I went with my girlfriend for Valentines Day dinner. I got the sesame encrusted salmon. She got the chicken breast. The food was excellent. However: A fire alarm sounded and the whole restaurant had to evacuate the building, in the middle of our meals, It's MINUS 10 DEGREE WEATHER. So we're all standing outside for 15+ minutes, during one of the coldest nights of the year. Would you like us to reheat your food? The fact that the restaurant did absolutely nothing to complement the patrons for the interruption in the middle of having their (Valentines day) dinner, is a COMPLETE FAILURE on their part. read more

My boyfriend and I ended up at Nubar thanks to a 50% off Groupon. We went in on a Sunday evening around 6pm. I will say that we went in with little to no expections, making us virtually undisapointable. Upon entry the first thing I noticed was the ambiance - appropriately dimmed lighting, an array of loungey seating, and a very calming overall noise level. We got the trout salad for an appetizer and for dinner I got the clams over white wine sauce and he got the ribs. The presentation was beautiful and portion sizes were just right. Both were satisfying, but neither were rave-worthy. Quite frankly, they wouldn't have been worth the cost had we not had a Groupon. The service was mediocre. The hostess and servers were pleasant, they did the bare minimum of what is typically expected. They took our orders and brought out food promptly, they filled our waters, and seemed genuinely pleasant. All in all, I feel this would be a great place to come by for drinks and maybe an appetizer. Their food is simply not memorable enough and not worth the cost. I'd skip dinner here. read more

There just isn't something right about this place. Let me sum it up: 1. Bizarre waitstaff who gave me the creeps 2. Cocktails that taste like rubbing alcohol 3. Unpleasant ambiance 4. So so food (my steak was cut into strips, who does that to steak?) read more

Lovely meal, refreshing cocktails, and attentive service. We especially enjoyed the meze plate appetizer! Only minor complaint is that they charge the same price for non-alcoholic "mocktails" as they do for the traditional version (which at $10 is a bit much and rather lame) but overall a very nice dining experience. We will be coming back! read more

Great food & service, nice modern ambiance. Had the greens & grains salad for appetizer- it was *excellent.* Then had the duck for dinner- also delicious. Our server was very sweet and the space didn't feel over crowded. It's in the Sheraton hotel, so to get to the restrooms, we had to trek through a high school formal scene, but otherwise we had a really nice dinner experience! read more

I had dinner here last week - the food and service were wonderful. I just got back from Mother's Day brunch and the food and service were awful. I was with my mother and son; we waited 15 minutes to place our orders, our food arrived 45 minutes later. The wait person, who was very nervous and in a hurry, barely said a word. When our food finally arrived, my son's salad had dressing, mine did not. My son's biscuits were 'mediocre', my frittata was a dry square of egg which I ate out of hunger. Our wait person never checked on us; after flagging him and asking for dressing, it came out 10 minutes later at which point I had to ask for more coffee. The check came with 18% gratuity added (after the tax). I told the manager I was unhappy with our experience and this gratuity. She did not ask why, nor offer an apology. She removed the gratuity, I added my own. I remain most shocked by the lack of interest in my comments by the management. I will think twice about returning ever. read more

I purchased a 3-course meal for 2 from Groupon for Nubar and took my boyfriend here for his birthday dinner. I liked the atmosphere although it was just quiet enough to feel uncomfortable talking at times. This probably was due to the fact that we went in at Sunday for a 6pm dinner. Anyway, our waitress was great. She was very accommodating towards our Groupon deal and when I had mentioned that it was my boyfriend's birthday she even suggested that we could get free drinks. Too bad neither of us drink. The reason why this place is getting 3 stars is because the food was average. My boyfriend got the crab cake appetizer and I got the grilled squid with chorizo and lentils. Nothing phenomenal. I've had better crab cakes and I've had better squid. For our entree I got scallops and my boyfriend got grilled steak frites with the herb butter. We shared our food as always and again, I've had better scallops and better steak. (The herb butter was the best part of that plate.) For dessert I ordered the flourless chocolate torta and my boyfriend ordered the apple puff pastry thing along with caramel Christina's ice cream. The chocolate torta was really delicious. Really. That along with the ice cream were the highlights of my meal. My boyfriend's dessert was less than stellar. It was literally warm apple compote served on top of puff pastry with whipped cream. It tasted exactly as plain as it sounded. Our waitress comped our ice cream due to the birthday, that was a nice touch. She was attentive but not overbearing and friendly. Overall I'm glad we went to Nubar on a deal. I would've been disappointed if I had paid full price for our meals but for what we paid it was worth the try. In my opinion there are far better places for the price. read more

