Had a great time. Food was excellent with strong SE Asian influence. Standouts were the mushroom fried rice, Malay street corn, ceviche, and manti dumplings. read more

The place is busy even right at 5pm (their opening time) - I am glad we got reservations! Chic place with tapas that burst with flavor. Interesting that a lot of the dishes seemed Asian inspired. Our group of 4 got one snack and 4 tapas. I always judge tapas for not being great value in terms of portion for price, but I ended up being decently full (I could have eaten more though but portion control is good I guess). I got the Two Peas in a Pod cocktail which was pleasant but weak alcohol-wise. Our waitress wasn't the friendliest though. She seemed to judge us for not ordering more (she told us to get 8-12 dishes), and also seemed to really want us to leave when we were done eating. Easy to access via red line with the Central stop just steps away. Otherwise, you will have to fight for metered street parking.. read more

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Knowing this is a part of the same restaurant group as Toro, Uni, and Coppa, I HAD to give this place a shot. The difference (and my biggest problem with it) is that instead of focusing on one cuisine, they try to do a little too much. I guess that's good if you want some variety, but they didn't really do anything particularly well. It's right on Mass Ave in Central Square, so there's a solid amount of street parking (if you're patient) and garage options nearby. The space is way bigger than I expected, and much much darker. All of the food was solid, but nothing especially memorable or leaving me wanting more. Tuna & salmon tartare - crispy, great texture, but you lose the flavor of the fish Kowloon fried cauliflower - fried well, but a little too much sauce for my taste Papusa - one of the best thing we ordered that night Grilled pork ribs - tasty but a little overcooked Manti - came out cold and very underwhelming BLT lettuce wraps - do not waste your money. The meat was like dry, chewy bark, and the flavors were far too busy for one dish Service was great, and with the wildly different options, you could definitely please a crowd here. I'm not sure I'll be back anytime soon, but still worth giving it a try. My best advice is to save some room for the amazing ice cream options nearby! read more

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Finally stopped by this cute hip eclectic tapas restaurant at central square in Cambridge. We knew we're at the right place when the MIT masculine-presenting patron mansplaining their community outreach project to their date. The ambiance is soft and relax, with the very dim light and great alcohol selection, anyone could be attractive, def the place to be for a romantic night out. The food didn't disappoint. My favorite is the foie gras ($21). The smooth liver rests on moist cornbread, with added sweet and tangy flavor from the apple butter and cranberry sauce, topped with crunchiness of the pistachios. The actually foie gras is extremely small tho. The scallop ceviche ($19) is another banger. Fresh tasting scallop like jelly in a creamy coconut sauce, with sweetness from mango chunks. Cacio e pepe ($37 with truffle) is a pasta dish with ramen. The black pepper gives it a kick to it, and the truffle flavor is really strong, which I throughly enjoyed. As a raw bar fiend, had to get a dozen oysters ($48). While they're fresh and clean, they're all on the saltier side. The tuna and salmon tartare ($19) is mediocre. While the fish is tasty and well seasoned, the crispy rice on the bottom is not crispy at all. The grilled octopus ($22) is kinda meh. It's overly charred and chewy, in a weird soggy bean sauce. The service is fast and pleasant while not overly intrusive. We spent ~ $100 per person without drinks. Definitely the place to be to enjoy some bourgeoisie lifestyle and have some great discussions on 3rd world problems from 1st world perspectives. read more

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Little donkey is a tough review to pin. On one hand, the service and atmosphere is excellent. Volume of the restaurant is not too loud but comfortably busy. The sizing of the tables allows for easy conversation without struggling to hear the other person. I'd suggest it for dinner with friends or drinks with a date. On the other hand, I found the food to be completely underwhelming. Small plates are expensive and cooked haphazardly. If I were to describe the food in one word, it'd be underwhelming. Overall, I may come back if I am in the area and wanted to grab a quick drink with a friend but would not travel to visit again. read more

