Best late-night restaurant

News Café operates on the conceit of the old-fashioned 24/7 train-station café. Instead it's a newfangled, late-night, downtown bar -- although it does run an actual newsstand upfront. Its menu is a grab-bag of goodies ranging from sushi to succulent steak tips, but the ultimate treat is the breakfast fare available after 10: turns out pancakes taste best when they're paired with a mojito, and the right martini can really make an omelet.

The sheer exuberance that is the stock-in-trade of UpStairs on the Square (see Best New Restaurant) persists until the wee hours. The Monday Club Bar remains open until one, serving lively handmade pastas, funky desserts like butterscotch pudding and tipsy chocolate cake, and more from the dinner menu. But chef Susan Regis also whips up a few special dishes, like lamb burgers with chickpea fries and date catsup, just for the folk who come in to soak up the bar's wildly colorful atmosphere from 11 onwards: it's almost as though she's catering your own private party.

News Café, 150 Kneeland Street, Boston, (617) 426-6397. UpStairs on the Square, 91 Winthrop Street, Cambridge, (617) 864-1933.