As with any great dive bar, the words ‘sale’ and ‘renovation’ can spark fear in the hearts of locals and regulars, and though Cantab’s renovation certainly shines through in new paint and fresh flooring, it’s easy to see the heart of the dive bar that has made it a Central Square institution. Gone are the decades of smoke-soaked (at one time) walls and beer-soaked (always) floors, replaced in a way that takes away some of the dusty appeal of the space but leaves a freshened up live music joint to preserve the location’s tradition.
Inside, the investment in renovating the space is clear. Outside, the touches are a little more subtle, an ancient awning still standing over the front door inscribed with old school “Cantab Lounge” lettering. Some of the stone work has clearly been improved and a drop or two of paint might have been spared to some of the trim, but walking by, Cantab Lounge is no modern, run-of-the-mill bar. The character of 90-plus years of serving the Cambridge community can be seen and its preservation is a success in the hands of new ownership.
The footprint isn’t complicated, a long bar down one wall of the space, a dance floor and stage opposite. Vintage Budweiser stained glass-style lighting hangs over the refinished bar, another nod to the old in this new version of the Cantab. The walls have been refinished, a minimal amount of beer signage distributed throughout Cantab, a clean look rather than the classic cluttered dive bar menagerie of faded photographs.