Boston's best: Gay bars

Club Cafe
A touchstone, a punchline, a cultural institution, Club Cafe has been ground zero for Boston Gay socializing since 1983. A glossy but friendly combination of restaurant, bar, lounge and dance club, Club Cafe provides full-service fabulousness for all occasions—from after work cocktails to post-Pride shenanigans. Offering everything from cabaret acts in the evening to pop-heavy dance parties on weekends to Sunday morning mass, Club Cafe remains a reliable social standby for a wide cross section of the city’s LGBT community. 209 Columbus Ave, Back Bay, Boston (617-536-0966, clubcafe.com)

DBar
If your idea of Dorchester is more Dennis Lehane than Stephen Sondheim, you may find an evening at Dbar to be a revelation. The owners of the Dot Ave hotspot have taken that most Bostonian of institutions—an old Irish pub—and re-imagined it as a classy bistro and lounge that services the neighborhood’s burgeoning LGBT community. DBar offers upscale comfort food, a thorough selection of cocktails, and a line-up of fun events including Show Tune Tuesdays and You Be The DJ Thursdays. Semi-regular Sunday afternoon tea dances are wildly popular, though the warm and attractive atmosphere provide a welcome respite any day of the week. 1236 Dorchester Ave, Dorchester (617-265-4490, dbarboston.com)

The Eagle
The decor is straight out of Cher's attic. Televisions screen Technicolor missteps from the golden age of Hollywood, and a life-sized cutout of Michelle Obama grins coyly at patrons from behind the bar. Yet underneath these campy trappings, the Eagle retains the lawless spirit of a Wild West saloon. This is largely due to the distinctive brand of hospitality practiced by Jack, the notorious barman who dispenses bracingly fierce commentary along with inexpensive drinks. A favorite last call destination and the site of many a storied evening, The Eagle is the stuff of legend. 520 Tremont St, South End, Boston (617-542-4494)
 
Fritz
In much of the world, gay bars and sports bars are mutually exclusive territories, separated by the widely (and wrongly) held view that same-sex attraction precludes an interest in watching athletes tackle, grapple and spar. Located in the ground floor of the Chandler Inn, Fritz has made a great success of bucking convention by serving up televised sports to South End bar hoppers of all stripes. It's difficult at first to tell who's there for a game of pick-up and who just likes to watch, but whatever your motivation, Fritz remains a solid environment for team bonding. 26 Chandler St, South End, Boston (617-482-4428, fritzboston.com)

Paradise
Located just off of Mass Ave in the no-mans-land between Central Square and MIT, Paradise provides adventurous gays from Cambridge and beyond the kind of raunchy good times you simply cannot find in the city’s classier joints. With sociable go-go boys and televised porn, the first floor bar offers a myriad of titillating visuals (not to mention reasonably priced and unreasonably strong mixed drinks). Meanwhile, the newly-expanded dance floor in the basement provides minimal lighting for maximum scandal. 180 Massachusetts Ave, Central Square, Cambridge (617-868-3000, paradisecambridge.com)

Sister Sorrel
This tiny gem on Tremont Street is the Swiss Army Knife of gay bars—compact, well-designed and capable of helping you out with any romantic fix: Looking to meet someone new? Sidle up to the beautiful marble-topped bar; the cozy confines and friendly clientele make conversation between strangers a near certainty. Ready to take your new acquaintance on a relaxed first date? The booths in the back provide just enough distance from the bar to get better acquainted over a few well-prepared cocktails. And when the love affair is over, finish things off like grown-ups over a bottle of wine at one of the more intimate tables up front. From there, it’s just a few steps back to the bar, where you can start the whole cycle anew. 645 Tremont St, South End, Boston (617-266-4600, tremont647.com)

Jacques Cabaret
The peaceful little Back Bay neighborhood of Bay Village may be known for its charming, lamp-lit streets and modest brick townhouses, but it's also home to the wildest drag shows in town. Seven days a week at Jacques Cabaret, you can see the most glamorous showgirls from New England and beyond. Watch as they cajole, charm and, if necessary, blackmail dollars from the audience with virtuosic displays of glamour, talent and double-sided tape. You'll find the crowd equally compelling: On a recent night attendees included a group of Harvard grad students, off-duty strippers, rowdy suburban bachelorettes, and a drunk couple from Lowell who passed out at the bar. It's an insider's legend and a helluva good time. Just remember to get there early, because this neighborhood bar closes promptly at midnight. 79 Broadway, Bay Village, Boston (617-426-8902, jacques-cabaret.com)

Ramrod at Machine 
This reliable Fenway entertainment complex is divided into two distinct areas, each catering to a specific clientele. Upstairs is Ramrod, an old-school leather bar with a backroom that enforces a strict, leather-based dress code on weekends. If your style is less severe, then head downstairs to Machine, where pool tables and a large dance floor await. On weekends, a flashy crowd of young club-goers flood both levels to dance, flirt and throw attitude to a soundtrack of Top 40 remixes. Host to many community events and a semi-regular theatrical extravaganza from drag legends the Gold Dust Orphans, this establishment has long been an integral component of the local queer culture and community. 1254 Boylston Street, Fenway, Boston (617-266-2986, ramrod-boston.com)