Temple Bar

617-547-5055

1688 Massachusetts Ave Cambridge, MA 02138

www.templebarcambridge.com

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Relaxed atmosphere and a creative menu make this Mass. Ave. hot spot a popular choice for after-work dinner and drinks.

Categories:

Nightclubs, Bars & Pubs, Restaurants, New American Restaurants

Details:

After Work, Romantic Nightlife, Specialty Cocktails, $$, Bar Scene, Brunch, Date Spot, Dine At The Bar, Group Dining, Late Night Dining, Local Favorite, Romantic Dining

Insiders:

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Mon-Fri 5pm-1am Sat-Sun 11am-1am

Message from Temple Bar

Merchant_icon

Located just outside of Harvard Square, Temple Bar is an American bistro that offers a unique and cozy backdrop for any occasion. Whether you are dining with family, friends or on a romantic date, this Cambridge restaurant is the perfect place to go. Patrons will delight in the detailed approach to food preparation, coupled with a broad reaching wine list. Later in the evening, guests can unwind with a delicious specialty cocktail from the drink list at the bar or in a cozy booth. Accented by exposed brick, oversized mirrors, lights and booths and an oak enamored paneling, guests enjoy the buzz and excitement of Temple Bar. Rent out this Cambridge hot spot for your next special event. Whatever the occasion, rehearsal dinner, birthday party, corporate event or anniversary, they offer a wide variety of choices for any event. Come visit this American bistro today.

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The Scene
Located between Harvard and Porter Squares, Temple Bar lures young professionals and local residents with a well-rounded menu and plenty of stylish liquid concoctions (Key lime martins, pineapple-infused vodka drinks). Exposed brick walls, low-hanging lamps, stylish furniture and dark lacquered tabletops provide a touch of elegance to an otherwise relaxed environment. Pleasant servers reveal their favorite menu items and deliver dishes from the rear kitchen.

The Food
Temple Bar's upscale comfort fare includes options for both barflies and serious-minded foodies. Popular starters include fried Rhode Island calamari, tossed with honey peppers, and seared beef carpaccio with tangy preserved lemon gremolata, aged Gouda and white truffle oil. Flat-bread pizzas (toppings include Spanish olives, radicchio pesto and Manchengo cheese) and pulled chicken sandwiches are ideal for bar patrons. Classic steak frites gets a kick thanks to lavender aioli and house-cured fries. Desserts include tiramisu (made with homemade espresso Creme Anglaise) and mango creme brulee.

Key Points

  • Dinner, Brunch
  • Rent For Special Events
  • Late Night Menu

The Inside Scoop

  1. When to Go - Popular weekend brunch service, served until 4pm, includes challah French toast, breakfast pizzas, and Canadian bacon and egg sandwiches.
  2. The Extras - A substantial late-night menu is offered until 1am and features juicy burgers, chicken sandwiches and fried calamari.

Reviews for Temple Bar

Ratings_icons Trendy bar and restaurant

Mike M. | insider_expert Insider Expert | Rank: 2,728

A very harvardesk trendy bar and restaurant. A little pricy but the food is very good in this somewhat dark but hip spot on Mass Ave between Harvard and Porter square. Grab a bite with some friends, or go for the bar.

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Ratings_icons Great Brunch

Leigh S. | insider_expert Insider Expert | Rank: 5,846

The Temple Bar is a very stylish Bar/Restaurant that is a nice place to go whether the sun is up or down. On the weekends they have a wonderfully rich and diverse brunch menu. At night time Temple Bar is a hoping place to grab a drink and hang out with your friends. The menu is moderately priced, the drinks are a little over priced.

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Latest reviews from Citysearch.

Ratings_icons Go-To Spot

CES81

I love this place. The atmosphere is wonderful and depending upon the server you can rely on good service. I love their truffle oil pizza, casear salad, and drinks. It's not overpriced and just is the perfect blend of atmosphere food and fun.

Pros: Interesting Menu Great Atmosphere Good Date Spot

Cons: Crowded Overpacked Bar Area

Ratings_icons Lomi Lomi

veritablepalate

TB has recently become one of my personal hot spots. Fav on the apps menu- you MUST try the lomi lomi salmon ceviche. If you're a vegetarian, try the seared parisian gnocchi. Everything I've had so far has been delicious and the atmosphere is great.

