Tucked away on otherwise lonely River St., this seemingly innocuous bar is anything but ordinary. Nightly live music cascades off the classically themed decor (including a multitude of masks to stare at and thrones to sit in) as patrons sip from the multitude of excellent beers on tap ($3+). Cozy, playful, and a bit unusual, River Gods is not to be missed. Click on their websiteto view music and special events.
This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

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?

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.

A stop at this quintessentially Cambridge bar can make the territory between Harvard and Central seem a lot less like Siberia, even on a frigid winter night. The inside reveals an all-too-snug bar packed with the proletariat—and a sprinkling of area college students. An unassuming crowd is inviting to all; if you're having a bad hair day, it's too dark for anyone to notice, but be careful, since wayward darts might zip your way. (The dart boards are a carryover from long ago when the space was Drumlins, a towny darts bar.) People's is a great destination after the Cellar closes at 1am. All pint-sized drafts and bottles $4, Bud just $2.50. No cover. Cash only. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

Always crowded, always loud, and always great fun, The Plough attracts college sorts and working types alike for a good pint of British or Irish ale. A 20oz. “Imperial Pint” of Guinness is $4, a pint of Bud is $2.75. The Plough's satellite hookup allows it to show English football matches on its 2 TVs; don't be surprised to rub elbows with loud ex-pats from across the pond. Live music kicks off every night around 9pm and Sa 4-7pm, usually featuring local rock or bluegrass bands. Cover Th-Sa up to $6 once the music starts. For a complete listing of entertainment, check out their calendar.Believe it or not, it's a bistrot by day; lunch menu includes chowder ($3+) and ribs ($8). A great Central Square hangout. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

Located in the Porter Square neighborhood of Cambridge, the Spirit Bar is a friendly, local sports bar with a nice menu and fun staff. The Spirit bar is replete with 6 PLASMAS and the 10 Foot BIG SCREEN for any game you want to see. Regularly showing the Bruins, Celtics, Red Sox, and Patriots, the Spirit Bar is the sports bar to head to in Cambridge. The Spirit Bar prides itself on being a downtown sports bar without the downtown prices. The food is delicious and their full menu is served during the week until 10:30pm and Thursday thru Sunday a late night menu is available until midnight. From the traditional pub grub of wings, beer, and burgers, to more upscale Surf and Turf and pasta dishes, you will get a delicious and affordable meal at the Spirit bar. A Recent Review of the Spirit Bar from the Boston Globe: Back in my day, by which I mean a completely invented past, a sports bar was an indecent place where dentally challenged townies stacked rows of dead soldiers on the bar noon to night. But now, with the Manifest Destiny-like march of sports culture across the Boston dining landscape, things have changed considerably. We're not ordering $15 Randy Mossijtos in novelty mugs just yet, but it can't be far off, can it? Fortunately, those polar opposites of style leave room for a middle ground, and The Spirit Bar (2046 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, 617-868-1555 thespiritbars.com), fills the gap ably. Despite its unassuming take on Irish pub-style bric-a-brac, with tucked-away dining tables and high-top banquettes along the wall, the smallish space still manages to assault the senses with its seven flat-screen televisions dominating the interior. Good news if you're there for a game, not so much for peace and quiet. A recent Saturday afternoon found a group of boisterous UMass basketball fans barking along with their team. Fifteen beers on tap ranging from PBR ($2.75) to 20-oz. Guinness ($5), as well a decent specialty cocktails list, leave plenty of room for decision. The Bailey's Mint (Stoli Vanilla, Three Olives Chocolate, Baileys Mint, $8.50), was a deliciously frothy and creamy drink served in a chocolate syrup-laced glass, while the Razberri Latte (Stoli Raz, Kahlua French Vanilla, Godiva Liquer, $8.50), was a less inspired alcoholic milkshake of sorts. Next time I'll be sure to try the bar special: five bottles and a pound of buffalo wings ($19.95) (Note to self, wear loose pants). Aside from the expected finger food it's obvious Spirit takes pride in its menu - something you can't take for granted at pubs like this. Dishes like the crusty and fluffy arancinis stuffed with beef, carrots, and peas ($9.95) and a 10-oz., center-cut sirloin steak ($16.95) reflect well on the bar's ambition and affordability, proving that there's plenty of room for people interested in both decent drink and food and a gluttonous sports onslaught at once.

Dim lighting, dark wood paneling, chill crowd, and good music (live band). Patrick, one of the owners, is super friendly. It has a lot of the elements that make Irish and British style pubs so comfortable and welcoming, but it has a real American feel to it. The food is tasty, the beer list interesting (not as voluminous as Bukowski down the street, but its varied and interesting enough to warrant mention! Good selection of microbrews mixed in with some nice imported choices). 24 beers on tap. Atwood's can help you realize that it's OK to wear a toga on a Wednesday. Atwood's proves that you can never eat too much bacon. Check out their annual Bacon Eating Contest in the spring. The only negative is that their choice of locations is a bit out of the way but it is close to Inman Square. Its a bit of a hike from any actual T stop (although its on the #69 bus route). Go there to eat. Go there for a drink. Go there because you haven't got anything else to do that evening and you don't feel like sitting at home.

R.I.P B-SIDE, NOVEMBER 3, 2008 A Cambridge Institution noted for their hardboiled eggs offered as bar snacks to hungry patrons in need of some protein. Voted Best of Boston. Serving Lunch, Dinner and Brunch. Open for: Lunch Tues-Sat 11:30-4:00

         Dinner 7 Nights 5:30-12:00
         Brunch Sat 11:30-4:00
                Sun 11:00-4:00    

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.

From the outside, Miracle of Science looks just like a regular MIT dining space. But inside, a fun restaurant and bar pays cheeky homage to the “miracle of science,” appropriately close to that university up the street. Hardwood stools, jet-black countertops, and a periodic table-themed menu may make you feel like you're in lab, though Chem 15 never tasted this good. MoS is a great place for lunch if you're in the MIT area. At night, trendy 20-somethings congregate for a wide range of specialty beers and tasty bar food (burgers, quesadillas, and kebabs; $4.50-11). This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.