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Live jazz (Thu–Sat) and a popular Sunday brunch infallibly bring out the beautiful boys at this multifunction South End meeting spot. Choose from the casually elegant restaurant, which puts inspired twists on classic continental fare, the mirrored bar area – perfect for scoping the room – and the sleek cocktail lounge out the back.

Having offered its stage to rockabilly, punk, swing, reggae, and hip-hop acts since 1987, the Midway Café is partially responsible for the youth-driven renaissance in Jamaica Plain (see Samuel Adams Brewery) in recent years. Most nights bring an eclectic, edgy mix of music lovers, both gay and straight. The club’s Thursday Dyke Night is the most popular lesbian club night in town.

As if commanding the best lights, best sound, and best DJs in New England was not enough, Avalon compels the finest gay men in the city to strut through its door every Sunday for five hours of serious booty shaking. Boston’s longest running gay club night brings the world’s leading circuit DJs along with special guests like drag queen extraordinaire, Lady Bunny.

This Saturday party at Club Europa is quickly becoming the hottest gay club night in town for the post-grad twentysomething crowd. Dressing down is the order at Buzz, where hard-bodied studs crowd the bi-level dancefloors for high-energy dance. Should you wish to take a break, there are comfortable multiple lounge areas all over the club, a billiard room, and bars on each side of every room.

One of the oldest names on the Boston gay club scene, Jacque’s has been welcoming queer rock bands, drag queens, and their adoring fans long before being “out” was “in.” Garage rock and beer fuel the downstairs scene, while up above, cabaret acts, rockers, and transvestites perform. Queens generally command the stage Tuesday through Friday and bands play mostly on weekends.

Downstairs from its older brother Ramrod, Machine keeps things loose and relaxed. A billiard room, video games, and a comfy lounge area ensure plenty of diversions for gay men other than the pulsing, sunken dancefloor, and four bars. Male strippers often appear on Saturdays, supplying plenty of eye candy to supplement the beautiful crowd.

Thursday through Saturday, club goers must wear black leather (no brown leather or suede, please), full Western wear (think John Travolta in Urban Cowboy ) – or go shirtless. That’s right, guys: no gear, no beer. Fortunately, the prohibitive dress code is well worth it, with weekend fetish shows and throbbing techno music. Country and western two-stepping on Tuesdays brings the cowboys out in droves.

ManRay’s face changes dramatically according to the day of the week. The minimal, quasi-industrial layout works perfectly for Wednesday night’s “Crypt,” when DJs spin Goth and Industrial. Thursday brings the club’s most popular party, Campus, which caters to the city’s queer student body with ’80s New Wave and Britpop. And Fetish Fridays beckons an outrageous crowd.

Vapor’s Saturday party, Evolution, is a New York City caliber gay-dance night – complete with top circuit DJs, a deafening sound system, and pulsing lights – but without the drama or attitude. Much of the Evolution crowd returns for the Sunday T Dance where the beat goes on through the morning.

A doorway-mounted wooden eagle has welcomed gay men to this subterranean South End bar for years. Having no qualms about simply being a gay bar, the Eagle is not a place to dance. The dimly lit bar area is roomy and comfortable; in the back, a mirrored wall captures pool sharks and pinball wizards at work.