Little Donkey was a great find of 2023! The global tapas are delicious- particularly the tuna & salmon belly tartare, the crab Mac and cheese, and the braised beef cheek. Our waitress was outstanding and surprised us with espresso martinis to end our night, which was a highlight! The only thing I will say is I feel like the prices did not reflect the size of each dish. I love tapas and have tried them throughout the city and this was the most expensive by far. I'd love to come back with a larger group and try more! read more

Little Donkey - TUNA & SALMON TARTARE* - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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The food was okay. We don't eat meat and the veggie dishes weren't as interesting as we thought they'd be. It may be a better place for carnivores. The mango desert was amazing, a memorable combination of flavors. read more

The food at Little Donkey is delicious although a little overpriced! The Tandoori Beets were a very interesting flavor, but the Miso Ramen was my favorite. I have no idea how they made plain ramen incredibly delicious! The service was excellent and the interior was nice. read more

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Service was great - we sat outside. Drinks were delicious, I had a milk punch that was super tasty. The chicken sandwich and burger are both very fun bites. Loved the ceviche as well. The sticky pork belly was delicious and fresh. Would skip the tuna and salmon crispy rice actually, it was lacking in flavor. Also didn't love the Thai tea tiramisu, was very one note and wished the lady fingers had been soaked like in a traditional tiramisu, but they were dry. read more

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Great food and dishes are easy to share. Pleasant servers. A bit noisy for senior citizens with poor hearing. Loved our experience there.

Great clean beer. Dollar oyster happy hour! Bam, can't go wrong with that! The food is good otherwise and the service is great and attentive! Very good spot in Cambridge! read more

Little Donkey - Da menu - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Came here for brunch with a very large party and they were able to accommodate for us. Our server was very kind and understanding with our orders and always made sure to stop by every once in a while to check that everything was good. My favorite dish was the avocado toast! I usually don't enjoy avocado toasts, but the ones here stood out and had lots of flavor. The price is quite expensive for the portions, but the service and food taste make up for it. read more

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Wow! An unexpected treat! Dishes were novel and delightful. The burger - OMG that was a gem! We had no idea that the combination of foie Gras and crispy jalapeño chip would be so delicious. The date cake was also crazy yummy. Everything we tried was great but I think I was brainwashed by the burger and can't remember all the wonderful things we ate. Here are some pictures though... read more

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I had high expectations for this restaurant by james beard award winning chefs. The manti were delicious, little bites of perfection with seared meatballs and topped with a yummy yogurt. The Bangkok street noodles were good but nothing special, and quite salty in my opinion. The little slices of meat within the dish were good. The bronzino was also cooked perfectly flakey but small in portion and not too memorable in flavor. Overall, food was good, but the space was small and the tap was unfortunately down on the hot summer day we dined here. read more

Little Donkey - BANGKOK STREET NOODLES - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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They serve small plates with creative fusion food. The portions are small and are on the pricy side. But the taste and uniqueness of the food make up for it! Staff are very friendly! read more

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Sat in the dark at 5:30 Friday 9/26/25. There was a votive candle that we relied on....to not burn our menu when we looked at it. Could not see our food or each other. Blind taste of food was not great. Foods were gummy. Some were burnt. Some were ok. Could see the bill of $200 when I turned on my phone light. Find other places in Cambridge to go to. I do not recommend read more

Tapas here were amazing was definitely a bit pricey but nonetheless great food. Service was on top of their game as well, really like how the place is very open like a warehouse yet with modern touches. Highly recommend coming here!! read more

This once atmospheric, charming restaurant has fallen into disrepair. The menu, no longer sensible is chaotic at best. The temperature was so warm that I saw people fanning themselves with menus to avoid sweating. While the service was tolerable we waited 30 mins for the check because the server was stretched too thin. This restaurant would require an overhaul to regain its former glimmer. read more

Little Donkey - Hilariously failed attempt to patch up a worn out seating is an example of the neglect of detail and experience at this establishment. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

One of My personal favorite restaurant in Boston. Huge flavor. Tapas style. Never disappointed. Super creative menu. A must go for me whenever I'm back in the city. read more

Overall beautiful experience. Amazing company. Amazing crew. Great ambience. The food is always incredible and offers something new and exciting every time I go back to visit. read more