I thought this place did a good job on most appetizers that we ordered and the prices were fair (I had a savored reservation, so a good deal). Its not really ever busy, which really makes for a quiet (read: weird) dinner. I wouldnt be opposed to going back, but considering there are so many amazing restaurants around, Im not necessarily making a b-line back, you know? read more

Took my mom here for their Christmas buffet and couldn't be any more satisfied. Everything tasted great, from their prime rib to the chocolate cake. The service was also friendly and quick, absolutely no complaints. read more

The Sheraton Commander's reinvented restaurant could easily become my new favorite spot in Cambridge. It's sleek, yet welcoming. The service was great. The food was sophisticated but not overwrought and the maitre 'd recommended the perfect bottle of wine. Nubar has only been open since April. My advice is GO NOW while you can still get a table. read more

I like what they've done with this place. They always had the space, but didn't utilize it correctly. Now they've revitalized the restaurant/bar and it looks great. It's hard to believe how much it's changed just within a year. The food is much improved as well. I'd definitely eat here again the next time I'm up in Boston. read more

visited 7/17/11 I took my father here for his birthday and was a little disappointed. I read a few reviews before making the reservation. Urbanspoon had Nubar listed at one of their top 5 for new restaurants.I was also mentioned as a great special occasion spot. I am a foodie plus, server and a chef so finding new restaurants that are delicious is my favorite thing to do. This will not be on that list of tasty places. yes the ambiance is quite nice. our host and server were very nice and accommodating, HOWEVER. i know its new, but this was Saturday night at 730pm on a gorgeous summer night and we were the ONLY guests in the restaurant. Which prompted me to make a joke to my father about how I closed the restaurant down for his birthday, little giggles of coarse. here is where I realized just how important it is that there are others in the restaurant. half the time when I walk into any restaurant, most of the fun is seeing what kind of people dine there. what people are eating and wearing for that matter. I believe its the whole social aspect of going out. perhaps its just me, Ive been told i am a social marsupial. lol. ANYWHO!!! on top of being the only ones there, i had previously requested the best available booth or table. They sat as at a nice big round table which at first seemed perfect. soon after we were seated we were heard gentleman talking business and loud telephone conversations. being the only guests in the restaurant, do not seat us in an area which could potentially be disturbing. FOOD - easy review to say that it really is nothing special. its definitely making an attempt where the menu did get me excited about the polenta cakes with fried egg on top, but the dish however did not deliver. it was okay, but the ingredients didn't quite mesh the way it should have. The rest of the table (boyfriend, parents and brother) were okay with their entrees. Again not great, which was disappointing again because it was an occasion for my fathers bday. i have gnocchi like once a year, and this was that time, and after Nubars gnocchi I think im going to take two years till I have another gnocchi dish this time. It was kind of like a Portebello Primavera gnocchi. the potato dumplings were too dry, the veggies were not al dente and it just began to mush together. ate a few bites and left this place still hungry........................and that is all I have to say about that (Forest Gump voice) will not return! read more

