Perfect balance between fine dining and comfortable, I'd almost say cozy, atmosphere. Not to mention all the MA local farms, fisherman, and vendors that supply the farm-to-table and seasonal menu. Catalyst found the magic formula between house-made components, French technique, and the kind of menu staples and daily specials that feel classic and yet elegantly modern. This is a place of warmth in the worst of Boston winters; a bright spot in the still-growing Kendall Sq/MIT neighborhood. Fifteen years in, Chef Kovel and his team continue to be hands down the best in Technology Square. read more

Catalyst Restaurant - New American Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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My husband and I dined here with a group of his coworkers, and we had a lovely time sitting by the fire having drinks and talking for a long time before we were ready to head over to our table, and the staff were very attentive. Once we were seated, I noticed that the menu was slightly limited. Not overly so, but just enough that I was wondering what I was going to be happy with. The offerings have a lot of different spices and flavors, so there is not appear to be any specific specialty that Catalyst has (i.e. Italian, asian fusion, etc). We ended up deciding to do a lot of the smaller plates/shared items so that we could try different things, which is definitely what I would recommend, since we really enjoyed a lot of those dishes. The stars of the show for us were: baby kale salad, crispy cauliflower and the truffle parm fries. For the main, I got a roasted pumpkin that is no longer on the menu (maybe with good reason), because even though it had a lot of great toppings, the whole dish was just bland. We had an excellent time and I loved the apps so much, I'd recommend that apps and drinks with a group is the way to go. read more

3.5 stars Came for a work lunch and was a little underwhelmed based on all the raving reviews. Service was great, food was fine. I will say the space was very nice, clean, chic aesthetic. I had the pork bolognese which was a nice portion, but reminded me of an upgraded hamburger helper. It was really yummy and comforting, but pasta was super overcooked and flavor profile of the dish was not elevated in any way. read more

Went for lunch on a Thursday and had the cod fish entree, which was delicious, not overcooked, savory, and satisfying. Their sandwiches also sounded good but unfortunately they did not offer gluten-free bread. The service was also good. Attentive but not intrusive staff. The ambiance, when I visited, was quiet and perfect for a business meeting or romantic conversation despite its open seating layout, which I imagine can get quite loud if it's ever full. The hostess said their busiest nights tend to be mid-week. Their bathroom was clean and fully stocked, which I think is a must for any food establishment. Parking on the street is free for a couple of hours after 4 pm, but the garage next door accepts the restaurant's validation sticker, which reduced the parking fee from $40 to $10 for two hours. If you use the garage, remember to take your parking ticket with you because the garage doors lock, including the ones you drive through with your vehicle (like a residential garage door). They only open once you push the button for a ticket as you enter with your car, or present the bar code on your ticket to the scanner, including the pedestrian doors -- both require presenting the bar code on the ticket to the scanner in order to gain access. read more

I went here for a fancy office dinner after work on a week night with colleagues along with some top brass. So we had the private room with 3 round tables and a 4-course menu plus charcuterie platters on the table. We've driven by this place many times and didn't really know much about it until this visit and it's nice! It's a nice elegant restaurant, cool ambiance and food is great. I was still somewhat full from lunch so I had three of the 4 courses. I had the salad with apples, skipped the second course, got the salmon entree and then the seasonal fresh fruit for dessert. Everything was tasty. I tried the second course butternut squash ravioli that my colleague ordered and it was really nice too. Service was efficient although this was a private function dinner so can't say if it's the same in the restaurant. Overall a great experience and would love to return! read more

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You might not think of this place as a feasting place but come with your favorite friends, order a bunch of things, and enjoy. My favorites were the ribs, the buffalo chicken dip, and the Parmesan fries. So. Delicious. It's very laid back, service is wonderful, and prices are decent. They make a good tequila sunrise, too. Come for a date, come for after work drinks, or come for a feast. You won't be disappointed. ((Except in me for not getting pictures)) read more

Came here for dinner, and I would say it was very a modern and lofty chic ambience. We were seated by the window and the service was very nice. The food is Contemporary cuisine. We started with tuna tartare, which was really delicious and we had side of wedge, potato, sweet potatoes serve with aïoli, which was delicious, and the blue cod was phenomenal! I like, but they use fresh ingredients. They added muscles in the purée. It was so flavorful !I had a sampling of beef tornedos and it was delicious and for desert I had the Matcha chocolate, which sounded interesting, because I actually like the flavors separately, but it was beautifully decorated in design. The prices were reasonable for what you're getting and the ambience is gorgeous. Definitely come back here again. read more

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We were in Boston last month and local friends recommended we eat at The Catalyst! What an amazing meal! We started with a few delicious appetizers. Squash blossoms, peach tartine and some sort of peppers that were very flavorful. The entrees were large portions and beautifully presented! All were very tasty! We split a few desserts, and it was a perfect way to end the meal! Very pleased with the service too! Feels like a family atmosphere! I had a chance to come back for lunch a few days later and order the fish tacos! The fish was perfectly cooked! We will definitely come back the next time we are in Boston! read more

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Incredible service! Excellent wines by the glass. Tons of meat/fish options. However limited vegetarian. Be prepared to gain weight!

