Visited for Dine out Boston and thoroughly enjoyed their selection.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ren T.
TLTR by the end of dinner I had one disappointing arancini and a bit of pita and hummus which cost $55+ tax and took well over an hour so we missed our actual plans. The best thing about the experience was the food runner. Super nice and honestly would easily make a better server just on service and attitude. Food was ok, nothing to really write home about. Service (outside of the busser) was bad... our server brought over the regular menus and when we noted we wanted the dine out boston, she kind of huffed and walked away (she was probably hoping that we would run up our check otherwise... little did she know we were both servers at some point and tip generous even for average service)... Throughout the night she would walk over to one table, then walk away, sometimes go back to that table or the next and then walk away so everything took ALOT longer. No trying to see what other tables were doing making, eye contact, whatever. It's pretty obvious she was never taught about table touches and the manager was too busy watching tv to notice that we were not having a good experience or the 6 top next to us with multiple kids were waiting to the point you could clearly see the kids were over how long they were there; meanwhile they still had their menus infront of them. When she came back we already had decided what we wanted from looking online and gave her our order right away. Our apps were dropped and she never checked on us... if she had we would have asked for more pita points.the amount they give you compared to the amount of hummus is embarrassing.... And we still needed more even though I completely avoided the harissa which was most of it. The pesto arancini sound much better than the actual execution (never had it before so don't have an example to compare it against) At some point they changed the pasta option from a red sauce to a spinach... and she never mentioned that... our food gets dropped and by the time my so was just about finished, she came over and I asked if there was spinach. Turns out it was yes and my SO ordered the steak as I always encourage her to as there are 2 things that kick up my kidney stones- spinach and red meat... They offered to remake it, which would have been great if it was 20+ minutes earlier when I took my first bite. They didn't offer anything else and the service got even worse. When we asked for our desert TO GO, she walked away and brought over the menus even though it was done out and there was one desert. At the same time I asked for the check which should have been a dead give away we were in a bit of a hurry (because of the amazingly slow and poor service). After she dropped the check (honestly it could have been before) she stood at the pos and closed out checks. I parked behind the sonesta and after the server dropped the check, I said let's divide and conquer. You take care of the check and I'll bring the food which I didn't eat and the desserts over to the car. Well the server decided that now was a good time to eat and my SO waited and then walked over to the bar... the manager apparently dodn't take notice that she walked to the bar from the dining room even though she was standing next to him. Eventually the server saw her, came over, apparently had a "how dare you interrupt my sandwich" and ran the check. I had walked across land blvd 2x in the pouring rain, but the food in my car and back to the restaurant by the time she had paid... We were supposed to see the Pink Floyd laser show as that is what our plans were and decided to add dinner before. I would have been happier staying at home and just going to the MoS show instead of missing it for ok food and bad service.
james
Food is average. The wait staff is pleasant and attentive. The restaurant is comfortable. The location is rather isolated from Cambridge and Boston proper. Prices are high for what is being offered. The best value is the free parking in the Galleria mall.
Ipanema
Tonight we had the most amazing meal at Bambara. We were warmly greeted by our waiter Andres. He was a perfect example of what an excellent waiter should be, friendly and attentive. Next our food, it was delicious. My husband ordered the clam chowder soup which he thought was excellent, but his main dish was the scallops on top of farro risotto with butter squash was a 5 star dish! My order the salmon with crispy Brussels sprouts on a tahini sauce was wonderful too. We both highly recommend this restaurant. Not to be missed if you are in the Cambridge area.
