Spoke

I haven’t tried the food here (so the stars are only for drinks), but I really enjoyed both the cocktail and cider that I tried.

New favorite. It’s fine dining meets the warmth of a family affair and completely reasonable treat. Brilliant array of flavors and dishes — it’s set up like a wine tapas, but easily could be a pre fix tasting menu by quality and attention to detail. Highly recommended, and for the quality it is a steal. Closer to Boston prices would double for this experience. Cocktails are delightful. If you are a mescal drinker these are the best I had had outside of my home Austin TX. The staff is top notch — will pamper you if you want it (I do), but will stay out of your hair if that’s what you prefer (my girlfriend does). Molly and John run the place and are doing a fantastic job. Oh and the chocolate pudding mint /​coriander thing should be illegal. AMAZING. It’s a Boston foodie must.

I just fell in love from the salad! Then the tapas just got me obsessed This is truly a gem. Great wine and beer selection too. I’ll defiantly pace myself next time to make room for dessert.

Cozy wine bar with AMAZING tapas. Everything we had was delicious and packed with such surprising and interesting taste combinations. Can’t believe I hadn’t heard of this before. We even tried dessert which I normally pass on but I had heard good things. The dessert was amazing. This place does it all! Definitely check this place out! But make a reservation — it fills up fast and there aren’t a lot of tables!

I’ve never had food here I did not love – smoked fish or crudos are always a good idea. There is a solid revolving seasonal selection for the mains which make for hard decisions that always deliver. And it is one of the only places I get dessert because they nail it too. Wine is obviously a draw, but the cocktails are always interesting made by amazing bartenders.
The ambiance is such a lovely switch up from neighboring restaurants. Most importantly, they have outstanding service – friendly, super knowledgable, and unpretentious.
Up there with best in Boston/​Camberville!

The food here was incredible. Tapas style deliciousness jam-​packed with flavor. The service was very professional, getting close to standoffish without quite crossing the line enough for me not to want to come back. Here’s a tip though. If you’ve just completed a 24 mile bike ride and want a place to comfortably rest your tush– this is not the place. You have a choice between backless metallic bar stools, and a pad less wooden bench that runs the length of the restaurant. Ouchies. But at least my stomach was appeased.
I will be back!

A very tasty restaurant in Somerville.
All of the dishes are fairly small so a good place to go if you plan on sharing with a small group of friends. I think this is the perfect place to go with 3 – 4 friends who want to share since the space isn’t huge.
The asparagus carbonara, buratta and gnocchi were all stand out dishes but everything was consistently good.

Funky little bar towards the end of Davis Sq. I’m a tequila lady, especially mezcal, so naturally I loved the Macondo. My friend had the Hangman’s Folly and said it was Delish. It should also be noted how upbeat and personable the bartender was.
For dinner we shared some plates. We had the Flatbread & spreads, I especially enjoyed the almond spread. We also shared the asparagus, and duck meatballs.
All in all this spot is great, definitely worth the short walk towards the other end of Davis!

Had a wonderful meal here. They were very accommodating.
The staff was friendly and helpful with wine and food choices.

Stopped in here for a date night with a friend. The wine was incredible and our server really knew his stuff and gave great recommendations. All of the tapas we got were delicious too, but portions are very small, and they really add up! Our bill was very expensive, and to be honest, I was still a little hungry when I left. Its also very small and crowded in there. Tables are on top of one another, which doesn’t help.

Went out for a date here and was happy with the food, background music-​choice and level, drinks, and service.
Food: The menu is unique and creative. Portions are small but ample. The starter plate with a variety of spreads was delicious but could have used another naan style serving to match the three spreads we ran out of bread. The cavatelli special was good but didn’t match the farro risotto with a poached egg. WOW, that was incredible. I would go back just for that dish. Both of our main dishes came served in a bowl that was a lot like a cereal bowl, nothing fancy. I was expecting a wider-​rimmed plate like the website showed.
Drink Specials: Cocktails are super creative and the waitress was incredibly skilled in describing them with illustrative adjectives, too. I have no idea who would order a 1.5L serving of red wine for $ 450. It’s on the menu and I am not sure why. (Give me a break, eye roll.)
Ambiance and décor: Walls are painted with retro mid-​century design. Love. The chalkboard menu drawings were also terrific and creative. Some seat cushions along the wooden bench would help for comfort. Cushions are in the window area but the bench along the wall begs for additional comfort. I think the taller bar-​style high-​top two tables towards the bathroom could be quieter as they are away from the bar area. A mirror on the wall across from those two tables might help make the space open up.
Great night.