Like everyone else has said I came here with a groupon for the 3 course meal wtih my family. 4 of us got the 3 course meal. I got to try a bite out of everyones dish which raised this review to a 4. Overall the food was great. Apps - Crab Cake, Shrimp, and Clam Chowder were all good. I loved the twist of putting little neck clams into the clam chowder which is different then the typical new england clam chowder. and the bacon gave it a nice touch. Main course - Steak, Scallops, and Duck were great. The Littleneck pasta was okay at best which is sadly the one i ordered. The steak had great seasoning and a different taste then the usual steak and fries you order at newer restaurants which made it stand out in a good way. They gave like 7 or 8 scallops while most nice places give you 4 in a diamond shape which never fills a person up. And the duck was simply amazing. My mom ordered it since it was the most expensive thing and with the groupon made it the same price as everything else. It was moist and had a great flavor to it and if I were to go again, would definitely order this. The thing that prevents me from giving it a 5 stars was my own entree. Clams, Bacon, and Angel Hair was the focus of the dish and I thought it sounded great. When I got it I noticed the lack of any sauce. The pasta also looked thinker then the angle hair I've eaten before and was more like normal spaghetti. They even torched the top to be fancy.. but it just gave me crunchy noodles with no sauce which was worse then trying to dip it in the bacon+clam flavored water on the bottom of the plan. I felt like they ordered too many ingredients for the clam chowder and threw the clams and bacon on a plate with pasta to get rid of it. When I asked the waiter if he like this pasta dish better or the fish before ordering, he recommended this dish.. Either he doesnt have taste buds or the fish is terrible. read more

Nubar is great for an after work drink and flatbread. Check out the fumo y fuego. I've given it four stars because its on the pricey side for what you get. read more

My fiance and I went here for a Valentine's Day dinner and we left slightly unimpressed. The service and ambiance were very good, but the food was just OK, especially for the price we paid. We don't plan on running back to this restaurant any time soon. read more

I came here for the valentine's day pre-fixed dinner deal and once with just friends. I am not used to dining in fancy places, but this place, i like. It is fancy, but it makes you feel comfortable, like you belong. My fiance and i loved the valentine's day dinner. the food was good, and they threw in small things, like a long stemmed rose and chocolates to make you feel warm and happy inside. The other time I came, I got the scallops, which was the special that night. It was amazing! I'm a fan Nubar! read more

After a lackluster dinner performance on our first visit, I vowed to nix this place as a dining option, but Groupon influences even the best decisions. That said, our second experiences was much better. The server was very attentive. We had the Meze platter, and it was a perfect, shared app. The pasta primavera was delicious as was his delicate fish dish! We will return! read more

Went with a groupon. We split: the cheese plate, the smoked trout salad, the swordfish, and a side of summer vegetables. It was more than enough for 2 of us. The parts of the cheese plate that were not the cheeses were very good! The cheeses were okay. The smoked trout salad was very good! Well dressed, and they split it for us (since we mentioned we were splitting it) The grilled swordfish was tasty, but not great. It underwhelmed both of us, though maybe we just aren't huge swordfish fans? It was unclear. It just wasn't a slam dunk. (again: they split it for us, which was appreciated) The summer vegetable side was a small bowl with mostly corn plus some eggplant, tomato, and possible a miniscule amount of other things. With some salt it was very tasty, but not what I had in mind when I ordered a vegetable side. I also had the lemon sky, which was far, far, far too sweet. Yuck. We went on a Tuesday night around 8. It was mostly empty, but not dead. Felt like it would be an okay place to go for a drink with friends and chat after doing something else (my date remarked that the beer prices were reasonable.) It was good, but not mind-blowing. But I definitely recommend the smoked trout salad. read more

Thanks to the savored.com website I was able to dine at this ridiculously swanky hotel restaurant at 40% off reg price, which was awesome because those balloon prices certainly would've made me lose my appetite otherwise! The atmosphere is mindblowingly chic, decked out with gorgeous plush couches, a sexy fireplace and super artsy pictures. Needless to say if you wanted to feel Charlotte /Samantha/Miranda/Carrie-ish this would certainly be the place to go. The menu isn't extensive but its certainly interesting, I decided on the roasted duck with red cabbage while my boyfriend (in typical guy-fashion) opted for the pulled pork sandwich with fries. Though both were fairly simple dishes, they both tasted absolutely delightful! My duck was cooked to perfection, it wasn't all the greasy and fatty tasting like many other restaurants. My boyfriends sandwich was surprisingly huge and the pork was seasoned to perfection. I definitely enjoyed my experience here and I would even give a second though to coming here again even without the discount! That speaks volumes for a natural born cheapskate like me! read more

From the website, it seemed to be a cute and romantic restaurant, so we tried for our anniversary dinner. I had the duck and my husband had the salmon. The food was not bad, but I wouldn't pay the price for the small portion of the food. I'm glad I bought a Groupon for this. I might give it another try with a Groupon deal. read more