Little Donkey - INSTA: @alexisart.design Little Donkey Mural Art - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Came here on Friday evening for a date night. To start with, the ambiance was pretty nice - it's definitely a great one for a night out, group-dinner or a date night. We ordered four dishes - fried calamari, wok-charred asparagus, bangkok styled noodles, and ssam style salmon collar. To our surprise, food was very meh. It wasn't horrible but they weren't great either. Something was off in every single dish other than maybe the fried calamari. In general, all the dish was very salty and balance was very off. Given the quality and quantity, the price was also very high. It's a supposedly tapa-style place so for two people, they recommended 4-5 dish, but each dish was around $20. If the food tasted amazing, it would be a different story, they weren't hence the low stars. I would actually give 1.5-2 stars for food. Its star is slightly higher only for their ambiance and service. Service was pretty quick - food came out within 5 minutes of our order. Our waiter was pretty chill as well - he didn't bother/burden us too much throughout our stay. Overall, probably wouldn't come back for food, but maybe for group hangout. read more

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PSA: Google and Yelp list this place as $$, but the portions are quite small so $$$ might be more accurate. The dishes range from $10-30 and their recommendation of 2-3 dishes per person is not a joke! If you have the money to spend though, the dishes here are tasty. The server suggested that we order "family style" with the intention of sharing all the dishes, but some of the dishes were hard to share. Everything parker house rolls $7 for 2: the rolls were fluffy, soft, and buttery, and the green garlic butter they came with was super fragrant. Razor clam ceviche $17 for 3: super fresh with bright flavors. There was a lot going on in the dish but I definitely got razor clam in every bite. The sauce has a strong flavor so at times it was hard to distinguish the flavors of all the components. Empanada $10: a single empanada cut in half lmao I wasn't super impressed with this one. The pastry was crispy, the sauce was tasty, the filling was nice, but I felt that it was missing something (maybe more spice or acidity?). Manti (Istanbul meat ravioli) $17: the manti were probably my favorite dish that I tried. I loved the contrast between the rich meat filling with the tartness of the sour cream and the flavor of the red pepper butter. It came with 7 small pieces. I could easily devour 3 of these orders! Braised duck mole $21: the meat was so tender that it just FELL OFF OF THE BONE. Maybe I'm too used to eating peking duck but I wish that the skin had more crisp to it. Everything we ordered was unique and had a different flavor profile. I would recommend the razor clam ceviche and the manti. The servers were super attentive as well, but the ambience just wasn't for me (the music was very loud). I am glad that I tried this place, but I don't see myself coming often. read more

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I had high expectations - a lot of the food was okay and none of the dishes had a wow factor. Our server was very attentive and took time to hear what we liked and made recommendations. We got the caviar sandwich, which is tiny, about the size of a round cracker. The bite was decadent but not worth the cost. Next we tried the Salmon Sashimi which was lovely but nothing special. The fried cauliflower was fine for the first 2 bites, but then became too sweet and filling. The crispy squid had banh mi like accoutrements and it was tasty. The manti was our favorite and reminded me of Russian pelemeni. The ribs could have been better, weren't my fav. Cocktails weren't very memorable - the first one I had was way too citrusy and the sangria was really sweet. Overall service was great and the pacing of plate delivery was good, but the food was mediocre and I would not return. Easily spent at least $120 person and didn't really enjoy much of the meal. read more

We were in the area on a Sunday and were able to grab reservations on Resy around 12:45 with no issues. When we arrived, we had to wait about 7-8 minutes before someone was there to help check us in. The server was pretty average during the initial greeting but then was extremely hard to flag down for the rest of the meal. We ordered a cup of coffee and it was just plain old BAD. However, once the food came out, we were really impressed. The fluke ceviche was very flavorful and balanced. We really liked the Bangkok noodles as there were lots of textures happening that all played well together. Note that it is heavy on the bean sprouts and onions - there aren't that many actual noodles. We finished off out meal with the carnitas hash and it was the star of the meal. Overall, the food itself was really impressive - there aren't many places that can sling out food from multiple cultures while doing it well. TL;DR: Amazing food, bad coffee and mediocre service read more

