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Dante

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40 Edwin H Land Blvd (at McGrath Highway)
Cambridge, MA 02142

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(617) 497-4200
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Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Dante - Cambridge, MA
Reviews
( 12 )
( 5 )
( 1 )
( 0 )
( 2 )

Best

dante's. If you haven't run into Chef Dante around town yet you haven't been looking. The man inspires the same personallity in his menu as he does hosting a 7 deadly sins NYE Blo...

Worst

I will never go back to this restaurant! Besides the nice views of the river and city, dante's is HELL! Servers are rude and extremely slow. It took over 45 minutes after bei...

Ever changing menu 1/18/2011

dante's. If you haven't run into Chef Dante around town yet you haven't been looking. The man inspires the same personallity in his menu as he does hosting a 7 deadly sins NYE Blow Out! I've been visiting the restaurant since August, it seems the cocktails are always changing, keeping me comming back. The menu changes seasonally though often features nightly additions. Catch a White Alban truffle dish if your lucky. Best way to experience Dante is with a Pre-fixe tasting. Extra special when Chef is in the house. more

Great food! 10/3/2009

Fantastic food, well-prepared. I went for restaurant week, and everything was delicious! Good location. Pros: Go for restaurant week! Cons: none more

Great experience 5/18/2009

My friends and I had a wonderful experience at Dante for my recent Birthday dinner. The manager, Seth was very accommodating and the staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. I have been to Dante several times and have had a great experience every time. The food is great, the ambiance is nice and I can't wait for the patio to open. Oh, and the gnocci are delicious! more

Great food, amazing patio 5/27/2008

I'm a frequent diner at "Dante". Our meals have been consistently awesome. I enjoy the ambiance and dining experience provided by "Dante". The waiters tend to be very kind and know the menu in detail. And the patio is fantastic come summer time. 3 things: 1. About the previous review: my family had brunch on Mother's day, and it was very busy at the restaurant. I understand the previous reviewer may have been unhappy with her service, but sometimes when you go to a restaurant on such a busy holiday, things can happen due to the high traffic flowing in the restaurant. To judge "Dante" just on a mothers day brunch experience is ridiculous. Try going on a weekend or weeknight to really see what's it's like. 2. They don't have a kids menu. I brought my little bro once and the servers offer choices for kids. I don't know why this past reviewer was mentioning having to ask for a kids menu, when they don't have one. 3. Their patio is "first come, first serve". You can't make reservations for it, you can only request it when you call to make a reservation, and if you show up without a reservation on a busy night, good luck, because you will be forced to wait. I learned the hard way, so just call in advance! Pros: ambience, patio, creativity in dishes, services, food Cons: pricey, portions for certain dishes dissapointing, random location more

Try it before it is too busy to get in! 8/7/2007

We've been twice to this upscale Italian restaurant in the Royal Sonesta. Each time the food has been outstanding. The original draw was that were able to get a reservation on a weekend night. If word gets out on how good the food is that shouldn't be true for long. We dined with our two children. Each of us loved every course of our meal. To start we were treated to an amuse bouche of risotto cakes, which made my children swoon. The waiter could see how much we enjoyed them and promptly brought us another plate of them. My son declared his steak frite the best meal he had ever had anywhere. The service was excellent. I highly recommend Dante. more

Delicious and creative menu. Lovely atmosphere 2/4/2007

Our family was looking for a special restaurant in Cambridge to celebrate a birthday and enjoy Sunday brunch. We thought of Dante after having many delicious dinners there. We really enjoyed the brunch service and want to highly recommend it. Our group was seated at a comfortable banquette overlooking the Charles River on a beautifully sunny morning. We all agreed the atmosphere was perfect. Our waiter was a familiar face to us and, as always, could not have been friendlier. His stories and knowledge of the kitchen gave the meal a more personal touch. Some of us began the birthday celebration by ordering Dante's Inferno, the house version bloody Mary. Although the name might sound intimidating, we agreed it was an excellent Bloody Mary with just the right combination of spices. Others at our table enjoyed the Bellinis with peach nectar. When the entrees arrived, we made sure to sample each other?s choices. All the food was delicious, however, the big cut brioche French toast got our vote for the favorite breakfast entree. It was served with spiced butter and fresh Vermont maple syrup -- from the chef?s family farm -- and it just melted in your mouth! I made a mental note to order that on our next visit. My entree was the classic eggs benedict on whole-wheat English muffins, with honey roasted ham and grilled lemon hollandaise. The presentation was lovely and the dish perfectly cooked. Other guests had the olive oil & rosemary basted organic eggs, with sauteed spinach, Parmigiano Reggiano, roasted potatoes and toast. Scrumptious. Everyone cleaned his or her plates. In addition to the great cuisine, we love the convenience of the Sonesta Hotel. It?s a scenic, easy drive along the river and the restaurant validates parking. Enjoy a weekend morning at Dante. You won?t be disappointed. Pros: Accomplished Chef, Ambience, Best view of the Charles River. more

