fit your tastes. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

Bertucci's may not recreate a North End-like atmosphere, but its convenient location and creative, top-notch brick-oven pizzas are nothing to scoff at. To attempt authenticity, try a large neapolitan thin-crust pizza ($18, good for 2 or 3 people; fight over the olive) or sample one of the many savory, generous pasta or meat entrees. The daily express lunch (11am-3pm) is a good way to get just as much quality (as well as free salad) for much less of your time and money (all entrees $8). Finally, a word about the hot rolls that come with meals: everyone loves them. The wait can be long—especially on weekend nights—call ahead to put your name on the list. Additional locations in Boston and along the east coast. Entrees $8-18. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

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.

Now an international phenomenon, it's only appropriate that Starbucks has taken over Harvard Sq. Despite the cookie-cutter feel of the shops, Starbucks does make a great place to catch up on some reading or to bring your laptop to write that term paper for hours on end (while terminally caffeinated). Get your sexy metallic thermoses and colorful plastic mugs here, as well as appropriately over-priced teas, espresso drinks, and mediocre baked goods. In addition to their calorie-heavy but delicious trademark coffee and mocha frappuccinos ($2.75-4.50), they now have a variety of non-coffee blended drinks (like vanilla bean or tazo chai frappuccinos). This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

Wholesome and homey, with roaring fires and creaky floorboards, this restored gem of old Cambridge radiates with the glow of a cozy Alpine ski lodge. Dust the snow off your boots, shuffle inside and thumb through a menu of thoroughly good and varied fare, from lobster risotto to Spanish chicken ragout. For those who prefer light dining to feasting, the restaurant offers half-portions at significantly lower prices. The pork medallions a la saltimbocca ($20), stuffed with prosciutto and fontina cheese, is a succulent, flavorful treat well worth trying. Full-sized entrees range $20-$25, but there's no pricing the genuinely warm, attentive and welcoming service that greets you from the moment you enter. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

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.

UPDATE (10/08): Mr. Bartley's is back open for business after closing down in September. UPDATE: The owners of Mr. Bartley’s Burger Cottage are working to reopen the popular Harvard Square burger hangout as soon as possible after a fire on Saturday, Sept. 20 forced it to close for the first time in almost 50 years. Bartley's has been dishing up over 40 years of beef in an elbow-bumping atmosphere charged with political slander and pop-culture worship. As the name suggests, burgers ($5-9, $7.80-12 with fixins) are the featured specialty at this long-standing establishment, and can be made as traditionally (cheddar cheese burger, $5.99) or as inventively (the Yuppie Burger topped with a hefty portion of boursin; $8.50) as you desire. With tantalizing burgers and wraps named after celebrities like Meg Ryan, Bill Gates, and Harry Potter, meals spotlighting B-list actors are as hard to come by as B-grade meat. Non-patty options include the Roast Stuffed Turkey dinner ($9) and Shepherd's Pie ($7); vegetarian choices are limited to veggie burgers, wraps, and standard salads. If you're feeling up to the challenge, the rich and filling frappes ($4.25-4.75) are a delicious accompaniment to any of Bartley's gut-busting burger meals and a fun way to test the limits of your gastro-intestinal tract. Take-out available. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

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.

Introduced to Cambridge by 2 brothers from Galway, Ireland, Daedalus is the bar of choice among undergrads and grads, though the food options are usually more favored by an older crowd. Two floors (and 2 bars) provide innumerable nooks for conversation over one of the 12 beers on tap or any other tasty and expertly prepared drink. The simple yet vivid space with a greenhouse-esque second floor is great for a casual dinner. Menu options change frequently, and are often culinarily ambitious, but Daedalus does best when it keeps things simple, such as with the warm spinach salad ($9) or the sweet-cheese french toast ($8). The chocolate explosion ($7) is top-notch for dessert. Entrees $11-22. Daedalus has quickly soared to prominence in the Harvard Square bar scene. On summer afternoons, patrons can drink too close to the sun on the greenhouse-esque second floor. With 12 beers on tap, an atmosphere that fuses dark, moody maroons with an airy open storefront in good weather, and proximity to the river, Daedalus has become a Square staple. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.