Location: Cambridge
Top Restaurants in Cambridge
Top Things to do in Cambridge
- 1. Mount Auburn Cemetery
- 2. Fenway Park
- 3. Coolidge Corner Theater
- 4. Davis Square
- 5. Harvard Art Museums
- 6. Freedom Trail
- 7. John F. Kennedy National Historic Site
- 8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- 9. Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site
- 10. Harvard Museum of Natural History
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Where to Eat in Cambridge: The Best Restaurants and Bars
Home to two of America's most prestigious universities, Cambridge exudes a certain intellectual quirkiness. A mix of historical haunts, student hang-outs, alternative art and culture venues, vintage clothing shops, bookstores and ethnic restaurants, the city is, well, really cool. Although it is located just across the Charles River from Boston, Cambridge has a distinct vibe that is noticeable immediately. Start at Harvard Square, a hub of activity and mishmash of trendy stores, outdoor cafes and colorful local characters. Pick up a walking tour map at the visitors information booth in the center of the Square. The route will take you past many important landmarks including the Mount Auburn Cemetery, Tory Row and the Longfellow National Historic Site. Harvard University offers student-led tours through the illustrious buildings and monuments of its sprawling campus. Art and architecture buffs should meander around the M.I.T campus, which includes outdoor sculptures by masters such as Picasso and 20th-century buildings designed by modern greats like Eero Saarinen and I. M. Pei. Along the way, browse through bookstores, stop to watch street performers and grab a coffee at an outdoor café to take in all this captivating city has to offer.
Things to do in Cambridge
1. Life Alive
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 234 reviews
Life Alive is an organic cafe serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a vibrant casual cafe that is inspiring and honors local artisans, the community, and our global ecology. Our Mission is to Feed the Vitality of the World... one meal at a time. We are here to renew your energy and connection to life by soulfully serving you the most fantastic, organic, therapeutic, whole food you could ever imagine. Our extraordinary food, space, and service are grown, supplied, prepared and designed with the health and vitality of our bodies, communities, and earth foremost in our mind. By providing you with ease and great enjoyment in one of the most important aspects of your wellbeing, we give you the profound experience of contributing to personal and planetary wellness as you blissfully nourish yourself. Namaste!
Reviewed By bkramer947 - NY
I was so happy to visit Life Alive as a whole food plant based eater. It can be hard in restaurants to find unadulterated plant foods that are overly processed, goopy with sauce and more. This is a place where yes, you can have sugary, salty sauces and toppings, but you can also eat very cleanly, which was my goal. You can build your own salads or whole-grain bowls, complete with quinoa, brown rice, beans, veggies and seeds. Delicious. They also have a huge selection of fun smoothies, ranging from the virtuous to the indulgent. I am pretty sure this is a vegetarian restaurant, as there is some cheese but no meat that I could see. A vegan can easily eat here, though, and feel good about it. You order at the counter and then have to fight your way down to the crowded lower level for a table. It's extremely casual but the decor is fun, colorful and cozy. There is serve-yourself water and condiments, and you bus your own tables. Casual place. Long lines but it moves fast. Highly recommend if you want to fuel your body with happy, good for you foods!
2. Sarma Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 315 reviews
Reviewed By Taryn L
I have Celiac disease. The waiter provided me with a gluten free menu! I could still get most everything on the menu with some modifications. The Potato Falafel was amazing. I also had the steak tartare. My friends are vegetarian and there were great options for them as well! Great to go here with friends, family, or on a date!
3. Ball Square Cafe
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 143 reviews
Reviewed By barbershopchick - Chicago
Stopped in here for lunch on a cold, blustery day with my brother and nephew. We had to wait about 10 minutes for a table. The place was busy, but turnover is quick. My brother and I had sandwiches-a Reuben and a BLT. My nephew...MoreI'm happy you enjoyed your lunch with your brother and nephew! It's wonderful to hear you were seated promptly and that you enjoyed your meal. Looking forward to having you all back again soon to try out some more items on our menu! -Mike, Owner
4. Giulia
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 220 reviews
Reviewed By Mike S - Boston, Massachusetts
Guilia is quite a find - as hard as it is to secure a reservation. The food is very fresh and local, the service outstanding and smart, the interior intimate and the atmosphere relaxed and modest even as the restaurant is packed as usual. Highly recommended - if you can get in.
