Best New Bars of 2008

83 Main St, Charlestown, MA 02129 (map)

Charlestown's newcomer slips delicately beneath Moroccan restaurant Tangierino, two separate destinations under the same ownership. The exotic lounge specializes in cosmopolitan luxuries, including VIP cigar storage, a Champagne bar and draped "Sultan's Tents" for semi-private carousing. A high-tech air filtration system ensures smoke from cigars and hookahs gets cleared efficiently.

853 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02139 (map)

The newly installed bar is key to this relocation of Craigie Street Bistrot, now coined Craigie on Main. Charming bar manager Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli (formerly of Eastern Standard) runs the show with original, deft, high-level cocktails--the Camino combines Rittenhouse, Mirto and housemade Craigie Ambre Vermouth--and an exclusively French wine list.

10 Bosworth St, Boston, MA 02108 (map)

From within its storied Prohibition-era walls, the revamped Marliave puts a cheeky spin on vintage cocktails and Boston's illustrious history, including the Yellow Journalism and the Molasses Flood of 1919. Accompanying drinks are bivalves from the garden-level raw bar and hearty gastropub eats like Welsh Rarebit and grilled sandwiches.

70 Union Sq, Somerville, MA 02143 (map)

Taking over the former digs of Toast Lounge, Precinct (helmed by the owners of next-door Independent) bestows a warm, underground, inclusive neighborhood spot with dependable drink and nightly lineups of live performances from primarily local musicians. A sprawling patio during sunnier months supplies much social action to Union Square's plaza.

10 Eliot St, Cambridge, MA 02138 (map)

Already busting at the seams--both downstairs and upstairs, plus its tiny sidewalk patio for munching proletariat-priced double cheeseburgers and twin lobster rolls--Charlie's Kitchen expands with a handsome beer garden, rendering a European-style oasis during warm seasons. Plenty of beer on tap and broad shade umbrellas seal the deal.