Ratings_icons Awesome Place!

LynchmobSomerville

Tom Berry is probably the most underrated chef in Boston. He's constantly varying the menu, consistently churning out food that you would get at 5 star restaurant at 1/2 the price. Temple Bar is a great place to go for any occasion, be it a date or out with a group of friends. Always a cool and fun vibe, with great food and drinks.

Ratings_icons Loved it!

partycentral

This place is awesome!! I had the time of my life. I havnt been out in 3 weeks, and when my friends dragged me out I ended up having a fabulous time! a few fantastic apple martini's and appetizers, the atmosphere and the vibe gave me and my girls a perfect saturday night. I definately reccomend putting on your favorite party dress, hitting the town with your friends, and having a blast. Temple Bar is the shiznit.

Pros: The Eye Candy

Ratings_icons Pretty lousy time

div0502

I am a regular and went here with my friend last night and was very disappointed by a number of things. Not usually one to complain, I have to say though that the hostess went out of her way to be rude to us. After she finally sat us down, we ordered one drink and waited half an hour before the drinks arrived and then waited another 45 minutes before we could even ask for another one. At this time, we were so aggravated that we asked for the check. This took another 20 minutes and the hostess obviously was no help after we asked her for the check. We finally went up to the bar and paid the bill. I have never walked out on a bill, but last night was the closest I have ever been.

Pros: great ambiance

Cons: rude hostess, bad service

Ratings_icons Rudest staff in Cambridge!

CDP5

My friend's and I were having an OK time here until the end of the night when the bartender refused to serve my friend a much-needed glass of water. Granted he was probably annoyed by customers who have one too many, but it is a bar for goodness sake! It can't have been the first time! All we needed was a glass of water and the response was "I'm through serving you." I can't even imagine what point he was trying to make. After we decided to leave, the manager was extremely rude, too! Condescending and ridiculing. I don't know what they expected, but it's not a coffee house -- it's a bar. I would never go back, and I hope that sharing our experience stops other innocent people from entering that establishment. In addition, none of the four different staff members who served us drinks checked our ID's.

Ratings_icons Cool Vibe, Great Food

maqgav

We went to Temple Bar last Saturday around midnight, and I was really quite impressed. There was a vibrant bar scene, very cool lounge/down-tempo house music, and dark lighting. It was very New York, and not what I expected, and I was definately pleased, because so many bars in the area are predictable and boring. The kitchen was still open as well, so we got two pizzas, a truffle/avocado and a pepperoni, both excellent. Service was friendly and efficient, and we'll definately be back.

Pros: Atomosphere/Food/Service

Ratings_icons Worst place on Mass.Ave

baby1981

Bad staff, bad food,boring.People are not nice, dont care about anything.there is nothing good to say about this place, I was completelly dissatisfied.I will never go there,try to avoid this place if possible.Hostess are worst than anywhere else.

Ratings_icons Excellent food, attentive service

fdr1968

I'll admit that i was a bit anxious when my friends wanted to take me to Temple Bar for dinner for my birthday due to the amount of negative reviews I'd seen on Citysearch. However, we had a fantastic time; we made a reservation and were seated at a cozy table near the bar; and our service and food was excellent. My friend loved her cheeseburger and my "Chicken Under a Brick" was fantastic. I'd highly recommend the side of Meyer Spinach...tasty. One mishap: our Ceasar salad did not come out; we reminded our server as we were eating our entrees and told him not to bring it, but he brought it anyway and comped us. Nice save. Good wine list by the glass. Overall, Temple Bar is a fun place with great decor, excellent food, and an awesome bar scene. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

Pros: Ambience, service, swiftness of seating

Cons: Very crowded, cold if you sit near the door

Ratings_icons Bad Brunch

nottheowner

I recently went to West SIde for brunch and was VERY disappointed. My friend and I waited at least 45 minutes for our food, during which time we had to ask several times for a refill on coffee, which was lukewarm when it finally came. When we commented to the waiter that we were still waiting for our food, he said "yeah, the kitchen is really busy today"...yet the restaurant was less than half full!!! When our food finally came out, it was dry, inedible, and had clearly been sitting under a warming lap for a long time. My eggs benedict with proscuitto was more like dried eggs with prosciutto jerky! My friend's waffle was so hard we had to chisel off a piece. Needless to say, we will not be patronizing Temple Bar for brunch again. What it lacks in quality, it makes up for in pretension. The wait staff couldn't be bothered to bring us coffee or run out the food languishing on a hot plate in the kitchen. The service and the food at Temple were both completely unacceptable.

