Had such a fun girls catch up at darling in Cambridge! Best restaurant I've tried in a while…read more Lively mysterious vibes, creative drinks, and good food! The colossal shrimp was my favorite - massive and grilled to perfection. The dumplings were my friend's favorite. We both enjoyed our drinks especially the "hope I packed a parachute" which was topped with taro foam! Will be coming back for a date night and to try the HK french toast cocktail for sure. Make sure to snag a reservation early :)

I've been looking forward to trying Darling for a while, and I see why everyone is raving about it!…read moreThey had an interesting and varied drink menu, with combinations and ingredients I hadn't seen before. It was hard to choose one, but I got the A Perfect Circle and it was quite tasty. I'm eager to try some of their other drinks, since the cocktails were definitely the highlight of the experience for me. The dim sum portions were larger than I expected, which meant we ordered way too much food. We had the fried chicken, the cucumber salad, the shrimp, the pork wontons, the soy sauce noodles, the daikon/enoki dish (I forget the name) and the charred broccoli. There wasn't anything I didn't like, but I did find that the flavor profile seemed very similar for many of the items--it seemed like most things were topped with a generous portion of chili oil, scallions, and sesame seeds. I found that this contributed to a fairly uniform flavor experience and was getting a little weary of chili oil after several dishes. The food was also spicier than I anticipated (though to be fair, I have a low spice tolerance, so others might disagree.) I would have enjoyed some less spicy options to balance out our meal. Overall, all the food was good, though, but I think if I come back I'd get fewer items (3-4 would have been plenty for 2 people) and that might also help with everything blurring together. The service was great and our waitstaff was helpful and attentive.

Came here on a Friday night and it was bustling but we were able to find a seat as more people were…read morefocused on getting into the more popular pub up the street (The Druid). I thought the Guinness here was completely on par with the quality of the Druid and several people were drinking it into form in what was a great audience of people socializing, music, and sports. Lastly, service was top notch even in such a high functioning place. If you want a pub still under the radar enough to actually enjoy yourself on a busy evening, An Sibin is your place!

Very nice, comfortable, low key whiskey bar. Live music, nice interior, chill people. What's not to…read morelike!

As per usual 10/10 Greeted in door way…read more Clean well stocked bathrooms Welcoming to everyone 80s 90s 2000s knowledgeable stylish Mushroom app and burger were nice treats to add to the awesome studio ghibli themed menu from the BB guide so clever top notch cocktails Cocktails Drinks Music and kikis delivery service on the projector good vibes

I absolutely love backbar for their creativity and excellence in execution with all their drinks!…read moreEspecially with the recent Studio Ghibli themed menu. Had the Howl's moving castle and Kiki's themed drinks which were both perfection. I like coming here near opening time 5-6pm to beat the line (walk in only). Service and vibes are A+ as well

Somehow I had never popped into the spot in Central before. The aesthetic is the optimal dark and…read moremoody cocktail bar vibe. The drinks were creative and well balanced but stronggg. It was fun trying a good options, just plan on taking the red line home. The staff was super helpful making menu recommendations and as the bar cleared out toward the end of the night they were fun to hang out with.

We had a mixed experience at Brick & Mortar. Atmosphere? Elevated. Drinks? Creative. Staff?…read moreUnfortunately, pretty unkind and impatient. We were greeted by a very harsh hostess and ignored by the wait staff for a about 20 minutes until we went to the bar and asked to be seen by a waiter. My partner was bumped into by a hostess who turned around and glared at him afterwards. We loved the menu but will likely not be back due to how we were treated by staff. They seemed a bit despondent.

Was not expecting the food to pop off but everything was delicious. We had a reservation and came a…read morelittle late but were still allowed in. It was pretty busy and we were seated at the bar which was a little crowded. Loved the decoration, it was black interior with red lighting and interesting seating arrangement with tables down the middles and plants around. For drinks we got the Saigon Sunset which had a little sour flavor and was my personal favorite, the Gimme with an interesting flavor, and the Old Fashioned which is what you expect (old fashioned are not for me). The bartender was great, he was so patient even with how busy it was making sure to always check up. For food, the Goi Ca/Fluke was so good. It was flavorful and the texture. The peanut butter sauce wasn't too nutty and went so well with the fish. I ate every little piece up. We also ordered the Wagyu Viet Carpaccio which was also good. It was refreshing to eat and came with a large cracker for eat bite.

