From an ambiance perspective, this is 5 stars. It's a truly beautiful restaurant in the Charles Hotel that has delicious pasta and solid cocktails. I've enjoyed the pesto pasta as well as the tiramisu, but the menu changes every once in a while to stay seasonal. The reason this review is 4 stars is that the service is a bit hir or miss. I've visited some times and have had a wonderful experience, but other times I've had servers that were not super thrilled to be at my table. read more

Bar Enza - pesto pasta - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Short rib dish was delicious! Spinach pasta was also amazing! Ambiance is really great Service was slow even on a slow night (monday night)...had to skip dessert because they took too long to come back. read more

Bar Enza - Short rib - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I wish I got a picture of my food but I was genuinely so 'in the moment' with my meal, so I captured nothing! From the first bite to the last sip, this meal delivered. The house-made pastas were flavorful, and fresh. Great wine selection, which pairs beautifully with the food. The cool thing about this spot is its located in the Charles Hotel, so for its location it again, delivers. And service was personable so I felt really content. This one's not just good for a hotel -- it's worth the visit. read more

Amazing ambiance, great service and superb food! Ever dish we got was 10 Out of 10! The pasta dishes were so fresh and the salad was the best salad we've ever had. read more

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Bar Enza had pretty nice decor and was not too busy on a Friday evening. My friend and I first started off with the bread basket. The portion was not that big, but let me say, it was amazing. I fell in love with the focaccia. The outside was slightly crisp while the inside was soft and fluffy. It was quite oily and savory but paired amazingly with the dip. The bread was addicting; I was so disappointed that it only came with two pieces of focaccia. The cracker was also quite delicious. It was thin and broke easily with just a slight touch. Although crispy, it did not taste overly dry and paired well with the curried cheese. The radish and cucumbers tasted very fresh and delicious and complimented perfectly with the herbs. For our main dish, my friend went with their Lumache and I ordered the Whole Wheat Shells. The pasta was creamy and delicious. The squid was delicious as well. It was packed well with more squid, and the flavor was so good. The pasta was cooked perfectly as well. The shells were not bad, but I did find them slightly overcooked as some parts were a bit tough to chew on. Nonetheless, the crab meat was delicious, I found that the shells were overly stuffed with broccoli rabe and not much crab meat besides what was sprinkled on the outside. The sauce paired quite well with the dish. We ended our meal with dessert and ordered the tiramisu and apple torta. The tiramisu, although it looked pretty, tasted very disappointing. It had a strong taste of liquor which overpowered the dish. The apple torta, on the other hand, was delicious! The texture of the cake was solid and firm but not dry at all. The apple pieces were caramelized and tender. The glaze perfected this dish, making it a great way to end the meal. The service was not bad, though I found it pressuring how eager they were to remove the dishes from our tables. Overall, I enjoyed the dishes quite a lot and would love to come back to try their next seasonal menu. read more

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Bar Enza occupies the space formerly serving Rialto in the Charles Hotel, and it's a fitting successor in both atmosphere and fine dining. We recently took our great-nephew, currently a junior at Harvard, to dinner, and we were thoroughly pleased. To begin, our server, David B, was attentive but never intrusive, and he gave us time to order our wine and socialize a bit before making decisions about menu. It was relaxing and unhurried, even for a Saturday night. We shared a bottle of Negro Lorenzo Barbera d'Alba 2021 that was both reasonable at $68 and delicious. We opened with the Burrata appetizer, made with a peach side and delightful for sharing. Our main courses were the Pappardelle with short ribs, the Lasagne Pinwheels with oxtail meatball, and the Sirloin Steak. The pasta dishes were filling and appropriately spiced. The medium rare steak was cooked perfectly but might have benefitted from a bit more potato on the plate. We shared three desserts: Chocolate Torta, Lemon Tart, and Tiramisu. As a lover of lemon tarts, I found this one just average, but the other two desserts were heavenly. We were very happy with this meal, and our horseshoe booth was ideal for conversation and relaxation as we had our mini-reunion. Not including the tip, we spent about $88/person, and we felt that it was well worth it. I should also mention that underground parking after 5:00 PM is only $10 with validation, and that's just another reason to enjoy Bar Enza. read more

i love Lydia and everything she does...we left our 2 seats the bar Thursday night after 20 min no water or acknowledgement. The group of 3 next to us were funny like, "not going to get better"... and we left. So this is not the food or ambiance and can be fixed which is why I am bothering to write this. I was so excited to eat there...i will go back in a few weeks to see if this has changed... hope so!!!! This should be addressed as we all know if one dines out nowadays the service cant be bad, your customer wont return. Anyway, Bar Enza lets go!!! Manager? Training? I dont know...but can be done. read more

Pretty good Italian spot in the Charles hotel. Started off with the lamb meatballs which were fantastic. Then the tuna tartare which was kinda meh. For entrées, we ordered the lamb risotto, short rib pappardelle, and spinach lumache which were all quite good. The clam gnudi unfortunately, was very thin and flavorless. Service was very friendly. Definitely will be back. More like 3.5 stars. read more

Drinks were good. Food was presentable but bland. Service nice but slow. Expensive and not worth it .

