Cafe ArtScience

This place is so over rated it’s crazy. I truly wanted to love this place and had high hopes. The décor is gorgeous. The drinks are fun to look at but all the drinks I had were extremely tart with lemon overpowering the other ingredients. It could have been a really fun place to be, watching the bartender makes his concoctions– but he had zero personality! Kind of a bummer!
The food is «good» but if you frequent Boston’s best this menu, though impressing in theory, is pretty average. Don’t get me wrong– I ate all of it and enjoyed it enough but for the prices and the amount of better food elsewhere in the city let’s just say I’m not craving café artscience.
I don’t want to totally bash this place because we did have a nice time but for the hype and money I would expect better all around.

I’ve eaten all over the world and this is the single most fascinating, most refined meal I have ever had.
It’s not to say it’s the best restaurant in cambridge, as best is completely subjective to your palate. I mean, a sandwich could be your best meal in cambridge.
It is to say if you need a high end modern restaurant that is *full fancy*? this is your place.
The food was so technically prepared that there were flavors and textures to a simple pork belly or dessert foam that I have never tasted before.

Pluses:
— The menu is quite creative overall. There are a lot of components that seem to have been made with molecular gastronomy techniques (from the way the waiter explained it).
— The plating is beautiful.
— The desserts are AWESOME. We did the tiny spoons (where they plated the dessert in, well, a tiny spoon) for *all* of the dessert items (because they all sounded so good) and ordered the Orange Blossom Croustillant. All were amazing! The desserts are the most creative and delicious I’ve had in and around Boston. I think this pastry chef outshines the savory chef.
Minuses:
— For all the creativity that went into the (savory) dishes, the flavors were good, but not surprising or amazing.
— Effing shaved truffles on everything!!! What gives? I might be a minority opinion holder here when I say truffle does nothing for me. It tastes like nothing, has the texture of paper, and adds nothing to the dish. Truffle oil smells good, but truffle itself? No thank you. It’s just funny to me that they added it to almost everything that came out (we ordered 4 dishes).
A good restaurant, but not amazingly so.

Excellent food and cocktails. The pork jowl sandwich special was actually, genuinely special. The cuban sandwich was also really good. The cocktails (especially the mystery-​blend old-​fashioned) were unique without being obnoxious (you know how I mean) and I could definitely see making this a regular liquor pit-​stop if I lived in the area.
It’s located kind of off by itself and has an oddly Silicon Valley interior (not in a bad way precisely but it feels like a very well-​funded tech company’s lobby) and the combination makes the non-​food experience a little cold. If you’re not put-​off your grub or booze by a Design Within Reach meets Kartell aesthetic, it’s worth the journey.

If you’re interested in show and high brow gimmicks at a price that only those on an expense account will enjoy, I suppose this is your place.
First, to be fair, the food tasted fine.
What there was of it. We went soon after they opened, and I was excited to find a new high end restaurant near work. What I didn’t expect was that portions would be COMICALLY small, the prices OUTRAGEOUSLY high, and the quality, while good, wasn’t good enough to write home about.
I knew we were in trouble when my dining partner and I each ordered a couple of small plates and an entrée (about $ 70 each, without liquor) and our waiter was trying to tell us, repeatedly, that maybe we hadn’t ordered enough food.
We thought maybe he was just trying to up the check. No. The food arrived and… well, I wish I’d taken pictures, because the size of the portions on some of the plates was just comical. Like what you might see in a comedy where someone orders a $ 50 entrée, and the waiter removes the large silver cover to reveal a 1 oz steak. Not much of an exaggeration there, either.
We both gulped, ate what we had, and left hungry (and with a couple of drinks between us, about $ 200 poorer). Later, I had dinner again. Yes, no joke.
They are clearly going for the fatally trendy here, with the silly «scientific» presentations of the drinks, and what not. It’s nice looking inside. But even though our dinner was on an expense account, we both felt guilty and ripped off.
Again, if the idea of dropping a couple of hundred bucks on food that’s good but not amazing in portions that are amazing (ly small) appeals to you, so that you can dine among other trendoids – well then, mister, this may just be your new favorite restaurant.
As for me, I am shocked they are still in business. But again, I guess all that IPO money has to go somewhere.