Great Place for an Event 1/27/2007

I recently discovered this new gem... perfect for a rehearsal dinner, shower, or brunch! It was recommended for my engagement party...and the food and service were exceptional! I thought it was going to be price-prohibitive, but it wasn't at all. The space is beautiful and because they have many different areas, dante can accomodate a party of any size. The best part was their gorgeous patio over-looking the charles river and boston skyline. I plan to coordinate my friend's baby shower on it this summer. Check them out...it's SO worth it. Very impressive, friendly, and reasonable! more

A sophisticated New England 21st century version of the great Italian classics my Nonna in Rome used to make. 8/8/2006

I recently had the great pleasure of dinning at Dante de Magistriss new restaurant at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge (across from the galleria). I am a native Italian who can count on one hand the number of Italian restaurants I have been to in 20 years in the US that have not disappointed, at the top of my short list is San Domenico in New York. After having tried the fare at Dantes I now have another addition to that short list. After a crisp dry prosecco we opened the meal by sampling the Oysters, and the raw calamari, peppers over brioche, salad. The oysters were fresh and came with a very well balanced sea salt based seasoning mix, and the calamari were exquisite and oh so delicate (may have been med calamari as they tasted too delicate and sweet to be north Atlantic). The pairing of the calamari with a nice Trebbiano worked very well. After a lovely little amuse bouche ( some type of fish sashimi drizzled with olive oil and topped by a very light cream based spuma, or foam) we moved on to a selection of cooked appetizers. Here too Dante hiit all the high notes and avoided the pitfalls of other chefs who fall prey to sensory dissonance when trying to play fusion with traditional Italian dishes. The New England clam bake take on traditional Italian zuppa di pesce worked very well indeed with the andouille mini corn dog adding a very flavorful accent to the dish. The other dishes we tried all showcased the refined sense of balance that Dante has in pairing foods and flavors, not over loading on any one particular flavor and in this way allowing the organic synergies to play out to perfection. This clever pairing of flavors was showcased again with the sweetness of the caramelized onion tart paired with the slightly tart goats cheese and the mildly acidic aged balsamic. Search dante on the Boston Board at chowhound dot com for the whole review. Enjoy! Pros: Innovative and delicious food Cons: none more

Horrible service. 8/1/2006

I will never go back to this restaurant! Besides the nice views of the river and city, dante's is HELL! Servers are rude and extremely slow. It took over 45 minutes after being seated that our waitress asked for our drink orders - and then another 20 minutes for them to actually arrive. Food was bland, and thoughtlessly prepared. Later, when we stupidly decided on an after dinner drink - we were chased down by the bar-tender when he thought we were trying skip out on the bill, (when we were only trying to get a better view of river by sitting closer to the rail). It would have been an acceptable mistake, had he not made a scene and tried to portray us as being cheapskates. Unbelievable. Do NOT go to this restaurant! Pros: View. Cons: Terrible service. Rude. Bland food. Poor value. more

Delicious food and excellent service 7/17/2006

When my family wanted to try one of the area's new restaurants, we decided on dante after enjoying the chef's work at blu. We had a great experience and want to highly recommend it. We were seated on the patio on a warm Saturday night, and it was lovely to be near the river; we could even hear bits of music from a concert at the Hatch Shell. Our waiter could not have been nicer or more knowledgable, really enhancing the evening's experience. All of the food was delicious, from the chewy bread and crispy crackers, to the appetizers that we shared--an onion tart and to-die-for gnocchi. I may have a full order as an entree next time! I had the crespelle, which is phyllo wrapped around vegetables. I had tastes of the juicy chicken that came with a stuffed pepper, and the scallops. All were very flavorful with lovely side dishes. From the beginning of the evening I had announced that I would be having dessert! and I ordered the most delicious, creamy lemon encased in something coconut. My sister ordered fried dough with four dipping sauces, and that was equally yummy. We are from outside the Boston area and found it very easy to drive to the Sonesta, with parking right next to the restaurant. The restaurant stamped our parking receipt and the cost of parking ended up being inexpensive for a night out. Do try dante and order some gnocchi with your dinner! Pros: Food is delicious. Easy to drive to. more

great at first sight, but falls apart upon close look 7/8/2006

The food there is trying to be high-concept, which is great. But when you do high-concept, low-quantity food, the trick is really in the quality details. But my recent visit disappointed on that front. The lobster claw in a pseudo-bouillabaisse base is an expensive appertiser but the bouillabaise base is bland as a canned soup from Campbell's. Similar thing can be said for the main dish I had. As for the view, the patio is right by the river but I circled around and found that most seats would not have a view of the Longfellow Bridge and the Boston skyline due to the trees planted by the river. The service is a bit slow and careless, but since it was Sat evening, I give them a break on that. In all, I think it is a nice place but not as hailed by some of the enthusiastic reviews. Pros: ambience more