In my opinion, very average Italian food. The pasta dishes weren't seasoned very well and lacked flavor overall. The pesto pasta was way too strong - it seemed as though the pesto wasn't diluted at all. The chicken entree I had was good but nothing spectacular. The sorbet tasted like lemon Italian ice. All good dishes but not worth the price in my opinion. The restaurant has a beautiful ambiance and furniture and staff were very very kind. read more

Bar Enza - Sorbet - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Located inside the Charles Hotel,the restaurant specializes in some serious Italian cuisine. The Chef , Mark Ladner is known for his pasta's and they did not disappoint. Started the show with cocktails,I frequently order a gin "dirty" martini and once again disappointed in the results tasting very little olive juice and that trend continued here unfortunately. My guests drinks were tasty and on point I was told. First course of bread sticks with marscarpone and lemon for dipping was ethereal. 17$ dollar salads fell a little short for the money. BUT.. 100 layer lasagna lived up to the hype,and gnocchi with peas was a balanced dish of goodness. Skipped Dessert but the choices sounded tasty. Service was friendly and timely. Would recommend if your in the Cambridge MA. Area. read more

My husband and I went on a Monday so it was fairly quiet, and everything exceeded our expectations! We started with the awesome, warm fluffy focaccia with creamy whipped ricotta, lava salt, olive oil, and fennel pollen. My husband enjoyed the sirloin carpaccio with truffle, parmesan and sunchokes as well as the ricotta gnocchi with lobster and peas. The vegetarian pasta was REALLY good: corn tortelli with basil and roasted tomatoes (summery, buttery, and clearly hand made). We were too full for dessert, but the seasonal options looked great. Apparently their is a new chef (Tony Susi) so maybe more people will give this place a second chance! read more

Bar Enza - Delicious vegetarian summer corn tortelli - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Captivated by the breathless reviews ("Michelin star chef Mark Ladner returns home" etc...) we arrived promptly just after they opened at 5 on a Saturday night. We had no reservation, and it was completely empty. Nonetheless we were denied a table due to "serving issues" and sat at the bar, which was fine. Gazing around the bland mid-century modern decor, wife intoned, "calling all passengers" because it really has the feel of a nice-ish airport lounge. As customers filtered in, the ambiance became cozier and more interesting, a more crowded airport lounge. I don't know, maybe after only 2 1/2 weeks they are struggling to come into their own, but we weren't feeling it. Drinks fine but not memorable. Ciabatta sticks warm but the mascarpone olive oil mixture insanely salty. Fried Calamari too thickly breaded (felt like a waste of calories). The wheatberry dish was quite good, with a buttery cauliflower ragu, some rosemary but it needed much more flavor to be remarkable. Overall, a forgettable restaurant that wasn't bad, but wasn't very good. read more

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In a rush, preparing for a trip. Power outage in Harvard Square and many stores are closed. Two of us get some dinner snacks and drinks before heading home. I travel a lot and hotel restaurants are generally not my first choice, but Bar Enza makes excellent authentic Italian food. Cocktails - Lavanda (on the girly side, but not too sweet) - Bastardoni (Tequila, Lime, Prickly Pear & Calabrian Chili) Interesting yummy mixture. Definitely more US Southwest that Italy. Definite 5 stars. Food - Fried zucchini flower .. wow, wow, wow .. wonderful subtle lobster flavor in perfect balance - Grilled octopus .. very good and authentic Italian - Pappardelle .. so good .. So nice to find quality Primi (and not a sticky pile of pasta). read more

The worst service experience I have had in a long time. After being seated, wait staff did not come for 30 minutes. We were hungry, so we ordered our food at waiters first visit to us. Appetizers came out normally, but then our entrees took over an hour to come out after our appetizers. It was difficult to ask for status because wait staff visits to our table were so infrequent. After our meal, we asked to speak with a manager to voice our displeasure at service levels as meal took 3+ hours. I have never encountered a manager as dismissive and unpleasant as she was. She only commented that it was a busy night, but never apologized or offered any type of consideration for our unpleasant experience. We will NEVER go back to this restaurant, terrible in every regard. read more