Hands down to the best cocktail bar I have been too. I paid around $ 15 for a WAF TIKI and still thought I should have paid more.
One of the owners/​managers of this place is a Harvard bioengineer. Each dish and each drink here represents a scientific story behind it. They invent almost every equipment and recipe here by themselves. Even if you are not a science fan, any bartender here can break down the complicated technique for you.
I asked for a recommendation, and thank you, bartender. There has been no cocktail that can replace the WAF TIKI here yet. This drink is famous for many reasons. The process of making it alone is fascinating enough to make you stare.
— First, a bartender will put some Rum into a vaporizer. The machine will run in a minute and the rum smoke is trapped in a wine glass, covered by a sugar plate. You have to use your finger to break this plate and inhale the rum smoke as if you are smoking a cigar. I swear Rum has never tasted better in my life.
— Then, the bartender begins his mixology work. Now rum is put in the same glass with 2 vodka ice cubes. So as the ice melts, your drink gets sweeter because the fruit juice and sugar in the vodka ice cubes melts down too. This drink is a perfect companion of a good book.
The location is not popular for tourists. But if you are visiting Boston and happen to read this review, please go to Café ArtScience for one evening. I would visit here again next time I go to Boston.

Not quite achieving what they seem to be aiming for.
I was excited to go to Lunch at ArtScience. The interior of the restaurant was relaxed and modern and I was curious about the molecular gastronomy inspired menu. I left disappointed and hungry. The food was fine flavor wise, but portions were way too small and service was not quite up to the task for a restaurant in this price range.
The meal was off to a rocky start when several items on the menu were not available. The waiter also struggled to explain the daily specials and other items on the menu. The situation really gave the bad impression of trying too hard to seem fancy, but failing miserably.
I went with the pork pappardelle. It had a good flavor, the noodles were nicely cooked, and the use of non traditional ingredients worked fine. My problem with it is that for the price, it was a tiny portion. Some of the other dishes ordered by others in my party were even smaller. The disappointment was palpable when the dishes were served and it was clear that folks were still very hungry after finishing their meals. Strangely, the Cubano sandwich was huge and pretty good value. The two that ordered the sandwich donated half to the starving masses.
Getting dessert for lunch is not common, but given that we were hungry we felt we had too. We avoided the items described as tiny spoons and went for the ice cream instead. What we got for a price tag of several dollars was a single spoonful of ice cream wrapped in a mochi-​like skin. The waiter even seemed somewhat embarrassed to serve the tiny overpriced bite in its absurdly over-​sized plate. It was not a particularly remarkable bite either. I could not taste the allegedly included coconut in mine. And worse, I was still hungry.
I had a disappointing meal, but I am willing to come back sometime. I recommend getting the Cubano sandwich if you are hungry. A small lunch is fine every once in a while, but for the price, at the very least the service has to deliver.

Intrigued reading the reviews from Unilocalers and from having some knowledge of the origins of the restaurant. Very nice atmosphere in this spacious and vibrant dining room. Started off with a very tasty and potent rum based cocktail called Sanchez Says Yes and I’m glad I said «yes» to it! Table service was friendly, attentive, and the waitress was very well versed on all aspects of the menu. Flipped over the melt-​in-​your-​mouth richness of the Parisian Steak Tartar paired with crunchy and not too salty potato chips. My wife had the Roasted Giannone Farm Chicken drizzled wth Foie Grass Purée. Though cooked perfectly the flavors lacked due to the absence of seasonings and spices. The Grilled Spanish Octopus was culinary heaven for me as the ample tentacles were tender and deliciously prepared. The finale, including a pleasant surprise of a chocolate truffle birthday treat for me, was the incredible Miso Crème Caramel dessert paired perfectly with a creamy spoonful of vanilla ice cream. Don’t leave without trying a Tiny Spoon which hits your taste buds on so many levels. Loved this dining experience and highly recommend for any occasion.

