Alden and Harlow

4.6

4866 Reviews

$30 and under

American

Make a reservation

2 people

Jan 25, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 154 times today

Good for special occasions
Lively
Neighborhood gem

Located at 40 Brattle Street in Harvard Square, Alden & Harlow serves thoughtfully sourced, honest American food in a subterranean, modern and comfortable space. Replicating the style of cooking he does for family and friends in his home kitchen, Chef Michael Scelfo prepares humble, unpretentious food that honors tradition of place in its quality. It's how he connects with anyone who joins them at their table.

While reservations are strongly suggested, we also save a portion of the dining room and bar for walk-ins in the event that your request cannot be accommodated. So please, come on in!

Parties of more than 8, please call to make a reservation.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
American, Gastro Pub, Tapas / Small Plates
Hours of operation
Brunch Sat, Sun 10:30 am–2:30 pm Late Night Thu–Sat 11:00 am–12:30 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–11:00 pm
Phone number
(617) 864-2100
Website
http://www.aldenharlow.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Michael Scelfo

Location
40 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Neighborhood
Cambridge
Cross street
Mt Auburn Street
Parking details
University Place Garage at 124 Mt. Auburn St offers a discounted rate with validation.
Public transit
Alden and Harlow is accessible via the Harvard Square MBTA Red Line T stop.
Additional
Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

50 Boston Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day

Popular dishes

Grilled Rosemary Focaccia$15.00
Roasted Squash Caponata, House Cultured Butter
Chips & Onion Dip$9.00
Smoked & Fried Chicken "Nuggets"$18.00
Tarragon Aioli, Fermented Ramp Greens, Burnt Cherry Hot Sauce
Ubiquitous Kale Salad$16.00
Creamy Pistachio Dressing, Honey & Fennel
Mixed Roasted Squash $19.00
Smoked Almond Tahini, Pickled Hot Peppers, Savory Apple Streusel
Hickory Smoked Carrots$18.00
Buttermilk "Ranch" Labneh, Pickled Dilly Bean Oil, Puffed Grain-Ola
Grilled Broccoli$16.00
Butternut Squash Hummus, Bianco Sardo & Cashew
Local Burrata$19.00
Griddled Sweet Potato Bread, Citrus Marmalade, Smoked Honey Butter
Cauliflower Caesar$17.00
Garlic Crumbs, Caesar Dressing, Parmigiano & Capers
Seared Bluefin Crudo*$19.00
Pickled Apple Vinaigrette, Apple and Celery Root Miso
Steak Tartar*$21.00
Pickled Green Beans, Smoked Egg Yolk, Potato Chips
Fried Brussels Sprouts$17.00
Tallow Fried Peanuts, Fish Sauce, Herbs & Pickled Hots
Pickled Corn Pancakes$18.00
Buttermilk, Maple, Shishito
Patatas Bravas$16.00
Pumpkin Seed Romesco, Garlic Toum, Pickled Jalapeños
Basil Pasta$23.00
Carrot Bolognese, Herb Salad, Pecorino
Pan Roasted Duck Breast $26.00
Buttered Cabbage, Mushroom Chips, Roasted Grape Demi
Smoked Chicken Raviolo*$24.00
Creamy Parsnips, Sage, Brown Butter, Pumpkin
Grilled Mackerel $23.00
Celery Root, Remoulade & House Pickles
Braised Beef a la Plancha$29.00
Miso Carrot Purée, Roasted Golden Beets & Radishes, Fish Sauce Caramel
Ora King Salmon*$26.00
Farm Ratatouille, Grilled Sourdough, Bouquerones Aioli
Grilled NY Strip*
Fried Potatoes, Red Wine Butter, Bacon & Blue Cheese Salad
- 8 oz$38.00
- 14 oz$52.00
Secret Burger*$19.00
Our 8 oz House Creekstone Grind, Your Faith, House Made Roll
Crispy Pork Belly$21.00
Smoked Anson Mills Grits, Root Vegetable Mostarda
Chicken Fried Rabbit$19.00
Blue Cheese, Radish, Chili Oil
Plancha'd Japanese Yams$21.00
Sesame Peanut Crisp, Crispy Chicken Skin, Pickled Apple

Dessert

Smoked Chocolate Bread Pudding$11.00
Vanilla Ice Cream
Roasted Cherry Skillet$11.00
Buttered Brioche, Lime Whipped Cream
Vanilla Bean & Black Pepper Panna Cotta$11.00
Brown Sugar Crumble, Fresh Local Berries
Grilled Peach Galette$12.00
Ginger Ice Cream, Thyme Honey

What 4,866 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.5Service
4.5Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Alden and Harlow offers an innovative culinary experience with "excellent food" and "creative" dishes perfect for sharing. The cozy ambiance and attentive service enhance any dining occasion. While the restaurant can be "a bit loud," the atmosphere is lively and fun. Highlights include the "secret burger" and "unique" menu offerings.

