Love this place. Really enjoy the ambiance and the decor. The small kitchen atmosphere is really intimate and a clever use of space. Dishes were well prepared and my favorite had to have been the corn and duck dish. Service was great - really accommodating with our larger party of five, which is their max.
Chris P.
Perfect little date spot hidden in Bow Market. It feels like you have been transported to a outdoor cafe in a beautiful and tropical city in Vietnam. The menu is small, and honestly I wanted to try everything! My favorite was the seafood spicy tartar. The key west and corn with shrimp was also yummy. The violet cocktail was very unique and filled with the freshness of spring. We also enjoyed the whisper of love cocktail. The staff are friendly, with great suggestions. It's fun sitting at the bar and watching the chiefs cook. Highly recommend! The old negative was the music - it didn't seem to match the ambiance. Still, I would definitely recommend!
Pauline N.
I'm Vietnamese (if that lends any credibility) and this place is so good! I had the corn & micro shrimp, the fish tartare wrapped in perilla leaf, the duck bún cha, the turmeric and dill fish, and for dessert the Vietnamese yogurt. I would recommend literally everything I had. The owner/chef haha came out to greet us and was super nice. The entire staff is so friendly. I plan to come back again. The place is small so reservations are a good idea.
Alice D.
Great ambiance, food, and service! The only reason why this wasn't 5 stars was the speed of the kitchen honestly - it took quite a while between each dish which left for a less than desirable experience, but other than that, we had a great time at The Eaves. I recommend booking at least a week in advance if you can - reservations fill up quickly and it's such a small space that I don't think I would ever try coming without a guaranteed spot. We were seated quickly upon checking in and got a spot at the bar which was a little cramped, but cozy nonetheless. The menu has a decent variety of dishes, but not too much so you're overwhelmed. We settled for 4 dishes between the two of us and it was a good portion of food so we left satisfied. The drinks were very good, I think the bartenders did a great job with the creativity and flavor. I would recommend all their dishes honestly, fairly priced (albeit a bit small portion wise) and plenty tasty. The servers are also super helpful with explaining each dish. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience here and would gladly come again in the future. Thanks, The Eaves!
Juhye K.
Went for our anniversary and it was such a lovely experience! Hard to find and is a very tiny location but the ambiance is definitely a nice speakeasy vibe. Food was expensive but delicious - we especially loved the bun cha. Cocktails are also strong and fun (forgot to take pictures of those). Overall a fun date night spot
Lani L.
Style only really works if there is function to base it off of, but unfortunately The Eaves did not seem to have the fundamentals completely down for things to work. I've been meaning to try this place for a while so I was really excited, but my experience did not meet my expectations. The decorations inside are evocative and yet welcoming, cozy. The bar seat we were seated at has a two-tier table with a cute tree trunk edge, but this allowed less space to place our dishes, and eventually we spilled part of our drinks because of overcrowding. There also seemed to be a slight inattention to detail, as my water glass had food smudges left, and a bowl was chipped. I would understand if I were at a $15 or less per person hole-in-the-wall, but considering the presentation of the place and the pricing, I was rather surprised by this. The servers were attentive and friendly, but in this small, quiet, dimly lit restaurant with an open kitchen, we could hear the staff talking very loudly, taking me out of the ambience the restaurant was trying to create. I think overall I was just confused about the vibe this place was going for. The cocktail "Under the Willow Tree" and the spirit-free bartender creation were both pretty good. Corn with micro shrimp: chewy starchy corn (pretty rare around here I think), with delicately-placed herb, sweet flavors and salty shrimp Lemongrass ginger clams: As other reviews say, very grainy. Rinse the clams in the juice before eating, even though I wish I could just drink up the broth because the ginger/lemongrass flavor is so good, unfortunately can't. Duck breast and duck meatballs: strong duck flavor and very tasty, strong broth. Noodles were overcooked. Key West: well-balanced, interesting flavors and overcooked noodles
Ellen B Ezorsky
Once you are able to locate this establishment, you will find an extremely unique venue with amazing food. The flavors are fantastic, the food cooked with skill.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Steven I.
Food was excellent and the server jennie was very knowledgeable and very helpful in describing the food. I highly recommend this place.
Diva K.
If you love Cicada then you will be obsessed with this place, me and my boyfriend went for our anniversary dinner and it was PERFECT. We could not have chosen a better restaurant. The ambiance, the food we could not stop talking about it for days to come. I recommend this place 100% for a special night or even just for a treat!
Lindsay S.
I visited the Eaves last Sunday night. I'm a big fan of Cicada so I was super excited to try the Eaves. My boyfriend and I shared the ginger salad with chicken confit and fluke tartare. The ginger salad was fresh and light while the fluke was spicy and flavorful. My boyfriend had the grilled duck which he loved, and I had the Mekong Delta hake which had the most incredible turmeric and lemongrass sauce. I had the tamarind mocktail and he got a cocktail that he enjoyed. We shared the fruit desert which was the perfect sweet end to the meal. My favorite dishes of the night were the fluke and hake. They were sold out of the clams when we were there, so we'll have to be back to try them sometime. My only wish is they had more comfortable seats, most of them are stools without backs and there was no place to put our coats. Otherwise, the space is beautifully decorated, one of the most gorgeous and cozy restaurant interiors in Somerville.
