Blackshop Restaurant — Restaurant in Cambridge

This is sad because this seems like a restaurant that doesn't quite know what it is or who the target market is. It appears to be top class in terms of atmosphere and wine selection, but the initial impression I got from the surroundings was not carried through to the food and the rest of the experience.

The first sign was the empty parking lot. The next was waiting several minutes for a hostess to appear.

I had ordered a basic margarita, which was very simple and didn't taste very good. The other two drinks we ordered were decent, though overpriced.

The food was a stunning disappointment. The scallops were undercooked and sad. 4 scallops and 2 brussels sprouts were the portion for 24 dollars. Side note: 4 scallops for 24 dollars, at 6 dollars a scallop you'd expect properly done scallops.

The fries were okay but they came wrapped in some newspaper cone shaped apparatus which cheapened the whole atmosphere and made me think of simple fish and chip joints.

The steak was rough. I'm not sure what happened in the kitchen, maybe the usual leadership wasn't there but the top sirloin was tough. Ordered a medium rare, some parts were medium well. The meat itself didn't seem seasoned and in my opinion was a low quality cut. Some parts were like bubble gum. The dull steak knife didn't help either. I had to spit some out because it was inedible. Vegetables were undercooked. Potatoes were pretty tasty.

Server didn't quite pick up on the queues when we mentioned it "wasn't bad" several times - but it's not their job to control quality in the kitchen.

It's sad because I had wanted to try Blackshop for a while, and when we finally did I regretted it entirely. This restaurant could do so well if it relaxed the boujee atmosphere and focused on serving good food. The place is bookended by a Canadian Tire and a Party City. You'd hope the owners would consider these factors and have an amazing restaurant with a line out of the door.

Unfortunately I have to recommend The Keg around the corner. We've been there several times, steak always cooked properly, better prices, and every dish is deliciously made.

I hope this place figures out the kitchen aspect and focuses on a modern crowd by making good food and offering better portions for apps. Also, having a nest of birds right next to your table in a portable heater when the management is aware of it is a little ridiculous. These heaters are portable. There should be no live animals right next to a table. I just hope the nights don't get too cold and they don't forget the fact there are birds living in a heater.

Maybe we'll come back, but we go to restaurants for good food, and we didn't even get...

Dinner for Eleven 2025-07-08

A friend of over 50 years was coming to Cambridge so he and 10 former co-workers planned a dinner at the Blackshop Restaurant. While making a reservation for the group, I was offered a private, newly renovated side room at the restaurant, giving us privacy for a somewhat noisy reunion. We arrived to find the room all set up for us with two dedicated servers, Amy and Thuy (pronounced Twee), who gave us a warm welcome and took our drink orders. We chose champagne to toast the occasion, and white wine to accompany dinner. The wine list offered a wide selection, and all were happy with the choices. Our group ordered appetizers, that included Roasted Tomato Soup, Calamari Croccanti, and Pan Seared Scallops. Absolutely delicious. Main course selected included a Miso Glazed Ling Cod, or Jeager Schnitzel. I had the cod and it was simply amazing, with a wonderful coconut sauce. All were very pleased with the choices. Last was desert, and selected were blueberry cheesecake or chocolate cake. We spent two and one half hours over dinner, were never rushed, never waited for service and felt absolutely spoiled by Amy and Thuy. We all all looking forward to eating again at the Blackshop.

Brunch for Two 2025-02-09

My wife and I went for the Endless Brunch that began on February 9th of this year. The atmosphere, service and the quality of the food was wonderful . Our server Marla explained how the brunch worked and what was included. Unlike other brunches, a choice of small plates were delivered to the table. The servers were very active on this Easter Sunday, and worked as a team. We always felt well served, and our food choices were brought out quickly.

The Chef Ace came to our table to check on how we were enjoying things. The decor and the music really added to our Sunday morning brunch experience. I would absolutely recommend this option as an affordable ($45 per person) fun brunch in Cambridge. It was delicious, and memorable.

3 Years Ago Celebrated my Wife's birthday here and had a wonderful dinner. Our server, Mikaela, was friendly, attentive, and helpful; a true professional.

The food was delicious and exceeded our expectations from the daily soup, pan seared scallops to the lobster pasta and truffle cake desert. Many delicious menu choices were available and all appealed. The atmosphere was perfect for a romantic dinner for two, with comfortable seating, subdued lighting, and generous spacing...

We celebrated my Mother's 80th birthday at Blackshop during the endless brunch. Because there were 14 of us, we had been put in a special room and that may have been the issue as we seemed to be forgotten about.

We sat for a half hour waiting to place our orders, and when we finally did we started to receive plates of food intermittently, with half the table having received, eaten and finished their dishes before the other half received theirs; dishes came out that no one ordered, while other orders never appeared (maybe they went to someone else's table and we got theirs?). During this time, some people at the table had been asked if they wanted a drink, while the other half had not. Service was incredibly slow and we thought perhaps it was because the rest of the restaurant was busy? But when we went out to look, there were only 2 or 3 other tables sitting in the restaurant. Several times we went out looking for someone to see what the hold up was.

One of our party had ordered the Steak and eggs, asking for over easy. The plate came out with two over hard eggs (as did all of the other dishes that had eggs - all of them were delivered hard as a rock, no runny yolks in the shakshuka, or eggs benny's). We waited for someone to come back with the cutlery, but no one did...so my sister went searching for someone that could provide the steak knife. She couldn't find anyone, and stood by the kitchen door waiting for someone to come out and we believe discovered where everyone was....all of the servers were hanging out talking in the kitchen.

So, needless to say it was a hugely disappointing 80th celebration for my Mum. She had come with her sister a few weeks ago to try out the brunch and she had loved it - so booked the party for her birthday....maybe booking a large party is the downfall of this place, because the reviews on here as well as my Mum's experience with her sister clearly show that it can be a terrific experience. But when you come with a larger group, it just doesn't hold up. The food was disappointing (cold, stale - felt like things were made and kept in a fridge until it was time to serve them), the service was non existent. For the price of what was paid, it really did...