4,866 Reviews

A
Anna
VIP
Greater Boston
15 reviews
3.0
15 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Server was well versed in the offerings and had great suggestions. I didn’t like table placement and asked for different location but nothing was available. i was not comfortable in the bar the lighting was terrible and personally i felt uncomfortable. Hostess gave a stab at helping but nothing sure if it was genuine. Food was better 10 years ago- temperature of food was off- cold. Food was presented well but seemed amiss.
Is this helpful?
C
Charles Francis
Greater Boston
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always a great experience! Food is incredible and the staff is very kind and attentive.
Is this helpful?
L
Linda
Greater Boston
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We were a group of 7, and the “family style” of sharing dishes allowed us to taste 11 different plates of delicious creations. Even those who normally don’t like broccolini and cauliflower loved those scrumptious dishes. All the plates were excellent and delivered gradually, not all at once, which worked well. The inventive vegetable dishes were spectacular, and the protein ones were very good. The dessert menu, with 4 very similar choices, needs work. We did like the apple/almond cake, though!
Is this helpful?
m
maxwell
Greater Boston
25 reviews
5.0
25 reviews
Dined on January 9, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
A great spot for a cold winter night. Food is excellent. Our waitress Natalya was helpful and attentive. She pointed out that the large salad I was going to order as an appetizer could be ordered in a smaller version instead of fries for a modest additional charge. Just the sort of thing you appreciate from a server.
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D
Darby
Greater Boston
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on January 9, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
A tapas style space with pretty decent food and great drinks. The food was pretty good but some are some oddly portioned compared to others. Really good drinks which are great.
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R
Richard
Greater Boston
9 reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on January 1, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Food was delicious. Innovative combinations that worked. It was New Year's Eve and atmosphere was celebratory -- lots of conversations. Music was festive. The complimentary midnight champagne toast was a very nice surprise. Our server was outstanding.
Is this helpful?
c
carole
Greater Boston
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on January 1, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We have been here a few times and love the place. Our server was wonderful and warm. Starters were lovely except for the kale salad was overdressed and very salty not what we are used to. The main course ..... ordered the basil pasta which I usually love. It was very spicy and I could not finish it so I was disappointed. Dessert we ordered the pear crumble ...... tasted delicious but not all of the pears were cooked through fully. Definitely had better meals than what we had last night.
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J
Jackie
VIP
Greater Boston
9 reviews
1.0
9 reviews
Dined on January 1, 2025
1. Overall 1
2. Food 3
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 1
We were very disappointed overall. We waited 30 minutes for our table, another 30 minutes for our drinks; which they comped but at that point we just wanted to leave. It was loud and the ventilation was bad. We will not return.
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S
Sandra
VIP
San Francisco
10 reviews
5.0
10 reviews
Dined on December 29, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Wonderful food and great service by Ingrid! Thank you for a lovely dining experience!
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s
sHARA
Greater Boston
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on December 28, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great meal. 3 of us ordered 5 dishes,which might have been 1 too many for our group (1 larger eater; two smaller eaters) Typically it can be noisy but they say us at a banquette in corner across from the bar, so the noise level (6pm res) was quite tolerable
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FAQs

Alden and Harlow offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (617) 864-2100.

Alden and Harlow is rated 4.6 stars by 4866 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Jan 25, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 154 times today

Order delivery or takeout

40 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

Additional information

Cross street
Mt Auburn Street
Neighborhood
Cambridge
Hours of operation
Brunch Sat, Sun 10:30 am–2:30 pm Late Night Thu–Sat 11:00 am–12:30 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–11:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
American, Gastro Pub, Tapas / Small Plates
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
University Place Garage at 124 Mt. Auburn St offers a discounted rate with validation.
Public transit
Alden and Harlow is accessible via the Harvard Square MBTA Red Line T stop.
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Michael Scelfo
Additional
Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.aldenharlow.com/
Phone number
(617) 864-2100

Featured in

50 Boston Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day

Alden and Harlow

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

50 Boston Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day

Ubiquitous Kale Salad

Pickled Corn Pancakes

Sweet Corn Pancakes

Main

Grilled Rosemary Focaccia$15.00

Chips & Onion Dip$9.00

Smoked & Fried Chicken "Nuggets"$18.00

Ubiquitous Kale Salad$16.00

Mixed Roasted Squash $19.00

Hickory Smoked Carrots$18.00

Grilled Broccoli$16.00

Local Burrata$19.00

Cauliflower Caesar$17.00

Seared Bluefin Crudo*$19.00

Steak Tartar*$21.00

Fried Brussels Sprouts$17.00

Pickled Corn Pancakes$18.00

Patatas Bravas$16.00

Basil Pasta$23.00

Pan Roasted Duck Breast $26.00

Smoked Chicken Raviolo*$24.00

Grilled Mackerel $23.00

Braised Beef a la Plancha$29.00

Ora King Salmon*$26.00

Grilled NY Strip*

Secret Burger*$19.00

Crispy Pork Belly$21.00

Chicken Fried Rabbit$19.00

Plancha'd Japanese Yams$21.00

Dessert

Smoked Chocolate Bread Pudding$11.00

Roasted Cherry Skillet$11.00

Vanilla Bean & Black Pepper Panna Cotta$11.00

Grilled Peach Galette$12.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

Does Alden and Harlow offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Alden and Harlow restaurant rated?

Is Alden and Harlow currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Featured in

50 Boston Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day