Loved the vibes! It was still popping at 8pm so we had to wait a bit. It was small and intimate inside, but vibrant in a romantic essence. The menu is limited so there's not a lot of options. I did enjoy Mushroom Noodles and my friend liked the Seafood Festival Noodles. The dishes itself were large, vibrantly colored, with lots of flavor profiles and ingredients. The two entrees were good and had potential but ultimately not authentic enough. Service was fantastic and the hostess/waitress took great care of us! I would definitely give this place another try and order more of their popular items. To note, the two tables outside the dining area are also dog friendly! read more

Another excellent experience from the Cicada family of restaurants. Overall I really enjoyed the food and thought that the majority of the dishes were excellent and unique. Similar to Saigon BabyIon, I thought they did a great job at selecting the right dishes for the season. There were a mix of lighter more refreshing dishes as well as heartier ones which felt right for the end of summer/start of fall. The hot dishes (esp the soup) came out piping hot, while the cold dishes came out cold which I thought was a nice contrast and made everything seem very fresh. I look forward to returning soon! read more

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Just covering my bases here. Everything Vinh Le and Duong Huynh touch can be assumed to be gold, so in case you were wondering - yes this place rocks. Cicada, Saigon Babylon and this all have a little different vibe which I appreciate. This ones a little more cozy - just a few tables and a bar tucked away in a nook of Bow Market small enough to miss even though you go there all the time. As in, I didn't know it existed and am ashamed. The dishes are similar to the other spots in that they are artfully designed and inconceivably fresh. A lot of the flavors are shared between the restaurants, but I appreciate them trying different things at each. Forces me to go to all of them, poor me. The one thing I'd like to see is a bit more variety in their drinks. The theme here seems to be straight liquors/sake, rather than cocktails like at Saigon. It's a cool idea, but I felt like it limited my options a bit. It's hard to pair a nice delicate dish with, like, a shot of whiskey. I mean, at least before midnight. read more

For Valentines this year we played dinner roulette. We live close to the square and had 3 restaurants in mind. So we walked to each and put our names down to see who would reach out to us first with an available table and Midnight Eaves was it. It was a nice experience. Our host and server were really nice and helpful with any questions we had. It's a very small and intimate restaurant so it's great for date nights. The food was delectable. The icecream amaro was such a unique experience - first it's a punch then a calmness, and after each scoop I say 'that's it' but then there's a lingering feeling for more haha. Note: they don't do takeout because on a separate occasion before, my husband tried to order to-go. read more

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My husband and I finally went to The Eaves. We're frequent goers to Bow Market, and this is a really unique and special addition. I'm not sure how to spell his name but Tuan who was working there was exceptionally kind and knowledgeable. He guided us in choosing sake and whiskey options that would pair with our meals. We tried the duck tartare, red snapper crudo, and then I had the seafood noodles without broth and my husband had the eaves noodle (beef with beef broth). We were the only ones there at 5, so they specially made a nice rice cracker to go with the duck for us, which I would recommend asking for. By 6:40 on a Friday every spot was taken. We loved our dishes. The only change I would make is to probably get the seafood noodles with the broth next time, as there's not much of a sauce without the broth. Ask for the homemade chili oil!! We also finished with the egg nog ice cream paired with amaro. The amaro was a bit strong for my taste but the ice cream was delicious- would probably get that on its own next time. Ambiance is very intimate, small, and cozy. Service was attentive. We'll be back. read more

Squirreled away in a hidden section of Bow Market, there's something to be said for concise size and focus, and the Vietnamese owner of The Eaves, clearly delivers both. The Eaves, presenting a slice of Vietnamese cuisine, is a billed as a "whiskey sake noodle bar" -- and while its tiny kitchen somewhat limits its ability to provide a wide variety of dishes -- its culinary prowess succeeds in delivering a robust tasting of Vietnamese delights. We didn't imbibe any whiskey on this trip, but we did taste a number of Sake's, as well as the sole beer offering on the menu - Echigo Koshihikari, a clear golden-yellow lager with hints of sweet malt. Our favorite small bite was Há Cáo Tôm, a shrimp gyoza dumpling, awash in a tasty ginger beef broth topped with micro-greens. When we return again, duck tartare (raw duck) could be in the offing, should we work up the courage. The centerpiece food items are its soups, and we tried 2 of the 3. The noodles are rice noddles, not wheat-based middles such as Ramen. Those Celiacs or others wishing to avoid gluten will appreciate this, but rice noodles do not absorb the flavors of the broth as well as wheat noddles. We did love both the Beef Noodle dish as well as the seafood noodle dish (served in a beef broth, which is unusual). We would happily recommend both. There is a Vegan offering which we didn't try. If you're looking for a small, intimate relationship with food and drink, this friendly Somerville/Cambridge gem is with the visit. read more