I love this place and will definitely come back again. This is a very small but cozy restaurant. The theme decorations is northern Vietnam style and also the Vietnamese cuisine. The service is very accommodating. Clean, beautiful, great price and good charming location with lots to do in the area while waiting. Reservations are highly recommended!!!
T L.
I don't know about their food, but the staff and owners are bad. The worst service all around. I booked a rez for two and canceled three minutes later. Yes, Resy says they "may charge you $15 a person; I called and wrote and said sorry but we have to cancel." They say no problem and then charged us. That's asinine.
L T
We enjoyed the quaint, intimate ambiance and the delicious, flavorful, well balanced food here and are glad we went. The small wine list is well-curated and we enjoyed our drink choices. With a couple of easy tweaks this could become a 4.5 or 5 for me.First, just please filter your water! A simple carbon filter setup would get rid of the noxious and strong chlorine smell of "fresh" Somerville tap water. Either that or let the carafes of water sit for a couple of hours before serving. The smell was strong enough to interfere with the aroma of the wonderful food.Second, as others have said, the high top stools are backless and very uncomfortable. We might have stayed for dessert or another round of drinks if we weren't so uncomfortable by the end of the meal.Third, better communication from servers about expectations timing of plates. For two of us, we ordered 2 small plates and 2 entrees. The small plates came out one at a time, which is fine since we were planning to share anyway. But we were expecting the entrees to come out together and they came out almost 10 minutes apart. If that's the plan, you need to let guests know even entrees are served one at time for sharing and ask if that's ok! Not everyone can share plates due to dietary restrictions and it's just a matter of communication.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Pablo Savid-Buteler
The Eaves is a hidden gem in Union square. We’ve been there a few times and it never disappoints.It’s a small, intimate space with great ambiance. Ideal for couples and small groups.Cocktails are a must!Among our favorite dishes are the lemongrass ginger clams and gyozas, from the appetizers, and the duck breast meatball and the hake fillet, from the entrees.Chefs/owners Vinh and Duong (of central’s square Cicada coffee bar), are the ideal hosts.Highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Susan Leff
The two of us nabbed an early reservation for drinks and dinner at the bar. It is perfection. The staff are welcoming and professional. The vibe is warm and sexy . Best of all is the delicious food. Try everything. We loved the dumplings and the duck prepared two ways with broth. The bartender is attentive and the drinks were inventive and delicious. The owner/ chef was there . His attention to detail, including even the playlist which displays his deep knowledge of music, result in a memorable meal and experience.
Love this place. Really enjoy the ambiance and the decor. The small kitchen atmosphere is really intimate and a clever use of space. Dishes were well prepared and my favorite had to have been the corn and duck dish. Service was great - really accommodating with our larger party of five, which is their max.
Perfect little date spot hidden in Bow Market. It feels like you have been transported to a outdoor cafe in a beautiful and tropical city in Vietnam. The menu is small, and honestly I wanted to try everything! My favorite was the seafood spicy tartar. The key west and corn with shrimp was also yummy. The violet cocktail was very unique and filled with the freshness of spring. We also enjoyed the whisper of love cocktail. The staff are friendly, with great suggestions. It's fun sitting at the bar and watching the chiefs cook. Highly recommend! The old negative was the music - it didn't seem to match the ambiance. Still, I would definitely recommend!
I'm Vietnamese (if that lends any credibility) and this place is so good! I had the corn & micro shrimp, the fish tartare wrapped in perilla leaf, the duck bún cha, the turmeric and dill fish, and for dessert the Vietnamese yogurt. I would recommend literally everything I had. The owner/chef haha came out to greet us and was super nice. The entire staff is so friendly. I plan to come back again. The place is small so reservations are a good idea.
Great ambiance, food, and service! The only reason why this wasn't 5 stars was the speed of the kitchen honestly - it took quite a while between each dish which left for a less than desirable experience, but other than that, we had a great time at The Eaves. I recommend booking at least a week in advance if you can - reservations fill up quickly and it's such a small space that I don't think I would ever try coming without a guaranteed spot. We were seated quickly upon checking in and got a spot at the bar which was a little cramped, but cozy nonetheless. The menu has a decent variety of dishes, but not too much so you're overwhelmed. We settled for 4 dishes between the two of us and it was a good portion of food so we left satisfied. The drinks were very good, I think the bartenders did a great job with the creativity and flavor. I would recommend all their dishes honestly, fairly priced (albeit a bit small portion wise) and plenty tasty. The servers are also super helpful with explaining each dish. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience here and would gladly come again in the future. Thanks, The Eaves!
