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A guide to popular restaurants and unique bars you can visit in the Cambridge neighborhood.

In Harvard Square, you will find a neighborhood bustling with students, neighbors, and first-time visitors. But the area is also home to a number of restaurants and bars, whether you’re looking for a burger with fries or a cocktail to sip on with brunch.

To help you navigate a host of enjoyable options, we’ve put together a guide to some of the most popular eateries and bars in the Cambridge neighborhood. Between browsing for books at the local shops or attending the Head of the Charles Regatta, you’re sure to find a new favorite spot.

Where to eat

Alden & Harlow

Beneath the Brattle Theater, you’ll find this hip, subterranean New American restaurant that’s perfect for a night out. While you’re browsing the menu, think of ordering the basil pasta served with carrot bolognese, the Secret Burger on a housemade roll, or the Ora King salmon served with ratatouille. Don’t miss out on dessert—the smoked chocolate bread pudding is a winner in our book.

40 Brattle St., Cambridge

Bosso Ramen Tavern

This izakaya opened last year, and since then, it’s become a neighborhood fixture. Bosso Ramen Tavern serves sushi, sake, and ramen, made with a homemade broth. For those who don’t eat meat, the vegan ramen includes soy meat, cashews, walnuts, and red chili oil. After a flavorful entree, cleanse your palate with the black sesame ice cream. A new Back Bay location is slated to open January 2024.

24 Holyoke St., Cambridge

Felipe’s Mexican Taqueria

A casual spot on Brattle Street, Felipe’s is the place to go when you need a Mexican food fix. Order the Baja-style tacos, made with a choice of lightly breaded shrimp or fish, or enjoy nachos made with extra melted cheese, refried beans, and more. Reader Elaine S. from Belmont said, “A lot has changed in Harvard Square. Felipe’s is still a great and affordable social space with a limited but authentic selection of Mexican food… Best margaritas in Camberville.”

21 Brattle St., Cambridge

Henrietta’s Table

Inside the Charles Hotel, you may stumble upon Henrietta’s Table, a homey farm-to-table spot that sources produce from local purveyors and serves up classic New England cuisine. If you’re sitting down to brunch, you may want to order the salmon burger, served with spicy tartar sauce and mixed greens. For supper, you can dig into a Yankee pot roast, served with crispy shallots and gravy. Stop by, if you’d like to enjoy a great meal.

1 Bennett St., Cambridge

Mr. Bartley’s Burger Cottage

Students love this joint, where you can build your own burger or choose from one of their creatively named options, like the Joe Biden or the T-Swift. Reader Gene D. from Waltham called the spot “a local landmark,” adding that “the service is always friendly and fast, the campus ambiance is strong, and most importantly, the food is tasty! I’ve been dining there for years, and Mr. Bartley’s burgers are the best in the Boston area!”

1246 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge

Orinoco Kitchen

For quality Venezuelan dining, visit Orinoco Kitchen. Try one of their many arepa options or the empanadas, which can be ordered with fillings like shredded beef or forest mushrooms, piquillo peppers, and cheese. The restaurant also serves a marinated chicken adobo that you can choose to eat with malanga gnocchi. The molten chocolate cake, made with pure dark chocolate, is a decadent finish. Orinoco also has locations in the South End and in Brookline Village.

56 John F. Kennedy St., Cambridge

Source Restaurant

Craving a slice of pizza? Head over to Source, which features “rustic yet refined food.” Neapolitan pies are cooked in a wood-fired oven, and you can choose from a variety of flavors: the classic margherita, the Tuscan kale, pepperoni, New York style, and more. You’ll also find pasta dishes on their menu, from the bucatini in a carbonara sauce to tagliatelli with bolognese sauce. Cocktails, wine, and beer round out their offerings.

27 Church St, Cambridge

The Hourly Oyster House

If you’re looking to dine on seafood from New England and beyond, visit The Hourly Oyster House on Dunster Street. Order a seafood tower for your party, or fill up on blackened swordfish tacos, lobster rolls, or crusted halibut. Reader Mayor from Watertown said they have a great vibe and offer the best oysters in Boston. “It was better before COVID, but when we want oysters and can’t drive to the South Shore, we always come here,” she said.

