Fine dining. Creatively prepared food with very attentive, knowledgeable service. Our waitress allowed us to sample 3 wines before ordering - an unusual accommodation that deserves praise.
Mackerel was excellent. Expensive when adjusted for portion size though worth ordering again. Raw selections also excellent. Vegetarian options creative.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
eric
very professional restaurant, excellent service top quality ingredients well prepared. So why 4 stars and not 5. I thought the portions were very small for certain dishes. the crudo which i believe was $26 had 3 different types of fish, however very small portions of each for the price. We had a potato flat bread that had multiple seafood items listed on the menu, the salt cod provided a distinct flavor but if the others were there they were overwhelmed by a huge portion of mashed potatoes. fried squid was delicious but again small portion 4 of us tried sharing and it wasn't enough for us all to have some. The atmosphere was very nice, relaxed not too loud but it was 8 pm on a Wednesday.
Kelly
Wonderful meal. Plenty of options for all, including our pescatarian. Our best meal while in Boston.
Tanvi
Disappointing that after spending significant money on dinner and having had a reservation well in advance we were directly asked by our server to “finish up” at our table because someone else was waiting for the table. We were at our table for just about 2 hours. As someone who goes to many restaurants in and around Boston, I was shocked as this has never been my experience anywhere else. And considering the amount our group was spending it seems surprising that they wouldn't want us to stay... our friend who was with us at dinner and eats regularly at many Cambridge restaurants (including having close friendship with owner of Giulia and Moeca) was horrified and expressed that this request was inappropriate and especially so given our party's intent to be generous with ordering food, drinks and tip.
michael
First time at Moeca and was not disappointed. Started out with an interesting cocktail menu. Then tries 4 small plates, one pasta and a large plate. This was plenty for the two of us. Everything was excellent from the sashimi starter, the chickpea pancake, lobster gnocchi and branzino. Unique flavors. Friendly and knowledgeable service which helps because the dishes are complicated. Wine list is relatively affordable. Overall excellent and we will be back to try more dishes
Robert
As is our experience on multiple occasions, the food, service and vibe were outstanding. Our tuna crudo was a perfect start. Our two pasta dishes were served with the delicious cauliflower. Our server was smart to serve the chick pea pancake with our mackerel dish. It was the perfect presentation and culinary excellence. Another most enjoyable dining experience!!
anna
This place is shockingly good. I was about to write Cambridge off as not for food. But wow this place changes that. It's so wonderful in every way.
Katherine
The vibes are super cute in the restaurant. The bar area is too aesthetic & visually pleasing. It was really nice that the tables were so spaced out. This was shocking for a Boston/ Cambridge restaurant. We were very sad because basically all of their vegetable dishes they had on that evening's menu were sold out. Guess that was a sign that I didn't need any more vegetables for the day. Their cocktail menu was very fancy and lots of things that I wasn't super familiar with. I do love a cocktail though, so I was willing to be surprised. To drink, I had the Basil Rathbone which contained tequila, basil eau-de-vie, gentiane, cucumber, lime, soda. It was very light and refreshing. I probs wouldn't order again, but I'm glad I tried. We had to get the brown bread with cultured butter obviously. The bread had such minimal salt. I was expecting more from the bread. Also the dish itself only comes with one roll. Wacky. The butter though felt like it was freshly churned. It tasted very artisanal to me. Since they have a whole raw category, I knew we had to try something from there. We decided on the yellowfin tuna with chili, peanut, cucumber, and mint. This was a great cut of fish. Fresh tasting flavors that let the fish shine but brought out the more subtle flavors of the fish. Alicia isn't a super big raw fish person, and she even liked this. We had the loligo squid which was crispy tentacles, black garlic, and green crab laksa. One thing about this group is that we are always going to order a calamari or a calamari adjacent app. I do wish that the squid was a little more fried, but that may be a personal preference. The sauce was yummy and tasted almost like a curry. I loved the lime with this.
Maria
The crudo was good, and the charred beets were delicious. The bottarga on the cavatelli made it overpoweringly salty - I could't finish it. The carrot cake was a crime, truly terrible. The cake itself was stodgy and dense without any carrot flavor. The cake tasted like it had been frozen and thawed, and it was overwhelmed by the maple taste of the fenugreek smears. Overall, a disappointing meal, especially at this price point, and I came home starving and ordered pizza.
Erika
Enjoyed a meal with interesting & delicious cocktails with my best mate. We shared the squid and each got the monkfish. Both were fantastic. The monkfish has a bit of a kick which was very tasty. I look forward to going back again.
Incredible food, service and atmosphere. Highly recommended. Best food in the Boston area.
Lowry
Moeca is expensive and worth it. Consistent excellence -- delicious, beautifully presented. You can actually converse with your companions without shouting. It's a restaurant that will live up to a special occasion.
Nick
We had a wonderful experience. Favorites included fluke from the raw menu, gnocchi with caviar, and the monkfish. Nice cocktail and wine selection, too. Highly recommend.
Sue
We had heard so much about the restaurant so were glad to eat there. The heirloom tomatoes and frozen vanilla yogurt were the stars of the evening. While he was personable, the waiter was not attentive.
Margaret
Outstanding in every way! It's a special neighborhood restaurant with a great vibe. Food is interesting and delicious. Try anything on the menu and you'll like it, guaranteed! We had 3 share plates (tuna, squid, tomato flatbread) and 2 pasta dishes (lobster spaghetti and Sardinian ravioli) and couldn't finish everything. Highly recommend! Service is the very best, Jordana was one of the most knowledgeable and attentive servers we have experienced. We will return often.