We had dinner at Nubar with friends about a month ago. I'm always looking for new spots in Cambridge that are not outrageously expensive, but have good interesting food and a good atmosphere. Nubar fit the bill. It was a surprise b/c it's in a hotel - The Sheraton Commander. But the food was interesting, very good tasting, the service was good. And we had an good enough bottle of wine. I'd say it's a good general weekend dining spot in Harvard Sq. read more

This place has much potential. Good location. Clean decor. I'm just glad I had a Groupon when it came to the food (and even had a bonus coupon for the Groupon! Win!) The bread was delicious. The first course salad was quite good. The wine list was deep. The dessert tasted a bit like the bottom of the ice cream bucket, but you can't go wrong with Christina's. The entree was just bland and somewhat undercooked. I expected more because everything else was delicious. :-/ I'd return, but I'd stick to the appetizer selections. read more

Used my Groupon and had a lovely experience. The restaurant area was nicely decorated, seating was comfortable. Wait staff attentive and efficient. Ordered a panzanella salad (B), the polenta (A) and swordfish (A). They split the salad and swordfish for us and were gracious about it. I thought the menu was reasonably priced. The rosemary bread was terrific. Plus, they served Starbucks coffee. I'd definitely return. read more

Many vegi options, but a full compliment of fish, poultry and meat dishes. Modernist cuisine presentations. I started with the lamb tart and the salmon for my main course. Both were great. My son had clam chowder and there were a few clams in their shell in the bowl. My son liked the duck entre. My husband had the smoked trout salad and grilled vegetable sandwich. He enjoyed both. The atmosphere was upscale casual dress and business attire. When in Cambridge I would definitely return read more

Poor service. Our table was near by curtains probably used to privatize part of the dinning room. It was unpleasant to have it at less than 2 frets from our plates. Food was good but not excellent. Only good news is that i was able to enjoy a nice evening talking with my wife. read more

A nice place near Harvard, went on a date here and although we were slow to get service they picked up and made up for it. Great tasting food, and a relaxing atmosphere. read more

Recently hosted a baby shower in the semi-private area for about 35 people. Compared to similar Sunday brunch options we looked into, this was the best value and atmosphere option, hands-down. The Sunday brunch was pretty extensive and delicious at a reasonable price. The variety offered was great for this size group with pretty varied food preferences (you could go with traditional breakfast fare such as omelets and bacon/sausage, or French toast or have a chicken or fish option---even had clam chowder which surprisingly many guests went for.) It was really just me planning it and so I appreciated easy logistics planning with the restaurant mgr. read more

I went here with several friends the other night following a concert at the First Church in Cambridge (right next door) - the vibe was very chic, and I loved the seating situation (square leather footstools, in essence). I only ordered a glass of wine, but the service was expedient and our waitress was very friendly. I can't speak to the food, but from what I saw it looked great (see the below reviews - this could be an oversight on my part). In any case, it's a nice place to go for a drink and meaningful conversation (i.e. music and overall discourse are at a tolerable level). I am curious to see what the food is like at some point. read more

We went for their Dine Out Boston menu. Great value and delicious food! The corn fritters are incredible. We sat outside and it sort of felt like we were in an alley but we had it to ourselves and it was very clean. Service was excellent as well. Pretty good for a hotel restaurant! read more

First time coming here on Valentine's Day, and we both really enjoyed it. I was excited to come here because I read online that they had a separate vegan menu (and they did not disappoint!). The interior is nice, perfect for a date. My boyfriend got the New York strip steak, which he loved. I got the beet and quinoa salad. My only complaint is that my salad was tiny for the $18. Otherwise, the food was good! read more

Both of our meals were delicious last night. The duck was tender, flavorful and plentiful. The appetizers were also delicious. (arugula, ham, menchego cheese). The service was very good too. We told our server that we had a show and would like little delay between the three courses and she made sure the main entrees and desserts arrive promptly after clearing our plates, followed by the check. This is my second time at Nubar and both times the dishes have been excellent. read more

An exciting and stylish place, and a welcome change to the old-fashioned aesthetics of the Sheraton Commander.

