Base Crave — Restaurant in Cambridge

Mid-upscale Indian restaurant with great food and service.

Tucked away in a quiet residential neighborhood in West Cambridge, Base Crave offers a palatable dining experience for people looking for Indian and Nepalese food. With calm jazz piano music in the background, the restaurant aims for a classy vibe, and I liked the relaxing atmosphere during my visit on a weekday evening.

From their small plates and appetizers, I opted for the Lamb Mo Mo and the Shrimp Bhuteko. Though good, the Mo Mos weren’t the best I’ve tried in the area. The Shrimp Bhuteko, however, proved to be an unexpected delight. The play between the crispiness of puffed rice and roasted veggies and the juiciness of the shrimp, all imbued with a unique blend of spices, was satisfying.

No Indian dining experience would be complete without sampling Chicken Tikka Masala. Though on the smaller side in terms of portion, it was creamy, rich, and packed with well-marinated and lean chicken breast chunks. To accompany this, I also ordered a Pineapple Lassi, which offered a refreshing take on the traditional drink. It wasn’t as thick as a mango lassi, but I did like this light and foamy version.

Overall, a delightful South Asian dining experience in West Cambridge. If you're opting for an entrée, consider complementing it with one of their appetizers for a...

By far the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced. I was sitting outside and brought my own plate inside when it looked like it was going to rain. The waiter kept interrupting me, asking if I was done with my meal—despite me clearly saying I was still eating. He came back again to ask what I was doing with the food, which made me feel rushed and uncomfortable. I asked for a box and got ready to leave.

After signing for my meal and leaving no tip (due to the poor service), the waiter came back to ask me for his tip. As I walked out, another man aggressively approached me, also asking where the tip was. They were very aggressive in nature and made the entire experience even more uncomfortable.

As for the food: bland and overpriced. The momo was extra chewy with barely any vegetable filling, and the basil tofu—at $22—had no flavor and came with basic, under-seasoned vegetables.

I do not recommend this place. Poor service, aggressive behavior, and flavorless food—definitely not worth your time or money. I would have preferred to give this place a ZERO in...

Such a lovely quaint restaurant. The inside was neat and clean with quiet jazz played in the background. The food was fantastic. Everything was well-seasoned with a nice mix of spices that made each dish pop. There were many gluten-free and vegetarian options too. The host also informed us that the restaurant did not use gmo products and artificial colorings so those with such concerns can rest easy :)

We ended up trying the jeera chicken, basil shrimp, chicken & mushroom takari curry, chicken momos with tikka masala, and garlic naan. The jeera chicken came with crispy puffed rice which was really fun to eat. The garlic naan was very soft and went well with the tikka masala.

For drinks we tried the strawberry lassi and rupee lager. The lassi was delicious, not too sweet, had great fruity flavor mellowed by dairy with a touch of spice. The rupee was a nice smooth beer that was not very hoppy or bitter and paired well with the food as advertised.

So happy to find another local gem. Looking forward to trying their other dishes and...