1. Bondir
279A Broadway (at Elm St), Cambridge, MA
New American Restaurant · Inman Square · 35 tips and reviews
Chester Hall: Pork belly, squash soup, sirloin
Michelle C.: Bon Appetit "Best New Restaurants"- have homemade breads, including one flecked with seaweed, served with butter, hand-rolled tagliatelle with chicken; braised lamb shoulder
Boston.com: Bondir emphasizes local and seasonal ingredients; nothing new about that. And yet the dishes on the constantly changing menu don’t resemble anyone else’s. Read more.
2. Harvest
44 Brattle St (at Story St), Cambridge, MA
American Restaurant · Harvard Square · 45 tips and reviews
CITY GRIT: We loved the Seafood Ceviche & Scallop Crudo. Field Strawberry & Lavender Salad, and the English Pea Agnolotti.
Simon Lee: Enjoy a drink at the bar before dinner. Great service, atmosphere and company!
Boston Magazine: Harvest has a problem. We can never decide when to go: enjoy the dinner? Sunday brunch? If only every conundrum were this tasty… Read more.
3. West Bridge
1 Kendall Square (Hampshire St.), Cambridge, MA
French Restaurant · 59 tips and reviews
Senator John Blutarski: Conant's Island is the move; a delicious blend of cucumber infused vodka, rice vinegar, and green Tabasco. Drink!
Boston.com: Sip the "Conant's Island:" the restaurant's own cucumber vodka gets a kick from rice vinegar and green Tabasco. For those of you avoiding sugary or floral drinks, here’s your pick. Read more.
Joshua Berk: Wi-Fi Password: 6179450221 (their phone #)
5. The Blue Room
1 Kendall Sq, Cambridge, MA
New American Restaurant · 32 tips and reviews
Boston Magazine: Robert Grant has recently stepped into The Blue Room’s kitchen, hoping to revamp the menu, starting with the wine list. Read more.
Colin Britton: Lunchtime chargrill is awesome
Eater: Not a new restaurant, Blue Room makes our list thanks to a reinvention of the bar last winter by Matthew Schrage. Now continued by Blue Room's team, the the program is centered around Italian amari.
7. Crema Cafe
27 Brattle St (at Mt. Auburn St.), Cambridge, MA
Café · Harvard Square · 283 tips and reviews
Marguerite Avery: Excellent coffee - perfect for sipping black. Cookies are good too - big and slightly chewy.
Peter Boyce: Most lavish way to study in the Square-- grab a Golden Crema & try the Bacon-Turkey-Avocado sandwich with jicama slaw.
Harvard University: Always bustling at lunch time, Crema’s wide variety of drinks and fresh food is worth the wait! House-made pastries and creative sandwich options provide something for everyone. Read more.
8. Veggie Galaxy
8.4
450 Massachusetts Ave (at Brookline), Cambridge, MA
Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurant · 130 tips and reviews
Jenna Soares: Wonderful place! So many great food choices. The memorial drive omelette (vegan) is my absolute fave. Great atmosphere. Nice servers. Simply fantastic!
Shane Solar-Doherty: TRY EVERYTHING. Everyone should have to eat here everyday.
Melinda Green: Order a chickpea-mushroom burger topped with red pepper puree, roasted tomatoes, and goat cheese. This carnivore could eat one every day.
11. Charlie's Kitchen
7.7
10 Eliot St (at Winthrop St.), Cambridge, MA
American Restaurant · Harvard Square · 168 tips and reviews
Panther Gold: Get the steak tips, medium rare, and ask for them with rice and red sauce. Do it.
Esquire: Congratulations, you've found one of Esquire's Best Bars in America. Sit down, get a shot and a beer, order the famous Charlie's double cheeseburger, and shoot the shit with your buddies. Read more.
Bravo: Old school greasy spoon that really rocks at night with live bands for hipsters and harvard students alike. -Tania Peterson, Top Chef Just Desserts