The lemongrass carpaccio is exactly as good as everyone says. Definitely my favorite dish of the…read morenight, but I'm interested in going back and trying other menu items. Not a fan of the layout of the restaurant. I don't like the long table in the center for parties of 2, it felt a bit awkward to be so close to other groups and there were large vases of fresh flowers which, albeit were very beautiful, I think should have been moved after parties are seated. A huge bouquet of fresh lilies were taking up a lot of space on the table when I went and they got in the way at times.

We had reservations for 7:30, and when we got there, the place was decently busy - a few empty…read moretables here and there - so we were seated immediately. We ordered quickly after perusing the (rather short) menu, most of which was either small plates and cocktails . Our first plate was the hainan chicken arancini. I really liked the contrast in textures between the crispy exterior and the tender chicken and rice mix on the inside. Overall flavour was not bad, too, but I'm not sure that it was exactly good enough to merit the price point of $18. Next was the Xi'an street noodles, which was probably my favourite dish of the meal. The noodles were very well cooked - chewy but not too soft - and I loved the sauce, with the gentle peanut aroma on top of the various spices they used. One comment was that the chilli crisp, which was tasty, was very lacking (in amount) and as a consequence the dish was really not spicy at all. Finally we had the chilli crisp buffalo chicken. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the chicken was boneless (I was expecting something more like chicken wings), which made for very clean eating :) The buffalo sauce was nice (and perhaps a bit spicier than the aforementioned chilli crisp) and the chicken itself was very rich and juicy. Portion size was quite large too and overall I was very happy with this plate. For drinks we ordered the Jaded, which was a fun matcha-themed cocktail (even the marshmallow was matcha-flavoured) and a (spirit-free) cranberry limeade, which was surprisingly refreshing and sweet. Overall a yummy meal, but definitely very expensive. I would be interested to try some more of their cocktails, which seem very creative, but I'm not sure if I would be keen to come again primarily for the food. (To be fair, though, this is often the modus operandi of these restaurants that specialise in small plates and drinks )

Great Cocktails, Average Food. I hovered between 3 and 4…read morestars here - ultimately deciding on 3 because while this is a great place to hang and grab drinks, the food is disappointing. Everyone was friendly and attentive but the food took a while to come out and it was just average. The best thing was the curry noodles and even those were a little bland. Also it was fairly expensive so I expected bigger portions or at least better flavor. Drinks on the other hand were delicious!

Food was terrific. We all loved the Brussels Sprouts small plate to share. Two chose the Baked Cod…read moreover gnocchi that was delicious. The Salmon plate is always a winner. Perfectly cooked medium rare as ordered and the gnocchi bolognese was good as always. Cocktails for some and wine for others (except our designated driver) hit the spot. Too full from dinner so we passed on dessert. Service was perfect and the ambiance allowed for cheerful conversation. It helps when everyone is enjoying the wonderful food and relaxed atmosphere.

I thought Althea was just ok. Glad I tried it, but probably won't be back, at least not for brunch…read more The ambiance is lovely - lots of plants, comfortable seating. Service was very friendly and timely. The food was just not great. I ordered the mushroom and goat cheese omelet, and they were nice enough to let me swap goat cheese for Parmesan. To drink, I got a coffee. The coffee was fine - not amazing but not bad either. The omelet was just okay - it could have used some more salt. A little bland. I did love the home fries - crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and very well seasoned. The toast tasted like grocery store bread, so that was a little disappointing for the price. So to sum up: on the positive side, ambiance and service were great. Home fries were delicious. Portions were generous. On the meh side, omelette and bread were bland (plus they were no longer hot by the time they came out, so that was strange). The only really bad thing I have to say is that they served my mom sour milk for her coffee, but they were very apologetic and gifted us blueberry muffins to make up for it, so I won't hold it against them.

My friend found this spot online and suggested we check it out, and I'm so glad we did. When we…read morearrived, I did not expect to find an entire courtyard filled with shops and restaurants tucked behind this little alleyway. It was such a cute hidden area, and I was already excited before we even got to the place. We headed upstairs into the bar, and the vibe was perfect. It's small, cozy, dimly lit, with vibey music playing. Since it was our first time, we were a little confused at first, but the waiter was super kind and walked us through everything. I ordered the Elly the Elephant and my friend got the Laughing Gull, and we both really enjoyed our drinks. One thing I thought was really nice is that they allow you to grab food from the surrounding restaurants and bring it in to eat there. We didn't end up doing that, but we did get the charcuterie board they had. It came with cheeses, crackers, and some fruit, and you can add meats for $10, which we opted out for. I will say I was a little disappointed by the fruit portion. The menu mentioned fresh fruit, so I expected more than three thin orange slices and one sliced strawberry. HOWEVER, when I asked for more strawberries, our waiter kindly brought out a whole bowl for me, which I really appreciated. We stayed for about two hours, and as the night went on the place definitely got more crowded, so we headed out. Overall, this is such a cute and cozy cocktail bar. I'll definitely be back when the weather is warmer to try the other drinks and restaurants in the market.