I hadn’t heard much about this place before coming here, but my wife and I came here with another couple to get a few drinks before dinner. The place is pretty trendy inside with a minimalistic/​futuristic vibe. The drinks here are solid. I got somewhat basic drinks but a friend of mine got one of those fancy drinks with the smoke. Definitely an experience! The staff was friendly and the drinks were really good. In addition to drinks we got an order of the wing special because I was getting hangry and couldn’t wait until dinner to chow down. The wings were flavorful with a little bit of a kick. I’ve had better but I would recommend trying them. I really want to go back here and try the food. It looks so creative and unique.

Such a fun dining experience — food and cocktails were very tasty and creatively presented. Unfortunately, we were unable to spend some time at the bar before our dinner reservations so we missed out on that experience. Cocktails are not to be missed here. My husband, who is not usually a cocktail drinker, really enjoyed his drink. I went with the gimmicky Whaf-​tiki as my first drink because lots of folks talk about it. It was fun, but I preferred the gin and tonic with the meticulously drilled holes that held a delicious dark syrup which would slowly melt into the drink. Even the non-​alcoholic drinks had interactive aspects to it. The staff was also kind enough to pour my husband and me a small sampling of a new wine (aged in Scotch barrels) they just got in. We liked it.
That said, the food was delicious but doesn’t compare as to the cocktail/​drink experience. That doesn’t mean we disliked the food; quite the opposite. We really enjoyed it, and no one was unhappy about their choices. Two in our party, including my 10 year old daughter, ordered duck. I ordered the raviolis filled with huitacoche (aka corn smut) — amazing. My husband ordered the lamb. One of the most creative desserts at our table was a blueberry themed garden, with chocolate cake (or cookie) soil. Guess how much our 10-​year old loved that. She actually told us that she wanted to work there!
We plan to go back but perhaps we will hang out at the bar this time to more fully experience the drinks. Obviously, we won’t have a 10-​year old with us – unless they decide to hire her. Ha!

The service was impeccable, the décor is great and the food was delicious. I was a little disappointed with how small the portions were. An appetizer had 4 small scallops, another had 3 shrimp. There’s nothing worse than spending a pretty penny for dinner and then going home to eat something else because you are still hungry. The drinks were fabulous too. I think you can still make amazing food and offer more food. For the price, you shouldn’t go home hungry. I wouldn’t send my friends here to eat, just drinks.

Something is a little off here behind the curtains, but the food is great. It’s a new restaurant and they’re trying to operate at a level that they’re not quite at yet – but the food is there. (Drinks took awhile, a side order went missing, the wines were unexciting.) If the operation can catch up, and the wine list improved, this could blossom into a gem of Cambridge.
Four stars for the menu, which, at its best, is very exciting.

My colleague and I came here for a late night drink expecting, at best, a bit of entertainment. What we got was one of the most interesting evenings I have ever spent in an establishment. Seeking the loo, I accidentally wandered into an employee-​only area and ended up in conversation with an employee! I learned the restaurant is in a close partnership with a nearby neuroscience institute. This was intriguing and, upon returning to the bar, I asked Greg, our bartender more about it. What followed was an hour long conversation about sense, aesthetics and memory, illustrated by liquids. For example, Greg mixed me a synesthesiac drink which he had developed to render the voice of Alice Fredenham. I don’t have the words to explain why it worked by it did: he used taste and smell to somehow evoke sound.
I have no idea how the food or anything else about this place is; read the other reviews. But if you can somehow wrangle a conversation with Pirate Greg about his art, you will have a perfectly memorable evening.