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This is a good date spot as it has such a cozy/romantic vibe. Inside there are only a handful of tables (not suitable for large groups) that are dimly lit. The servers were super friendly and checked in on use frequently. The highlight of this place was the curated selection of sake/wines. I thought the food was tasty but expected a bit more creativity on the dishes because of the price. The clay pot rice was not a hot clay pot so just an fyi. I would come here for the overall ambiance than just the food. read more

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Great ambiance, food, and service! The only reason why this wasn't 5 stars was the speed of the kitchen honestly - it took quite a while between each dish which left for a less than desirable experience, but other than that, we had a great time at The Eaves. I recommend booking at least a week in advance if you can - reservations fill up quickly and it's such a small space that I don't think I would ever try coming without a guaranteed spot. We were seated quickly upon checking in and got a spot at the bar which was a little cramped, but cozy nonetheless. The menu has a decent variety of dishes, but not too much so you're overwhelmed. We settled for 4 dishes between the two of us and it was a good portion of food so we left satisfied. The drinks were very good, I think the bartenders did a great job with the creativity and flavor. I would recommend all their dishes honestly, fairly priced (albeit a bit small portion wise) and plenty tasty. The servers are also super helpful with explaining each dish. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience here and would gladly come again in the future. Thanks, The Eaves! read more

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TLDR: 10/10. Would absolutely come again. Went there for dinner last night with a friend and we both left looking forward to dining here again! This is undoubtedly a perfect date night spot, tucked into a corner in Bow market underneath drapes of dazzling lights at night. The restaurant is SMALL (perfect for 2 people, max 4 people) with approximately ~20 seats available including bar seatings. 1 server only. The kitchen is just behind the bar, and you could see the chef making noodles from a distance. Vibe: As you walk into the restaurant through beaded curtains, you find yourself in an intimate space dimly lit by red fluorescent lanterns and candlelight. Your presence is amplified by your reflection from a large vintage bronze mirror, and you are reminded of the intimate and romantic atmosphere of the presence. With a unique selection of Vietnamese slow jazz and r&b music softly playing in the background, you are brought back to the 70s in Vietnam. Food: Now comes the important part. Overall I'd say the food is between a 4.5 to 5 star. Small menu with only 6 appetizer, 3 entree, and 1 dessert for selections and but great presentation and flavor profile. -App: The shrimp dumplings were delicate yet packed with shrimps with a touch of numbing spice from the chili oil. -Entree: We both got the beef noodles, and it comes with a side of salad lettuce and a lime wedge. I especially appreciate their choice of an udon-like noodles for a more bouncy chewy texture rather than the conventional vermicelli. Beef is almost fully cooked at times of serving, which is not what I'd prefer but I can appreciate its intention given the sight of rare beef might not be for everyone. Broth is otherwise very flavorful and hearty. -Bonuses: The restaurant was near closing by the end of our meal, but the server was kind to let us have their last bites of their ice cream dessert with amaro as a complimentary. I wasn't able to get the name of it but it reminded me of serradura, the Portuguese sawdust pudding. We were also given two shots of sake which was a delightful addition to an already dazzling diner night. Service: If you cannot already tell, I'm raving about this restaurant. 10/10 service and the waiter was very attentive. We loved our time here and truly cannot recommend more! read more

The Eaves - Beef noodles - Vietnamese Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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The Eaves is a intimate hole in the wall restaurant located right in Bow Market in Union Square. Its a great date night spot ( or small group no larger than 4) but book far in advance because it may be hard to get a reservation. Also, EVERY dish has some sort of seafood or duck so if you don't like those then you may want to avoid. The food is light but delicious Vietnamese food with unique Vietnamese inspired cocktails. We got the peach scallops, bluefin tartar, shrimp congee, and the salmon with rice. The must get for sure is the salmon and rice. The staff are super friendly and explains in depth what the dish is as they serve it. read more

