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Bambara Kitchen & Bar, Cambridge, MA

Bambara Kitchen & Bar

4.4
4.4
941 Reviews
$30 and under
American

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 2 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Good for business meals
  • Dog-friendly
  • Innovative
Bambara Kitchen & Bar is nestled on the Charles River Canal, and is right where you need it: close to MIT, Tech square, the Museum of Science, and adjacent to the Hotel Marlowe. Here, Executive Chef Adam Resnick's menus explore different cuisines and flavor profiles bringing seasonal American fare beyond the traditional with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and subtle global influences. Come enjoy our vibrant, welcoming atmosphere for indoor dining.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Contemporary American
  • Hours of Operation
    Breakfast Mon–Fri 7:00 am–10:30 am Brunch Sat, Sun 7:30 am–1:30 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–1:00 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (617) 868-4444
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Adam Resnick
  • Catering
    Or, let Bambara create enticing menus for an event at the adjacent Hotel Marlowe, which offers three beautiful rooms with views for your guests to enjoy. The flexible and beautifully appointed rooms can accommodate intimate ceremonies, gala Cambridge wedding receptions, chic holiday parties, and other special events of up to 350 guests. <br /><br />
  • Private party facilities
    Bambara is happy to accommodate semi-private groups. Indoor seating is limited to 6 guests per table. We can seat up to 20 people with proper social distancing in our semi-private space. Masks are required unless you are seated at your table during events. Let us customized a menu for your gathering!
  • Area
    Cambridge
  • Cross Street
    28 (McGrath Highway)
  • Parking details
    Garage parking available at the adjacent Cambridgeside Galleria mall, parking validation available for up to 3 hours after 5pm.
  • Public transit
    Green Line to Lechmere, or Red Line to Kendall Square
  • Additional
    Patio/Outdoor Dining

Experiences

  • WORLD OF WIZARDRY KIDS SPECIAL

    13 Sept 2024 - 5 Jan 2025
    Attending the Harry Potter: The Exhibition at CambridgeSide next door? Kids under the age of 12 eat free with our magic themed menu when an adult orders an entrée. Simply show us your exhibition ticket.
  • Thanksgiving Dinner

    28 Nov 2024 only
    Join us for Thanksgiving and enjoy our delectable 3-course dinner menu, including traditional favorites and chef specialties. We have a limited dinner menu also available at the bar or for take-out until 8PM.
    Thanksgiving Dinner photo

Offers

  • $1 Oysters

    Multiple dates available
    Sun - Sat - 17:00 - 19:00
    Every day is Shuck Day! Join us for $1 oysters every day from 5PM - 7PM.

    $1 Oysters photo

What 941 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4
4.4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.3Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.1Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Bambara Kitchen & Bar offers an upscale ambiance with thoughtfully crafted dishes and expertly mixed cocktails. Guests rave about the "excellent staff" and "absolutely delicious food," particularly the pesto fettuccine and sea scallops. Despite occasional service hiccups, the overall experience is enhanced by attentive servers and a welcoming atmosphere.

941 Reviews
  1. Jacqueline

    New York City

    6 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely brunch with terrific options at Kimpton, Marlowe hotel. Food was delicious and great service!

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  2. Brian

    San Diego

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 4 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Very good food, a very enjoyable experience for our party of four.

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  3. MeredithT

    E. Tennessee

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 19 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Delicious dinner and good service. Our steaks and scallops were perfect,

    Is this helpful?

  4. Michelle

    New York City

    17 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on 19 October 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The only reason this is getting 2 stars over all is because our server was fantastic. The place is also cute and the menu looked delicious. Then cocktails were also phenomenal but expensive. It ends there. Got the burrata which was sour & disgustung. Totally turned my stomach. Sent it back. We ordered steak- both of us medium. Mine was extremely rare- uncooked in parts completely. Brussels sprouts came out half way through the entrees. Spoke to the waitress about the steak & was like on top of serving bad cheese this is not really acceptable for the price. She was very nice and understanding. Said she was speaking to managers. She came back and said “ My manager said we can only take off the Burata” Like I mean that was a given no? She then said I’ll comp your wine off my own salary bc I think you should have gotten more off. We didn’t want her to do that. Managers never came over.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Jennifer