Catalyst is located in a cozy spot in Cambridge. The service was a bit slow, but the food was amazing! We were able to make reservation on the same day and it was packed for a weekday night. We got the focaccia to start, which was great -- super nice, flavorful, and soft. For our mains, we got a steak and pasta. The steak was juicy, which was delicious; however, the pasta was more on the doughy side (almost like gnocchi texture) which may be good or bad depending on how you like your pasta. I love that their pasta has two sizes so you can choose between a small or large size! Lastly, the desserts were delicious. The chocolate macaron was sweet and chocolatey while the passion fruit tart was tangy and a tad sour. read more

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Great vibe when you first walk in. We decided on an early dinner and have heard great things. We started with the focaccia and squash blossoms. The squash blossoms were very good. The whipped ricotta with the focaccia was delicious but the focaccia was rock hard. I've never had focaccia this bad. For the mains I would give the corn ravioli a 10. They were fresh and delicious. Chicken gets a 7. It was cooked properly but a little boring. The cod looked beautiful but had zero flavor. The broth tasted like skim milk and the smashed potatoes tasted like yesterday's unsalted mashed potatoes. 2 out of 10. Our server was no where to be found. We wanted another glass but decided to go down the block. read more

We had a work related team dinner Tuesday night with a fixed menu and they did a good job for us to be honest. Seafood tower was decent and as usual the cold lobster tails were a bit tough but the oysters were solid however. Mushroom soup was nice and my beef dish was a bit over cooked which is unfortunate. Cream brûlée for dessert was hard to mess up. Serve was fine, wines were good and they refilled water glasses often. A solid meal but I doubt I'd go there on my own - for the $$$ I'd go more exotic, ethnic or such. read more

I recently went for lunch with my co-workers. The service was great and the menu is varied. I enjoyed my meal (though the portions were slightly small). The house ketchup is interesting - though if you're ordering take out, you're not missing out on anything (you might even be better off) if you have a bottle of Heinz at home. read more

Delicious food on our anniversary. Staff gave us a complimentary flute of rosé and a dessert, excellent service and really delicious focaccia, pasta, and halibut. read more

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My colleague and I sat at the bar and had a wonderful dialog with the bartenders and enjoyed multiple variations of old fashions. We ordered dinner, and as a vegan, I was disappointed to find very few choices. I chose the gochujang tofu, which should have been spicy and flavorful, but the dish was tasteless. Very disappointing meal, but enjoyed the conversations regardless. read more

Very charming atmosphere. Not overly large place. Was there for a wedding party. Food was very good. Service was pleasant as well. Would definitely go back on a regular day to try out their menu. read more

I came here with my family based on the good reviews, but did not experience a meal that would justify them. The ambiance was great, the waiter was attentive and helpful, and the drinks were good. But this is where the positivity ended. The food was terrible. Overall, portion sizes were disappointingly small. We started with the truffle fries, which did not have any truffle that I could taste. The "garlic aioli" that came with was straight mayonnaise. The "house made ketchup" was interesting and a good dip for the plain fries. As my entree, I ordered the Gochujang Tofu (which I expected to be spicy based on the name), but instead received a nearly tasteless dish that was only sweet, not spicy at all. After commenting about this, we received some Sriracha on the side (which helped), but at the price point of this place, I should not have to be adding taste to my food. We will not be back. There are too many other places in the Boston area where you can get tasty food at a fair price. read more

I loved the tacos they were really good and just enough. The French fries were crispy just how I like them. I went for a lunch with all my colleagues from work. We had over 20 people and the service was amazing. Your team really did a wonderful job so great work taking care of such a large group. I also had the chocolate cake too but forgot to take a picture. Needless to say it was great too. If you are new in town give it a try. read more

Catalyst Restaurant - Fish Tacos - New American Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Update - I meant what I said in my original post , I will compliment Catalyst on there prompt reply to my email to them regarding my disappointment . It was prompt and kind, and they did refund me for the bird and some of the sides I was unhappy with along with another kind gesture. It was very much appreciated . read more

Catalyst Restaurant - Very disappointed this is the bird today and barely touched! Was has been cut was discarded. - New American Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Came here for a friend wedding. Everything was perfect. The service was professional and the atmosphere was wonderful. The mix drinks were good depend on the person that mixed it. The food was overall decent. Definitely, will make my way back another time. read more

