Best restaurants in Cambridge area
 

Would like restaurant recommendations in the Cambridge area, any price range. Will be there for 3 days in early June for a graduation. Thanks.

Try Salts on Main Street...very very nice! <BR><BR>http://salts.netrelief.com/<BR><BR>One of my favorite places in the Boston area!

My favorite is Chez Henri just outside Harvard Square. Cuban/French fusion. Consistently excellent. Downside--only reservations for big parties. But if you arrive about 10 minutes before 7 pm, I've never had a problem getting a table. Blue Room in Kendall Square is second choice.

I like Atasca which has portuguese food. One location is in Kendall Square (near MIT) and there is another elsewhere in cambridge. try www.zagats.com

Thanks for all the replies!

There's an incredible hamburger place near the Square, but I can't remember the name. Always crowded, communal seating, big wood tables. Best bleu cheese burger in the world! Name please??

Sara,<BR><BR>Do you know if Chez Henri's menu is posted anywhere online? I haven't been able to find one. Cuban/french sounds interesting.

mmm...Chez Henri is a terrific recommendation. I'm also very fond of the East Coast Grill, which has some of the best seafood in the Boston area, (white pepper crusted tuna steak... yummy).

Blue Moon at 1 Kendall Sq, Cambridge has the best brunch in Boston.

Ted, I think you mean Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage? I used to go to Elsie's all the time for the best burgers and roast beef sandwiches, but it closed in 1995. There goes another unique mom and pop place in Harvard Sq. which is now more like an outdoor mall with big name shops. Progress???

<BR>Yep, it's Mr. Bartley's. Thanks. <BR><BR>Great burgers. Incredible. Amazing. <BR><BR>

My brother and I tried Atasca this week, it was great. <BR><BR>I have had a lot of success using the phantomgourmet.com website. A local radio personality has a cable TV show which features the "phantom" who secretly checks out local eats.

All good suggestions so far. Definitely try the Blue Room in Kendall Square. Great food and very reasonable prices. Also try the fairly new Oleana, recently named one of the 10 best new restaurants in the country (I think that's right or at least something similar). I can't speak from personal experience but my husband has eaten there and thought it was very good. You can also try Rialto in the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square. Perhaps a little pricier than other Cambridge restaurants but most people really like it. And another suggestion, also on the upper end of the price range, is The Harvest in Harvard Square. Recently reopened and really good.<BR><BR>I also like Atasca. Very well done Portugese food. And for Afghan food try The Helmund near Kendall Square. Wonderful!

Grendal's Den near Harvard is very good. The hummmus was some of the best I've ever had

Patty--<BR>Just in response to some of the suggestions below--Helmond and Blue Room are not that close to public transportation, so if your main mode of getting around is going to be the very-convenient "T" (the subway), be sure to call the restaurants ahead of time to get directions. Good luck!

Thanks for all the great recommendations so far! <BR><BR>sharona,<BR><BR>We did try Harvest when we were there late last year and I agree it is really good. Atasca and Helmund sound interesting too. <BR><BR>Linda, thanks for the site suggestion.<BR><BR>Now I have the difficult task of trying to decide!!!

If you like French cuisine, I suggest Sandrine's in Cambridge. The chef, Raymond Ost, used to be the head chef at Julien in the Le Meridien. Sandrine is Raymond Ost's daughter's name.

Cheesecake Factory!

Why limit yourself to Cambridge? Lived in Cambridge 2 years and had family in town last June for my husband's graduation from Business school. We had his graduation dinner at Upstairs at the Pudding, which I believe is now closed. If you need to stick in Cambridge, my favorites are:<BR>Chez Henri: bit nicer, great food<BR>East Coast Grill: my FAVORITE restuarant in Boston, but not "fancy"<BR>Harvest: nice meal<BR>Blue Room: good and funky<BR>Dali: actually in Sommerville, but wonderful Spanish Tapas and great ambiance<BR><BR>Many of our friends enjoyed graduation dinners all througout Boston, including the North End, Newbury Street Area, etc.

Angela,<BR><BR>I guess because we have a small group of people and logistically it just seemed easier to limit ourselves to Cambridge and the surrounding area (my sister lives in Somerville). Plus it looks like we'll have more than enough good restaurants to choose from. Thanks for the suggestions.