10 local nightlife spots that feel like an escape from Boston

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It’s the first weekend of spring, and after an intense winter in Boston, I’m ready to come out of hibernation. Unfortunately, despite the occasional bright spot, early spring in New England can still be pretty dreary, which led me on a search for places that feel, well, not like Boston.

To find out just where to go, I asked six local tastemakers one simple question: What's a nightlife spot in the city that makes you feel like you've been transported somewhere else?

They came back with suggestions ranging from speakeasies to retro bars to museums. Here’s the list of their recommendations for places in Boston that feel like a quick getaway from the reality of the (chilly) city:

Public Alley 443, Boston

Boston-based influencer Ayanna Moise suggests the lairlike Back Bay bar Hecate — if you can find it. “ You have to take a back alley to get there, and once you step inside, and then also go down a flight of stairs and through a curtain until you enter the room … it's just like you walked into a new magical dimension,” said Moise.  Named for the Greek goddess of witchcraft, Hecate’s menu featured magic-inspired cocktails. And it’s so dimly lit that “you can barely see across” the 24-seat room. “It's bright enough, you can see who you're with, but it's dark enough that even though the room is small, it feels like it's just you and your group,” Moise said. “It's so intimate. I love it.”

2 Northern Ave., Boston

Marwa Osman, a Boston food and travel influencer who runs the @thecitylists on Instagram, recommended Marcelino’s in the Seaport. “The decor is dark and moody and it feels almost like New York, but they're always playing like international and Arabic music, and that makes me feel like I'm definitely not in Boston,” Osman said. If you go, she suggests getting the Middle Eastern-inspired jallab cocktail, which is made with dates. Once the weather warms up, you’ll also be able to take your drinks out to the bar’s patio, which has a view of the harbor.  “They have a signature scent too,” she added. “So it's not only a visual transportation, it's also a sensory transportation.”

288 Green St., Cambridge

Kevin Sandoval, a Boston-based influencer who posts his latest ventures @kevykevvworldwide, goes to Havana Club, an energetic ballroom in Central Square, for its “Caribbean feel” and salsa dancing.  “They've got all different types of nights where it's like a salsa night, a bachata night, they even offer lessons if you want,” he said.  “Definitely a full-on like Latin dance hall vibe that I highly recommend.”

50 Dalton St, Boston

Alyssa Malmquist, one-half of the team behind the Instagram page @hootsandcahoots, recommended The 88 Club, a piano bar that opened last year in Back Bay. “It's very hidden,” she said. “Once you get through the doors, it's this very old school vibe. They have this [menu item] called Tinis and Weenies. It's absolutely hilarious. It's like a little tower … that comes out with little martinis and little hot dogs. They have fun drinks. It's almost like you've traveled to another time.”

141 Pearl St., Boston

Dylan Bloomfield, who documents his cheap eats on his TikTok account @big_dawg_dylan, is originally from Worcester. When he’s looking to escape Boston’s big-city vibe, he heads over to Biddy Early’s, a divey Irish pub. “It is right in the middle of all that slickness,” said Bloomfield. “It's in the Financial District, but it takes you completely out of the Financial District.  There's a bunch of skateboards on the walls, but it's also very much an Irish pub.”

32 Quincy Street, Cambridge

“ What's most interesting to me right now is this emergence of an intellectual nightlife here in Boston, things like late-night museum parties, silent reading nights, lectures at bars,” said Celina Colby, a Boston-based freelance writer and food critic. “That's something that feels very Boston to me because we're such a smart city, but it also reminds me of Parisian salon culture in some ways,” Colby said. She said events like the monthly Harvard Art Museums at Night parties — the next installment of which is this coming Thursday, March 26 — with drinks, DJs and open galleries offer opportunities to socialize and meet new people, while learning and engaging with culture.

50 Cambridgepark Dr., Cambridge

Osman also suggested Cocomango, a recently opened speakeasy off the beaten path by the MBTA’s Alewife station. The offerings include Caribbean cocktails, Latin American-Asian fusion food and nightly live music or DJs. Osman says the vibe often leads to dancing, too. “There's not a lot of places in Boston where people can like, get up and dance to music like not in a club environment,” she said. “So it's nice and it's refreshing to see.”

100 Cambridgeside Pl, Cambridge

Looking for live music and Latin vibes in a more chill atmosphere? Sandoval suggests the newly opened Gato Exotico. Yes, it’s in the renovated CambridgeSide mall. But Sandoval says the unique drinks and festive atmosphere will make the restaurant feel like Mexico.  “You'll see a lot of sugar skull chandeliers and tropical plants,” he said.

867 Boylston St, Boston

For another nostalgic experience, Malmquist suggests Retro Room, a newly opened ‘70s-themed vinyl bar in Back Bay. Inside, you’ll find couches, old-school televisions, a photo booth, tables for dining and a menu that includes TV dinners served up in a tray. “ There's disco balls everywhere,” Malmquist said. “You can get a drink in a disco ball.”

5 Utica St., Boston 

Moise also recommends Offsuit, a hidden speakeasy in the Leather District. Located in an alley at 5 Utica St (the door is fairly inconspicuous), you’ll have to call a number stuck to the door once you arrive to be led in. “And it's basically like you walk into a ‘20s speakeasy, like it’s super secretive, with vintage decor and the drinks are really great as well,” said Moise. If you’re grabbing a cocktail, she suggests the Permission to be Candid, crafted with toasted rice, yogurt and mango and rooibos tea.