Good place for small gathering groups with valet parking annexed to the place. A bit too formal for younger groups but calm enough for an older audience looking for a nice calm place close to Harvard Square. The cheese plater comes with little bread so make sure to ask for extra ! read more

Honestly, the food was fine. Not great, but fine. My two friends and I came for Sunday brunch buffet and it was $27 per person. As a visitor to Boston, I'm not sure if that is par for the course or not, but from where I'm from, if you pay that much money for the buffet, it's knock your socks off. The service was awful. Felt like we were an inconvience. They had the same guy on both omelets and carving station, and we waited for quite a while in fromt of the omelet station before he realized we were there. The waitresses were setting up the tables around us for an event as we were eating and obviously wanted us out. The general attitude was eat and leave. read more

Absolutely terrible customer service. I placed an order for takeout for the chicken entree and a greek salad and the server read my order back to me to ensure she had transcribed it correctly. When I arrived to pick up my order, she had incorrectly entered it as a greek salad with grilled chicken on top. I was displeased but ultimately decided to take the greek salad home instead of waiting an additional 30 minutes for the correct entree to be prepared and paid for my (incorrect) order. Upon arriving home i discovered that the greek salad was missing nearly all of the ingredients and instead contained some sad looking lettuce, olives, and the grilled chicken and was missing tomatoes, onions, cucumbers etc. I called the restaurant to register my complaint and was told that they would look into it and someone would be sure to follow up immediately. An hour later I had not heard back from the restaurant and called back to check on the status of my complaint and was transferred to the manager who was EXTREMELY rude and accusatory when speaking with me. I asked for a refund of my order as I was not able to return to the restaurant to pick up a new salad and was in essence accused of lying about the service and food that I received. I will not be returning to this restaurant and I would encourage all to stay away. Incredibly rude and belittling at all levels from servers to management. As a side note, when I placed my order, the waitress asked me to what extent I would like my chicken cooked... I have never before experienced this question as chicken should always be cooked to temperature. When I asked the waitress to explain she said that some individuals prefer their chicken a bit undercooked or on the raw side. Chicken should never be served "on the raw side" and this raises some serious questions about food safety practices. read more

I had been saving up a Nubar three-course meal for two Groupon, and I ended up using it for my birthday dinner. Nubar's food did not disappoint, and overall the dinner was a success. The string of signage directing us deeper into the restaurant to be seated was an awkward greeting (to be fair, there is a renovation underway, and I hope their entry sequence will be improved when it is finished). The host had at least read and remembered my seating preference requests when he seated us, and he was happy to seat us at any table that was a better fit (on a Tuesday night), so that was fine. The waiter was rather awkward at first but friendly eventually. Unfortunately, the intimate half-booth table we took seemed to be a bit out of his visual range since it was around a corner and half-curtained, so sometimes we had to work hard to get anyone's attention for service. The clam chowder was a stand-out of the meal because of the clams in shell and overall flavor. However, my boyfriend said there were some unidentifiable lumps in there he thought were just thickening starch (he was willing to forgive them). I had the squid appetizer, which I thought was just okay. I wasn't expecting it to come on crostini, and the dish needed it to go with the sauce (I don't usually eat bread). The squid came in long rolls, not cut rings. It seemed pretty fresh, but a bit rubbery and tougher to eat and cut in this presentation. I thought the sauce wasn't especially rich or flavorful. Overall, the squid was a bit average to me. The entrees carried the night. The scallop dish was stellar. When it was first set in front of me, I thought that three scallops were not going to be enough for an entree portion. However, they were perfectly cooked, and the quality was excellent. The richness of the dish and the overall excellence made it more than satisfying. I had asked for the dish to be served without the new potatoes, and the chef substituted sweet potatoes. It would've been nice if they'd checked first if that was okay, but luckily it was. The exotic mushroom mix was great. Overall the dish was well-balanced and delicious. The other entree was the swordfish with preserved lemon and fregola. My boyfriend was happy with it, and I liked the bite I tried, but the scallop entree was clearly the star of the night for us both. I thought the swordfish's sauce preparation was almost too light, given how light the swordfish itself is already. For dessert, my boyfriend had the flourless chocolate torta, and I had the lemon panna cotta. I thought that my panna cotta would be the palate cleansing antidote to the rich cake to share, but I was wrong. The chocolate torta was served cold, and it just didn't quite work. We were both expecting more of a decadent chocolate flourless "lava cake", but this was cold, tasted too much of coffee as opposed to chocolate, and it just wasn't that good. On the other hand, the panna cotta was excellent both as a palate cleanser and as a stand-alone dessert. Overall, our visit to Nubar was a good experience and a happy birthday dinner. I'd consider eating there again sometime, now that we have some idea what is worth the price. read more

