29 Best Cocktail Bars in Cambridge

“We greatly enjoyed both our recent dinners at Puritan Oyster Bar. We arrived in time to take advantage of the half price oysters served 5-6 and then stayed for dinner. The oysters were the best quality and served beautifully. In fact all the food is presented well. I loved the cod in lobster sauce and my son loved the yellow tail tacos. A special green crab appetizer was delicious and served creatively in a large shell. Our server/bartender Kyle clearly cares about making the experience enjoyable and memorable for all the guests. He noticed that I wasn’t drinking my cocktail and he asked me about my preferences and then created a drink for me that I loved!“

“My boyfriend and I stumbled upon Siagon Babylon and it has easily become one of our favorite Boston restaurants. The plates are small and I recommend getting a couple to share (tapas style). We loved that each dish had classic southeast asian flavors, but was so unique. You will not find dishes like this anywhere else in Boston. Excited to come back for more!“

“Extremely cozy ambiance in your classic dark lighting interior with lots of exposed brickwork and music playing at just the right volume. Service was excellent and two of my party enjoyed a couple of very well made cocktails but on this visit I opted for a can of beer . Prices were about right for the quality of the cocktails but a little steep for a can of beer . Would definitely visit again when I have more time to stay later and get a little more relaxed.“

“This was one of the finest dining experiences we’ve had. We’ve heard about Giulia for months now, reputed as one of, if not the best Italian restaurant in Massachusetts, which meant we had extremely high expectations going in. Combined with the difficulty of getting a reservation due to the popularity (with many nights waiting at 12am sharp hoping that I refreshed fast enough), and finally we had secured a reservation.

The food is heavenly. We ordered the erbazzone and grilled rosemary flatbread for appetizers, and both were so delicious— especially the erbazzone, which was probably the tastiest appetizer I have tasted. I still crave it as I am writing this, and my girlfriend feels the same way. The flatbread was also amazing, though the erbazzone trumps almost anything from the night.

My girlfriend ordered the vegetarian bucatini, and I ordered their famous wild boar pappardelle. Both pastas were excellent, though not as standout as the appetizers. It was really nice to note that they deducted the price for the vegetarian pasta from 28 (which would include meat) to 18, which we really appreciated.

Finally, we ordered the yogurt panna cotta with beach rose, toasted coconut and winter citrus for dessert. Oh my god, this is the greatest food I have tasted in eons. My girlfriend thinks it’s the best thing she has eaten (and we’re both very judgy with food!). Neither of us had thought we would enjoy anything rose-flavored so much, with the taste recurring with each bit of saliva, slowly dissipating with time. It is as if rose bloomed in our mouth, slowly melted to our tongues, and withered away as we bit away and let it wither. The sweetness gave way for the rose, and the rose enhanced the coconut and yogurt tastes. We should have ordered another one.

Overall, this was probably one of the top three meals in my life, and certainly best in the New England area. I HIGHLY recommend everyone to go, and honestly it might even be better to just order their appetizers and desserts without pasta. Their pastas are good, but the appetizers and desserts are on a whole different level. 11/10 experience. Also cute seatings outside on a beautiful afternoon. A shame we forgot to take pictures of the appetizers and desserts because they were SO GOOD. Keep in mind the portion size might be a bit smaller than you would like, but in my opinion it adds to the experience. I hope they get a Michelin recommendation at least, if not a star this year.

Hope this helps to anyone contemplating on securing a reservation!“

“Todo muy bueno y la atención de primera“

“This place is the bomb. drove 2 hours to try it. service , food , and were phenomenal. Definitely coming back with friends. They even validated our parking.“

“Outstanding. Brenna surpassed my expectations of service. By far the best experience I’ve had in the last 3 days.“

“Great pizza an salad plus awesome non alcoholic drinks !“

“My partner and I came for one of the individually ticketed ice cream making classes, and it was perfect. We were already huge Gracie’s enthusiasts, and this class made us even bigger fans. Aaron is a mastermind genius of ice cream and a hilarious, silly human. I promise you’ll learn a lot, and leave filled to the brim with ice cream, hot dogs and love.“