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Love this place. Really enjoy the ambiance and the decor. The small kitchen atmosphere is really intimate and a clever use of space. Dishes were well prepared and my favorite had to have been the corn and duck dish. Service was great - really accommodating with our larger party of five, which is their max. read more

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I was shocked to see that a beautifully decorated bar could fit in the storage section in front of the bathrooms at bow market but they pulled it off! At the same time, this limited space means limited food prep capacity and it definitely shows. The drink menu has cocktails with interesting components but I don't think they come through. I ordered the Rain or Shine bc I was curious about the MSG and torched apple, but received the Whisper of the Heart, which was very girly and pretty but only tasted smoky of mezcal. Our waitress did get me the right drink eventually, but it also was whisky dominated, so what's the purpose of the MSG?! The Daybreak matcha mocktail was the tastiest. For food, we got the duck confit gyoza, which came with an oddly large bowl of nuoc Cham to dip, but it tasted and looked like water. I appreciated the thin wrapper of the gyoza, the duck inside was savory and I liked how it wasn't ground meat, but there really wasn't anything special about this lukewarm dish. 3/5 The scallop crudo had delightfully tender and flavorful scallops, but all the random accoutrements (~Vermont maple cinnamon nuoc cham, lemon balm paste, peach) felt like afterthoughts. They complemented each other but overpowered the delicate scallops. 3.5/5 The Grilled duck breast and meatball was my favorite but a low bar. It was a bit odd to be served the giant amount of noodles on the side to put into the tiny bowl of broth. The duck breast had good duck flavor and texture, but the meatball was VERY moist and crumbly, almost like a crumbled tofu ball. The broth was delicious, sweet, sour, savory, I wouldn't know how to recreate it, but it "tickles your senses" as they say. 3.5/5 The salmon dish was highly confusing, we thought there'd be two types of salmon: sushi grade raw salmon and caramelized salmon. Turns out it's just a slab of cooked sushi grade salmon, which I'm confused by like why would you cook salmon that's made to be enjoyed raw?! The pandan rice was so plain like microwaveable rice, and served with limp cucumber slices and the spiciest red sauce drizzled over. 2/5 It's a cute vibey intimate spot for drinks I suppose, but not somewhere to go for a satiating meal. read more

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Excellent meal and ambiance. The food was delicately americanized. Very mild in terms of spice. The tartare was incredible - perfect medium between larb and tartare. We also shared the mushroom noodles, the papaya salad, and a duck dish. The four courses was a perfect amount for two very hungry people. The sake was excellent as well and we loved the complimentary taste to kick off the meal. read more

Perfect little date spot hidden in Bow Market. It feels like you have been transported to a outdoor cafe in a beautiful and tropical city in Vietnam. The menu is small, and honestly I wanted to try everything! My favorite was the seafood spicy tartar. The key west and corn with shrimp was also yummy. The violet cocktail was very unique and filled with the freshness of spring. We also enjoyed the whisper of love cocktail. The staff are friendly, with great suggestions. It's fun sitting at the bar and watching the chiefs cook. Highly recommend! The old negative was the music - it didn't seem to match the ambiance. Still, I would definitely recommend! read more

The Eaves - Whisper of the heart cocktail - Vietnamese Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Fantastic and very unique meal in a funky little space with nice decor. The service was friendly, casual and fast. The flavors was delicious and good spice level. Would have been nice to have a few more options for mains, especially as they were out of one option, but otherwise amazing read more

