Cambridge Restaurants

MICHELIN Guide recognized Mediterranean restaurant with seasonal focus. Chef owners Chris and Pam Willis craft enticing dishes in a charming space outfitted with salvaged finds. Three-course 'Choose Your Own Adventure' prix-fixe dinner.

The New York Times called it 'the best ice cream in the world.' People Magazine named their vanilla the best in America. I've known the Rancatore family my entire life - I worked for Mimi (Gus's sister) in high school, scooping ice cream and learning what it means to be obsessive about quality. Gus was my daughter's first babysitter. This isn't just a recommendation; Toscanini's is family. They still make everything from scratch, still source the best ingredients, still refuse to cut corners. The Burnt Caramel is legendary. The B3 (brown butter, brown sugar, brownie) is my order. Cambridge institution since 1981.

Modern Vietnamese cafe with excellent coffee and creative banh mi. The duckfit banh mi is worth the hype. Their Vietnamese iced coffee is dangerously addictive. Expect a weekend brunch line but it moves fast. The vibe is immaculate.

Uyghur restaurant on Brookline Street near Central Square — Cambridge expansion of the acclaimed Providence original. Hand-pulled laghman noodles, cumin-spiced lamb, big plate chicken, and a serious repertoire of Xinjiang flatbreads.

Plant-based bowls, wraps, and elixirs; the Goddess bowl and the Dynamo with fire sauce are the two orders regulars default to. A Central Square fixture since 2010, and one of the early movers in what became the grain-bowl category.

Shanghai-style restaurant at the corner of Mass Ave and Inman Street. Hand-pulled noodles, pork-and-crab xiaolongbao, and Sichuan-style fried chicken. Cheery, hip dining room with chalkboard walls and modern bamboo light fixtures.

All-vegetarian diner with vegan options. Comfort food classics reimagined plant-based. Retro diner atmosphere with modern values. Full bar.

Global small plates from chef Ken Oringer. Eclectic menu drawing from cuisines worldwide. Communal seating, creative cocktails, lively atmosphere.

Taiwanese-style dumplings and noodles. Hand-wrapped dumplings made fresh daily, extensive noodle soup menu. No-frills, cash-only, lines out the door.

The Central Square satellite of Gerry Wolf's 1369 Coffee House. Same house-made chai, same union-shop ethos as the Inman original, closer to the Red Line. A default Central Square study seat for MIT and Lesley students.

Chinese-inspired cocktail bar in the former Mary Chung space, with a reimagined dim-sum menu from executive chef Mark O'Leary (JM Curley, O Ya, Shojo). 40-seat lounge, 16-seat walnut bar, a hand-painted mural by Julia Purinton, and original exposed brick from the Mary Chung era.

Vegetable-forward farm-to-table restaurant in the former Craigie on Main space, from the Talulla team. Zero-waste kitchen — byproducts of one dish show up in the next (halibut poached in whey from in-house yogurt). Tasting counter; regular menu of share plates; a 'farm burger' in homage to Tony Maws's Craigie original.

Central Square Eritrean-Ethiopian restaurant since 1986. Traditional mesob (woven basket) dining — diners sit around a basket with the food served in the center. Two kinds of house-made injera (rice flour and teff), and one of the strongest vegetarian combos in Cambridge.

Coffee by day, wine bar by night. The space is beautiful - high ceilings, exposed beams, Central Square industrial chic. Great for a morning coffee or an evening glass of wine. The kind of place where you can spend an entire day.

Japanese-Spanish tapas from chef Tracy Chang, Michelin Bib Gourmand. Two-story loft space in Central Square with deep-blue walls and wood-topped tables; the menu blends Japanese precision with Spanish warmth (okonomiyaki, guindillas, squid-ink paella).

Eastern Mediterranean mezze restaurant with a Lebanese-leaning wine list and Levantine baked goods. The Central Square location expanded the original Inman concept with a 96-seat dining room and full bar.

North Indian cuisine in Central Square since 1990. Extensive vegetarian options, tandoori specialties, and daily lunch buffet. Family-friendly atmosphere.

Pan-Asian sushi and small plates in Central Square with live jazz. Fairy-tale and jazz-inspired rolls from chef Ginger, who blends Thai, Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese traditions.

Cambridge's original table-grill Korean BBQ restaurant — every table has its own grill, every meal starts with a wall of banchan. Menu also runs a full sushi bar and a complete Korean repertoire (bibimbap, soondubu, japchae). Soju and beer program.

Intimate Italian aperitivo bar in Central Square, upstairs in the former Brick & Mortar space. Aperitivi, low-ABV spirits, natural wines, pizza, and pasta in an apericena format.

Five-venue entertainment complex in Central Square — a Lebanese restaurant plus three concert spaces (Upstairs, Downstairs, and Sonia) that nurtured Boston's alternative and indie scenes starting in the late 1980s.

Central Square Cantonese-Sichuan restaurant with a live seafood tank at the front. Wide Chinese and Malaysian menu with destination dishes (Peking Duck, Salt-Baked Chicken, Sichuan Poached Fish) alongside weekday lunch specials.

Modern Vietnamese restaurant on the fifth floor at 907 Main — the only true rooftop dining room between Central and Kendall. Shared plates, craft cocktails, a view over Central Square. From the team behind Cicada Coffee Bar and The Eaves.

Flagship grilled-cheese counter in Central Square with an attached 21+ arcade bar (A4cade / Roxy's Arcade). Food-truck-era classics plus upgraded seasonal sandwiches; pinball, vintage video games, DJ nights, and karaoke in the back.