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Came here on a Friday evening for dinner and were seated quite quickly. It was around 5:30pm and the place was probably like 1/3 full, but we noticed that the amount of wait staff was much higher than we'd expect - we assumed the place gets busier later into the night, but it was just interesting to see so many people standing around. Nonetheless, our server was super friendly and kind as he answered all our questions patiently and helped us with anything we needed. Things I liked about the place food-wise: it seems like the kitchen is rather creative with their dishes. I think a lot of the menu was really unique and I appreciate that a lot. The special for the night was definitely the highlight of the meal and I really like how it's something new seemingly everyday. For the night we went, they served this absolutely huge and amazing bluefin tuna dish that was extraordinary. It was a huge chunk of fish that although looked a little burnt on the outside, was absolutely perfect everywhere else. The meat was so tender and fatty and seasoned pretty well ( albeit a little salty ) while also being an incredible price. No matter how long we picked at it, the meat just kept appearing and coming. This dish was the highlight of the meal - I wish it could be a regular item, honestly. I'd come back and order it every single time. Our server explained the process on how they ended up with the fish and how it was prepared ( received from a friend, marinated and prepared overnight to result in this masterpiece ) as well as how the chef didn't expect each chunk to come out so big, explaining the size. He also mentioned how they managed to get other special dishes from this same fish for previous nights and honestly I found that pretty admirable. Overall this dish was fantastic and I hope they serve it again. The rest of the food was pretty good, but really overpriced in my opinion. The dishes each had their own unique flavor ( however also on the salty side along with the fish ) but the price did not match the quantity or quality. I enjoyed the cauliflower a lot flavor wise, but burger was really lack luster while the manti disappeared within minutes of getting the dish. This place is definitely on the pricier side for what you're paying for so I'd consider that before coming. Overall, I found this to be a pretty good place located in the heart of Centeal Square. The fish honestly brought this place up in rating though and I don't think I'll ever eat anything quite as amazing at that price point ever again in the area so hopefully they get a chance to do it again! read more

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This place is definitely overpriced and the dishes are tiny. I heard grea things before about Little Donkey, so I think the quality of this place might be negatively impacted by COVID. We went with a reservation on Saturday for dinner, but we waited around for about 15 minutes before a table became available. The restaurant was crowded, loud, and dim, to the extent that you might have trouble seeing the menu. Over the evening, they dimmed the light even more. Our waiter was friendly, but not the most professional I have encountered. At one point during the evening they served us a dish we didn't order. I think typically restaurants are not supposed to take a dish served to a wrong table back due to food safety reason. One of the other servers said the same thing, but when our waiter came, he took the dish and straight up served it to our neighbor table. Our waiter suggested we order 2-3 dishes per person, and we ended up ordering about 2 per person. Again, I warn you the dishes are tiny. I would start with maybe 1-2 per person, and then order more. We tried the RAZOR CLAM CEVICHE, CRAB SPRING ROLL, JJAJANG MYEON, MANTI, BRAISED DUCK MOLÉ and BRONZINO. I would recommend the BRONZINO, BRAISED DUCK MOLÉ, and RAZOR CLAM CEVICHE out of the dishes we tried. The highlight of this place is their drinks. We tried ODE TO PABLO (which is essentially a smoky spicy margarita), G.T.O.T.M. (fancy gin and tonic), and BARELY FAMOUS (my personal favorite of the night). They were all delicious and relatively unique. Overall, I had a lovely evening dining with friends, but I don't think I would want to go back unless someone else suggests it. read more

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Cute spot with great drinks. Tapas style food that was delicious and lovely to try. Highly recommend checking it out. read more

Little Donkey - Huevo - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Absolutely loved this restaurant! Biggest challenge was trying to figure out what to order. Everything on the menu looked fantastic. Started with the salmon pork belly tartare with caviar and fried cauliflower. Both delicious and very fresh. I was not a huge fan of the burrata but others seemed to like it. The Bronzino was very light and had great flavor. I can't wait to come back here to try more of this menu. Service was great and the cocktails hit the spot. read more