15 Dunster St., Cambridge

Where to drink

Grafton Street Pub & Grill

Get a drink at Grafton Street, an Irish gastropub that is both contemporary and inviting. You’ll discover draft beers here, such as the Oxbow Brewing Company Punch Brook and the Remnant Brewing Fest Lager, as well as ciders and spirits. To celebrate the fall, try a cocktail like the Shave & a Haircut, composed of Bumbu rum, pumpkin puree, fresh lime, ginger beer, and shaved nutmeg.

59 John F. Kennedy St., Cambridge

Grendel’s Den Restaurant & Bar

Students frequent Grendel’s, a neighborhood tavern with beer on draft, sangria by the pitcher, and a range of cocktails. The spot offers “horoscope drinks,” a rotating selection of beverages based on the astrological charts, and now is Libra season, the time for silver rum, pineapple juice, triple sec, and more. Grendel’s also hosts live events, from music, to storytelling and poetry. Having been in the Square for over 50 years, they’re a classic haunt.

89 Winthrop St., Cambridge

Noir Bar

Noir Bar is a chic late-night lounge inside the Charles Hotel. Look out for craft cocktails like the Fleur de Lys, made with vodka, lime, herbes de Provence, and pear. Try the Monte Carlo Flip, which incorporates Italian amaro Averna, Amaro Sibilla, super cacao, and a whole egg. If you’re still wishing you had a bite to accompany your drink, request a flatbread, painted burrata, or a croque-monsieur. Noir promises to be an enjoyable night out with friends.

1 Bennett St., Cambridge

Russell House Tavern

A lively and comfortable spot, Russell House Tavern is a great place to sip drinks after work, boasting an extensive beer, wine, and cocktail list. You may be drawn in by the dirty chai martini, which combines chai vodka, coffee liqueur, cold brew concentrate, and Irish cream, or the mango chili daiquiri. To go with your beverages, order the local oysters, crab cakes, or the roasted Atlantic cod.

14 John F. Kennedy St., Cambridge

Wusong Road Tiki Bar

Hidden away in “the outskirts of Harvard Square,” Wusong Road marries Asian American cuisine and tropical Tiki escapism. Drinks include the Scorpion Bowl, made with brandy, almond Orgeat, rum, gin, grenadine, and fresh orange and lime juices, as well as the Jungle Bird, which mixes together two kinds of rum, Campari, pineapple juice, and lime juice. You’ll find some bites on the menu here too, such as coconut glazed spareribs and Aloha sliders.

112 Mt Auburn St., Cambridge

Don’t go hungry while watching the world-famous rowing event

Every fall, the Boston stretch of the Charles River turns into a racing venue, attracting scullers and sweepers from around the world to a competition that lures in tens of thousands of spectators. This year’s three-day regatta will kick off on Friday, October 20, and goes until Sunday, October 22. Whether you’re planning an outing with friends or have someone to cheer on, here’s a list of fantastic spots to pick up coffee, pastries, and quick meals for picnics. Better still are the beer gardens and sake bars for celebrations afterward.

Joe’s Pizza

If your plan is to view the race from near Harvard’s main campus, you’re in for a treat. Joe’s Pizza, the famous New York City slice shop, made its Boston debut in September, attracting lines of pizza aficionados from all neighborhoods.

3 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138

(857) 259-6085

Visit Website

They’re packed with bold furnishings, lush greenery, and luxe designs—and, oh yeah, the food’s pretty great, too.

Wusong Road

Chef Jason Doo grew up in his family’s American Chinese restaurant in Malden, so when the Menton alum had the opportunity to open his own spot, he dreamed up an ode to those memories, from tiki mugs to crab Rangoon. Now, he’s filled two stories of the skinny Conductor’s Building in Harvard Square with tiki-style artifacts in every nook and an eye-popping collection of vintage finds (wicker peacock chairs from the 1970s, Navy diving helmets), with a backdrop of tropical wallcoverings and thatch overhangs.

As a result, there’s certainly nothing in Greater Boston that looks quite like Wusong Road. Perhaps most unique is the main stairwell: Inspired by the “three wise monkeys” shrine in Japan and crafted by general contractor Tiki Rancher (a company that specializes in tiki- and tropical-themed spaces), it features dripping greenery and weathered stone.

Doo himself was quite hands-on in the design and building of the space, whether painting resin monkey-shaped lamps from Italy to look like brass or working with a doll dressmaker to design mini fezzes for the monkeys to wear. The work is never quite done—he decorates the space elaborately for Christmastime, and he’s frequently introducing new custom tiki glassware—so there’s always something to explore here, ideally with a Malden mai tai in hand and a few plates of crispy ma la tater tots and classic pork-and-chive dumplings.