Pros: none

Cons: bad service, bad food

Ratings_icons Great place for late afternoon weekend cocktails

northshorefoodies

Two friends and I found ourselves just outside of Harvard Square on saturday afternoon and hungy for some light snacks and a good cocktail. We stepped into Temple Bar and had a lovely time in their bar that is open to the street. The pizza, fries and salad were just right, although the pizza had a slightly soggy, limp crust. Our cocktails were good too - their drink list leans toward the sweet side of things, but classic drinks (side-car, old-fashioned) were just right. Our waitress seemed half-asleep and bored, but overall we had a very enjoyable time there.

Pros: Great space.

Cons: A little pricey.

Ratings_icons Great place for drinks and appetizers

kristylsummers

Great drinks, including martinis, beer and wine. Fabulous appetizers and woodfired pizzas.

Pros: calamari, martinis, woodfired pizzas

Cons: gets crowded

Ratings_icons Great Experience!

jaime_greg

The lighting is perfect and there are a plethora of comfortable places to sit with friends or a date. The larger tables are round for good conversation and the tables for two are mini booths perfect for intamacy. It was later, so, available dinning was limited to a late night menu. The server was very pleasant, which is sometimes a rarity on a slow late mid-week night. The food and wine were definitly not a let down. We had the pork ribs and a pizza. Sounds simple, but simple is sometimes the hardest to accomplish. The ribs are accompanied by a delicious slaw with asian influences...soy, seasame oil and I think a hint of ginger. Normally I do not like slaw, but then again I am also not a rib lover; however I admit I was impressed. We will definitely be back to try the extended dinner menu!

Pros: Service, Atmosphere, Eats

Cons: None

Ratings_icons Disappointing

mill2024

Went for Sunday brunch based on reviews and was extremely disappointed. Reservations were not necessary, walk-in was easy. Food was standard brunch fare, nothing special. Service was good, nothing special. Asked for hot tea, was brought a big box with mostly empty spaces where tea bags were. Would not go back, there are better places in Boston for brunch.

Pros: Good neighborhood, Standard decorations

Cons: Standard brunch food, Not all that outstand

Ratings_icons THIS PLACE IS GREAT

summerguy12

I consider myself a little bit of a restaurant snob, and I have to admit that this place was really something. My girlfriend and I went in last night and were simply amazed. The hostess was really sweet and welcomed us the moment we walked in the door. We first got a seat at the bar and the bartender made us these funky martinis that we loved. For dinner I had the sirloin and my girlfriend had the salmon. We both loved our dinners and we especially loved our waitress. It is such a relief to get a server who really loves their job and knows how to take care of their guests. . As former waiters, my girlfriend and I notice these things. My family will be coming to the city next week and I will be sure to bring them to my new favorite restaurant.

Ratings_icons A BAD IDEA with BAD SERVICE....

southshorecritic

A small menu with unusual pairings. Hostess was polite and timely, not so for the waitstaff. Music was horrible. Food was reheated. It has potential, but would rather travel into Boston or Providence for better dining experience.

Pros: Hostess

Cons: Atmosphere, Music, Waitperson

Ratings_icons Time for a Change

arlingtoncritic02474

This little wannabe Bistro needs an Overhual. Fire the Chef & Hire Waitstaff that actually enjoys working. Small Portions and Overpriced Drinks and Entrees will keep this Consumer & Friends away from this Mass Ave Diaster.

Cons: Waitstaff, Chef, Menu

Ratings_icons Avoid TEMPLE BAR CAMBRIDGE

cambridgetour

A tidal wave of bad luck or just poor service. Take my advice, spend your money and your time looking for better dining experiences. The food was greasy, fatty, undercooked and thrown on a plate. Our service was an order taker and made no recommendations and offered no guidance. I found that what little knowledge I had about thier Wine List was volumes over what our Waitperson possessed. Entrees were overpriced and the bread was not available at 8pm. Another disappointing Night!
AVOID TEMPLE BAR CAMBRIDGE. Save Your Money & Your Time!