I can't believe I've never been to Bow Market before but I will definitely be back! So many hidden…read moregems. Stores, cocktail lounges, restaurants, etc. It's also lit up very nicely at night. So fun! I'd imagine it's poppin in the summer/on a warm night. I just went to Nook (located upstairs once you're in Bow Market) and it's such a vibe! They've got an extensive drink menu, a couch area to lounge on, high tables and bar seating, cool interior design, and dim lighting. I mean the ambiance is there. Highly recommend the fruity drink! I forget the exact name but the bartender suggested it to me, and it was from the "West" menu page.

Really cute inside!…read more Service was a 4/5. Food: - calamari (9/10): loved the peppers - crudo (10/10): so many flavors, this was amazing - crispy sprouts (6/10): not my fav - lumache (7/10): flavorful, i loved the saffron - tagliatelle (4/10): did not love this pasta - chicken parm (10/10): best thing that we had - tiramisu (6/10): it was okay

A restaurant where you can still order $1 oysters! In the year of our Lord 2025, it's increasingly…read moredifficult to come by such a good deal. My two friends and I ordered 56 oysters. There's no limit- as of now, at least- on the amount of oysters one person can order. They come with sriracha, lemon wedges, and mignonette. While not the biggest or most flavorful oysters I've ever eaten, for $1, it's the quantity and subsequent feeling of opulence that counts. We also ordered the grilled asparagus, which was served with a lemon aioli, stracciatella cheese, and crispy bits of soppressata. Delicious! We had the option to sit indoors or outdoors on the patio, and we opted for outside. Since the restaurant is right on Mass Ave, it's ideal for people-watching in Central Sq. Service was also great; the hosts and our waiters were very nice and attentive.

First thing when I entered I was asked if they could take my coat. I love that little extra bit of…read moreservice that you don't seem to get at a lot of restaurants now a days. We were seated by the window which was definitely a bit cold but I don't blame the restaurant for that. It's MA in January but just a heads up if that is something that would bother you. I ordered the one trick pony cocktail and it was incredible. I love when I go to a restaurant and the ingredients are something unique and maybe I wouldn't ever have had before. We ended up ordering the sourdough bread, seared scallops, potatoes, and waygu beef. The menu is also unique and interesting for the food and lot of flavors I would not think to put together and they worked every single time. Incredibly delicious! I will definitely be coming back!

We went to Fallow Kin on 2/15 for their four course Valentine's Day menu and unfortunately the food…read morewas extremely disappointing. The one star is solely for the cocktails and the excellent service from the bartender. We started with the Hazlet Rye sourdough, which was dense and dry. It was surprising that they thought this was acceptable to serve. For the four courses we had the Hamachi crudo and kohlrabi salad, leek cannelloni, silken tofu and local lobster, and for dessert panna cotta and chocolate torte. The kohlrabi salad was the only bright spot -- it was at least fresh and tasted okay. The hamachi crudo had almost no flavor. The leek cannelloni was overwhelmingly bitter, it was supposed to be a burnt onion miso sauce that tasted totaaly burnt. The silken tofu was literally a large block of tofu with broth poured over it, with no real texture or flavor. The lobster dish was heavy and overly rich. The hollandaise and lobster pie on the side did not balance each other and the overall dish felt dense. Dessert was equally disappointing. The chocolate torte was not a torte but a slice of dry, mediocre cake. A grocery store cake would have been better. The panna cotta was essentially whipped cream and lacked the texture that panna cotta should have. On a positive note, the cocktails were very good. We had the Timepiece and One Tricky Pony and both were excellent. The non alcoholic Automat Spritz was also well done. The bartender provided great service and was the highlight of the night. This restaurant has good reviews and we were super excited to try it. Maybe the Valentine's Day menu was an off night and the regular menu is better. However, at this price point the lack of flavor and cohesion is hard to overlook. There are many better options in this range and we likely won't be back.