Harvard Square Restaurant Guide

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From decadent pastries to mouthwatering burritos to award-winning restaurants to late-night snacks, Harvard Square boasts many fantastic culinary experiences. See the list below to find the perfect restaurant for any occasion, whether you have a few minutes before your next meeting, need a quick lunch, want to meet up with colleagues to unwind, or are planning a celebratory dinner. 

Restaurants in Harvard Square

Harvard Square Institutions

  • Charlie’s Kitchen - This delicious dive bar has been a Harvard Square institution for nearly 70 years. Grab some Island Creek oysters, a double cheeseburger, and a beer and you’re set. Fun patio scene in warmer months. 

  • Mr. Bartley’s Burgers - Another Harvard Square institution! Open since 1960. The menu is as fun to read as the burgers are to eat.  

  • Cafe Sushi - This place is often packed. Serving the best sushi in the area since 1984.

  • Grendel’s Den - Casual fare in a cozy brick-walled subterranean pub since 1971. 

Specialities

  • Mike’s Pastry - Cannoli and other Italian pastries from the famous North End bakery. Don’t sleep on the mocha cakes. Travel to the North End to sample cannoli from Modern Pastry, Mike’s rival, and determine which team you’re on. 

  • Gong Cha - Tasty boba tea!

  • L.A. Burdick - Incredibly thick and delicious hot chocolate. Top-tier chocolate treats. 

  • Blue Bottle Coffee - Very serious coffee. Very delicious. Limited tables for working.

Quick Bites

  • Flour Bakery - Breakfast, lunch, and famously good sweets (try the sticky sticky bun, brioche au chocolat, kouign amann, chunky lola cookie, oreo cookie, broccoli melt, roast beef sandwich…)

  • Tatte - Breakfast, lunch, and sweets. Delicious shakshuka, salads, sandwiches. Nice place to take a laptop and have a latte. 

  • Tasty Burger - The name says it all. Boston’s burger chain has darn tasty burgers. Also get fries and a milkshake, of course. 

  • Madras Dosa - Delicious crispy-crunchy dosas with a wide variety of fillings. Chaat and sandwiches as well. 

  • OTTO - Delicious Portland-based pizza by the slice or by the pie. No joke: the mashed potato, bacon & scallion is really good. 

  • Joe’s Pizza - New York-style slices and pies. I challenge you walk past and not be drawn in by the aroma. 

  • J.P. Licks - Some of the Boston area’s best ice cream. They also have coffee and baked goods like waffles and homemade strawberry pop tarts. 

  • Lizzy’s - More of the Boston area’s best ice cream. Great cones and sundaes.

Casual Fare

  • Felipe’s - Fantastic burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and more. They taste even better on the rooftop patio. 

  • Life Alive - Craving something healthy with lots of flavor? Maybe something vegetarian, vegan, or raw? This is the place. Try the Adventurer or the Swami, or one of the delicious smoothies.  

  • Orinoco Kitchen - South American fare, including mouthwatering arepas. Even better with a pisco sour. 

  • Achilito’s Taqueria - A new edition to Harvard Square. Tasty Mexican food including Impossible plant-based meat options.  

  • Daedalus - A beloved spot in a converted greenhouse. Great food, great rooftop patio.

Fancy

  • Giulia - This one is up towards Porter Square but so worth the walk. Delicious handmade pasta and other Italian dishes. Try the warm semolina cakes and the wild boar ragu to see why they’ve been on the menu forever. 

  • Alden & Harlow - Delicious small plates, exceptional cocktails, vibes. I bet you didn’t know grilled broccoli could taste so good. Also try the pickled corn pancakes, the grilled mackerel, the smoked chocolate bread pudding…try the whole menu. 

  • Pammy’s - Award-winning new American restaurant. The lumache pasta with bolognese and gochujang stays on the menu for a very good reason. Great cocktails and wine too. 

  • Waypoint - Seafood and vibes. If you’re in the mood for oysters, a raw bar, classic seafood, or more adventurous fish dishes, this is your spot. 

  • Russell House Tavern - With upscale new American fare and fancy-feeling leather banquettes, this place is a favorite. 

  • Henrietta’s Table - A farm-to-table favorite for over 20 years. Great brunch, very seasonal menu. Apparently sort of a hotspot for global elites? 

Porter Square Favorites

  • Dudley Cafe - Breakfast, lunch, and sweets on offer at this cafe that started in Roxbury. Try the new edition sandwich, Ayanna’s bowl (named after Rep. Ayanna Pressley), or Michelle’s bowl.

  • Bagelsaurus - Best bagels in Cambridge. No need to get them toasted. Try a sesame with honey-rosemary cream cheese or an eggspañola bagel sandwich. Sneaky good cookies and banana coffee cake. 

  • Yume Ga Arukara - Once you taste the udon, you’ll understand the long lines at this tiny, nationally-recognized shop.

  • Yume Wo Katare - Another tiny noodle shop with understandably long lines. Outstanding ramen. "Yume Wo Katare" means "speak your dreams," which is what diners are invited to do periodically to their compatriots in the dining room.

  • Ana’s Taqueria - Try their incredible burritos. Don’t sleep on the veggie burrito; their roasted vegetable combo is divine. 

  • Dear Annie - Neighborhood natural wine bar with delicious snacky plates. Really great plant collection. 

  • The Little Crepe Cafe - A beautiful neighborhood creperie with sweet and savory crepes.