Scollay Square, Boston

At the peak of Beacon Hill, across the street from the Boston Athenaeum, and three doors down from the capitol building, Scollay Square buzzes with political gossip generated by a swarm of WASPs. The bar wraps from the front door all the way to the rear, where shelves of wine climb the wall. The ceilings and windows are suitably enormous. There’s a kitsch factor as well: black-and-white pre-war era photographs of the square line the ceiling’s perimeter. Stay in the restaurant area and you’ll see pictures of old politicians; hobnob your way to the back, though, and you’ll find four photos of 1940s blonde beauties that are viewable only by looking up into the reflection of the bar’s mirror.