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I'm confused. Love the vibes the waitress was amazing. Service went above and beyond except for one part* but it wasn't the waitress that was the problem for me. It was the food. Like most other reviews mention, there is a lot of hype around this place for its award winnings chefs and variety of cuisines offered. The menus that I saw online before going were mostly outdated, so there were only two plates that I knew I wanted to get and the rest I left to the waitress to recommend. I got 4 plates total with a friend and split everything. Manti - every review was screaming for me to get this so I did. Definitely an interesting flavor profile, tasted like a mix of a soup dumpling and a ravioli. Nothing too mind blowing. Duck - just tasted like a very soft boiled meat. Sauce was okay. Blowfish - way too hard to eat and no meat for the price. We were warned that there were bones but I didn't think it would be to the extent where I found a couple every bite, plus it was already small in size. Wouldn't get this again. It was interesting because I've never had blowfish but really didn't get anything out of it. Ricotta & Truffle Toast - Definitely my personal favorite of the night but again it wasn't truly anything special. I love ricotta cheese to begin with and it was super fluffy with a hint of truffle. It really is one piece of toast with a bunch of ricotta and a sprinkle of truffle. The moral of the story here is that it really is mid at best. If you're looking for an actual meal this is not going to be the place. I eat a fairly small amount to begin with but had I ordered more the bill would have been crazy so I did not. *there was one part where we were debating between the rolls and toast, but the waitress messed it up and ordered us both. When the rolls came, we informed another waiter that we had only ordered the toast and they just took it away without saying anything so that part was a little awkward. read more

Little Donkey - MANTI (Istanbul Ravioli) - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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What a gem in Central! Slightly obscure with only a literal abstract painting of a donkey's head to let you know that this restaurant exists, our party of 4 was seated right away on a Friday evening (we lucked out). It was busy, but the waiter was friendly, quick and took our drink orders right away and I was enjoying feeling the booze hit while basking in the slight club-vibes that this restaurant has. The menu is set up as a sort of tapas, with the concept being that you would order many little plates for everyone to share. Of course, this get's a bit pricey (and was reminding me of Sarma), but just like Sarma, every plate that we ordered was 100% worth the price and was excellently seasoned and executed. Now, it looks like it's a seasonally rotating menu so maybe what I thought was excellent will not be around when you dine, I'm confident that you could order anything here and it would be good. read more

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Went for dinner Wednesday night. Food was ok . Empanadas nuke warm... server sucked. I don't write this lightly. Really sucked. And it wasn't just our table. Killed the night. Brownie for dessert was dry and underwhelming. And rounded out everything in a death spin circle. multiple visits. Waste. read more

We stopped by for dinner two nites ago. Nice chick restaurant near central square on mass Ave in Cambridge. Little donkey during this holiday season reminded me of the Christmas Carol little donkey. There's street parking or parking garage less than 5 mins walk away. Friendly n welcoming staff . Nice clean chick restaurant. Menu looked so good. Hard deciding what to order. We were a party of 6 n food was tapas style n ordered n shared. The Parker house rolls were really good n warm. I Tried the shepherds pie, tandoori beets and the roasted egg plant. They were all yummy. Shared w others and plate was empty. We also ordered the whipped ricotta toast, lamb empanada, endive salad, manti, Cacio n Pepe, Bangkok street noodle's, pupusa, fried chicken n branzino. All tapas portions n were delicious. Loved the branzino , grilled crunch w a nice dressing . Tge bankok noodles were tasty too.Not a morsel left on plate. Topped it off pumpkin fluff w chocolate sauce, cookie dough, pandan brownie n banana pudding. All deserts were sooo good. The pumpkin fluff was to die for. Try it if u go to restaurant n it's available. Wow was a heart meal. As u can see we were a hungry bunch. Will be back again when in area. Thank you for a great meal. Unfortunately did not take photos. read more

I stumbled upon this place because it's right across the street from a bar I frequent. The name intrigued me. Well, I'm lucky I gave it a shot. The service was fantastic from the host to the bartenders, bar back staff and the kitchen/server staff: great atmosphere and vibe: and the food. I will absolutely go back to try the many items I still want to taste! Make a reservation...it was packed! read more