I dined at Bar Enza for the first time last night, attracted by their Feast of the Seven Fishes special... and was thoroughly impressed. Every dish was wonderfully seasoned, and the portions were more than enough for two people. The final course, the whole roasted dorade (pictured below), was an absolute show stopper, and I wish I could have taken the brown butter eel sauce home with me and bottled it up. The service was also excellent, with our waitress consistently serving and describing the wine pairings at the right times while the courses arrived at a perfect cadence. If you're not celebrating your holiday with this feast at Bar Enza, you're sorely missing out! read more

Bar Enza - Whole roasted dorade with artichokes and brown butter eel sauce - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cute place and it was easy to get reservations day of! The food was pretty good but we ordered items we typically don't eat. Prices were very high for the portions of the food, but everything was unique tasting and yummy. I would definitely recommend the baked fazzoletti, octopus, and basil panna cotta. The service was great as well. They changed our utensils and plates between each dish. read more

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A stunning restaurant with a beautifully designed atmosphere. The staff was exceptional--attentive to every detail, from refilling water and changing silverware to providing in-depth knowledge about the dishes. The potato gnocchi with rabbit was delightful--the gnocchi was soft, and the rabbit was well-seasoned, though I did find a few small bones. The short rib and pasta dish was flavorful and satisfying--definitely worth ordering again. The highlight of the meal was the ice cream with Amaro Nonino--an absolute 10/10! The tiramisu had a more cake-like texture rather than the traditional style, but it still had a wonderful flavor. read more

**There is a new chef & menu!! The 100 layer lasagna is no longer on the menu.** We really wanted to try this place for the 100 layer lasagna but unfortunately they changed chefs very recently and was disappointed to see it not on the menu. However, we decided to stay and try out the new menu and ended up liking the dishes we ordered! Calamari had great flavor and the batter texture was perfect. Highly recommend. Steak was seasoned well and paired with a steak sauce - was actually medium rare. Bucatini pasta was creamy and Al dente. The frazzoli was unique! Like a pasta calzone, was worth trying. Portion sizes are on the smaller side which was surprising given the price. Might be a good option with a small group to try different dishes family style. read more

Bar Enza - Calamari and Arancini - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Dogshit slop for people that don't know any better. Food was flavorless to foul. Drinks were mediocre. Waiter was seemingly experiencing his first day on earth. read more

Very delicious meal! We started off with the heart of palm salad -- it had a lemony dressing which paired well with the vinegar of the heart of palm. It was a nice starter with the focaccia, which had 4 different toppings to complement it. My favorites were the Thai basil and the robiolona cheese -- I wish the whole thing was just those two, it was few too many choices for a sharing plate. For our pastas, we got the lemon ricotta gnocchi and shrimp scampi, which were definitely the highlight of the meal! The gnocchi was pillowy with perfectly balanced light flavors. The scampi was a more robust dish, crunchy breadcrumb, spice from Aleppo peppers, buttery plump pieces of shrimp. The pastas were the standout course for sure. For secondi, we tried the wagyu steak. It was well prepared but presented more like a steak salad. The fries were crisp excellent. If this was a little more balanced plate, it would have really rounded out our meal. Overall excellent attentive service and interesting takes on classic Italian fare. I will be returning just for the pasta alone! read more

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Service was absolutely perfect. Our waitress was helpful, efficient, etc. Super friendly too! This is one of the most underrated spots in Boston/Cambridge. I wonder if something changed, because I'm surprised to see the review average skewed from old reviews. The food was impeccable. Highly recommend the Octopus. Can't go wrong with their pastas. Agnolotti is extremely tasty. Pretty elevated dish and beautiful plating. It's a really nice buildout with big windows looking out at the square. Perfect energy and noise level. Comfortable tables. Can't wait to be back! read more

Bar Enza is one of the hidden gems in Cambridge area. Its ambiance is upscale, classy and warm. Staff is friendly and polite. They are maintaining high standards in their service I noted that every table had a sever who always made sure that everyone has enough water to drink. This is one of the few places which is so spacious unlike other restaurants in Cambridge area. Drinks: We ordered a bottle of Prosecco wine. Food: Then as a first course we ordered Ciabatta sticks which were served with some cheese. Those were too good. As a second course I ordered 100 layer lasagna. Those were absolutely delicious. It was served with fresh marinara and fresh mozzarella. One of our friends had her birthday that day. Folks here were really sweet to offer complementary a cake. It was too good. All in all it's great place for a date or for any kind of celebration. read more