Cons: Over Priced, No Parking, Poor Attitude

Ratings_icons something for everyone

zorbetics

Unbelievable! Great food, amazing service--then we stayed late night and met some beautiful girls. This is a place to bring your grandmother for brunch, your parents for dinner and then put them all in a cab and get wild with your friends at the bar.

Ratings_icons Must Try It

fiverfiver

I have had a great time every time I go here. Great seafood and music. Fun staff.
Gets dark and loud and really puts you in a scene.

Ratings_icons Great Service

brequinn

Even though we had a reservation we ended up waiting quite a while for a table but the bar was great so we didn't mind. We we did get sat they gave us three fantastic app's on the house as well as a great dessert. The management and server went out of their way to ensure a geat evening. We will certainly go back!

Ratings_icons Not Typical

ricks6758

Anything but ordinary - the menu is outstanding. I've tried the Duck, the Lamb, the Lobster Bisqe, and the Calamari. It was all excellent. The service is extremely friendly and attentive without being overbearing. The waitress didn't mind playing with my VERY messy 18 month old nephew - how much nicer can they be? The same meal anywhere else (as if you could find it) would cost at least 20 percent more. Oh, they even have parking! Fantastic!

Pros: Varied Menu, Waitstaff, Price & Parking

Cons: , When it's this, Good?

Ratings_icons Neighborhood Fave

paul_daigle

I'm not sure why more people don't know about Temple Bar. I come here all the time. The food is delicious (try the steaks) and way underpriced. It's the type of stuff you can eat every night & it's still good, and the waitresses and bartenders are great (and cute). The desserts are definately the best in the area, no kidding. They're also the only decent late night menu in this part of Cambridge. Check it out!

Pros: Cute girls, Great food, Fondu

Ratings_icons Nice latenight

colinj

Went to this place for the first time. Some friends told me it was a great latenight joint and they were right. My girlfriend and I sat down and right away our waitress was there with this awesome martini list. We both had a few and loved em all. The Espresso Martini was my favorite. We also shared the Chocolate Fondue which came with all this great fruit for dipping. Really enjoyed myself. I'll definitely be back to try dinner. This place was a perfect ending to our evening.

Ratings_icons Great place to celebrate

sld023

Went in for dinner to celebrate a close friend's birthday the other night - great atmosphere, friendly service. dinner was excellent. at the end of the meal the waitress sent over a creme brulee on the house with 'happy birthday amy' written in chocolate for my friend- she was thrilled! this is a wonderful place to celebrate a special occasion.

Ratings_icons cute girls - fun times

charlesives

Lots and lots of cute girls in the restaurant and cute waitresses. Plenty of eye candy. Food was great--Awesome crabcake dish and the NY Sirloin was like 22 bucks, would have been 30 anywhere else. Server was informative and fun. Right in my neighborhood too. Wish they delivered!!!

Ratings_icons A great experience

amy128

My friends and I had a great experience at Temple Bar this past weekend. The menu catered to everyone's tastes and the servers were very attentive and friendly. The chocolate fondue was the perfect end to a great evening. We will definitely be back.

Ratings_icons Brunch at the Temple

tala414

I had a very good brunch experience at Temple Bar on Sunday. I sat by one of the open windows and enjoyed a big Bloody Mary and some excellent french toast. My waitress was friendly and upbeat. If you are looking for a new place to go for brunch in Cambridge on a lazy Sunday morning, this is the place to go!

Ratings_icons Night at the temple

garret_strombley

The atmosphere here is great! The staff were very friendly and courteous. We didn't have to wait to be seated and the martini's were exotic. This is our second time here. The first was for drinks with friends and the recent was for dinner. The night scene here is exactly what you would expect of Boston. Good looking friendly crowd, good music and of course, great drinks! I highly recommend this place as a night spot for the younger crowd that want to have a good time.

Pros: Friendly Service, Great Crowd, Great Atmosphere

Ratings_icons better every time

theclubberlangexperience

I travel to boston/cambridge every couple of months for work and to visit friends. We always stop in at temple bar...the menu is great, the servers are friendly and attentive, and it's a chill place to hang out--especially late night when the bar fills up. Lots of singles. It actually gets better every time I go.