If you don't know where to look, you may never find this speakeasy unless you ask around since there's no signage indicating where the restaurant is located or how you can be directed to it. And that's the essence of a speakeasy right? On a cold, bitter, windy, winter night, you might as well ask around to avoid wandering aimlessly around Bow Market. Once you're inside, don't be fooled by the velvet rope as that preserves what it is. Step over and mention to the waitstaff you have a reservation and you'll be seated inside the dimly lit interior architecture gives a semblance of dining and hanging out on the countryside on the outside. The menu captivated us as it's not your typical Vietnamese restaurant but instead serves tapas-style dishes. So for the small plates, we started off with the corn and micro shrimp but the corn upon chewing on the too-soft side so its texture was a bit off-putting for us. The clams were succulent and delectable and we used the shells to scoop out the flavorful ginger and lemongrass broth every chance we got. When we got the shrimp vermicelli salad, it was a tower of crisp shrimp, cucumber, cashews and herbs. It was very refreshing! Very something unique was the tartare (forgot the species of fish we got) but pairing it red shiso, cashew, chiles and everything else that came along with it, including a sauce that probably consisted of betel leaf, made it fantastically delicious. For our entrées, we ordered the grilled duck breast and meatball and Mekong Delta, a fish soup. That duck breast (you know me and I love duck!) was thinly sliced and paired with vermicelli and a dipping sauce. By itself, it tasted great. When you take a spoonful of Mekong Delta and sip it with a bit of oxygen, you can't help but smile and marvel at how well everything works well together with coconut milk, turmeric, lemongrass, and the fish. The vermicelli was also sunken inside the soup. The staff were very friendly and always attentive. It's a small area (probably no larger than 750 sq ft) but they have a couple tables on the outside so it's recommended to come with a gathering of at most 4 people. You'll find parking on the street. read more

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We were excited to try this new Cicada sister restaurant that had such elusive reservations. We ended up getting a reservation for 10pm on a Sunday, and we seemed to be the last customers. The restaurant was really tucked away with a tiny kitchen. We got to see the magic happen since we were seated at the bar. Since the menu wasn't that big, we decided to try everything. Overall there were some things I enjoyed but I think I would rather go to Cicada. The scallop crudo was tasty because the scallops tasted fresh and naturally sweet. The bluefish tartare was good but a bit too salty given it was just served with leaves and nuts. The corn was good -- it's the starchy kind. The micro shrimps are sweet. Overall it's a pretty tasty dish you can eat by the spoonful. The shrimp noodle salad was good but pretty standard. It was nice to have some refreshing veggies. The shrimps were few and the tough kind of shrimp, but they were at least sliced thinly. The congee was very normal congee with some sweet microshrimp. I didn't think this was anything special either. The salmon in the salmon dish was a bit overcooked for my tastes and the white rice was overshadowed by my memory of the Cicada black rice I had had for lunch. The non-alcoholic drink we got was fine but a bit watery and lacking flavor. We also tried the duck dishes and I cannot speak to that because I don't like duck, but my husband really liked them. He said the duck was tender and the duck ravioli was good. Overall I was a bit underwhelmed. I was glad we got to try everything but was expecting more. I think this may be a good place for duck lovers to go -- otherwise, I think Cicada is tastier. read more

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Went for our anniversary and it was such a lovely experience! Hard to find and is a very tiny location but the ambiance is definitely a nice speakeasy vibe. Food was expensive but delicious - we especially loved the bun cha. Cocktails are also strong and fun (forgot to take pictures of those). Overall a fun date night spot read more

The Eaves - fish tartare - Vietnamese Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Style only really works if there is function to base it off of, but unfortunately The Eaves did not seem to have the fundamentals completely down for things to work. I've been meaning to try this place for a while so I was really excited, but my experience did not meet my expectations. The decorations inside are evocative and yet welcoming, cozy. The bar seat we were seated at has a two-tier table with a cute tree trunk edge, but this allowed less space to place our dishes, and eventually we spilled part of our drinks because of overcrowding. There also seemed to be a slight inattention to detail, as my water glass had food smudges left, and a bowl was chipped. I would understand if I were at a $15 or less per person hole-in-the-wall, but considering the presentation of the place and the pricing, I was rather surprised by this. The servers were attentive and friendly, but in this small, quiet, dimly lit restaurant with an open kitchen, we could hear the staff talking very loudly, taking me out of the ambience the restaurant was trying to create. I think overall I was just confused about the vibe this place was going for. The cocktail "Under the Willow Tree" and the spirit-free bartender creation were both pretty good. Corn with micro shrimp: chewy starchy corn (pretty rare around here I think), with delicately-placed herb, sweet flavors and salty shrimp Lemongrass ginger clams: As other reviews say, very grainy. Rinse the clams in the juice before eating, even though I wish I could just drink up the broth because the ginger/lemongrass flavor is so good, unfortunately can't. Duck breast and duck meatballs: strong duck flavor and very tasty, strong broth. Noodles were overcooked. Key West: well-balanced, interesting flavors and overcooked noodles read more

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Food exquisite. Flavors of Vietnam that were completely new and surprising. Highly recommend the spicy market fish tartar, which is served with curry-like betel leaves, to be wrapped dainty with cashews and crunched by the fascinated diner. read more