    New York City

    6 reviews

    2.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 18 October 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Bambara offers an upscale ambiance that sets the stage for an elegant dining experience. The layout creates an inviting space, perfect for both intimate dinners and celebratory gatherings. The menu is a highlight each item seemingly thoughtfully crafted. The drink menu features a range of expertly crafted cocktails, showcasing seasonal flavors that perfectly complement the food. However, my experience at Bambara was marred by significant missteps that overshadowed its potential. I ordered the Burrata, only to find it unexpectedly sour, detracting from the fresh and creamy essence I anticipated. My main course, the Grilled Steak Frites, was another disappointment. I specifically requested a medium cook with a "warm pink center, no red," yet what arrived was a steak that was rare at best, with a red hue throughout. To add to the frustration, my side dish and glass of wine—both ordered to accompany the steak—arrived a full ten minutes after the steak was served, interrupting the flow of the meal. As a former server, I empathized with our attentive and apologetic waitress, who was clearly doing her best under the circumstances. It was disheartening to hear that we were not the first party to encounter similar issues that evening. Even more concerning was the manager's decision not to visit our table personally to apologize or discuss our concerns, leaving a void in customer service that felt particularly glaring during a busy weekend like Head of the Charles. Despite the beautiful setting and promising menu, my experience at Bambara fell short of the standards one expects in the hospitality industry. Further evidence was the server sharing with us that the restaurant rarely sees the traffic which should be reflected by occupancy of the hotel. It’s a shame, as I would have loved to make this a regular spot as a local. With the right attention to detail and management oversight, Bambara has the potential to truly shine, but until then, it’s a mixed bag.

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  6. Bridget

    Greater Boston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 7 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Absolutely delicious food, I highly recommend their homemade fettuccini with the pesto 🤤 our waiter was quick and fun to be around

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  7. Luis

    Greater Boston

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on 16 August 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great experience! Our server Andres was awesome from the moment we got to the restaurant. The food was also amazing! Everything was delicious! Thanks for a great experience

    1 person found this helpful

  8. OpenTable Diner

    New Hampshire

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 16 August 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful experience! One of the best hotel restaurants I've been to. Great specials and good kids menu. Highly recommend.

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  9. michael

    Pittsburgh

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 29 July 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I had the Sea Scallops and Creamed Corn. it was DELICIOUS!!! i made my whole family try the creamed corn, they all LOVED it. Would recommend just for the corn.

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  10. TammyG

    Richmond

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 13 July 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent staff, was very timely with our needs, great quality food.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Bambara Kitchen & Bar offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (617) 868-4444.

Bambara Kitchen & Bar is rated 4.4 stars by 941 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 2 times today
Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Bambara Kitchen & Bar

25 Edwin H Land Blvd., Cambridge, MA 02141

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    28 (McGrath Highway)
  • Area
    Cambridge
  • Hours of Operation
    Breakfast Mon–Fri 7:00 am–10:30 am Brunch Sat, Sun 7:30 am–1:30 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–1:00 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Contemporary American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Garage parking available at the adjacent Cambridgeside Galleria mall, parking validation available for up to 3 hours after 5pm.
  • Public transit
    Green Line to Lechmere, or Red Line to Kendall Square
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Adam Resnick
  • Additional
    Patio/Outdoor Dining
  • Phone number
    (617) 868-4444
  • Catering
    Or, let Bambara create enticing menus for an event at the adjacent Hotel Marlowe, which offers three beautiful rooms with views for your guests to enjoy. The flexible and beautifully appointed rooms can accommodate intimate ceremonies, gala Cambridge wedding receptions, chic holiday parties, and other special events of up to 350 guests. <br /><br />
  • Private party facilities
    Bambara is happy to accommodate semi-private groups. Indoor seating is limited to 6 guests per table. We can seat up to 20 people with proper social distancing in our semi-private space. Masks are required unless you are seated at your table during events. Let us customized a menu for your gathering!
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