Went for our anniversary and it was such a lovely experience! Hard to find and is a very tiny location but the ambiance is definitely a nice speakeasy vibe. Food was expensive but delicious - we especially loved the bun cha. Cocktails are also strong and fun (forgot to take pictures of those). Overall a fun date night spot
Style only really works if there is function to base it off of, but unfortunately The Eaves did not seem to have the fundamentals completely down for things to work. I've been meaning to try this place for a while so I was really excited, but my experience did not meet my expectations. The decorations inside are evocative and yet welcoming, cozy. The bar seat we were seated at has a two-tier table with a cute tree trunk edge, but this allowed less space to place our dishes, and eventually we spilled part of our drinks because of overcrowding. There also seemed to be a slight inattention to detail, as my water glass had food smudges left, and a bowl was chipped. I would understand if I were at a $15 or less per person hole-in-the-wall, but considering the presentation of the place and the pricing, I was rather surprised by this. The servers were attentive and friendly, but in this small, quiet, dimly lit restaurant with an open kitchen, we could hear the staff talking very loudly, taking me out of the ambience the restaurant was trying to create. I think overall I was just confused about the vibe this place was going for. The cocktail "Under the Willow Tree" and the spirit-free bartender creation were both pretty good. Corn with micro shrimp: chewy starchy corn (pretty rare around here I think), with delicately-placed herb, sweet flavors and salty shrimp Lemongrass ginger clams: As other reviews say, very grainy. Rinse the clams in the juice before eating, even though I wish I could just drink up the broth because the ginger/lemongrass flavor is so good, unfortunately can't. Duck breast and duck meatballs: strong duck flavor and very tasty, strong broth. Noodles were overcooked. Key West: well-balanced, interesting flavors and overcooked noodles
Once you are able to locate this establishment, you will find an extremely unique venue with amazing food. The flavors are fantastic, the food cooked with skill.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was excellent and the server jennie was very knowledgeable and very helpful in describing the food. I highly recommend this place.
If you love Cicada then you will be obsessed with this place, me and my boyfriend went for our anniversary dinner and it was PERFECT. We could not have chosen a better restaurant. The ambiance, the food we could not stop talking about it for days to come. I recommend this place 100% for a special night or even just for a treat!
I visited the Eaves last Sunday night. I'm a big fan of Cicada so I was super excited to try the Eaves. My boyfriend and I shared the ginger salad with chicken confit and fluke tartare. The ginger salad was fresh and light while the fluke was spicy and flavorful. My boyfriend had the grilled duck which he loved, and I had the Mekong Delta hake which had the most incredible turmeric and lemongrass sauce. I had the tamarind mocktail and he got a cocktail that he enjoyed. We shared the fruit desert which was the perfect sweet end to the meal. My favorite dishes of the night were the fluke and hake. They were sold out of the clams when we were there, so we'll have to be back to try them sometime. My only wish is they had more comfortable seats, most of them are stools without backs and there was no place to put our coats. Otherwise, the space is beautifully decorated, one of the most gorgeous and cozy restaurant interiors in Somerville.
Restaurantji Recommends
I love this place and will definitely come back again. This is a very small but cozy restaurant. The theme decorations is northern Vietnam style and also the Vietnamese cuisine. The service is very accommodating. Clean, beautiful, great price and good charming location with lots to do in the area while waiting. Reservations are highly recommended!!!
I don't know about their food, but the staff and owners are bad. The worst service all around. I booked a rez for two and canceled three minutes later. Yes, Resy says they "may charge you $15 a person; I called and wrote and said sorry but we have to cancel." They say no problem and then charged us. That's asinine.
We enjoyed the quaint, intimate ambiance and the delicious, flavorful, well balanced food here and are glad we went. The small wine list is well-curated and we enjoyed our drink choices. With a couple of easy tweaks this could become a 4.5 or 5 for me.First, just please filter your water! A simple carbon filter setup would get rid of the noxious and strong chlorine smell of "fresh" Somerville tap water. Either that or let the carafes of water sit for a couple of hours before serving. The smell was strong enough to interfere with the aroma of the wonderful food.Second, as others have said, the high top stools are backless and very uncomfortable. We might have stayed for dessert or another round of drinks if we weren't so uncomfortable by the end of the meal.Third, better communication from servers about expectations timing of plates. For two of us, we ordered 2 small plates and 2 entrees. The small plates came out one at a time, which is fine since we were planning to share anyway. But we were expecting the entrees to come out together and they came out almost 10 minutes apart. If that's the plan, you need to let guests know even entrees are served one at time for sharing and ask if that's ok! Not everyone can share plates due to dietary restrictions and it's just a matter of communication.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
The Eaves is a hidden gem in Union square. We’ve been there a few times and it never disappoints.It’s a small, intimate space with great ambiance. Ideal for couples and small groups.Cocktails are a must!Among our favorite dishes are the lemongrass ginger clams and gyozas, from the appetizers, and the duck breast meatball and the hake fillet, from the entrees.Chefs/owners Vinh and Duong (of central’s square Cicada coffee bar), are the ideal hosts.Highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The two of us nabbed an early reservation for drinks and dinner at the bar. It is perfection. The staff are welcoming and professional. The vibe is warm and sexy . Best of all is the delicious food. Try everything. We loved the dumplings and the duck prepared two ways with broth. The bartender is attentive and the drinks were inventive and delicious. The owner/ chef was there . His attention to detail, including even the playlist which displays his deep knowledge of music, result in a memorable meal and experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seasonal Fruit Dessert