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Here for Easter brunch buffet. The good: the crepe, the salads, the eggs in the Benedict were poached just right. The bad: the lobster in the Benedict was about a tablespoon's worth or less per egg, the popover was flat, the potatoes dry, the pastries were all from frozen so a bit chewy and lack of any buttery nuance of flavor. The ugly: it took 45 minutes to get our order. Our waiter was a bit checked out though friendly. Also the Easter Bunny, advertised to make an appearance, was no where to be found. Do not recommend. read more

Overpriced. Drinks were not strong in the slightest and the entrees were mediocre. Minestrone soup had hardly any soup! Great waiting service and nice atmosphere but everything else was meh read more

Such a lovely spot. The ambiance is incredible. I came here for a work dinner and the cocktails were incredible. I had the cocktail with elderflower and really enjoyed myself. For a meal, I got the brown buttered sweet potato pasta. It was quite incredible. read more

I wish I were not forced to give a one star. We sat on the patio and only two other tables were occupied. We were walked past 3 times and finally asked for a menu. We received one for two of us. We waited selected what we wanted and were walked past 3 more times- never acknowledged, never offered water, never asked if we were ready. We sat approximately 12-15 minutes and zero acknowledgment. Others place seem more interested in having our business read more

Cassie was our server tonight and she was awesome! She provided great service, friendly and all around made me want to come back! Her recommendations on drinks were perfect! read more

Catalyst Restaurant - New American Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Ive worked in Kendall about 6 years and all I have ever heard from everyone is OMG Catalyst is the best around, and its the best ever and all these other things, Maybe 5 years ago it was... Now that so many other new places have opened up Im not sure so... So I finally went to Catalyst with a team dinner one night and was expecting to be WOWed and just wasnt, I mean everything was great and the food was good, but it was just Ok. We had a large party & we had to make special reservations and we had to go back & forth several times & were stuck to a picked menu, maybe there are other things on the menu that are better, the steak was good, I mean everything was really good dont get me wrong, but from the years of "OMG its the best ever" I didnt get that.. I would def go back maybe without such a large group to be able to order freely from the menu. read more

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We recently planned a wedding dinner with Catalyst, the food was good but the whole planning experience was absolutely terrible, stressful, and I would NOT recommend to any couples. We first reached out to Catalyst events, everything worked out great until it has transferred the responsibility to the sales team, the coordinator was 1. Not responsive even with constant follow-ups 2. Not answering any of the questions we have brought up 3. Not reading emails even though we have expressed our needs multiple times 4. Messed up with the total bill with 50% at the end I had to reach out to the owner of the restaurant on Instagram desperately because she didn't give us sufficient guidelines to settle on our menu before the stated deadline, which was also just a week before the wedding. The owner did help me out. Big thanks! I would NOT recommend Catalyst if you would like your mind at east. read more

I have eaten here before and had what I would call average to good food. Today was a fail, however. My advice: do not order the Gochujang Tofu. The tofu had been tossed in too much sauce and was no longer crisp, just soggy. There was only a little flavor and I would call it "sweet." Nothing resembling gochujang that I know. The rice was overcooked and waterlogged. I don't know what possessed me to get this dish in the first place. Should have stuck to something they do well, sandwiches, fish tacos, etc. The service is always very good at Catatlyst, but doesn't make up for today's lousy lunch. read more

We dined at the restaurant tonight and while many things we consumed were quite good, I can't stop thinking of how terrible my meal was personally. I ordered the t-bone pork chop with the Maine beans. The pork was so over cooked and dry it was difficult to cut, even with the steak knife I had asked for. And the beans, were downright hard and not the least bit edible. Not soaked or cooked through all the way. Beans are not supposed to be al dente. They just aren't. To say I am so utterly disappointed would be a huge understatement. My boyfriend has talked about this restaurant for ages. So here we are, finally dining here, and my meal was horrific. Shame on the chef for not checking the beans before serving them, and for not knowing how to prepare a good cut of pork. read more

If you're coming here from Broadway downward and not from Main, you might miss this place. I came here for a wedding reception, not really knowing what to expect and what we'd have for dinner that night. The entrance was a little dark, with a fireplace nearby. The decor was somewhat intimate, but modern at the same time. The reception room itself was well-lighted and airy enough to not feel constricted. The first course of salad was fine, nothing too special. The thinly-sliced granny smith apples did not offend, as its tartness didn't over-power the salad. The second course of lobster ravioli was fairly nice. The filling was okay, with a passable lobster taste to it. However, the pasta was delicate and cooked properly., not to mention it wasn't too thick as well. Ravioli that's too thick and starchy can cause a sad face. The roasted artichokes somewhat cut into the richness of the ravioli. The beef tournados was surprisingly excellent and the best part of the meal. The tenderloin was cooked at a reasonable medium. I generally like my meat medium rare but this medium was fine. The butter on top gave the beef a velvety finish. The creamed kale was a nice variation of creamed spinach, with the former having a bit more of an earthy bitterness than spinach. The cream wasn't too thick, yet not watery like some creamed spinach offerings I've had in the past. Service was polite and prompt. The staff definitely did a venerable job handling this reception. I'd consider this spot for a date night. read more