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Little Donkey came highly recommended to me so I decided to try it for my birthday. The service was great but the dishes were either a hit or a miss for me. There were so many different cuisines represented on the menu that it should have been no surprise to me that they can't do them all well. Two dishes that did stick out to me and that I would get again are the Manti and the wontons! If you go to Little Donkey, definitely make sure to order those. Personally, I would skip the Hamachi, Kowloon Fried Cauliflower, and BLT Lettuce Wraps. read more

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Terrible experience. Server did not tell us it was tapas style and food was not worth the insane prices. Most didn't taste like anything and the portions were embarrassingly small. Total let down. Paid 20 dollars for 5 pieces of bread and server heavily misled us on prices when altering the dish. You're better off going anywhere else. read more

Complete disaster of a restaurant. $21 for a few bland ravioli--6 pieces. It's insane how pathetic the portion was. Ruined what was supposed to be a birthday celebration. Prices were absurd, dishes were tiny and tasteless. No one told us it was tapas-style until after we ordered, and the waitress couldn't have cared less. No apology, no acknowledgment, just attitude. The pasta was undercooked, portions were laughable, and I left hungry, frustrated, and feeling ripped off. No birthday dessert, no celebration, nothing. Had to find another place afterward just to eat. read more

When I visit Boston I always try to visit one of Chef Ken Oringer's restaurants', mostly Toro but often Uni and Little Donkey. I just love concepts that focus on small plates and that excel in creativity, while focusing on all the factors that make food great. Last night I visited Little Donkey. Sadly the Caviar Sandwich wasn't available, just like the Street Corn or Bone Marrow at Toro it is one of my favorite dishes. Dishes I had included: - Foie Gras on Banana Bread w Pineapple (Outstanding) - Uni Quesadilla (Outstanding) - Tuna & Salmon (Good) - Umami Scallops (Outstanding) - Vietnamese Squid (Good - too big I think) - Bangkok Street Noodles (OK - better as a shared plate) Overall it was a great meal! read more

One of my new favorite places in Cambridge! This is a tapas-style restaurant so get ready to get a mix of dishes. Food: Bangkok street noodles noodles had so much flavor and it was a great mix of textures with the noodles and crunchy nuts. I loved the citrus addition from the lime 8/10. The wagyu beef cheek literally fell apart in my mouth. It was warm and welcoming but did get a little heavy toward the end because of the fatty parts 8.5/10. The tuna and salmon belly tartare was almost perfect. The actual fish was incredible and fresh but the crispy rice was stale to the point where it got stuck in my teeth. It could've been amazing but the rice is half of the dish 7.5/10. Crab cakes were recommended by our server very strongly but wasn't the best. the Crab cake flavors were off-putting bc of the creamy, tartare-like sauce and it tasted like they put giardinera in the actual crab cake 7/10. The scallops were delicious but the sauce was also a little too creamy for me. I wish there was more citrus to cut through the flavors 7.5/10. We ended with brownie ice cream which was solid but nothing crazy 7/10. Ambiance: Great vibes. It can be classy or casual depending on what you want. Our waiter was so kind and accidentally gave us free ice cream 8/10. Price: It was about $15-$25 per dish and it's a tapas place so you can very easily end up spending a lot. We spent about $115 for 5 dishes (not including tip/tax) and I was not that full. However, everything was very solid and good quality 7.5/10. Overall I would go again to try the different dishes! Everything was high quality and excited to try more. read more

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We went for a light dinner and ordered 3 dishes to share between 2 people. It was a perfect amount and super tasty. We got Roasted beets, they were refreshing, sweet, earthy. Plenty of beets too! The Halibut ceviche was light and acidic but also a bit creamy so it held nicely on its own. Then we had the Wagyu steak tartare - also acidic because it was heavy on the mustard and horseradish, and the ratio for tartare and chips was perfect. Can't wait to come back and try other dishes! read more

Very hip, and a little loud for guests like me in their late 50's, but the food and drinks were terrific. Especially like the tuna poke (has a nice punch), the scallops ceviche, the roasted cauliflower, and the fried chicken sandwich (also a nice punch). Parking nearby was hard on a Saturday. read more