Megan Galbraith
We stopped by this bar for a post-dinner treat, and we were pleasantly surprised by the cozy ambiance. Despite it being a Saturday night, the atmosphere was quiet and relaxed, perfect for winding down. While the dessert options were limited, we opted for the chocolate cake, which was decadent and satisfying. The drinks were well crafted, adding to the overall enjoyable experience.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Jamie McGraner
I ordered the pan seared chicken. The chicken was good but the polenta and broccolini was cold so not a good mix. I should’ve known when the restaurant was completely empty minus four patrons on a Friday night. I also got the chocolate cake with ice cream. It was the better half of my meal but wasn’t impressive. For the menu prices I expected a much better meal experience than I was given. The service is the only spectacular thing going for them. My drinks were better than the food and the drinks weren’t impressive either.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
LMorales
Bamabara was a very nice setting. Had a date night there. Seats by the window in the evening. The atmosphere was dimly lit and elegant. The food was tasty. Both all food ordered were healthy options. I would definitely go back.
Amazing dinner. Food and drinks were incredible. It was my wife's birthday and they went all out. They were also great with our kids and we had a great booth. Highly recommend!
Sonya F.
Came here for a company outing and the food was amazing! I typically don't go for steaks, but theirs was wonderful, moist and full of flavor. I also enjoyed their chicken dish, I don't think I've ever had a chicken cooked so well and not dry! Even though I really loved their food, I had to knock it down a star because it felt like an eternity before we finally got to eat after ordering. I'm not sure if this was because we were a large party, but as soon as the food came, I ate it up very quickly. Overall, this is a great nice restaurant by the river, and I can see how it'd be a nice after work activity!
Gajtana S.
My first time staying at a Kimpton property; the Bambara is connected to the Kimpton Marlowe. For the $30 hotel daily amenity fee, you have a $10 credit at Bambara, among other cool perks. We had dinner and breakfast at Bambara. The burger and fries is $28 and the lobster roll is $44. The two egg breakfast with bread and home fries is $19. Coffee and tea are $4 each. Tres leches is $12. The prices are on the high side with moderate portions,but so are most restaurants these days. Service was very good at dinner- warm friendly and efficient. At breakfast, there was no place to put the tea bag which would have been helpful, but service was otherwise fine and the breakfast was very good. The dinner was also overwhelmingly very good. The hamburger was juicy and the Caesar salad side (upgraded at no charge) was good with homemade honey dressing I asked for, which was excellent. My mother, a lobster expert at this point, had the lobster on hot buttered roll. She found it over buttered and said the butter overwhelmed the lobster, which was a small portion. Her homemade coleslaw and thick cut fries, which I tried, were excellent. The tres leches was different than the three milk drenched wonders I have had. This one had pieces of pineapple on top and was on the dry side. They have $1 oysters at happy hour from 5-7 p.m. which were small but very good. It was overall a very good (4 star) experience and I know Bambara has the potential for five stars.
We went here for brunch on a Saturday. Their brunch menu has tons of options especially if you are vegetarian. I go to brunch places a lot and always wonder why they don't have a Veggie Hash option. This place had Veggie Hash and it was so delicious. I finished it all. One issue I had was that the coffee was warm and not hot!!! I got two refills and I was disappointed with the coffee not being hot especially when it was a cold rainy morning. Service though was phenomenal.
Samuel Belmonte
The atmosphere at Bambara is really enjoyable. The layout of the tables is such that you can see everything while feeling nicely tucked away so that you can hear everyone at your table well even when things are busy. The waiter, Andres, was very knowledgeable about the menu and was able to make recommendations to accommodate allergies and a vegetarian at the table. Each dish was a triumph of flavor, creative, delicious, and filling. A great place for a special occasion meal!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alejandro Romero
$1 oysters were really good and paired perfectly with our drinks! Will come back to do the same ?I also recommend getting breakfast here. They're vegetarian omelet and poached eggs on smoked salmon were filling and delicious ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
TheresaF
We went to Bambara to celebrate a birthday for one of our group. We were able to get a cozy table in the corner. Brianna was our server, and she was AMAZING! So pleasant and helpful! She took extra good care of us! The food was delicious! We will definitely be back. Thank you, Brianna!
KatyB
Honestly, has not been back in years and now I recall why. Absolutely the worst service, from reception, to the bar, to the actual meal. Priced like standard Cambridge, with fast food restaurant level service.