Pros: service, atmosphere, drinks

Ratings_icons Great Experience

lili7

I met with friends for dinner. The food was excellent. The martinis are great & the atmosphere was a lot of fun.

Ratings_icons Has deteriorated over time

jko97

Once a great place gone downhill.

The food was good but over-priced: the lamb chops dish only came with two tiny chops. There were plenty of mashed potatoes and veggies, but I expected at least three or four chops for $23.

The $9 drinks had risen in price but the quality was not as good as before. Martini came with just vodka, when there was supposed to be grapes and chambord. The martini was close to room temperature when it should have been chilled.

Temple's staff used to be attentive and helpful. Now they are pushy and unfriendly. The overpriced food came promptly, but she kept trying to take away our plates and kick us out. It wasn't a busy night.

We were going to stay for the whole night, but decided to leave after one drink. What a disappointment to what used to be a great late night hang-out.

Pros: Decor, Food still tasty

Cons: , Cocktails, Value

Ratings_icons Temple Has Class!!

holl1217

Temple is a class above the rest. It's a great place to meet family and friends to have a good time. Each time I go I receive outstanding service and feel welcomed by the staff. If you're in the neighborhood, I strongly urge you to stop by for some great food and service!

Pros: location, service, waitstaff

Ratings_icons Fabulous!

dizcoboobz

I haven't had any food here but the drinks are fabulous and the staff is just a joy. Everyone from teh barback to the manager is curteous, pleasant, full of laughs and just great to be around. It's a joy to see people enjoy their work and makes for a nice atmosphere!

Pros: Friendly, Relaxed, A great night out

Ratings_icons good time

myke

First time visit to the Temple, but it won't be the last. Great food - Drinks- Great Time. (also, lots to look at.......)..See you there.

Ratings_icons GREAT PLACE

mccue

This bar ROCKS!!!! I had a great time there. Waitstaff was fantastic. The owner is a great guy...we had a drink with him. Good food too!!!

Pros: Staff, Food, Location

Cons: Parking, Parking, SnootyHarvardStudents

Ratings_icons I guess I lack the entitlement mentality

bbrocks

Just passing through Boston from LI NY and had a great time. Didn't get too intoxicated so I remembered what I ordered. The staff was awesome. Have found out in my travels when you treat people well you are treated in kind. Will definately be back on our next spin through.

Ratings_icons Great Night

lancevsmachine

Went to Temple Bar on Saturday night with my wife and had a great time. We were seated promptly by a gracious staff and our drink order was taken almost immediately. Good stiff drinks too (about four fingers of Grey Goose on the rocks). The food was even better then the drink!
It was my first time at this place, but definitely not my last.

Ratings_icons Best Food in Cambridge

denise_brennan

We're from Scituate, we wish we lived closer. The Martinis are GREAT and the staff was wonderful..

Ratings_icons Unpleasant

ms99

I had a very unpleasant experience at Temple, as I found the staff to be rude and the quality of service poor. I would definitely never go there again.

Cons: Poor service, Inattentive staff

Ratings_icons Every Neighborhood Should Be So Lucky

ShanaLyns

I think it's a misnomer to call Temple Bar a neighborhood hangout. If it were located elsewhere, it would be a prime after work drink spot that melds into an incredible dinner. Some might call the food bistro fare or comfort food, but it's done with a decidedly upscale twist. There's nothing nicer than sitting on their big plush banquettes muching Steak Frites. Go, you'll be glad you did.

Pros: Steak Frites, Fondue, Atmosphere

Cons: Parking, Camb. still has Smkg.

Ratings_icons Good spot to meet your friends

bandt

The ambiance and decor at Temple Bar is low-key hip and wasn't pretentious when I was there. We went at 9:00 on a Saturday night and even though the restaurant was full, we got a booth in the bar area no problem. For non-smokers (like us), the ventilation seemed really good. Mixed crowd, seemed mostly 30+, most kind of upscale in a business way rather than "hip."

Pros: Very friendly service, Well ventilated, Not intimidating

Cons: < 30 might be bored

Ratings_icons Good Atmosphere

Sijay

Great place for a drink. Music is always at the right level and atmosphere is positive.

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