Bar Enza - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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I have a bone to pick with Bar Enza. Literally, because there was a rabbit bone in our gnocchi. Good I suppose if you're looking calcium supplementation, but unfortunately we drink plenty of milk so that was unneeded. Ambience was nice, but that doesn't outweigh the price point of $29 for 7 pieces of ravioli. Also, perchance we were wearing our invisibility caps because the servers neglected to see us for the first 15 minutes. The food tasted good but the experience overall was pretty mid read more

My boyfriend and I came here for our Valentine's Day dinner. I liked how they offered a four course prefix menu for this special day~ it was a great deal. Without this I don't know that it would be worth it... For my appetizer I ordered the Caesar salad. It was exactly what you would expect from a Cesar salad~ nothing crazy. My boyfriend ordered the cocktail shrimp that came with fries and enjoyed it. I'm allergic to shrimp so I couldn't try it but I liked how it came with a side of fries! The second course was a pasta to share and we had to try their famous 100 layer lasagna. This was definitely my favorite thing we had all night. It was very unique, I liked how it was kind of crispy on the outside but soft and more pasta-like on the inside. Definitely important to remember to pour the sauce over it for flavor. If I were to come back I would definitely get this again for myself. For the entrees we got the roasted chicken and prime rib. The chicken was good and flavorful but just a tad dry. The prime rib was good too but nothing outstanding to be honest. It came out on the lighter side of medium which I thought was a good temperature. The potato it came with was a yummy side to pair with the meat. But overall I wasn't wow'd by the entrees. Same thing goes with the desserts. This is always my favorite part of a dinner and honestly I was really disappointed with what we got. I got the chocolate torta and did NOT like it at all. The cake itself was so terribly dry and the flavor was weak. It needed ice cream to balance it out but it just came with some whipped cream. The afogatto was the one I preferred more between the two. It's literally just ice cream and coffee so can't go too wrong there. Overall my experience here was just ok. The atmosphere was definitely warm and romantic, and special for valentines dinner. But the food itself was just ok. read more

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Food was super good! Service was ok. The host was great but our server was a little rude.

Amazing winter menu, great and attentive service and amazing ambiance. I have taken colleagues and clients, and always have an exceptional time. read more

Always perfection. Pastas, of course, are excellent, (seasonal so right now the scampi and lobster pastas - WOWWWWW) but the entrees and salads are typically flawless as well. Proteins cooked to perfection. Sides are always a highlight. Minor details on the plates - are just so interesting and impressive. Details matter. Who would go on about salads? Me. Please don't skip this course. Real Caesar ( a rarity), and their own house salad that's loaded with deliciousness. Where do they get that cheese?! Dressings excel. Truly, a highlight. Cocktails are always fantastic. They get Italian, but it's also more than Italian. Room is beautiful, and the vibe is great. There's a huge front windowed dining room / event space, which appears to be rocking with groups. Great outdoor patio- always busy. No wonder. Heaters, plants, curtains, overlooking the quiet back patio. Bar seats are plentiful. Bar high tops are yet another seating option. Something for everyone. Only complaint is with the hotel - it is so dated looking. Time for a design overhaul, Charles. This should the the Liberty Hotel of Harvard Sq. This is one of *those places where I eat something insanely good, and I want the dish again, immediately - it's THAT good. You'll want to go back again and again. read more

Bar Enza - Salad - always perfection. Love a great salad. - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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They serve the best focaccia that I have ever tasted and to make it even more delicious, it's served with whipped ricotta with oil and lava salt! Everything we tried was delicious and there are plenty of vegetarian options. The decor and furniture are beautiful. The staff was attentive and checked in throughout the time. They offered suggestions and even a complimentary dessert! read more

Bar Enza - High top booths in dining area - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Located within The Charles Hotel, this place is so good! It's cozy and really nice inside. Great service and the food was delicious. We got the famous 100 layer lasagna which is a must have and the shrimp scampi was fantastic as well! read more

Bar Enza - 100 layer lasagna and shrimp scampi - Italian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

The service was great here! They were very attentive to our needs and we're very friendly. The food was amazing! I loved their focaccia bread because it came with four different sauces and the bread was so bouncy. The lasagna was also a showstopper! The layers were so thin and the sauce was super yummy. Our party of two shared everything and got our own lasagnas, and we were pretty stuffed! The ambiance was lively and the restaurant itself gave a nice formal, yet casual feel! Highly recommend! read more

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Sat at the bar on a Saturday night. Service was cold and abrupt. I ordered a glass of wine and the pour was the equivalent of a tasting and then decided it was best to leave. We walked across the street to Toscano and had a delicious meal and a generous pour and had a wonderful experience with professional service. Bar Enza will be out of business soon if it continues to treat customers as prey. read more

