Nightlife in Boston

22 clubs, live music venues and late-night spots in Boston.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

EatSouth Boston
Barking Crab
Excellent seafood and American cuisine. Outdoor dining in a clam shack atmosphere, overlooks Boston Harbor and view of downtown. Kid friendly. Live music daily.
Sun-Thu 11:30AM-9PM, Fri Sat 11:30AM-10PMStarters $10-16, mains $22-market price
DrinkDowntown
Bell in Hand
Established in 1795, the bar (falsely) claims to be the oldest continuously operating tavern in the country. It also functions as far more of a club than a tavern. Downstairs is generally packed on weekends, upstairs is a multi-room club.
11AM-2AM daily
DoBack Bay-Beacon Hill
Berklee Performance Center
Owned by the prestigious Berklee College of Music, this performance space has something going on about 200 days out of the year. The college uses the 1200 seats at this location to present its most popular events, mainly featuring current students and faculty. Musical offerings such as the Singers Showcase, International Folk Festival, and the Beantown Jazz Festival all take place here.
Box office: Mon-Sat 10AM-6PMFree to $100 depending on the date and performer
DoSouth Boston
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center
Fantastically enormous indoor space holding showcases, expos, and other conventions all year long. Hosts everything from mega productions like PAX East, Boston Tattoo Convention, and Anime Boston. To smaller, quirkier events like Berklee Jazz Festival and the Harvard Model UN opening ceremonies.
EatAllston-Brighton
Breakfast Club
80s themed diner serving breakfast. Very popular, be prepared to wait in line during the weekend brunch rush.
Mon-Fri 6AM-2PM, Sat Sun 7AM-3PM
EatJamaica Plain-Mission Hill
Canary Square
Upscale pub food with an effort to source ingredients locally. Excellent cocktail list, but the food is overrated. Gets very crowded at peak times on weekends but the atmosphere is lively and pleasant.
Mon-Fri 4PM-1AM, Sat Sun 10:30AM-1AMApps $8-12, mains $14-18, cocktails $8
EatDorchester
Cesaria
Traditional Cape Verdean cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere with occasional live music.
Sun-Wed 11AM-10PM, Thu-Sat 11AM-11PMStarters $4-8, mains $10-16
EatSouth Boston
Coppersmith
Interesting spot in a gigantic converted warehouse with an industrial vibe. Two indoor food trucks serve everything from breakfast to late night munchies. Drinks furnished from a renovated vintage Airstream trailer on the roof deck. Occasionally closed for private events. Kid friendly.
Mon-Fri 7AM-1AM Sat Sun 8AM-1AMVaries by meal $5-20, drinks $6-12
DoJamaica Plain-Mission Hill
Footlight Club
Eliot Hall
America's oldest community theatre features a new program every other month or so.
$20 per ticket, memberships $65
DoAllston-Brighton
Great Scott
Great Scott is a fantastic choice to check out big name acts a few years before they blow up, or hometown heroes having a great year. They play host to a wide variety of genres; like indie, rock, hip hop, and dance. Voted "Best Rock Club", "Best Bar", and host of the "Best Dance Night".
Noon-2AM daily$10-20
DrinkDowntown
Hong Kong
Dance club next to Faneuil Hall selling "scorpion bowls" and meat sticks of questionable provenance.
Sun-Fri 4PM-2AM, Sat 2PM-2AM
EatDowntown
Legal Crossing
The swanky sibling in the Legal Seafoods empire. Instead of the slightly kitschy standard Legal, Legal Crossing has sleek modern decor and fancier dishes. There is a full bar with an extensive cocktail menu.
11AM-2AM dailyStarters: $6-18, mains $22-49
DoFenway-Kenmore
Lucky Strike Lanes
Jillian’s
Not into classical music, and the finer "intangibles" a bowstring might provide? No problem. Head here for an evening of bowling, billiards, and ping-pong. An attached dance club bills itself as "52 weeks of spring break", if you're up for that. The entertainment is spread out over several floors so you may find something to your liking. All areas serve alcohol and are 21+.
11AM-2AM dailySnacks $10
DoAllston-Brighton
Paradise Rock Club
Arguably the best established and longest running club in the area. This is a great intimate venue with space for less than a thousand. It's relatively compact and split into two levels, so you can usually get a good look at the performer without ever being too far from the bar!
Noon-2AM daily$20-50
EatDowntown
South Street Diner
Absolutely legendary. A fixture in Boston's late night scene since 1947. It's the quintessential American greasy spoon diner experience. The subject of a documentary in 2012, it's been a setting in a few other films. Celebrities have been known to make appearances here once in a blue moon, but you are more likely to find police and firemen taking a load off and enjoying whatever is coming off the grill.
24 hours dailyMost dishes $8-12, beer $5
EatBack Bay-Beacon Hill
The Parish Cafe
A casual place with a moderate side walk cafe. Their specialty is sandwiches designed by some of the best chefs in Boston. They've also got a great cocktail menu and beer selection. If it's nice out everyone will have the idea to grab an outdoor seat at the same time.
Mon-Sat 11:30AM-2AM, Sun noon-2AM$12-16
EatBack Bay-Beacon Hill
Top of the Hub
Prudential Center
Dine in luxury at the top of the second tallest building in the city. Light jazz, good food, and high prices accompany a view of the city and everything around. On a clear day, you can see Maine and Cape Cod.
11:30AM-1:00AM dailyPrix fixe $80, add $35 for paired wines. $50-70 à la carte
DrinkSouth End
Wally's Cafe
South End institution for Jazz and other live music. There used to be scores of these tiny jazz joints all over the area many years ago. Wally's has stayed in business because they're the best. Berkeley students and longtime residents play to a friendly and diverse crowd. If you have a bad time here, that's on you!
11AM-1:30AM daily
EatDowntown
Yvonne's
After the shuttering of Locke-Ober—one of Boston's oldest and poshest restaurants—Yvonne's opened in 2015 as a modern reinterpretation of the supper club. Some of the space was converted into luxury condos, but much of the old world charm here remains.
4PM-2AM dailyTapas $12-18, platters $50-100, cocktails $12-15
EatDorchester
dbar
A trendy and casual restaurant in Savin Hill, the menu by executive chef Christopher Coombs has a French twist that changes seasonally. Some entrees use ingredients grown on the rooftop garden. The bar has an extensive mixed drink menu and wine list. Dbar regularly hosts parties and late night events, including Showtunes Tuesdays. Cozy outdoor patio seating is located in back. Parking is available, however the lot can often be at capacity.
Mon We Thu 5PM–midnight, Tue Fri Sat 5PM–2AM, Sun 11AM–midnightMains $16-25, cocktails $11
DoNorth End
Improv Asylum
Comedy club.
DrinkDowntown
The Alley
Gay dance club.
Mon-Fri 2PM-2AM, Sat Sun noon-2AM

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Boston (CC BY-SA 4.0).