This place has the buzz. Situated in the South End, with the atmosphere of an artist's studio, you feel as if you're attending a great dinner party. Relax and take in the sounds of jazz and sip on a martini or a glass of wine. The food is fabulously yummy with fare from Moroccan to Italian, making any craving satisfied here. The best thing about this place, other than its funky vibe and hip atmosphere? It's open late. Get your food on until 2am, nightly. The Beehive will be hosting a Santa Christmas Brunch on Sat. Dec. 20th from 11:30am-3pm. There will be carol singers and photos with Santa. Families are welcome!

Dine on pizza and pasta in this tiny place (just 10 tables) on a side street across from the Franklin Cafe. "Big dish" entrees, like sirloin, are very good, but it's the pizza and wine list, which owner Christine Didiuk updates constantly, that keep people coming back.

Masa is a Southwestern restaurant with a flair (think Border Café casualness combined with more experimental, daring cuisine.) Not only a great restaurant, Masa is proud of their bustling happy hour crowd that enjoys $1 tapas as well as $5 pitchers of Sangria. Masa is known to have live entertainment from time to time and offers late brunch on the weekends. The chandeliers are an oddity in the room, and the copper bar is interesting, but it's all casual; dressing down is an acceptable custom here. Masa in Spanish means 'dough.' However, you shouldn't only be concerned about the variety that’s being kneaded in the kitchen. The dough to which I’m alluding is the amount of cash that leaves your wallet at the end of the evening. Be prepared to spend a lot (outside of happy hour) but consider the money well spent. The food is divine. Thursday night is Latin Night from 9pm to 1am with Salsa dance lessons from 10:30pm to 11:30pm. Tip: Make a reservation, even for brunch. Throughout the month of December Masa will be offering a $29 pre-fix menu. (at certain hours only) Come in Sunday through Wednesday 5PM to 10PM or 5PM to 6:30 PM on Thursday, Friday and Saturday Mommies at Masa for Christmas Masa will be hosting a Mommy and child holiday floral workshop on either Dec. 10th or 17th 11am-2pm.

The recently opened full-service dining area boasts a warm, cavernous appeal (including a working fireplace, a boulder-like wall that serves as a tactile homage to the elements and an upscale ambiance downstairs with windows peeking out to a rock garden that actually feels like you're dining in a cave) and a stylish, but cramped, space upstairs. The moderately-priced menu boasts a few comfort-food staples like their winning parmesan-garlic fries with chipotle aioli. The fries have a tasty, crunchy coating and score points with its creative cone-style presentation. The South End Buttery's menu has several stellar pasta dishes including its penne with pumpkin seed pesto and serves up some killer braised beef short ribs with parsnip puree that literally melt in your mouth. The vibe is cozy. Perfect for a first date or an intimate gathering of friends. As far as the upstairs cafe area, it's delicious, but small. Kind to children, but no high chairs for this South End local hangout. There is a cafe that serves everything from coffee to cupcakes, quiches to tuna melts.

House of Siam just opened up a second, smaller restaurant in the old Thai Village. The 35-seat South End haunt serves up saucy Thai faves like drunken chicken and pineapple fried rice.

Tired of Scorpion Bowls that taste like a mixture of Tang and hand soap? Then hit up Pho Republique, a hip if pricey restaurant and bar offering Western takes on traditional Asian delicacies and a drink menu featuring creative concoctions like coconut and mango martinis and their own take on the Kong's classic. Pho Republique boasts a sexy and intimate tropical atmosphere perfect for impressing a date or liquoring up your folks before you tell them that you're graduating with a degree in art history. Given the delicious if not-so-exotic entrees like the Pineapple Kung Pao Chicken ($18), Lamb Hot Pot ($17), and Sesame Crusted Tuna ($22), it might seem easy to pass on the appetizers, but don't—the Crispy Tuna Springrolls ($11) are to die for. It's well worth the journey to the South End for this tantalizing fusion of East and West, especially if you head back northward with a scorpion-inspired buzz. NOT SO Good Deal Alert: This deal apparently is no longer available, so don't expect cheap eats: Mon-Thu between 5:30-7:30 there are $2 dim sum deals at the bar. More details This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.