Fantastic experience. Food was delicious. I got the carpaccio (amazing), salmon crudo (good), the goat cheese pasta primi (DELICIOUS), and tiramisu (only thing I didn't love). My server was totally delightful. I asked for recommendations and she not only was happy to give them, but very helpful. Would definitely return and recommend. read more

We were grateful that the management gave us a second chance at Bar Enza. In short - the food was excellent. We are huge foodies and everything we ordered was prepared beautifully and tasted delicious. The service at Bar Enza just doesn't quite match the elegant surroundings, plating and offerings in general. I think we'd come back, just with lowered expectations for service. We loved coming and sitting at the bar- where we expect casual service. On a normal date night - sitting at a table, we'd spend the evening ordering food and drinking a bottle of wine. The food came out on time, and was delicious - and our server was perfectly "nice." We weren't given the high standard of service that would have been fitting for the chef's ingenuity, for the historic and beautiful location - and we ended up having dinner and leaving. Bar Enza has everything needed to be amazing. I hope they will keep trying. read more

Came for their 100 layer lasagna, stayed for their calamari. The lasagna itself was cooked well but imo it lacked flavor. The calamari on the other hand was really good, batter is slightly too thick but the sauce was so bright and flavorful. Shrimp scampi was delicious and the pasta was cooked al dente. read more

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10 out of 10. Refined, elegant, beautiful, absolutely delicious food. Service was personable and very attentive. Best meal I have had in Boston. Ate most of the menu and everything was spectacular. I look forward to bringing family & friends. Go before you will not be able to get a reservation. WOW read more

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I am a Bostonian who now lives in NYC so I was pretty sad to miss out on Del Posto before they closed. When Eater wrote about this place, I had to go whenever I visited home. As a loyal Yelper, I was a bit nervous about the 3-star rating but committed to going anyways. I made a 6PM reservation day of for a party of 4 on Resy which was super easy. The restaurant is located on the 2nd floor of the Charles Hotel so it can be a bit tricky to find. The restaurant is beautiful, spacious, and slightly dressy, perfect for a celebratory occasion like graduation, bridal shower, etc. You order your entire meal upfront so we ordered Cesare's Red Wattle Prosciutto, Enza Salad, and Fried Calamari to start and then Angry Lobster Ravioli, Yesterday's 100 Layer Lasagna with the additional Bolognese, and the Monkfish Loin. To go with our dinner, we ordered a bottle of white wine recommended by our waitress (can't remember what we ordered but it was good). We ate family style so having a little bit of everything, I definitely recommend the lasagna and the ravioli and would skip on the prosciutto. Even without the additional sauce, the lasagna wasn't dry like most lasagnas are and they were very generous with the lobster on the ravioli. There wasn't anything special about the prosciutto. We finished our meal with the pickled cranberry panna cotta which is exactly what it sounds like. The panna cotta part was delicious and the cranberry was... interesting. It was a creative dish we wouldn't order again but we felt the other dishes would've been too standard. The service was okay. We were surprised by the amount of waitstaff there since every other business seem short staffed but they were all huddling and not being very attentive. Our water glasses were never empty but no one came to top up our wine. Tl;dr Food is delicious, space is beautiful, service is okay. If you are looking for a traditional Italian spot, this is not for you. This is new/modern Italian worth visiting. read more

Actually a travesty this place only has 3.5 stars. My wife is Italian and we've tried many places in Boston and this is the most consistently delicate and delicious. The tomato focaccia, octopus, and tortelli were expertly prepared and the flavor profile is just fantastic. Lemon drops were great too, and our server was incredibly attentive. Even the garnishes on every dish are delicious, fresh, and prepared with attention to detail. And on top of everything, it's even very reasonably priced for a nice restaurant in 2023. Ambience is cute too. Can't recommend it highly enough for date night read more

Sari was amazing in helping me plan a baby shower in their private room. The staff were great, the food was great! Everyone had the best time. Thank you Sari for all you help! Lisa D read more

Came here tonight and sat @ the bar (Alex was an awesome bartender!!). We had awesome drinks - that margarita with the black salt rim is fire! The food was incredible - 1) rice fried calamari - so good and with interesting sauce not your standard marinara sauce. 2) awesome amazing buttery fish hake dish - as good as loyal nine in cambridge if not better! 3) the chicken parm was awesome. overall a wonderful vibe, fabulous service, and we can't wait to come back over Thanksgiving! ~Tamara & Arash read more