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?

Some like it hot. Luckily for them, Green Street Grill is a Carribean-inspired mecca for all things “jerk,” “spicy,” and “hot.” The quiet location and rather faded sign belies the restaurant's inviting interior, decorated with modern artwork and framed with dark wood moldings. Tropical cocktails like the Dark and Stormy (Gosling's Rum and ginger beer, $7) set the mood for a creative selection of dishes, from green papaya and mango salad with grilled squid ($8) to tantalizing jerk spiced grilled chicken wings ($7). Entrees like grilled mahi mahi ($18) and coconut curried goat stew ($16), served with jasmine rice and fried plantains, range from moderately to extremely spicy. The rotating dessert options are limited but delicious, especially the banana bread pudding ($6) or warm flourless chocolate cake ($5). Wherever you are in this intimate setting, you'll be close enough to enjoy the live band on any given night; African drums on Su, jazz, rock, and blues on Tu, W, Th, respectively. Cover F-Sa for a wild Cuban roots and salsa gig. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

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.

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.

For such a popular Rock nightclub, who knew that the food could be amazing? One of the top places one must go to before leaving Boston. Opened as a Lebanese restaurant in 1970, the Middle East spans three storefronts filled with throngs of patch-covered jackets and wallet chains who come to enjoy a provocative symbiosis of sensuous Middle-eastern cuisine (falafel sandwiches $3.75), belly-dancing (W), and cutting-edge modern American rock and punk acts. Featuring live bands every night, the Middle East is a major landmark on any tour of Boston's alternative music scene, with no less than 3 separate stages. Local and regional bands, including Harvard's own, play in the small upstairs area, while larger names grace the more spacious downstairs. Music ranges from ska to hip-hop, but leans in favor of experimental acts testing the limits of what can be called music. Good selection of foreign and domestic beers (bottles $3.50). Cover $8-10 upstairs, $12-25 downstairs. Check the website for a full list of musical acts. The restaurant area features acoustic performances and folk music and never charges a cover. The two eating areas inside the club provide delicious and affordable middle eastern food. For fancier edibles, check out ZuZu which is a part of the Middle East complex but has its own distinct personality. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

In the basement of “Upstairs on the Square” sits another one of those ‘Harvard' bars, Grendel's, a mountain-town pub shoehorned into contemporary Cambridge. Most nights of the week Grendel's is filled with a lively mix of locals, grads, undergrads, and the occasional professor, who all huddle around cozy, dimly-lit tables for an atmosphere that's more low-key than anything its nearby competitors can provide. Compared to the nearly perpetual happy hours at Grendel's, other bars seem downright melancholy. The crowded red-bricked basement interior, faux-Tuscan tiled tables, and small plates make for a medieval dining hall meets college pub experience. The menu is a motley mix of cuisines, from cheeseburgers and pizza ($5.50) to falafel. Everything is half-price with min. beverage purchase of $3 daily 5-7:30pm and Su-Th 9-11:30pm. Express lunch specials M-F go for only $3.95. A wonderful way to round off the weekend, “The Sunday Seven” menu features 7 items at $1 each, again with $3 min. beverage purchase. Youngsters, beware: they frequently don't admit those under 21 after 5pm (especially F and Sa), so call ahead. Entrees $5-8. The beers on tap are an excellent variety of microbrews and imports (no “Bud” here, but at $4/pint Paulaner Hefeweizen has risen as a crowd favorite). The Grendel's Happy Hour offers half-price menu items with min. $3 drinks (daily 5-7:30pm and Su-Th 9-11:30pm). Cheap, tasty food and a warm-fuzzy-glo atmosphere make Grendel's a convenient budget locale for those who like to munch while they imbibe. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

Welcome to the secret society of the Cambridge elite. The Enormous Room is so exclusive, it doesn't even have a sign on the door. Look for the door next to Central Kitchen with an elephant on it and head up the stairs to a spacious expanse of avant-garde heaven. Depending on the DJ of the night, funk, house, soul, or blues plays in the background while grad students sit cross-legged around “enormous plates”—trays of appetizers including hummus and grape leaves, goat cheese-pine nut briouats, salmon skewers, and anything the chef feels like adding ($14, vegetarian $12). Drinks are more than reasonable, so feel free to sample the ever-popular Stoli Raspberry ($6). This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.