Great space with an interesting variety of bands. Mikey always puts on an excellent show!
Jan F.
Awesome music. Honestly nothing much to show for other than that, but they've got some really awesome music. Also, cash only.
Louisa M.
My favorite dive bar. It doesn't get any better than The Cantab. The weekends upstairs always have good entertainment. Very mixed crowd. Young/college, middle age and seniors. All ethnicities and a very friendly mix. No food, cash only, and prepare to dance. Mostly R&B on Friday and Saturday. I believe there is something going on every night but not sure about Mondays. A rockegood place to be.
Sehej A.
cheap drinks make it a great place and they have live music (if you are into that), but as any place in cambridge it gets crowded easily, you pay a $5 cover, and the bathrooms smell like literal
Eric M.
Easily the nicest bar in the greater Boston area. Perfect for a sit-down, fine dining experience. Bring your date, bring your kids, bring your wife. 10/10 would highly recommend.
Frank C.
Cash only? No bud or bud light on tap? Bathroom has not been cleaned since 2003 and when my friend asked for a mai tai the bartender gave him a dirty look and just said no?? thankfully they have great live music! that's the only thing good about this place.
MG L.
The cantab has not changed in many years. I think it will stay the same too- perpetual pee smell by the bathroom, cheap drinks at the bar and a never ending supply of local talent. I would not be surprised if the floor opened up into a Rancor pit tho.
Damien S.
Ah, the Cantab. A forever-standing dive in Central with a legacy as long as its Chicken Slacks performance roster. I've had many a memory - most still intact - of dancing my face off in a shoulder-to-shoulder room while someone is puking in the bathroom, and someone else is getting yelled at for leaving their $3 Gansett on the ice machine. Didn't you read the sign? The eclectic crowd makes for decent people watching and side convos with friends about how the hell the people in the group next to you know each other. Trust me, they're saying the same about your crew. My only beef is the carpet (drink pricing) doesn't match the divey drapes (permanent urine smell in the loo, grizzled bartenders, dusty bags of chips). But when the Slacks kick off their set, all is lost in a sweaty dancing tornado of Cantabrigians young and old. There's no place like home, Dorothy.
Jeainny K.
My date took me here after dancing at the Havana Club, and we had a blast. The live band was incredible! Would definitely return here.
Lionel B.
Excellent catering for the Superbowl. Good beer. Good people. Shout out to the chicken slacks.
Cantab is an incredible and critical Cambridge institution. The atmosphere is perfectly divey, the beer list is sizable, the live music is solid, and everyone eventually gets up to dance. There isn't any food, but when you're good and hangry you can head next door to get a slice or fries or both at ABC Pizza.
Mary C. Curtin
Most excellent curator of bands big and small.
Phil U.
Best place I found in Boston finally nice people that are friendly and enthusiastic. Not stuck up or just bad manners in a customer service business. It's a dive but that's what makes it great. Other people complain it's cash only and they didn't know and staff was rude. There are huge signs saying it all over the bar you can't miss them.
Louisa M.
My favorite dive bar. It doesn't get any better than The Cantab. The weekends upstairs always have good entertainment. Very mixed crowd. Young/college, middle age and seniors. All ethnicities and a very friendly mix. No food, cash only, and prepare to dance. Mostly R&B on Friday and Saturday. I believe there is something going on every night but not sure about Mondays. A rocking good place to be.
Great space with an interesting variety of bands. Mikey always puts on an excellent show!
Awesome music. Honestly nothing much to show for other than that, but they've got some really awesome music. Also, cash only.
My favorite dive bar. It doesn't get any better than The Cantab. The weekends upstairs always have good entertainment. Very mixed crowd. Young/college, middle age and seniors. All ethnicities and a very friendly mix. No food, cash only, and prepare to dance. Mostly R&B on Friday and Saturday. I believe there is something going on every night but not sure about Mondays. A rockegood place to be.
cheap drinks make it a great place and they have live music (if you are into that), but as any place in cambridge it gets crowded easily, you pay a $5 cover, and the bathrooms smell like literal
Easily the nicest bar in the greater Boston area. Perfect for a sit-down, fine dining experience. Bring your date, bring your kids, bring your wife. 10/10 would highly recommend.
Cash only? No bud or bud light on tap? Bathroom has not been cleaned since 2003 and when my friend asked for a mai tai the bartender gave him a dirty look and just said no?? thankfully they have great live music! that's the only thing good about this place.
The cantab has not changed in many years. I think it will stay the same too- perpetual pee smell by the bathroom, cheap drinks at the bar and a never ending supply of local talent. I would not be surprised if the floor opened up into a Rancor pit tho.
Ah, the Cantab. A forever-standing dive in Central with a legacy as long as its Chicken Slacks performance roster. I've had many a memory - most still intact - of dancing my face off in a shoulder-to-shoulder room while someone is puking in the bathroom, and someone else is getting yelled at for leaving their $3 Gansett on the ice machine. Didn't you read the sign? The eclectic crowd makes for decent people watching and side convos with friends about how the hell the people in the group next to you know each other. Trust me, they're saying the same about your crew. My only beef is the carpet (drink pricing) doesn't match the divey drapes (permanent urine smell in the loo, grizzled bartenders, dusty bags of chips). But when the Slacks kick off their set, all is lost in a sweaty dancing tornado of Cantabrigians young and old. There's no place like home, Dorothy.
My date took me here after dancing at the Havana Club, and we had a blast. The live band was incredible! Would definitely return here.
Excellent catering for the Superbowl. Good beer. Good people. Shout out to the chicken slacks.
Restaurantji Recommends
Cantab is an incredible and critical Cambridge institution. The atmosphere is perfectly divey, the beer list is sizable, the live music is solid, and everyone eventually gets up to dance. There isn't any food, but when you're good and hangry you can head next door to get a slice or fries or both at ABC Pizza.
Most excellent curator of bands big and small.
Best place I found in Boston finally nice people that are friendly and enthusiastic. Not stuck up or just bad manners in a customer service business. It's a dive but that's what makes it great. Other people complain it's cash only and they didn't know and staff was rude. There are huge signs saying it all over the bar you can't miss them.
My favorite dive bar. It doesn't get any better than The Cantab. The weekends upstairs always have good entertainment. Very mixed crowd. Young/college, middle age and seniors. All ethnicities and a very friendly mix. No food, cash only, and prepare to dance. Mostly R&B on Friday and Saturday. I believe there is something going on every night but not sure about Mondays. A rocking good place to be.
Will be sad to see this place go