April was my first visit of what I hope will be many to Café ArtScience. It’s located just across the way from the new Genzyme building near Kendall Square, so its edgy design and attitude complement the life science vibe perfectly, as they do at Catalyst.
It’s a gorgeous, spacious room, feeling almost entirely white but in reality defined by ochres, tans and off-​whites. It has a vibrant but not snooty feeling, and the menu is concise and easy to navigate. Well, provided you have Google on your iPhone or know what cappellacci, stinging nettle, boquerones, yuzu curd, brocetto, or loomi pearls are. There is also a honeycomb-​like private dining room with a wall that swings shut.
The staff is helpful and enthusiastic without being overbearing, and everything I ate was fresh and delicious. The wines are fairly priced (a big thumbs-​up in my book) and the mixed drinks are really outstanding. I had one with mixed fruit ice cubes, mezcal and ground jalapeño that was hot and spicy and savory and then fruity and zesty as the cubes melted.
The Colorado Lamb leg was possibly the best lamb I’ve ever eaten, and the boquerones (fresh cured anchovies) and pistachios on the side were terrific. The desserts are a high point, especially the Petit Rose Macaron, which boasts an egg yolk-​like bubble of pure liquified raspberry you pop in your mouth.
Dinner with one drink each and one glass of wine each was about $ 175 without tip, so this is an expense account or special occasion place in my book. If you like leading edge cuisine, by the way, you can drop another $ 225 on the way out for your very own Le Whaf machine to vaporize your favorite viddles.
UPDATE: Just had lunch there today. The best glass of lemonade I’ve ever had, and four lamb-​filled raviolis that were so exceptionally good that I had to walk away after my first bite or I would have wolfed them down. Left with a triple-​serving of their spicy caramel popcorn, which a client practically consumed solo. I felt a little badly since she was doing a lot of speaking. It packs quite a kick!

Ok I kind of felt like a celeb here. Stunning décor and fabulous service. I got the jalepeno tequila cocktail with fruit infused ice cubes that was perfectly refreshing with a kick
The soft shell crab app was melt in your mouth and a pretty generous portion compared to others
The mushroom pasta was just so so. Very salty.
Dessert was coconut gelato and had all these other little surprises on the plate. So good!
Pretty pricey but would def come back for lunch or drinks.

Food was great but I wouldn’t say it is that exceptional. my friends and I shared the foie gras appetizer and I ordered the halibut main dish. Appetizer tasted great just like how foie gras should always be prepared.
When they first served me my food, the halibut looked crispy but a bit dry. Fortunately to my surprise the fish was perfectly cooked, crispy on the inside and moist on the inside.
The only reason I took one star is because the dessert, cherry bomb tiny spoon, I had was just average (to the edge of being too sour). Also, the portion control isn’t very consistent. The chicken dish is pretty much humongous in comparison to the other main courses.

Valentine’s Day dinner in the snow!
The bar at Café Artscience made some really fantastic cocktails, and the hot buttered rum was a particular hit after coming in from the cold. I’ll have to come back sometime just for drinks.
As for the food, the dishes included:
* Marlin crudo, which looked unassuming but had a taste and texture that was a real winner.
* Some sort of pasta dish with delicious mushrooms
* Beef tenderloin served with potato and oysters Rockafeller. The oysters and the potato dish were good, but the beef was cooked to an unbelievable level of perfection.
* Dessert was some sort of deconstructed, open-​faced macaron with ice cream. I really like macarons, but felt this one tried to change that pattern in a way that didn’t work well (too much icing relative to the amount of pastry). It was tasty enough, but was probably the weakest dish of the night.
Service was good, despite the crowd, the space is impressive, and overall it was a very good meal indeed.

Todd the bar manager knows his stuff.
My husband and I had a fantastic experience which started at the bar with Todd where he stimulated my inner science/​spirit geek and showcased his brain child, the Waftiki. I won’t ruin the surprise of the love-​making to your senses by butchering the breakdown of the time consuming construction and thought put into this cocktail– just order it. Breathe in the creativeness of this baby. And I encourage you to ask questions and learn; it is probably the least-​pretentious atmosphere where you could do so in Boston.
As for the dinner, it was a pre-​fixe given it was Valentines, but everything was delicious. Put yuzu anything in front of me and I will be happy. But I will have to give another review on Café when I come back for regular service!
Well done team Café ArtScience