Visited for Dine out Boston and thoroughly enjoyed their selection.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
TLTR by the end of dinner I had one disappointing arancini and a bit of pita and hummus which cost $55+ tax and took well over an hour so we missed our actual plans. The best thing about the experience was the food runner. Super nice and honestly would easily make a better server just on service and attitude. Food was ok, nothing to really write home about. Service (outside of the busser) was bad... our server brought over the regular menus and when we noted we wanted the dine out boston, she kind of huffed and walked away (she was probably hoping that we would run up our check otherwise... little did she know we were both servers at some point and tip generous even for average service)... Throughout the night she would walk over to one table, then walk away, sometimes go back to that table or the next and then walk away so everything took ALOT longer. No trying to see what other tables were doing making, eye contact, whatever. It's pretty obvious she was never taught about table touches and the manager was too busy watching tv to notice that we were not having a good experience or the 6 top next to us with multiple kids were waiting to the point you could clearly see the kids were over how long they were there; meanwhile they still had their menus infront of them. When she came back we already had decided what we wanted from looking online and gave her our order right away. Our apps were dropped and she never checked on us... if she had we would have asked for more pita points.the amount they give you compared to the amount of hummus is embarrassing.... And we still needed more even though I completely avoided the harissa which was most of it. The pesto arancini sound much better than the actual execution (never had it before so don't have an example to compare it against) At some point they changed the pasta option from a red sauce to a spinach... and she never mentioned that... our food gets dropped and by the time my so was just about finished, she came over and I asked if there was spinach. Turns out it was yes and my SO ordered the steak as I always encourage her to as there are 2 things that kick up my kidney stones- spinach and red meat... They offered to remake it, which would have been great if it was 20+ minutes earlier when I took my first bite. They didn't offer anything else and the service got even worse. When we asked for our desert TO GO, she walked away and brought over the menus even though it was done out and there was one desert. At the same time I asked for the check which should have been a dead give away we were in a bit of a hurry (because of the amazingly slow and poor service). After she dropped the check (honestly it could have been before) she stood at the pos and closed out checks. I parked behind the sonesta and after the server dropped the check, I said let's divide and conquer. You take care of the check and I'll bring the food which I didn't eat and the desserts over to the car. Well the server decided that now was a good time to eat and my SO waited and then walked over to the bar... the manager apparently dodn't take notice that she walked to the bar from the dining room even though she was standing next to him. Eventually the server saw her, came over, apparently had a "how dare you interrupt my sandwich" and ran the check. I had walked across land blvd 2x in the pouring rain, but the food in my car and back to the restaurant by the time she had paid... We were supposed to see the Pink Floyd laser show as that is what our plans were and decided to add dinner before. I would have been happier staying at home and just going to the MoS show instead of missing it for ok food and bad service.
Food is average. The wait staff is pleasant and attentive. The restaurant is comfortable. The location is rather isolated from Cambridge and Boston proper. Prices are high for what is being offered. The best value is the free parking in the Galleria mall.
Tonight we had the most amazing meal at Bambara. We were warmly greeted by our waiter Andres. He was a perfect example of what an excellent waiter should be, friendly and attentive. Next our food, it was delicious. My husband ordered the clam chowder soup which he thought was excellent, but his main dish was the scallops on top of farro risotto with butter squash was a 5 star dish! My order the salmon with crispy Brussels sprouts on a tahini sauce was wonderful too. We both highly recommend this restaurant. Not to be missed if you are in the Cambridge area.
