Gay Clubs in Boston

The lively gay clubs in Boston are where both gay and straight college students, young professionals, and groups of friends head to let loose on dance floors with bright lights flashing.

Club Café in the Back Bay has been the go-to bar in the gay community for nearly thirty years. Upscale restaurant, dance club, and live music venue all rolled into one, the bar is crowded most nights of the week with flirty singles and trendy young professionals sipping martinis and getting their groove on amid the large video screens on the dance floor. A variety of theme nights including drag bingo, trivia, karaoke, and retro video night offer something for every taste.

For a grittier experience, head to Paradise Bar in Kendall Square. A bumping dance floor, stiff drinks served in plastic cups, X-rated movies playing on TVs throughout the room, and male go-go dancers make for a wild, throw-caution-to-the-wind night.

On the outskirts of the city, restaurant/club combo dbar lends a touch of class to rough-around-the-edges Dorchester. Video screens drop from the ceiling each evening at 9 and show music videos, inciting a light-hearted singalong among the jovial clientele. On Fridays and Saturdays, the dinner tables are cleared away to create an impromptu dance floor; however, the busiest night is Tuesday for show tune night, when a DJ spins Broadway hits and Glee smashes while the giddy crowd tries to hit the high notes.

Gay or straight, if you need some mid-week dance therapy, head to any one of Boston’s gay clubs, where something’s always happening.