This place is a gem!
I’ve dined here three times, and each time it gets better.
Firstly, let’s talk about the atmosphere. It’s pretty tiny, which I love. It’s perfect for a date night or a cute group of four, but book a reservation because it’s a hot spot.
The last time I was there (about a few weeks ago), the bf and I were having the time of our lives. Like I said, it’s a small place, so the tables are pretty close together. You can basically hear the conversations of the people next to you, and that night to our left and right were two couples, both of whom seemed to be in fresh relationships. From the impromptu awkward handholding to the mentions of first kisses, the bf and I were sipping on our craft cocktails and going along with the stories. (No judgement, of course. They were super precious, and any man that will take you to Spoke so soon into the relationship is a keeper. #BallerStatus #WeAreAllGoldDiggers)
For cocktails, I had three different ones which were all whiskey based. Phenomenal. The bf’s drinks were gin-​based and very refreshing.
The food is small plates, meant to be shared. We went crazy. Everything was scrumptious. However, there were some clear favorites: the Braised Lamb Neck was a masterpiece. We were gluttons and ordered a second one and didn’t regret it. The ricotta dumplings in it was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. And the Farro Risotto was spectacular.
The service was top-​notch. The staff was pleasant and helpful.
Overall, this is one of the best places, if not the best place, to dine in Davis Square.

Went here with the boyfriend to grab a bite to eat for dinner before seeing at show at the Somerville Theatre. We arrive shortly after they opened so we were seated at one of the tables up front.
First off – their menu online is a bit different from the one that is in the restaurant, which is a little pet peeve of mine. I was excited to try their pastrami steak and scallops, but those dishes have since been taken off the menu.
For our meal, we decided to try a number of small plates and split them:
Flatbread and spreads (4 stars): This dish was pretty good and consisted of three different spreads and a good helping of sesame flatbread. My boyfriend I agreed that the cauliflower tzatziki spread was our least favorite, but the other two were very good – with the piquillo-​almond being our top choice.
Steak tartare (4 stars): This is one of the new dishes on the menu. I can’t even remember all of the ingredients in the tartare, but it was delicious all paired together on top of the crispy crostinis. This was almost a 5-​star dish for me, but I would have liked to have a little bit more flavor from the steak overall.
Carrot and citrus salad (4 stars): This was a new dish on the menu as well and was a nicely plated dish. The flavors were all very complementary and paired well with the cheese at the bottom of the dish. I thought that the price was a bit high for what was on the plate, but there was great flavor throughout.
Duck meatballs (5 stars): This dish was a good size as it came with 4 meatballs on a bed of almonds, grapes, jicama, and mint. The meatballs reminded me a bit of falafel as they were sort of dry, but they went very well with the fresh mix of salad below. The complete bite of meatball and mixed salad was quite tasty.
Lamb neck (5 stars): This was definitely my favorite dish of the night. I LOVE lamb, and this dish did not disappoint. Pair perfectly cooked lamb with delicious ricotta dumplings and you are in heaven. There wasn’t a ton of lamb in this dish, but every little piece was packed with flavor.
Devil’s Food Cake (3 stars): This dessert was pretty good – but didn’t blow me away as much as I had hoped based on our waitress’s recommendation. The cake had great flavor and was very rich, but neither the boyfriend or I really cared for the ice cream that it was served with.
After-​dinner chocolate (5 stars): If we had not gotten dessert, this would have been the perfect ending to our meal. Nevertheless, it was still a great finale after our dessert and had just the right amount of sweetness.
Overall, this place has some great dishes and the food comes out quickly. One of my main gripes about this place is that the menu is somewhat limited and they feature a couple of ingredients in several of their dishes. That being said, the service was friendly and everything we had was worthwhile.

