The Abbey — Restaurant in Cambridge

The food is fine but pricey, the drinks are really good BUT with this attitude from one specific waiter we were unlucky to get that night (May 9th, 2022) most likely I won’t set my foot in this place ever again. The moment you stop ordering food or drinks (meaning you continue to enjoy your current drinks and finishing dinner) the waiter brings you the check and makes you understand you need to pay and go. We were a group of 8-9 people and our check was more than $200, everyone in our group was chill, no one was drunk or loud. We didn’t even bother anyone with splitting the bill, paid with one card. The moment we paid (leaving mandatory 20% tip) we asked for water and the waiter told us (rolling his eyes at us) that he will bring us some but we are expected to leave right after (though it was still about 3 hours until the closing hour and there were multiple tables available for other people! It was Monday night, the bar was relatively empty anyway).

The exact same situation happened already a few years ago, however, we naively thought that maybe something changed in the management (the abbey has a good atmosphere overall in terms of space & design and we liked to hang out there after work) but the exact same thing happened again!

I’m really enraged by such rude behavior. It never happened to me in any other place, not here in the US, not anywhere in Europe. If that’s the bar’s policy to make people leave straight after finishing food, then write it everywhere and inform people prior to seating them, it would be still weird but at the very least honest and straightforward.

Ps basically, NO vegan options. Don’t believe the menu online, a vegan person in our party had to eat a side of...

The Abbey is the perfect place to grab drinks with friends at midnight, enjoy a tomato bisque with parents at 5pm, and get married!!

lol yes I did get married here a month ago, and prior to that event, my partner and I have been proud patrons for the last 3.5 years. An excellent $12 cocktail menu, delicious cod and steak frites, and a warm, classy but casual atmosphere. Servers are consistently great. They also have an entirely separate gluten-free menu that my gluten-free friends are super happy with.

We also reserved their downstairs for our 30-person wedding! Dean, the manager, was super enjoyable to work with to plan the event, and Rachel and Matt were our bartenders and servers day-of and really made everything so easy. Thank you guys!

If you’re looking for a wedding space that’s inviting, classy, and casual, and you don’t mind getting married in front of an exit sign (we did not mind lol), I strongly recommend. We genuinely feel that the evening was pretty perfect, and our friends are still raving about the tomato bisque and grilled cheese. I could also imagine their downstairs being a great space for any relatively intimate event you’d like to host!

If you’re not planning to get married soon, I’d still suggest stopping by for an enjoyable meal and cleverly named cocktail. We...

Great local bar with solid drinks and great food.

Among the bars near Harvard Square, Abbey is my first pick for a laid-back drink on a patio. It’s just far enough from the noise, with reasonably priced drinks and, best of all, seriously good food. While the menu doesn’t push creative boundaries, they do the American bar comfort food done right.

Small bites like the Bacon Deviled Eggs and Pulled Pork Egg Rolls were tasty, but the entrée department was where Abbey excelled. Both the Salmon and Cod were outstanding—honestly, some of the best entrées I’ve had at a bar in recent memory. Each had an impeccable texture, almost as if delicately poached. The Salmon, paired with heirloom tomato risotto and a basil pesto vinaigrette, had a pleasant touch of acidity. Meanwhile, the Cod came with a potato scallion pancake, perfectly crisped and soaked in a shallot cream sauce, which added just the right crunch and salty punch to elevate the dish beautifully.

The crowd at The Abbey skews a bit older compared to some of the livelier Harvard Square bars, but it’s worth a visit f you’re after a more laid-back, cozy bar vibe. It’s popular among the locals, so if you’re hoping to snag a patio seat, I’d recommend going during...