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At this point I've come here a TON because it's close to work. Bar service is inconsistent and I've had a few times where it was impossible to flag someone down. I definitely wouldn't come here if it wasn't work related. I've stopped going for drinks because the bartenders have been unfriendly several times. Food wise the burger continues to be pretty good. If you split it then you get twice the fries :).The steak salad is alright and the chicken wings are good but it's a small portion. read more

Excellent in terms of quality, atmosphere, and service, and even price considering the experience as a whole. Suitable for a variety of occasions ranging from casual to semi formal. read more

Came here on a Sunday night with the best friend. Decor was classy, hip, and romantic. We were seated quickly and the service was quick and attentive. We split the chicken liver mousse appetizer which was delicious and came with good crusty bread and mustard. They also brought out bread (wish it had been warm!) with olive oil and butter, which I haven't seen before and was interesting. We each got one of their homemade pasta dishes which were awesome. The best part was that they offered half portions and we were so glad we went with the half because the whole would have been way too much! I got the linguini with shitake mushrooms, lobster, and escarole. I really loved this dish because the first bite was very fragrant and lemony, but became savory with the flavors of the mushroom and lobster. My friend got the fusili which was much more savory with pancetta, brussel sprouts (which we wished there had been more!), and the pine nut crumb. For dessert, we split the flourless chocolate cake. The salted caramel ice cream and peanut butter mousse went really well with the chocolate cake. All in all, super tasty and would definitely come again! read more

Catalyst Restaurant - Linguini, Shitake Mushrooms, Lobster, Escarole, Miso Butter, Lovage - New American Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Slow service. Overcooked meat. Overpriced. A real dud. Look elsewhere to the many fine restaurants in the area.

Super nice place especially so close to MIT -- meaning if you have not been in the area in a long time this is just one example of the change that has taken place over the years. I was only here for lunch. Service was quick and efficient and the wait was not long at all for the food. I ended up having a beer battered fish sandwich that was on special. It came with fries and those were thinly cut and quite tasty. The sandwich, however, looked good, tasted good, but seemed to be missing a spark of flavor that would make it go better with the elegant surroundings. read more

tl;dr: not super flavorful, but nice. I might be back to try the burger, but I'm in no rush. I had the seafood linguini last week. It was okay. I felt like there was something slightly off about the noodles, but maybe I'm just not used to the taste of freshly made pasta. The seafood was all fine, but the dish cooled off a little fast. Maybe it would have been nicer if the plate as heated. I feel like the dish itself was lacking in seasoning. Everyone besides me got the catalyst burger. It looked really good. I think I might go again to get the burger, but I'm not too inspired. read more

Catalyst Restaurant - New American Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Mushrooms were great. Two orders of salmon. One was thicker and cooked properly. One was thinner, overcooked and dry. Sent it back and the next one was edible but still overcooked. Rice and broccoli served with the meal was fine. Service was just so so. Water was not refilled until at the end of the meal I asked the waiter when they asked about dessert. read more

Came for lunch this week. The food was great. Ordered the linguini and broccoli rabe special they were offering and had some really delicious focaccia. I only saw our waiter once when he took our order so service could have been better. read more

I wish I could like this place. I have been here a number of times and find the food quality incredibly inconsistent. Occasionally it's clever and spectacular and then I come back to order the same dish and am very underwhelmed. I've never had a restaurant be so inconsistent. I've had one of the worst (very overdone) and dry omelets ever. An omelet! Ah well. The staff can be periodically haughty (especially hostess) but mostly is fine. Requests for window seats in reservations aren't regularly accommodated but many tables have window views. The mimosa bar is pleasant for brunch. They accommodate gluten free well. But I cannot get over how inconsistent they are even for the same dish. Will try to avoid in the future. read more

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Catalyst has great food and drinks and is a decent option for a special dinner or a business event. The scallops were amazing and cooked perfectly. Other dishes were good, too, but out of what our party ordered, the scallops were what really stood out. They also have a wide range of appetizers that were great for starting off the meal and great cocktails. Overall, we really enjoyed our meal here, although I don't know if it quite measures up to some of the other excellent restaurants on Main Street. read more

Catalyst Restaurant - Chocolate cake dessert - New American Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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