Must-see nightlife in New England

  • Tree House Brewing Company

    Massachusetts

    Beer enthusiasts consider Tree House to be among the top breweries in the country, and since its beers are not sold elsewhere, expect to wait in line…

  • Beachcomber

    Cape Cod

    If you're ready for some serious partying, 'Da Coma' is the place to rock the night away. It's a bar. It's a restaurant. It's a dance club. It's the…

  • Radio Bean

    Burlington

    This is Burlington's social hub for arts and music. Espressos, beer and wine keep things jumping at the all-day cafe, while nightly live performances …

  • Lawson's Finest Liquids

    Vermont

    For years, Mad River locals would line up for special releases of Sean and Karen Lawson's homebrew, dispensed from a converted maple-sugar shack at their…

  • Sagamore Hill

    Portland

    Early-20th-century elegance meets a 21st-century cocktail menu, plus lots of Teddy Roosevelt memorabilia and a ton of taxidermy at this excellent bar. The…

  • Citizen Cider

    Burlington

    Tucked into an industrial-chic building with painted concrete floors and long wooden tables, this homegrown success story uses tankfuls of apples trucked…

  • Foam Brewers

    Burlington

    Housed in an attractive brick building with exposed post-and-beam woodwork and a dreamy terrace looking out toward Lake Champlain, Foam was founded by a…

  • Rising Tide Brewing Company

    Portland

    In a pocket of town growing in stature (and with a neighboring distillery), Rising Tide is well worth investigating. Locals congregate in the car park,…

  • Drink

    Boston

    There is no cocktail menu at Drink. Instead you have a chat with the bartender, and he or she will whip something up according to your mood and taste. It…

  • Mercy Tavern

    Massachusetts

    A dark and cozy pub with exposed brick walls, this is the perfect place to sip a pint and listen to the blues. This happens every Friday (4pm to 7pm),…

  • Ogie's Trailer Park

    Providence

    This place is just so awesome and unexpected that we almost want to keep it to ourselves. Let's just say that in terms of thematics and design, if you…

  • The Avery

    Providence

    Tucked into a quiet residential neighborhood in West Providence, the Avery is easy to miss. But inside there's a jaw-droppingly gorgeous varnished-wood…

  • Gulu-Gulu Café

    Massachusetts

    Gulu-gulu means 'gulp, gulp' in French, and this place is named after a now-defunct cafe in Prague. That's an indication of how eclectic it is, featuring …

  • Ordinary

    New Haven

    Ordinary is anything but. It's tall, dark and handsome, ineffably stylish and a treat for the senses. Its patrons often also fall into at least one of…

  • The Eddy

    Providence

    Providence's classiest cocktail concoctions are served at the Eddy alongside a healthy selection of on-tap and bottled beers and an impressive wine list…

  • Cisco Brewers

    Nantucket

    Enjoy a hoppy pint of Whale’s Tale pale ale at the friendliest brewery you’ll likely ever see. Cisco Brewers is the ‘other’ Nantucket, a laid-back place…

  • Cape Cod Beer

    Cape Cod

    Not just a place for beer connoisseurs (although they'll be pretty happy), this brewery is a fun spot to while away some time. Free brewery tours happen…

  • Frontier Cafe

    Midcoast Maine

    On the 2nd floor of the colossal Fort Andross mill complex overlooking the Androscoggin, this raw, loft-like space is part cafe, part bar, part theater…

  • Ruski's

    Portland

    Portland's drinking scene is suffused with microbreweries and craft cocktail spots, and these are all very nice, but this old port also deserves a down…

  • Offshore Ale Co

    Martha's Vineyard

    Join the throngs of locals and visitors at this popular microbrewery – enjoy a pint of Hop Goddess ale, some superior pub grub (including a knockout…

  • Maps Bar

    Portland

    As the name says, there's a bunch of maps decorating the walls at this charming basement bar – it's as if you've entered a watering hole for hipster-ish…

  • 116 Crown

    New Haven

    Upscale contemporary design, DJ sets, expertly mixed cocktails and an international wine list draw the style crowd to this Ninth Sq bar. Small plates and…

  • Switchback Brewing Co Tap Room

    Burlington

    One of Vermont's finest microbreweries, Switchback is best known for its trademark reddish-amber ale and the lighter-bodied Connector IPA. You'll see both…

  • Thinking Cup

    Boston

    There are a few things that make the Thinking Cup special. One is the French hot chocolate – ooh la la. Another is the Stumptown Coffee, the Portland brew…

  • Democracy Brewing

    Boston

    The beer is fresh, the fries are crispy perfection and the politics are 'woke.' Not only do they brew exceptional beer at Democracy Brewing, they also…

  • Trillium Garden

    Boston

    To say that this seasonal beer garden is a welcome addition to the Rose Kennedy Greenway is an understatement. When the weather is fine, Bostonians are…

  • Lookout Rooftop Bar

    Boston

    This trendy bar starts filling up almost as soon as it opens, as hotel guests and local workers ascend to the rooftop to take in potent drinks and…

  • Trillium Fort Point

    Boston

    Trillium has been brewing beer in the Fort Point area for years. But it was only in 2018 that they opened this fantastic new taproom, complete with bar,…

  • Gallows

    South End & Chinatown

    At this South End favorite, the dark woody interior is inviting and the bartenders are truly talented. The gastropub grub includes such enticing fare as…

  • Brothers Brew Coffee Shop

    Massachusetts

    Two words: coffee and doughnuts. There are other (perhaps healthier) options for breakfast, but go for the doughnuts. You won't regret it. If the doughnut…

  • Salon

    Providence

    The Salon mixes ping-pong tables and pinball machines with 1980s pop and pickleback shots (whiskey with a pickle juice chaser) upstairs, with live shows,…

  • NazBar & Grill

    New Hampshire

    This colorful lakeside bar is recommended because it's a scene. This is Weirs Beach, after all. Watch boats pull up to the dock as you sip your cocktail…

  • Harlow's Pub

    New Hampshire

    This local pub has a good selection of draft beers, including New England brews. It also serves pub fare until 9pm, but the real reason to come here is…

  • Crow's Nest

    Massachusetts

    The down-and-dirty fisherfolk bar made famous in The Perfect Storm. But this is the real deal, not the set the movie folks threw up for a few weeks during…

  • BAR

    New Haven

    This restaurant-club-pub encompasses the Bru Room (New Haven's first brewpub), the Front Room, the video-oriented BARtropolis Room and other enclaves…

  • Russian Lady

    Connecticut

    Nobody actually knows who the Russian Lady, is but the youngsters who like to drink, dance and party the night away all swear she's their new best friend…

  • Mayflower Brewing Company

    South Shore

    History has it that the Pilgrims drank more beer than water (because the water contained unsafe bacteria, but whatever). So it stands to reason that…

  • Alibi

    Boston

    Housed in the former Charles St Jail, this hot-to-trot drinking venue is in the old ‘drunk tank’ (holding cell for the intoxicated). The prison theme is…

  • City Steam Brewery Café

    Connecticut

    This big, boisterous place has housemade beers on tap (pints $6 to $8). The Naughty Nurse Pale Ale is a bestseller, and the seasonals are also worth a try…

  • Rí Rá the Irish Pub

    Burlington

    Part of an Irish-American chain that imports architectural elements from authentic historic Irish pubs, this one was restored in Ireland, dismantled and…