Where locals eat in Cambridge, Massachusetts
A common misconception about Cambridge dining: People assume Harvard Square has the best restaurants because it's famous. Locals know the opposite — Harvard Square restaurants serve tourists. The best food is in Central, Inman, and Porter, where restaurants survive on repeat customers, not foot traffic.
How locals actually choose a restaurant: First, pick the neighborhood you're already in. Then pick the cuisine. Then check if you need a reservation. Cambridge restaurants are small; the good ones fill up. Spontaneous dining works best at lunch or early dinner.
Julia Child lived on Irving Street. She would've loved our restaurant scene.
Elegant bistro with seasonal menu featuring European-inspired cuisine. Beautiful outdoor patio perfect for warm weather, excellent wine selection. Inman Square destination.
Award-winning Mediterranean restaurant with Turkish and Arabic influences. Chef Ana Sortun's seasonal menu features creative mezze, grilled meats, and vegetarian options.
Beloved Middle Eastern restaurant serving Levantine-inspired mezze and hearty entrees. Owner Mohamad El Zein's personal stamp on traditional dishes with a mostly Lebanese wine list. Now expanded to a larger Central Square location.
Inman Square ice cream institution since 1983. Extremely broad house-made flavor rotation — adzuki bean, burnt sugar, grape sorbet, carrot cake, honey lavender, green tea, ginger — from owner Raymond Ford.
Authentic Irish pub in Cambridge's oldest wooden mercantile building. Perfectly poured Guinness, homemade Irish fare and American pub classics, and live Irish music three nights a week.
Chef Will Gilson's original Inman Square restaurant. Named for the Puritan Cake Company that occupied the space mid-century. Seasonal New England cooking, whole-animal butchery, a serious cocktail program, and an urban-farmhouse dining room furnished with Gilson family heirlooms (the host stand is a 1920 Glenwood oven).
Inman Square institution since 1919. Jewish-style deli: Reubens, matzo ball soup, blintzes, knishes, and a 100+-year-old pastrami recipe. Weekend brunch is packed.
Inman Square coffee institution, named for its street number at 1369 Cambridge St. The quintessential Cambridge 'third place' — living-room feel, strong iced coffee, a steady population of readers and writers.
Authentic North Indian street food at prices that make no sense (in a good way). The chole bhature is perfect. The thali platters are generous. No frills, strip mall location, incredible food. This is what dhaba-style should taste like. Best value Indian in Cambridge.
Lively Inman Square Mexican restaurant with tableside guacamole, creative fare, and assorted margaritas. Local favorite for Tex-Mex comfort food and generous portions.
Texas-style taco bar between Inman Square and Lechmere. Strong tequila and mezcal list, margaritas, and a taco menu that runs from al pastor and barbacoa to battered-cod Baja.
Join our distinguished directory of Cambridge establishments and connect with discerning diners across all eight districts.
"I saved Latin. What did you ever do?"
— Max Fischer, Rushmore Academy
Cambridge has over 137 curated restaurants spanning every cuisine. Top-rated spots include award-winning establishments in Harvard Square and Inman Square, diverse ethnic restaurants in Central Square, and innovative dining in Kendall Square. Browse our directory sorted by rating above to find the highest-rated options.