Restaurants in Cambridge

Though Mantra head chef Purvesh Patel is known for his creative takes on Indian cuisine—including chaat, or snack food, garnished with tender lobster meat—his careful, French-inspired cooking also leaves its mark on his menu’s traditional entrees. "Each ingredient seemed to have bathed for just the right number of hours in its yogurt marinade; each was precisely cooked; and each carried a heady overtone of spices," a New York Times food writer recalled of a tandoori dish in 2008. In contrast to these subtle flavors, Mantra’s presentation often has theatrical flair; chefs chop chaat dishes tableside and set a banana flambé dessert ablaze with rum.

Both locations’ sleek dining rooms also go for drama with bold, modern décor. In Jersey City, red accents simmer against warm-toned walls. Next to the Paramus spot's mosaic-tiled bar, live flames dance on the low wall between dining room and lounge, upping the “amazement factor” for the Star-Ledger.

The chefs at Mike's Food & Spirits whip together a bevy of classic seafood dishes, pasta plates, and other Italian favorites. Pizzas hoist mounds of bacon, ricotta, and sausage atop floury crusts, and made-to-order calzones enfold shaved steak, breaded chicken, or bites of eggplant for easy transport to mouths or convenient self-storage inside purses. Patrons also sate hungers with Old World recipes such as the sausage cacciatore, where italian sausage mingles with peppers and mushrooms in a homemade marinara sauce, and a seafood platter that sets taste buds sailing with deep-fried haddock, shrimp, and scallops. Taps pour plentiful American microbrews and imports to accompany meals, assuage tongues exhausted from exploring flavorful sauces, and severely reduce one’s chances of spontaneous combustion.

North 26, located inside the stately Millennium Bostonian Hotel, dishes up contemporary takes on classic New England cuisine, harnessing fresh seafood and prime meats to construct dishes that have earned glowing accolades from Gayot and Zagat. For breakfast or an insomniac's dinner, chefs serve house-cured corned-beef hash and steel-cut oatmeal flecked with raw vanilla sugar. The dinner menu flaunts elegant sandwiches and entrees, such as seared swordfish and 1.5-pound Maine lobsters that beget beer-battered claw meat and grilled tail. At the fully stocked bar, a smattering of small plates occupies fingers as signature cocktails blended with top-quality bourbon, vermouth, and other liquors satisfy thirsty coasters.

Understated lighting from dangling, cylindrical fixtures glistens off the sleek, modern wood furnishings that adorn nearly every facet of North 26's décor, from the chairs and tables to the blinds and high ceilings. Dozens of wines contemplate ways to break free from their cork confinement and run off with their martini lovers from inside an illuminated rack, which towers over the dining area amid exposed-brick walls and skylights. Full-wall windows permit vistas of bustling Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall located downtown, just beyond North 26's outdoor dining patio.

A quaint, shamrock-green and wrought iron sign ushers guests into Kirby Kitchen's dining room, where a faux fireplace, crisp white wainscoting, and sepia-toned portraits evoke the feel of an old-fashioned parlor. The eatery’s goal is equally nostalgic: to serve fresh, homemade fare using local ingredients that have never been frozen or taught profanity. Chef Bob Botchie––who received formal training at Le Cordon Bleu––prepares a simple, yet tasteful menu of salads, made-from-scratch soups, and sandwiches, with a focus on comforting classics such as a BLT topped with fried green tomato and a traditional Irish boiled dinner with house-corned beef, vinegar slaw, and sautéed potatoes. The restaurant shares its cozy space with a small market that sells house-made jams, cheeses, pickles, and cured meats, allowing customers to appreciate artisan eats in the comforting glow of their own home hearth.

Inside Fasika Ethiopian Restaurant, companions gather around a traditional mesob, a table woven from colorful straw, for a communal dining experience. Upon the mesob’s concave surface, servers nestle a broad platter that holds a family-style meal neatly scooped out onto a foundation of spongy injera bread. Diners dive in together, tearing scraps of injera, which they use to pinch turmeric-spiced bites of beef, lamb, poultry, and veggies from the menu's selection of specialty dishes. Between bites, patrons can sip tej, a wine fermented from hops and raw honey that is served hot or cold. After meals, rounds of warming coffee signal the repast's end as clearly as the gong that sounds at the end of a Shakespearian soliloquy.

Allston Diner forges hearty breakfast platters all day long, filling a significant gap in the area's dining scene with its "down-South comfort food," according to a feature in the Boston Phoenix. The cooks ladle sausage gravy over house-made biscuits and top crispy cornbread waffles with golden-brown pieces of fried chicken. They also do their best to accommodate a range of diets by whisking together vegetarian-friendly omelets and vegan pancakes.

Much like the menu, the dining room toes the line between a nostalgic diner and a contemporary urban eatery. Backless stools line the front counter, and turquoise trim adorns the walls and booths. Even the tables embrace this whimsical eclecticism, featuring carefully arranged collages of comic-book panels and napkins that are made from hand-woven cotton candy.