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All 429 Cambridge Restaurants »

Upstairs on the Square

91 Winthrop St, Cambridge, MA 02138-4929
617-864-1933
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Ranked #45 of 429 restaurants in Cambridge
4.0 of 5 stars 93 Reviews
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Price range: 42 AUD - 82 AUD
Cuisines: American, Eclectic, Seafood
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Restaurant details
Good for: Romantic, Business
Dining options: Lunch Spot, Dinner, Reservations, After-hours
Dining style: Casual Elegant
Cross street: JFK Street
Transit: Harvard MBTA
Description: Restaurateurs Mary-Catherine Deibel & Deborah Hughes opened UpStairs on the Square in 2002, with its Monday Club Bar serving “casual haute cuisine” and where guests can enjoy award-winning design, fireplace dining, a meal in the playful pink Zebra Room overlooking the park, & a new (2012) open-kitchen Food & Bubbly Bar with small plates, panini grill & pizza oven—-it's open all day. The Soirée Room upstairs (the main dining room), is reminiscent of a glowing & colorful jewel-box supper club, lit with the flicker of two glowing fireplaces at each end of the room. This main dining room serves Chef Susan Regis’ menu that is both artisanal and sexy—featuring seasonal and local ingredients beautifully prepared and served. There are many options for private dining at UpStairs (call or email events@upstairsonthesquare.com); we specialize in large party reservations. Because of the restaurant’s two dining rooms, be sure to read your confirmation carefully to confirm your seating preference
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93 reviews from our community

72% Recommend
    33
    35
    13
    8
    4
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
Connecticut
Top Contributor
66 reviews 66 reviews
Reviews in 28 cities Reviews in 28 cities
71 helpful votes 71 helpful votes
“Excellent choice for mixologist style cocktails and outdoor seating in Harvard square”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 May 2012 NEW

We chose this place because of the outdoor seating on a beautiful summer evening. (we first tried the modern place across the street but left before ordering as atmosphere was cold along with waitress). Upstairs on main said city policy requires we order at least some food with our drinks. So we had $10 drinks and a $5 hummus appetizer.... More

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Bloomfield Hills, MI
Senior Contributor
26 reviews 26 reviews
Reviews in 19 cities Reviews in 19 cities
36 helpful votes 36 helpful votes
“Beautiful Restaurant with Delicious Food”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 April 2012

The decor in this restaurant is beautiful, especially the chandeliers. We spent four hours having dinner on a Saturday night a few weeks ago. The chicken is wonderful and the dessert that has the Greek Yogurt ice cream and warm huckleberries, is worth the trip. I couldn't eat the main part of the dessert because I am gluten free but... More

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london
2 reviews
“perfect”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 April 2012

The Innkeeper at The Mary Prentiss Inn told us to eat here and I'm so glad we took her up on it. What a beautiful place. I enjoyed the food and the service was wonderful. We will return on our visit this fall. More

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Lexington MA
Senior Contributor
25 reviews 25 reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
“Peaceful lunch spot in Harvard Square”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 April 2012

A pleasant place for lunch above the hubbub of Harvard Square. The selection is limited, but dishes are attractive and well prepared. More

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Boston, Massachusetts
Top Contributor
50 reviews 50 reviews
Reviews in 20 cities Reviews in 20 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
“In the eye of the beholder...”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 2 April 2012

Went for Restaurant Week - enjoyed the creativity of their menu for the event! Really appreciated the wine specials to match their RW menu. Hubby didn't care for the Monday Room decor - per him it was ridiculous and painful to look at but I thought it was fun albeit a bit too much pink. His app was the bresaola,... More

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Natick, Massachusetts
Senior Contributor
41 reviews 41 reviews
Reviews in 18 cities Reviews in 18 cities
48 helpful votes 48 helpful votes
“Still Great”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 March 2012

There is a recent book by co-owner Deborah Hughes daughter about growing up in the previous location over the Hasty Pudding Theater that brought back memories of those great days. So on a recent visit to the not-so-new-anymore location I had that in mind. I was struck by how much they retained the feeling of the original by decor that... More

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See 8 more reviews by Carol119 for Cambridge
MA
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
“Overrated”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 24 March 2012

I've been to this pretty high end place three times in a medium sized business setting. First time, the steak was very salty and overcooked. Second time wasn't that impressive either. More

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Washington DC, District of Columbia
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
“Fabulous!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 March 2012

Everyone at our table of 6 thoroughly enjoyed the food and atmosphere. Great service, too. More

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See 4 more reviews by Ellen178 for Cambridge
Boston
Top Contributor
61 reviews 61 reviews
Reviews in 34 cities Reviews in 34 cities
39 helpful votes 39 helpful votes
“Nice experience”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 March 2012

Took a friend from Australia to this establishment. It was a nice experience but I think that the owners rely a lot on their past reputation and while the service was good, the owner did not really go out of her way to be friendly. They need to keep in mind that they are in the hospitality business. More

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See 3 more reviews by MMJBSC for Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
1 review
“Do not go if you are expecting the same food , service, and comfort pre- renovations.”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 March 2012

We had not dined at the restaurant since it was closed for renovations... it used to be a favorite for many years ever since it was located upstairs at the Hasty Pudding Club. The uncomfortable table, chairs ( no cushions), and poor service, could have been overlooked if the food had not been so poorly prepared... The chicken mattone was... More

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Upstairs on the Square
91 Winthrop St
Cambridge, MA 02138-4929
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