Cambridge Dining Guide
Best Chinese in Central Square
The 4 chinese restaurants in Central Square worth walking to — ranked, with addresses, hours, and T access. Curated by Guide to Cambridge.
Cambridge's Chinese restaurants reflect the city's academic connections to China — many are run by immigrants with deep regional expertise. You'll find authentic Sichuan mapo tofu, hand-pulled noodles, Cantonese dim sum, and Hunan specialties that rival anything in Boston's Chinatown, often at more reasonable prices.
Insider TipAsk for the Chinese-language menu at sit-down restaurants — it often has dishes not on the English menu, particularly regional specialties.
Shanghai Fresh
Chinese · 735 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
Shanghai-style restaurant at the corner of Mass Ave and Inman Street. Hand-pulled noodles, pork-and-crab xiaolongbao, and Sichuan-style fried chicken. Cheery, hip dining room with chalkboard walls and modern bamboo light fixtures.
Dumpling House
Chinese · 950 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
Taiwanese-style dumplings and noodles. Hand-wrapped dumplings made fresh daily, extensive noodle soup menu. No-frills, cash-only, lines out the door.
Darling
Chinese/Cocktail Bar · 464 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
Chinese-inspired cocktail bar in the former Mary Chung space, with a reimagined dim-sum menu from executive chef Mark O'Leary (JM Curley, O Ya, Shojo). 40-seat lounge, 16-seat walnut bar, a hand-painted mural by Julia Purinton, and original exposed brick from the Mary Chung era.
Royal East
Chinese · 782 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02139
Central Square Cantonese-Sichuan restaurant with a live seafood tank at the front. Wide Chinese and Malaysian menu with destination dishes (Peking Duck, Salt-Baked Chicken, Sichuan Poached Fish) alongside weekday lunch specials.