Fine dining. Creatively prepared food with very attentive, knowledgeable service. Our waitress allowed us to sample 3 wines before ordering - an unusual accommodation that deserves praise.
Mackerel was excellent. Expensive when adjusted for portion size though worth ordering again. Raw selections also excellent. Vegetarian options creative.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
very professional restaurant, excellent service top quality ingredients well prepared. So why 4 stars and not 5. I thought the portions were very small for certain dishes. the crudo which i believe was $26 had 3 different types of fish, however very small portions of each for the price. We had a potato flat bread that had multiple seafood items listed on the menu, the salt cod provided a distinct flavor but if the others were there they were overwhelmed by a huge portion of mashed potatoes. fried squid was delicious but again small portion 4 of us tried sharing and it wasn't enough for us all to have some. The atmosphere was very nice, relaxed not too loud but it was 8 pm on a Wednesday.
Wonderful meal. Plenty of options for all, including our pescatarian. Our best meal while in Boston.
Disappointing that after spending significant money on dinner and having had a reservation well in advance we were directly asked by our server to “finish up” at our table because someone else was waiting for the table. We were at our table for just about 2 hours. As someone who goes to many restaurants in and around Boston, I was shocked as this has never been my experience anywhere else. And considering the amount our group was spending it seems surprising that they wouldn't want us to stay... our friend who was with us at dinner and eats regularly at many Cambridge restaurants (including having close friendship with owner of Giulia and Moeca) was horrified and expressed that this request was inappropriate and especially so given our party's intent to be generous with ordering food, drinks and tip.
First time at Moeca and was not disappointed. Started out with an interesting cocktail menu. Then tries 4 small plates, one pasta and a large plate. This was plenty for the two of us. Everything was excellent from the sashimi starter, the chickpea pancake, lobster gnocchi and branzino. Unique flavors. Friendly and knowledgeable service which helps because the dishes are complicated. Wine list is relatively affordable. Overall excellent and we will be back to try more dishes
As is our experience on multiple occasions, the food, service and vibe were outstanding. Our tuna crudo was a perfect start. Our two pasta dishes were served with the delicious cauliflower. Our server was smart to serve the chick pea pancake with our mackerel dish. It was the perfect presentation and culinary excellence. Another most enjoyable dining experience!!
This place is shockingly good. I was about to write Cambridge off as not for food. But wow this place changes that. It's so wonderful in every way.
The vibes are super cute in the restaurant. The bar area is too aesthetic & visually pleasing. It was really nice that the tables were so spaced out. This was shocking for a Boston/ Cambridge restaurant. We were very sad because basically all of their vegetable dishes they had on that evening's menu were sold out. Guess that was a sign that I didn't need any more vegetables for the day. Their cocktail menu was very fancy and lots of things that I wasn't super familiar with. I do love a cocktail though, so I was willing to be surprised. To drink, I had the Basil Rathbone which contained tequila, basil eau-de-vie, gentiane, cucumber, lime, soda. It was very light and refreshing. I probs wouldn't order again, but I'm glad I tried. We had to get the brown bread with cultured butter obviously. The bread had such minimal salt. I was expecting more from the bread. Also the dish itself only comes with one roll. Wacky. The butter though felt like it was freshly churned. It tasted very artisanal to me. Since they have a whole raw category, I knew we had to try something from there. We decided on the yellowfin tuna with chili, peanut, cucumber, and mint. This was a great cut of fish. Fresh tasting flavors that let the fish shine but brought out the more subtle flavors of the fish. Alicia isn't a super big raw fish person, and she even liked this. We had the loligo squid which was crispy tentacles, black garlic, and green crab laksa. One thing about this group is that we are always going to order a calamari or a calamari adjacent app. I do wish that the squid was a little more fried, but that may be a personal preference. The sauce was yummy and tasted almost like a curry. I loved the lime with this.
The crudo was good, and the charred beets were delicious. The bottarga on the cavatelli made it overpoweringly salty - I could't finish it. The carrot cake was a crime, truly terrible. The cake itself was stodgy and dense without any carrot flavor. The cake tasted like it had been frozen and thawed, and it was overwhelmed by the maple taste of the fenugreek smears. Overall, a disappointing meal, especially at this price point, and I came home starving and ordered pizza.
Enjoyed a meal with interesting & delicious cocktails with my best mate. We shared the squid and each got the monkfish. Both were fantastic. The monkfish has a bit of a kick which was very tasty. I look forward to going back again.
Restaurantji Recommends
Incredible food, service and atmosphere. Highly recommended. Best food in the Boston area.
Moeca is expensive and worth it. Consistent excellence -- delicious, beautifully presented. You can actually converse with your companions without shouting. It's a restaurant that will live up to a special occasion.
We had a wonderful experience. Favorites included fluke from the raw menu, gnocchi with caviar, and the monkfish. Nice cocktail and wine selection, too. Highly recommend.
We had heard so much about the restaurant so were glad to eat there. The heirloom tomatoes and frozen vanilla yogurt were the stars of the evening. While he was personable, the waiter was not attentive.
Outstanding in every way! It's a special neighborhood restaurant with a great vibe. Food is interesting and delicious. Try anything on the menu and you'll like it, guaranteed! We had 3 share plates (tuna, squid, tomato flatbread) and 2 pasta dishes (lobster spaghetti and Sardinian ravioli) and couldn't finish everything. Highly recommend! Service is the very best, Jordana was one of the most knowledgeable and attentive servers we have experienced. We will return often.
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