5. Dali Restaurant & Tapas Bar
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 341 reviews
Reviewed By MeqonTraveler - Mequon, WI
I have been to Dali twice this fall. Both times were similar. Excellent food, good wine list. The service is good once it gets going (both times there was a significant delay before someone stopped by the table). Pretty reasonably priced. The decor is great. It's a bit noisy, but not too bad.
6. Oleana
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 701 reviews
Reviewed By LRFoodFan - Little Rock, Arkansas
We really enjoyed the innovative riffs on traditional Turkish dishes. All the ingredients that you would expect were there: tahini, chickpeas, pine nuts, yogurt, lamb, feta. But they were put together in unexpected ways that made every bite interesting. We ordered 4 dishes for the two of us and shared everything. Others might order more, but that was enough for us. Kitchen paced everything nicely so that we had a leisurely meal. We ended up going the their sister bakery Sofra for breakfast the next morning, just to have another chance to try new tastes.
7. Highland Kitchen
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 235 reviews
Highland Kitchen is a family-owned neighborhood restaurant and bar located "up the hill" in the heart of Somerville. HK has been delivering American comfort food, well-crafted cocktails, friendly service and a killer jukebox since 2007.
Reviewed By pdxballard - Boston, Massachusetts
This was a Sunday breakfast visit. Small wait about 1:00 but the bartender gave us waters and menus. Seated right next to the trio playing music. The service was good but the food was just Ok. I had the huevos rancheros and the beans were under cooked. The spicy beef chili on the other hand does not have any beans in it. Nice place but I'd probably pass on another breakfast. Maybe a dinner just to hear the music!
8. Sofra Bakery & Cafe
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 164 reviews
Reviewed By pvcnco - Barrington, Rhode Island
Stopped in at Sofra for lunch based TA reviews and a craving for Mediterranean food.
Small and packed with people, but their system works. By the time your food is out, you will find a place to eat.
Everything from zatar bread to meze’s, shawarma sandwich, soup, etc. even the Turkish coffee was superb.
Will definitely be back!
9. Bergamot
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 267 reviews
New restaurant
Reviewed By Shantap - Watertown, Massachusetts
Don't be too optimistic based on the strong reviews across the Internet. The food concepts here are good, but the execution is seriously lacking.
I think the goal of profits has overtaken the goal of quality and service.
We called ahead to explain we would be 10 minutes late for our reservation, and even when we arrived we waited another 10 minutes to get a seat.
We were asked if we wanted sparkling water which we accepted, and it came in an in-house bottle and was refilled once or twice. No where was it explained we would be charged a significant fee for in-house sparkling water.
There was a long wait before we could order, and another long wait for any food arrived. Our small bites came with our appetizer so by then our drinks were already done.
Because they were so busy it was impossible to flag down a waiter or get any assistance from our seat.
Finally, the lamb plate was cool, and the meat had already cooled off significantly.
I'm not sure what it is about this place that makes it so popular.
Very straightforward appetizer and main dish took two hours.
I would try others first:
1. Asta
2. Cafe du Pays
3. Self Portrait
10. East Side Bar & Grill
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 187 reviews
Reviewed By CIM1970 - Conway, South Carolina
We were interested in a "local's type place" after a long day of travel to get to Cambridge. The hotel staff recommneded East Side, as it was walking distance from the hotel. It did not disappoint! The service was friendly, and the food was good. Definitely had the atmosphere of a place where the neighborhood locals would frequent. We would highly recommend trying East Side when you are in the Cambridge area.