Cambridge, wusongroad.com.

Cambridge’s Harvard Square beckons a new denizen – local favorite Union Square Donuts eyeing expansion to this historic location as per NBC Boston. An inviting sign at 15 John F. Kennedy Street amplifies anticipation for local residents and aficionados of this esteemed donut brand.

With its distinct and toothsome offerings, Union Square Donuts has carved a niche for itself across the region. Its footprint includes the Somerville’s Union Square and Assembly Row, Boston Public Market, Brookline, and the Time Out Market in the Fenway. This maiden venture into Cambridge is poised to draw Harvard Square’s bustling crowds. As reported by Boston Restaurants, the expansion, which began in May, was spearheaded by Union Square Donuts’ director of operations Lynn Sniffen, who hoped to open the new store to coincide with “apple cider doughnut season.”

Although the inauguration date remains unconfirmed, the to-be location is already creating a buzz among locals and food connoisseurs. With the success of their previous outlets, the new addition to Harvard Square is anticipated with bated breath by the nearby community. The Union Square Donuts’ lineup includes a range of mouthwatering treats, promising their customers an encounter with some extraordinary flavors sure to satisfy their sweet cravings.

The golden rooster that keeps watch over Cambridge Common atop the spire of the First Church in Cambridge will be leaving Harvard Square after 150 yearsthis fall, and the congregation will soonbegin discussions on whether it should be sold and if they will install a replacement, church officials said.

The historic weathervane was created in 1721 by Shem Drowne, the same coppersmith who made the grasshopper on top of Faneuil Hall, and was designed for a church in Boston’s North End, according to the First Church.

At age 302, the weathervane itself is quite weathered on one side: video shot by a drone shows considerable erosion of the gilding on the right-facing side of the cockerel, especially along the tailfeathers, according to the Congregational church on Garden Street.

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This Monday marks Indigenous Peoples Day, a time to commemorate the Indigenous peoples of America. As you enjoy the last bits of warm weather, take some time to learn about Native American history and honor the tribes who have lived in Massachusetts for centuries. Elsewhere across the city, there are spooky Halloween happenings, local art shows, and lively festivals. Take advantage of the first three-day weekend of the semester and start exploring.

HONK! Festival

Celebrate the annual HONK! Festival’s kickoff in Davis Square, Somerville. A 17-year local tradition, HONK! brings together brass bands from across the country for three days of music and activism. The festival aims to unite the community through street band performances, workshops, political protests, and more. Drawing from diverse inspirations like Klezmer, Balkan, Romani, Afrobeat, and hip-hop, the festival’s music is lively and engaging. On Friday night, attend a lantern-making workshop and lantern parade. Then, watch various bands perform around Union Square for the rest of the evening. Festivities continue Saturday and Sunday, and include parades, performances, and workshops. 

Friday, October 6, to Sunday, October 8. Find the full schedule of events and locations here. 

Oktoberfest in Harvard Square 

Harvard Square’s annual Oktoberfest returns this Sunday ready to light up the quaint, intellectual area with live music, performances, food, and beer. Oktoberfest is a German tradition that began as a Bavarian crown prince’s wedding celebration in 1810. Now over 200 years later, Germans and Americans alike celebrate Oktoberfest each autumn with much fanfare. Harvard Square’s Oktoberfest features performances on multiple stages, crafts, various international food vendors, vintage goods, and of course, beer gardens.

Sunday, October 7, 11 am to 6 pm, Harvard Square, at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street, and Cambridge Street. 

A local group of donut shops appears to be close to opening another new location, and this one will be its first in Cambridge.

According to a source (Adam Adkison), Union Square Donuts has a sign up for its newest location which will be on JFK Street in Harvard Square, joining existing outlets in Somerville’s Union Square and Assembly Row, Boston Public Market, Time Out Market in the Fenway, and Brookline. An article from Cambridge Day in May had mentioned that the donut shop was indeed looking to open in Harvard Square, saying at the time that it was hoping to open “just in time for apple cider doughnut season,” according to director of operations Lynn Sniffen.

The address for the upcoming location of Union Square Donuts appears to be 15 John F. Kennedy Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The website for all locations can be found at https://unionsquaredonuts.com/