Gorgeous river view 7/6/2006

Since opening, dante has added to its inside restaurant and bar by opening its patio on the river, complete with an outside bar. You won't find a more beautiful view of the Charles or a better place to spend a summer evening. Try some light appetizers (or stay for dinner), browse their menu of half modern, half classic cocktails, or ask to see their extensive wine list. You won't be disappointed! Also, although the site doesn't say it, you can smoke on the patio and at the outside bar -- both of which are open until 2 AM. more

A clear passion for great food 7/6/2006

For Mother's Day, I made reservations to bring my mother, who loves to eat out, somewhere new. We had to cancel due to weather on the actual date, so when we finally made it to dante a week later, we were shocked to find the hostess remembered our party and seated us in our requested booth with a gorgeous view of the river. Our server was friendly and really accommodating, especially of me as a vegetarian. He seemed eager to answer our questions about the menu and went out of his way to help me order. Although dante is listed as Italian food, you won't find any eggplant parmesan or pasta with red sauce - their menu spans a range from elegant seafood and vegetable dishes to the downright unusual and playful, like a grilled baby cuttlefish, a "mini lobster clambake", and the micro greens and baby asparagus we saw garnishing appetizers on tables across the restaurant. On our server's recommendation, we shared three small plates to start: the cremini & zucchini salad, the onion tart tatin, and a few oysters, which we were told they ship in fresh every day. We only wished we'd ordered more while we waited for the next course. For entrees, I had the potato gnocchi (ordinarily an appetizer topped with pancetta), my mother had the scallops with truffled tapioca, and my sister had the mustard-glazed salmon. Even though we'd ordered these individually, we couldn't stop sharing them as well. We were full when we finished, but we tried the coconut lemoncream from the dessert menu -- and the pastry chef himself came out as we finished to ask what we'd thought of his latest dessert! My mother couldn't have been more thrilled. The care and passion of the chefs here is obvious, and it showed in the food - some of the best we've ever eaten. We had a great time, and we'll definitely be back. Pros: Easy parking, great service more

a fun time for all, including my boyfriend !!!!! (he had a little too much fun actually....) 7/1/2006

I haven't been compelled to write any reviews lately but this must be heard. My boyfriend can be really REALLY picky and particular about.... everything. So I rarely take him out to dinner. However, when we made it to dante, something changed. I made reservations in advance and requested the patio, luckily we got sat right away with a beautiful view of the river. Then it happened.... We were greeted by a big smile from a friendly server. It was almost shocking how happy the server was to be there. She had a big smile and it looked like she was having fun. And she wasn't a ditz.... When my boyfriend tried to quiz her on the wines (his way of showing off) she easily rattled off some interesting info on some cool wines. My boyfriend was finally impressed and even more impressed by the wine. The food was well, gorgeous and tasty, I can't wait to try some more. And best of all, it's the type of food that doesn't make you feel bloated and stuffed, even after dessert. It's healthy food and yet it's so satisfying. Since my boyfriend is so health conscious these days and still insists on being a lush, he was in heaven. I couldn't believe how at ease he was. I was really impressed that a restaurant can have such an effect. We spent a good three hours staring out on the water, talking, laughing, nursing a bottle of refreshing sauvignon blanc. On our way out we enjoyed a few cocktails in the lounge snuggled on cozy couch. The music was HOT! Everyone was feeling it. I will never forget that night, and, you know, I think we're heading back. However they did it, dante has some great atmosphere, happy people, and serious food. Mmmmmmmmmm..... Pros: Food, Staff, View Cons: Your server may keep the interest of your guest/boyfriend a little too much more

worth the wait 6/20/2006

My wife and I went to Dante by suggestion of a friend who lives in the area and has made the bar at dante her new hang out with her neighbors and friends. We made the mistake of going in on a Friday night at around 7:30 and the place was packed and full of energy we had a 1/2 hour wait( i know who goes to a new restaurant on a Fri night and expect to be seated right away,). The nice thing was that there were two seats at the bar in front of a nice flat screen TV showing the red sox game. When the bartender greeted us with the full dinner menu and the cocktail menu we were in heaven. He assured us that we could get the full menu at the bar so we decided to stay put and dine at the bar. This is something my wife and I don't do that offen but the bar staff was very inviting and friendly so we decided to give it a try. The bartender suggested an apertivi made with pims and cucumber and my wife had some thing called a freak cocktail a weird combination of tropical flavors with blue cheese olives, the combination worked. Both bartenders ( girl and a guy) gave my wife and I suggestions for both the play box area( small tasting portions) and the entree side of the menu. We decided to start with a few tasting items and for an entree we split the chicken under the bar top. The cuttle fish and the lobster clam bake were both excellent but if we had to choose just one the clam bake wins. Next came the entree and the bartender was right on with his suggestion this is the best chicken dish ever. Tender, juicy and the stuffed pepper with the chicken breast and cheese blend was out of this world. Durring our entree we had a few more drinks my wife had a glass of white wine A sauv black from S. Africa and I had a champange mojito this drink was the bomb and very generous on the rum and champange. After the entree we were stuffed and couldn't eat another crumb. Eventhough we never made it past the bar my wife and and have become fans of restaurant Dante. Great food and staff... more

