LISTSERV RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR RESTAURANTS, CAFES, AND COFFEE SHOPS 4/29/24
Restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops enjoyed and then recommended by our ListServ members over the past year or so, many within walking distance of the Esplanade. Please keep sharing your culinary discoveries. See their websites for menus, directions, and updates.
KENDALL SQUARE AREA AND WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF THE ESPLANADE
- Batifol, 291 Third Street, Kendall Square, casual French-influenced bistro menu, open 11 am- 10 pm, serving brunch, lunch, and dinners. It’s the sister bistro to Petite Robert in the South End; known for its consistent quality neighborhood vibe and relaxed dining. https://batifolcambridge.com/menus-1
- Boulangerie, now open at 295 Third Street, Kendall Square, 7 am to 7 pm, featuring coffee, pastries, artisan breads. It is connected with Batifol next door. https://www.prbboulangerie.com/
- Beacon Hill Books & Cafe, 71 Charles Street, Boston, independent bookstore and cafe within walking distance, closed Mondays. https://www.bhbooks.com/
- Cafe Beatrice — along with two of its sibling restaurants, the Lexington and Geppetto — is located in the Cambridge Crossing development near the Lechmere MBTA stop at 100 N. First Street on the other side of McGrath Highway. Cafe Beatrice offers pastries of all kinds, including morning cookies and cinnamon rolls, coffee, tea, breakfast, and lunch. https://www.thelexingtoncx.com/cafebeatrice The Lexington Roof Deck and Bar https://www.thelexingtoncx.com/the-lexington-restaurant offers brunch, after-work drinks, and dinner (closed Mondays). Geppetto, a North Italian eatery, offers dinner only, using ingredients from the farms, fishers, and foragers of New England https://www.thelexingtoncx.com/geppetto
- Depth N Green New “all natural” Indian cafe and take-out on the Canal: https://depthngreen.com
- Dovetail Restaurant and Shop, Charlestown Navy Yards, One Sixth Street (at Sixth and First Avenue), just past the Constitution, Charlestown, neighborhood bistro with patio, Northern Italian and American menu, dog friendly. Only drawback is no dessert. https://dovetailcharlestown.com/menu/restaurant/
- Dumpling Xuan, 465 Cambridge Street, East Cambridge, Oriental cuisine, with each sauce considered the magic ingredient and made to order. https://dumplingxuan.com/index.html
Fish delivery option possibilities:
- Svenfish https://svenfish.com/
- Carolyn and Chris Manning, C&C Lobsters and Fish, https://cclobstersandfish.weebly.com/
- Formaggio Kitchen Kendall, 94 Hampshire Street, Cambridge, artisan cheese, charcuterie, bean-to-bar chocolate, coffee, sandwiches, baking supplies, beer and wine, and specialty food imports. https://www.formaggiokitchen.com/kendall/
- Gufo, 660 Cambridge Street, Italian bar, cafe, and community meeting space in the heart of East Cambridge. Large outdoor dining space as well, plus bocce. Cafe offers coffee, pastries and sandwiches starting at 8 am, with pizza, pasta, Italian fare and much more later in day. Gufo occupies the space that was formerly Loyal Nine and is open until 9:30 pm or so. https://www.gufocambridge.com/
- Judy’s Bay in Cambridge, 279a Broadway, with a mission to provide delicious Japanese and East Asian-inspired foods with a special emphasis on local seafood. https://judysbay.com/ Menu: https://judysbbq.files.wordpress.com/2023/06/winter-dinein-menus-2022-23-1.png
- Lily P’s, 50 Binney Street, Kendall Square, fried chicken and oyster restaurant just across the street from the Esplanad https://www.lilypschicken.com/ Live bluegrass every Tuesday night, a long-standing tradition in Cambridge since 1993, relocated to Lily P’s https://www.lilypschicken.com/bluegrass-tuesdays/
- Little Luna, 75 Binney Street at corner of Second Street, Kendall Square, specialty coffees, local pastries, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, salads, and daily specials all made to order. Sunday brunch menu with Saturday brunch to come. https://www.littlelunacafe.com/
- Locke Bar, 6 Broad Canal Way, Kendall Square, neighborhood bar serving breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner and late nights https://www.thelockebar.com/ Walkable from the Esplanade. Menu: https://www.thelockebar.com/menu
- Mex, Taqueria and Bar, 500 Technology Square, Kendall Square, https://www.mexcambridge.com/ Three stories, first floor open terrace and bar, second floor Viper Lounge with snakeskin-patterned walls and leather booths, third floor lounge with rooftop deck. fire pit, and couches. Menu: https://www.mexcambridge.com/menu
- Mestizo the new ‘modern Mexican’ restaurant by the Canal. Opened on May 1. https://mestizoboston.com/
-MonteVerdi will open sometime in May at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, under the tutelage of restauranteur Seth Greenberg of Mistral and Serafina). It will initially offer a dinner service and a weekend brunch, featuring a mix of traditional and modern Italian dishes along with beer, wine, and cocktails. Lunch service and a raw bar will be added at a later date. The space, formerly occupied by Dante, will feature an outdoor terrace with views of the Charles River as well as a private dining room.