The Eaves - Vietnamese Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

I'm Vietnamese (if that lends any credibility) and this place is so good! I had the corn & micro shrimp, the fish tartare wrapped in perilla leaf, the duck bún cha, the turmeric and dill fish, and for dessert the Vietnamese yogurt. I would recommend literally everything I had. The owner/chef haha came out to greet us and was super nice. The entire staff is so friendly. I plan to come back again. The place is small so reservations are a good idea. read more

I love this place and will definitely come back again. This is a very small but cozy restaurant. The theme decorations is northern Vietnam style and also the Vietnamese cuisine. The service is very accommodating. Clean, beautiful, great price and good charming location with lots to do in the area while waiting. Reservations are highly recommended!!! read more

Amazing food! Such great service and vibe. I highly recommend!! Great little gem. The broth is so good.

One of the most memorable and delicious dining experiences we've had in Somerville in a long time. Service was top notch, vibe was amazing, authentic, romantic, cozy. Can't wait to visit again. read more

YOU MUST GO TO THIS PLACE. Don't wait, don't put it on the to-do list. Don't wait till the holIdays are over. Book now, and the later in tthe evening the better. The food, on a scale of 1-10 comes in at WOW, Fucking Wow. Vincenzo Le (a 2023 James Beard award semifinalist) and Duong Huynh, are also behind Cicada, a Cambridge coffee and sandwich shop. I ate at the Eves on a Monday night and was lucky enough to meet Vincenzo (running the bar) and Duong (cooking). The place is impossibly small and the experience is incredibly rare. The soft opening in this converted storage space in Bow market began in July of '23. The place has that unique feel when passionate chef owners are at the beginning of something great. The restaurant is already very popular and will outgrow this space very quickly. As of now (Nov 2023) you can still see these talented chefs work gastronomical magic every night behind a tiny open Bar and kitchen. This will not last. Success will most certainly propel this duo into a larger space with investors and you will not have this opportunity where you can watch these co-owners prepare Michelin level food and drinks right in front of you. The experience is intimate, the food is extraordinary. The drinks were 5 star. We had the duck gyoza- I still cannot understand how there was that much flavor in each bite. Also had the cold noodles and shrimp- balanced and phenomenal. And then the Duck Soup- so subtle, so complex. It had spice, richness and somehow sweetness. You must have this dish! read more

Excellent. Best Vietnamese restaurant I've been to. Definitely a must try if you like complex spicy Asian flavors. Not the largest portions, but every bite was great. read more

Nice ambience (love all the attention to detail in the setting of the restaurant - lights, mirrors, frames, curtains, plants), food (small but well-curated menu of very interesting ingredients and flavors), nice spirit-forward drinks, and warm service (so personable). This is a gem! Definitely feels like almost a speakeasy - not super formal, but romantic! read more

I visited the Eaves last Sunday night. I'm a big fan of Cicada so I was super excited to try the Eaves. My boyfriend and I shared the ginger salad with chicken confit and fluke tartare. The ginger salad was fresh and light while the fluke was spicy and flavorful. My boyfriend had the grilled duck which he loved, and I had the Mekong Delta hake which had the most incredible turmeric and lemongrass sauce. I had the tamarind mocktail and he got a cocktail that he enjoyed. We shared the fruit desert which was the perfect sweet end to the meal. My favorite dishes of the night were the fluke and hake. They were sold out of the clams when we were there, so we'll have to be back to try them sometime. My only wish is they had more comfortable seats, most of them are stools without backs and there was no place to put our coats. Otherwise, the space is beautifully decorated, one of the most gorgeous and cozy restaurant interiors in Somerville. read more

If you love Cicada then you will be obsessed with this place, me and my boyfriend went for our anniversary dinner and it was PERFECT. We could not have chosen a better restaurant. The ambiance, the food we could not stop talking about it for days to come. I recommend this place 100% for a special night or even just for a treat! read more

I don't know about their food, but the staff and owners are bad. The worst service all around. I booked a rez for two and canceled three minutes later. Yes, Resy says they "may charge you $15 a person; I called and wrote and said sorry but we have to cancel." They say no problem and then charged us. That's asinine. read more

Food was excellent and the server jennie was very knowledgeable and very helpful in describing the food. I highly recommend this place.