“We had a large group. (13 people) And we had a reservation. They were able to take us early and it was easy to make a reservation, good service and delicious food. For the number of people, the food and drinks came out fast and everyone enjoyed their meal. I look forward to making another reservation soon for another meeting. Hopefully we'll be able to do dinner there sometime to see the different menu.“

“An excellent dinner. Purple carrots! Lemon potatoes! Tahini mushroom with an egg! Blue fish! Good service. Guy ran down The block to return my bracelet which had fallen off! They give you the check in a Copy of the Constitution! Recommend but why are you not accessible! Such a contradiction of your stated philosophy. Should at least put it on your website with your apology“

“Innovative and delicious.“

“Here’s a revieWe had a decent meal at The Abby. The food itself was good, but we had a small issue with the salad. I had asked to substitute the fries for a salad, and while I appreciated the option, it came already dressed. I personally liked the dressing, but I usually prefer my salads without it, and would have appreciated being asked. Unfortunately, my partner didn’t like the dressing at all and ended up not eating her salad. A small thing, but it would’ve made a difference if they had checked with us first.“

“This restaurant is dope. The interior is warm and inviting. It’s modern and chic. Definitely an elevated hipster vibe. A chill spot to hang out after work or nice date night. The food is bomb! For apps, I’ve never had a Chinese-inspired arancini. These crispy delights are addicting with their crack sauce. The sauce is a must have on the arancini. The salad is light and refreshing. The Kokoda is a well made dish. I never had blue fin tuna until I came here. The combo with the fresh fish with the acidity from the lemon juice and smooth finish of coconut sauce - oof, worth a try. There’s also another surprise about the Kokoda - there’s something called sea grapes 🍇 and were bursting of flavor and freshness. A nice addition to the dish. I could go for seconds with the Kokoda because it’s a bit small for me. I wish they made it 2x bigger so it could be more shareable with a date or with company. The Maine Uni was surprisingly delicious 😋. I honestly thought it was too expensive but after having it, it was an amazing amuse bouche (the perfect bite). I couldn’t believe that small bite packed so much flavor and complexity. It was balanced and left me feeling happy. Totally worth it. For mains, the pork belly adobo melts in your mouth. So good! The mushroom raviolis are my favorite out of this menu. The salted duck egg sauce is what makes this dish memorable. I would definitely eat this again. The bitter melon ratatouille is not my favorite because it wasn’t seasoned enough for me. It felt as though it was missing salt. The veggies were perfectly roasted though, but it didn’t quite smack like the other dishes. The ribeye is good, but not my favorite. I might be biased because I’ve had better at other places. For desserts, the pandan sorbet is tasty. I’m not a fan of the pandan taste. It’s definitely an acquired taste, but I enjoyed it because I love avocados and bananas and in ice cream form? No brainer. I wished they had a version without the pandan flavoring. I’m curious as to how it would taste then. The matcha cheesecake is surprisingly well-balanced. Not too matcha where it’s overbearing. The matcha is subtle while the richness of the cheesecake smacks just right and not overly sugary. The late night menu - I only tried the Chicharrón taco 🌮. The combo of crispy pork belly and the acidity from the lime is perf. Nothing else to say. Surprisingly really filling. I probably can’t have more than 2 of these tacos and I’m a pretty big guy. The drinks - I love the names and how they have a play on words. The blood orange and the banana espresso are my favorite. These drinks have enough booze and not too much where it’s offensive. Blood orange is enjoyable to drink and the banana espresso is complex with a chocolate finish. Their nice, clean cocktails. Service was awesome! The servers were friendly and quick. They regularly checked in with my wife and me. I don’t think I even had to do the awkward “please help us” lean at all. They were there when you needed them! Amazing 5 star service! You want a culinary experience. This place won’t disappoint.“