My wife and I have been to Nubar several times over the last six months and we have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves each time. We used to live in Cambridge, but now that we have kids we moved to the suburbs. Having lived in Cambridge we remember how void of excitement this area just outside of Harvard Square was. Thank goodness for Nubar. It provides a hip but casual place to grab dinner, a drink, or a late night nosh. My wife and I have come in from suburbia several times to grab dinner and walk around Harvard Square, listen to music, etc. We initially came in last summer, it must have been just after Nubar opened, as the wait staff seemed unpolished and they seemed to be still figuring out the menu. That was then this is now. Now the staff is polished and well versed in the menu. The food is very good, often using local produce and meats. What is especially pleasing are the menu's reasonable price points - no need to break the bank to have an enjoyable night out. Now that Nubar has "figured it out" the experience has been consistently enjoyable each time we have been here. I think this is born out by the Yelp reviews which seem to have trended upward since mid-2011. read more

It's definitely a solid place with a nice ambience! I'd recommend the food here, and I've had good experiences with the service.

Terrible!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wouldn't actually classify this as a real restaurant. The food was an epic fail. I came for New Years Eve because they advertised that they were having a celebration. Not only was there no celebration but the kitchen closed 15 minutes after our reservation and the staff were in a hurry to leave and celebrate NYE and did a piss poor job on the food. They left before offering us dessert and this was just the worst NYE I've ever spent out. I could see coming back for drinks because it's a nice looking place, but seriously I would not recommend dining. read more

List of Injustices Suffered at Nubar: 1. Nubar: don't be fooled by the name. Nothing exotic. 2. Hostess - unprovoked evil eye upon entry 3. Seated next to waitstaff station though restaurant was at best half occupied 4. Failed to provide water for extended duration 5. Waitress was uncertain if 'organic' salmon were farm raised or not 6. Wine arrived in a small carafe as opposed to poured from a bottle. Could of come from a box for all we knew. 7. Wine served by hostess, who refused to make any eye contact 8. Bread (amazing and warm) arrived...but was followed 15 seconds later by appetizers 9. We touched only one of the two appetizers by the time entrees arrived 10. Entrees and second appetizer thus eaten luke warm 11. Breaded haddock BLAND. Boring and tasteless! It was as if I cooked it. (Note: I am a heinous, disastrous cook.) 12. When bus boy was informed that everything arrived at once making it difficult to eat, only a slight apology was provided, but nothing more 13. Food was decent...but nothing revelatory. Perhaps had we eaten it hot it would have improved...though I doubt it. Not worth the $$$. 14. The entire meal and experience was RUSHED! Wait staff predominantly approached to take things away, as opposed to ask if we were satisfied or needed something more 15. Other tables in our line of view were NOT treated this way 16. No artistic flourish to the food presentation...and while though low on the list of critical, for the money and ambience they claim to provide - it was noticeably lacking. (Again: If I could do it...there's a problem.) 17. Desserts were lovely, but it was too late. 18. Hostess was rude when questioned about location of restrooms. They are hard to find! 19. The decor did strike of a hotel restaurant...as that's what it is. 20. Extremely rushed when time to pay arrived as our waitress's shift was over. 21. Asked immediately if we paid by Groupon...judge much? 22. Amidst the rushing for payment, waitress was pushy about wanting cash payment stating, 'It would be better for ME if you paid in cash..' 23. Hostess gave doubly evil eye at our exit...likely in response to the 8% tip I gladly left. (Note: I am by rule a 20% tipper.) read more