great bar,great food and good people 6/20/2006

All I have to say is if you love great food, great drinks, and more than attentive service you need to check dante out. more

best food for "foodies", best patio... 6/19/2006

i highly recommend dante for anyone that truely loves food. we arrived in the middle of a busy thursday night and were seated (with a small wait) on a gorgeous patio that we didn't even know they had. our waiter came to us promptly and was exceptionally friendly and then surprisingly knowledgeable when we grilled him on the food and our options for ordering. the chef is into tasting size portions to start and then has a selection interesting entrees with a blend of traditional meets modern. we opted out of the tasting menu that our neighboring table was doing and started with a mini lobster clambake and a spagetti ala guittara. the portions were perfect and Dante respected the classic guittara adding his special touch like the crab and guanciale which i had never seen before (cut of pork). we were not too full to split a salad for a mid course before our main course. the salad was simple with young arugula and the most divine parmigiano reggiano chease. we only ordered one salad and it came out split for us which was a nice touch by the waiter. for the main course i took the waiters recommendation and ordered the chips on fish (we were drinking white wine) and my wife who is not such a foodie ordered the "crazy good steak frites" which is like a french country comfort food dish. both dishes were excellant with my favorite being the frites on my wife's dish and hers being everything about the chips on fish that i had ordered. her steak was slighly less cooked than we had ordered but its good to live a little and the cut was gorgeous. the dessert menu was particularly interesting and it was hard to choose. we settled upon the strawberry rhubarb cobbler and the ginger soda which was the waiters recommendation. the cobbler was delicous, very americana and took us back to our childhood. the unusual pink pepper corn ice cream magnified the intensity of the strawberry flavors. the ginger soda was also delicous and did not disapoint. the ginger with the caramel mouse had the perfect carribean flavor profile to finish the meal. over all food was incredible. we need to return to eat the rest of the menu. our waiter was great and was up to the challenge of us grilling him on the food and we will return definitely for the tasting menu next time...bon apetit... Pros: food, tasting portions, view Cons: noisy indoor dining room more

God Awful 6/18/2006

What a disappointment! Very expensive for the quality and service. I felt like a nuisance when I asked for a second olive stuffed with blue cheese with my $18 martini only to find out that the bartender was too lazy to go get me one. And when my wife ordered a second tropical martini and it tasted different than the first, the same bartender replied "we ran out of the tropical juice and I was hoping she wouldn't notice." Dinner took over 3-hours and was definitely not worth the wait. Over $500 for four people. Shame on me for recommending something new. Pros: Easy parking, decent patio Cons: Way too expensive for the value, terrible service, well-below average food more

All-Around WONDERFUL Experience! 6/8/2006

This place is my new favorite restaurant and bar in Boston. The atmosphere is amazing: huge windows overlooking the Charles River, comfortable chairs and a lounge area, and a definitely relaxed attitude. The Patio out back is the best I've seen in Boston. It's literally steps from the River, has a full bar, and has plenty of tables, chairs and umbrellas. Can't wait for our Boston weather to improve. The menu is unique, fun and tasteful. Chef Dante deMagistris is brilliant in his combination of complimentary tastes in a delicious and novel way. The wine list is extensive and has a variety of excellent wines over a wide range of prices. The service is honest, diligent, and helpful, with a down to earth attitude. I love this place and want to eat every meal there (dante serves delicious breakfast, lunch & dinner, 7 days a week)! Pros: The Gorgeous Patio, Diligent Staff, Scrumptious Food more

great outdoor dining spot 5/23/2006

you won't get outta here for cheap, but it's one of the best spots for alfresco dining in the city! fun, creative fare, we'll be back... more
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Menu for Dante


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Editorial
  • Dante de Magistris, formerly of the The Sports Club/LA's blu, opened his first restaurant in the Royal Sonesta (in the former Cambridge Davio's), serving all three meals with flair. More than 200...

  • 8/1/2008 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Dinner: Monday-Thursday, 5:30-10:00 PM Friday-Saturday, 5:30-11:00 PM Sunday, 5:00-9:00 PM Bar: 2:30 PM - close (Monday-Sunday)
  • Payments: Master Card, Visa, American Express, Discover
  • Neighborhoods: East Cambridge
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