After getting dinner here on Friday, I am a big fan and hope to come here often! It seems the restaurant may have adjusted to its opening pains with service that others allude to in their reviews, because our service was great (extremely understanding when our friends came super late, too). The food was amazing, fresh, and very memorable. I am also surprised to see the menu changes quite often, as our menu didn’t have most items I saw on Unilocal (like the salmon mille-​feuille).
— The waf-​tiki cocktail — this was not on the menu but we could still order it. One of their more unique creations, you inhale some vaporized alcohol and then your drink is poured into two flavored cubes with a bitters crisp that all melts and blends throughout the drink.
— The Tim Collins cocktail — it has frozen violets in it, and is very refreshing and sweet
— The roasted chicken and foie gras — this was very filling — even though they recommended doing 4 courses, this was enough for a full meal! The chicken was the best I’ve had at a restaurant (even compared to places like Marliave), being extremely soft, tender, and herby with a crisp skin. The foie gras was delicious and went extremely well with the dish.
— The bay scallops dish — the portion size seemed a big small for my friend (see photo), but he said it tasted good.
— The pumpkin panna cotta — I loved this dish! It wasn’t too sweet or artificial (like the «Starbucks pumpkin flavor») and had a great play on textures.
— The macaron — my sister was a fan!
— The old fashioned — my friend enjoyed this, and the jelly whiskey pieces were very innovative and refreshing
— the chocolate, passionfruit, and banana dessert (I forget the name) — my friend enjoyed this, though it was a bit sweet.
My three friends and I unanimously agreed this meal deserved 5 stars. Even the bread in the beginning tasted magnificent! I was expecting more gimmicky science experiment tricks, but we got a very impressive and solid meal instead. I can’t wait to come back here and see how things develop.

When you attend a much hyped restaurant opening you generally accept some hiccups in service or food. Fortunately we had a pretty perfect experience here on opening night. We sat at the bar because you get to see the cocktail magic and there is about 5 additional items on the menu only available at the bar. Our bartender/​server turned out to be their celebrity bartender who designed their bar menu, Todd Maul, of Clio fame. The décor is modern and mostly white with a private room in a honeycomb like structure that also acts as a chalkboard. It’s multifunctional and creative, just like the drinks and food I tried. The service was also excellent.
The restaurant also has a little shop where they sell all these nifty scientific contraptions for food and these little ice cream-​like balls called Wikipearls, the concept of which is edible packaging. They had another device that vaporized alcohol, I was sad to find out it only added flavors to drinks or meals and would not get you a buzz.
Here are the cocktails I tried:
Todd Collins — visually this was the most interesting drink and it was also one of the best. It had a flavorful ice cube that could be used as a mixer in the drink.
Mary’s Liquor Cabinet — this Lillet, a Boudreaux wine apéritif, based cocktail is served in a martini glass is slightly sweet and potent. Lillet is one of those up and coming cocktail liquors, good stuff.
Properly Made Mai Thai — the fact that their version was less sweet than one I would normally get at a Chinese restaurant really let the flavors stand out. Great take on this classic. It came in a cool tiki glass.
Egg Nog — Very thick cocktail. The ice cubes melt into the drink making it more drinkable, which was helpful in sipping this down in one breath. They even grind fresh nutmeg on top.
Here is the food I tried:
Oysters — the oysters, while pricey, were delicious. The apples that were on top added a great combination of flavors.
Smoked Salmon — I’m not a huge smoked salmon fan but the presentation of the dish I saw at the table next to me pushed me to order it. It comes in between some great pastry and a cream cheese like substance. Another good choice.
Gnocchi with Milk Braised Veal and Lobster Knuckle — The gnocchi was rich and soft. I wasn’t sure about the meat/​fish combo at first but it paired really well. The veal almost had pork like texture and the light cream sauce was perfect. This item was on the bar menu.
Steak Tartare — Some amazing steak tartare that came with great French Fries and a Worcestershire Aioli. A nice touch to make it represent a traditional steak dish. At least that’s my artistic interpretation.
Sea Urchin and Crab Oil Soup — if you like clam chowder then this is worth a try. This cream based soup is full of flavor and if you’ve never had sea urchin before, not to worry, it’s not all that different than clams would be in this soup.
Cherry Wood Smoked Old Fashioned — This dessert is a deconstructed take on the cocktail of the same name. Like the PB & J it is also available in the smaller spoon portion. It’s definitely a boozey dessert and recommended.
PB & J Spoon Bite — This spoonful of a delicious deconstructed PB & J comes in at only $ 4 is definitely worth it, even if you’re full.