- Rebelle, artisan bagels, breakfast sandwiches, and pastries, coming soon to 249 Third Street, Kendall Square, https://www.rebelleartisanbagels.com/. Here is the menu where you can sign up for updates: https://www.rebelleartisanbagels.com/menu
- Ripple Cafe, 314 Main Street, near the T station in Kendall Square, iced or hot Counter Culture coffee, Mem tea, lunch sandwiches, smoothies, may soon offer live music and possibly poetry readings https://www.rippleboston.com/
- Row 34 has opened a branch in Kendall Square at 314 Main Street, fish entrees from the days catch, creamy lobster rolls, lager-steamed mussels, clam chowder, an extensive oyster selection, a strong beer list, plus a creamy butterscotch pudding for dessert. https://www.row34.com/cambridge/
- Sulmona Restaurant and Bar, 608 Main Street, Cambridge, Italian restaurant inspired by Sulmona cuisine (which means “to gather”) with family-style tables and comfortable leather booths https://sulmonacambridge.com/ Menus: https://sulmonacambridge.com/restaurant-menu/brunch/
BOSTON, CAMBRIDGE, AND NEARBY
- Bar Enza, new Italian restaurant at the Charles Hotel, 1 Bennett Street, Cambridge, Harvard Square. https://www.bar-enza.com/ Menus: https://www.bar-enza.com/menus/
- Base Crave, family-run restaurant celebrating Nepalese cuisine, 344 Huron Avenue, Cambridge, a block east of Formaggio Kitchen in Huron Village. https://www.basecrave.com/ Menu: https://www.basecrave.com/menu
- Branch Line, 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown, rotisserie, bar, open seven days a week for dinner, takeout, and delivery, also open for Friday lunch and weekend brunch. https://www.branchlinearsenal.com/ Sample menus: https://www.branchlinearsenal.com/sample-menus/
- Faccia a Faccia, 278 Newbury St. between Fairfield and Gloucester Streets, coastal Italian cuisine, including Liguria, Sicily, and Sardinia. Outdoor patio as well, with natural wine bar, Bar Pallino, below. https://facciaafacciaboston.com Menu: https://facciaafacciaboston.com/menu
- Himalayan Kitchen, 40 Bow Street, Somerville, Indian-American fusion cuisine by Nepalese chef, a few blocks north of the T stop https://www.himalayankitchenma.com
- Levain, 189 Newbury Street, Boston, cookies, loaf cakes, pastries, French bread, brioche, and beverages. Known for its oversized, over-the-top cookies. https://levainbakery.com/pages/boston
- Mei Mei Dumplings, Factory Cafe and Classroom, 58 Old Colony Avenue, Ironworks South Boston, https://meimeidumplings.com/ Space where you can take a factory tour to see how dumplings are made, enjoy a meal at the cafe, and take cooking classes with friends and family. https://meimeidumplings.com/cafe
- MIDA South End, 782 Tremont Street, Boston, Italian neighborhood restaurant featuring house-made pastas and Italian classics, near Symphony Hall. https://midarestaurant.com/mida-boston
- Moeca, Cambridge’s newest neighborhood seafood restaurant, partnering with small boat fishermen around the world. https://www.moecarestaurant.com/ Located in the old Chez Henri space (remember Chez Henri?) at 1 Shepard Street, just off Massachusetts Avenue between Harvard and Porter Squares. Moeca means green crab, and their warm green crab custard as a small plate is a must order. Menu: https://www.moecarestaurant.com/menu
- Muku Ramen, family-owned ramen shop in Central Square, 411 Massachusetts Avenue, for lunch and dinner. Temporarily closed due to fire, hoping to reopen in late spring. https://www.mukuramen.com/
-Sarma at 249 Pearl Street, Somerville, is modeled after the traditional meyhanes of Turkey, and the menu is a large selection of small plates (meze) that are designed to be shared alongside food-friendly cocktails, craft beers, or a glass of wine. Cassie Pluma, chef/owner, spent 11 years with chef Ana Sortun at Oleana, learning the nuances of Middle Eastern cooking before opening her own restaurant where she cooks her version of modern Middle Eastern meze in an upbeat, neighborhood setting.
- SRV (Serene Republic of Venice), Venetian-style Bacaro and wine bar, 569 Columbus Avenue, Boston, and near Boston Symphony Hall, offers indoor and outdoor dining, specializes in small bites, pasta made from house-milled flour, and made-to-order risotto, and Italian wine list. http://www.srvboston.com/
- Symphony Cafe, at Boston Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, opens 2.5 hours before BSO concerts for a buffet, https://www.bso.org/visit/dining-lodging/dining-at-symphony-hall/symphony-cafe-menu Tables by reservation only.
- Symphony Sushi, 45 Gainsborough Street, Boston, near Boston Symphony Hall, authentic Japanese cuisine and traditional flavors https://symphonysushi.com/
- Woods Hill Pier 4, at 300 Pier 4 Boulevard, in the Seaport District next to the ICA. Setting is right on the harbor so the views are magnificent. Sustainable sourced food from The Farm at Woods Hill in Concord. Prices on the expensive side but the menu is excellent, https://www.woodshillpier4.com/ Menus: https://www.woodshillpier4.com/food