We stopped by this bar for a post-dinner treat, and we were pleasantly surprised by the cozy ambiance. Despite it being a Saturday night, the atmosphere was quiet and relaxed, perfect for winding down. While the dessert options were limited, we opted for the chocolate cake, which was decadent and satisfying. The drinks were well crafted, adding to the overall enjoyable experience.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
I ordered the pan seared chicken. The chicken was good but the polenta and broccolini was cold so not a good mix. I should’ve known when the restaurant was completely empty minus four patrons on a Friday night. I also got the chocolate cake with ice cream. It was the better half of my meal but wasn’t impressive. For the menu prices I expected a much better meal experience than I was given. The service is the only spectacular thing going for them. My drinks were better than the food and the drinks weren’t impressive either.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Bamabara was a very nice setting. Had a date night there. Seats by the window in the evening. The atmosphere was dimly lit and elegant. The food was tasty. Both all food ordered were healthy options. I would definitely go back.
Amazing dinner. Food and drinks were incredible. It was my wife's birthday and they went all out. They were also great with our kids and we had a great booth. Highly recommend!
Came here for a company outing and the food was amazing! I typically don't go for steaks, but theirs was wonderful, moist and full of flavor. I also enjoyed their chicken dish, I don't think I've ever had a chicken cooked so well and not dry! Even though I really loved their food, I had to knock it down a star because it felt like an eternity before we finally got to eat after ordering. I'm not sure if this was because we were a large party, but as soon as the food came, I ate it up very quickly. Overall, this is a great nice restaurant by the river, and I can see how it'd be a nice after work activity!
My first time staying at a Kimpton property; the Bambara is connected to the Kimpton Marlowe. For the $30 hotel daily amenity fee, you have a $10 credit at Bambara, among other cool perks. We had dinner and breakfast at Bambara. The burger and fries is $28 and the lobster roll is $44. The two egg breakfast with bread and home fries is $19. Coffee and tea are $4 each. Tres leches is $12. The prices are on the high side with moderate portions,but so are most restaurants these days. Service was very good at dinner- warm friendly and efficient. At breakfast, there was no place to put the tea bag which would have been helpful, but service was otherwise fine and the breakfast was very good. The dinner was also overwhelmingly very good. The hamburger was juicy and the Caesar salad side (upgraded at no charge) was good with homemade honey dressing I asked for, which was excellent. My mother, a lobster expert at this point, had the lobster on hot buttered roll. She found it over buttered and said the butter overwhelmed the lobster, which was a small portion. Her homemade coleslaw and thick cut fries, which I tried, were excellent. The tres leches was different than the three milk drenched wonders I have had. This one had pieces of pineapple on top and was on the dry side. They have $1 oysters at happy hour from 5-7 p.m. which were small but very good. It was overall a very good (4 star) experience and I know Bambara has the potential for five stars.
Restaurantji Recommends
We went here for brunch on a Saturday. Their brunch menu has tons of options especially if you are vegetarian. I go to brunch places a lot and always wonder why they don't have a Veggie Hash option. This place had Veggie Hash and it was so delicious. I finished it all. One issue I had was that the coffee was warm and not hot!!! I got two refills and I was disappointed with the coffee not being hot especially when it was a cold rainy morning. Service though was phenomenal.
The atmosphere at Bambara is really enjoyable. The layout of the tables is such that you can see everything while feeling nicely tucked away so that you can hear everyone at your table well even when things are busy. The waiter, Andres, was very knowledgeable about the menu and was able to make recommendations to accommodate allergies and a vegetarian at the table. Each dish was a triumph of flavor, creative, delicious, and filling. A great place for a special occasion meal!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
$1 oysters were really good and paired perfectly with our drinks! Will come back to do the same ?I also recommend getting breakfast here. They're vegetarian omelet and poached eggs on smoked salmon were filling and delicious ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We went to Bambara to celebrate a birthday for one of our group. We were able to get a cozy table in the corner. Brianna was our server, and she was AMAZING! So pleasant and helpful! She took extra good care of us! The food was delicious! We will definitely be back. Thank you, Brianna!
Honestly, has not been back in years and now I recall why. Absolutely the worst service, from reception, to the bar, to the actual meal. Priced like standard Cambridge, with fast food restaurant level service.