“everything wonderful service food atmosphere“

“We had a fantastic meal. We ordered meal for two. Yummy!!“

“My husband and I went to Lone Star Taco Bar for the first time tonight. The service was quick, friendly, and efficient! Our waiter answered all our questions and took great care of me with my food allergies! I felt totally safe!! The food was packed with so much flavor and everything just melts in your mouth! The guacamole was literally the best I’ve ever had in my life and the tacos were flavorful and fresh!! We wanted to try one of everything so we will definitely be back. The ambiance is welcoming and I loved the decor. 10/10 stars!!“

“Such a chill vibe!! I will be making this a regular spot.“

“It sucked that they wouldn’t let us sit outside even though there were ample seats available, warm weather and only 8:30 at night. But ambience inside is still cool.

Tamarind margarita with mezcal was awesome, and the street corn did not disappoint! Probably my most fav part of the meal even though it’s an app.

Ordered 3 tacos: pescado, camarones and carnitas. I’ve eaten here before but I feel like last night they missed the mark. The pescado is actually a really thick piece of fish - delicious but overshadows the whole taco and not much room for other ingredients. The camarones was beyond spicy, I don’t know what happened I couldn’t eat it. But the carnitas was delicious!

Might go back and try their other tacos. I’ve heard good things about their pollo and tofu taco and ceviche. But disappointed last night didn’t go as planned.“

“great place to pack all my fans love the staff looking to perform here sometime in the near future“

“My boyfriend and I went per the recommendation of a colleague and it did NOT disappoint. We had the dumplings and flatbread for an appetizer, which were delicious, but the entrees and dessert stole the show. The chicken dish was so tasty. The carrot cake/cheesecake hybrid dessert with salted caramel ice cream was incredible. Our waiter was so helpful when it came down to picking what to eat and was so pleasant all night. Will certainly be coming back!“

“Went on $1 wing Wednesday with a group of four, great experience. They are very upfront with the fact that you must order a drink/side to “unlock” the wings. $10 each for beer and another $10 for some wings, each wing uniquely large and delicious. We will be returning on a very near future Wednesday.“

“Cocktail: The Bam Bam was yummy. I had 2 😀

Apps: I'm a firm believer that bread should be free, so $10 for 4 pieces feels outrageous to me, but it was great bread to sop up the fabulous sauce from the mussels (in addition to the 2 grilled pieces that they came with). The chicken bites were delicious, and the green beans were very tasty as well.

Service: Our waiter Nick was great and didn't bat an eye while 4 women talked about perimenopause, and he even appropriately added to the conversation! I asked him what his favorite dish was, and I went with it-the gnocchi parisienne. The gnocchi was soft, and I think a bit grilled (homemade)? The pesto was different and delicious.
When 2 of us unexpectedly got showered with a bottle of champagne being opened by a server behind us, we were properly apologized to by the person who opened it, Nick, and the manager who took a round of drinks off our bill 👍

Atmosphere: Lovely atmosphere. We were seated in the front room but close to the back where the band was. It was enjoyable, but a little loud as we were there to chat and catch up. The live music sounded like yacht rock to start but then was fun with a jazzy take on a couple of Bruno Mars songs etc.

Parking: Free validated parking a few minutes walk away is fabulous in Harvard Square!“

“Fresh and delicious food. Different than anything else around.“

“Went here recently for an early dinner. The clam chowder is excellent and I’m a native New Englander who is hard to please. Cocktails were well balanced, we tried the Tajin Dream and the Love Story. Cool space, prompt friendly service. Overall great experience.“

“Great place for brunch and good customer service“

“Great for fondue on Saturday afternoon with warm cider 🍺 and great heaters“

“Enjoyed a meal with friends at Mestizo. Food, drinks, and service were excellent. Loved the salsa experience as the salsa was different than the average you would get on the table and full of delicious tomatoes and roasted garlic. Our favorites were the enchiladas, tuetano, carnitas, and salmon con mole verde. Their bar program is fantastic. Recommend going when DJ Lee is there.“