I had a fabulous first experience here. We sat at the bar, as we didn’t have a reservation and they couldn’t seat us right away.
The bartender was fabulous. Gave us a ton of information about their speciality wines and recommendations, as well as allowing us to sample everything first. He was friendly, attentive and truly impacted our experience.
The small plates are also very delicious. Amongst two of us, we shared four and I was stuffed afterwards. We loved the three dips with the flatbread. The warm cauliflower is to die for with chickpeas and other flavors. Actually enjoyed those both, more than the steak tartare and the lamb neck, but I enjoyed everything.
I highly recommend checking this cool place out! It’s worth your time :)

Here’s what you need to know:
The ambiance is amazing for both a girls’ night out or for a date.
The food is superb. I have not tried one item off the menu that I haven’t loved. It’s delicious. Everything. (My sister and I tried 3 – 4 plates when we were there this summer, and even the strange-​sounding dishes were phenomenal. Someone in the kitchen has an excellent palate and a lot of creativity.)
The wine list is spot on. The drinks are well made (and the cocktail list itself is interesting).
The downside? The last few dates I’ve been on at Spoke have been THE WORST. But you know what makes up for terrible dates with awful people? HANNAH. Hannah is the best bartender ever. Next time, I’m going here solo so that I can have the wonderful Spoke experience that I deserve.

A cat walks into a bar. Sounds like a joke? Actually there is a lot of truth to it. I volunteer at a local animal shelter and one of our cats busted out making it all the way to Davis Square from the East Somerville area. That in itself is pretty amazing. But it gets better. The nice people who work there helped us get Henry Houdini home safe by feeding him, posting a courtesy picture on social media then actually capturing him. Above and beyond the call of duty. Big shout out to John, Ben and Molly for everything! Henry wants all your customers to try the smoked tuna. Says it’s worth walking two miles for ;)
Now backed to your regular scheduled Unilocal review… I ordered some bourbon. Old Grand Dad for old times sake. Good pour. For eats I got the whipped lardo and the bavette steak pastrami. Gorgeous well appointed small plates of unique goodness. Something I would never ever make at home which to me is the point of going out to eat.
The space is very aesthetically pleasing with a few outdoor seats. Staff is genuinely interested in helping explain the menu and have you order something that’s in your taste. Open kitchen is bright but the rest is very toned down and comfortable with subtle music playing in the background.
You must have an open mind and an open palette to truly enjoy this menu. I know I did. You would also think about a reservation because this small establishment seats everyone including the bar.

Wine selection was okay, and very pricey… service was very rude and inattentive.
For having such a unique wine selection, the service should be willing to help the customer through it when they have questions.
Our server seemed irritated that we didnt know what the wines already were.
He then proceeded to bring us 2 wrong glasses.
I wont be back.

What an experience.
Great wine selection, even better food, the service was superb, and the ambiance was perfect. Everything on the menu looked amazing. We ordered:
— Duck meatballs: 4 meatballs with a nice crunchy almond/​grape/​fruit salad
— Flatbread with 3 dips: they replenish the flatbread if you run out
— Beets with pistachio: who knew I could love beets so much
— Seared tuna: Perfect amount of flavor
Oh, and they also give you a small piece of fudge at the end of the meal. Definitely will be back to try out other parts of the menu.

Great service but disappointing food and wine list.
Came here for dinner and as usual when visiting a new restaurant I started with 2 dishes, before asking for more. I ordered the Flatbread & Spreads and the Ribs. The hummus was dry and flavorless and the ribs comes in 3 pieces and the ones served was 99+% fat — no meat what-​so-​ever — as picture posted with this review. I decided to just move on and went to another restaurant down the street for dinner.

I wish I made more money so I could go to Spoke everyday. Seriously, it is that good. Amazing service, incredible food, delicious cocktails… all at a wine bar. My favorite things I’ve had there are a housemade gin and tonic and the farro risotto with hen of the woods mushrooms and a cured runny egg… OMG. I’m having trouble writing about it coherently.
I’ve never ordered dessert because housemade GOAT’S MILK FUDGE is set on the table at the end with your check. Perfect, creamy end to your meal that satisfies your sweet tooth.
I also love biking by there in the mornings and smelling whatever they are braising/​smoking/​curing/​pickling/​marinating.
One caveat: it is REALLY dark in there and gets pretty loud and crowded, so be prepared. They have some outdoor seating in the summer!