Cafe Sushi Nisei is a japanese restaurant in Cambridge, Boston.
Brothers Kenshi and Seizi Imura run Cafe Sushi on Mass Ave near Harvard Square in Cambridge since 1984. Priced at $$$. Kitchen leans japanese.
Editorially verified May 31, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Omakase nigiri, Hamachi sashimi
Must order: The full omakase, $90 for 10 pieces and one cooked dish.
Tip: Twelve counter seats only; book on Tock 30 days ahead. Take-out bento boxes are the off-menu deal at lunch.
Address: 1105 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138, Boston
Allan Rodriguez opened Nine in August 2025 in the former No. 9 Park space on Beacon Hill in Boston, with longtime chef Andrew Simonich on the line.
Signature: Steak tartare, Uni spaghetti
Order: The uni spaghetti, the only dish Simonich carried over from No. 9 Park.
Tip: The Gin Palace bar pours 80 gins from around the world; sit there for the easier walk-in seat.
Neptune Oyster on Salem Street has run the city's defining raw bar in Boston since 2004. 42 seats, no reservations, Gulf of Maine lobster roll on a buttered.
Signature: Lobster roll, Oysters on the half shell
Order: The hot-buttered lobster roll, full-claw and tail.
Tip: Put your name on the iPad at 16:30, walk to a bar, and return when they text. The 20:00 wait can run 90 minutes.
Union Oyster House on Union Street has shucked oysters in Boston since 1826, the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the United States.
Signature: Oysters on the half shell, Clam chowder
Order: A dozen Wellfleets at the U-shaped bar and a cup of clam chowder.
Tip: Skip the dining-room tables and sit at the historic raw bar. The bar is the original 1826 plank.
Mamma Maria on North Square is the North End's fine-dining anchor in Boston, in a five-room brick townhouse since 1973. Kitchen leans italian.
Signature: Pappardelle with wild boar ragu, Veal osso buco
Order: The pappardelle bolognese; the kitchen makes the pasta in-house.
Tip: Book the upstairs Library room for a quiet conversation. The Sunday family menu at 17:00 is the easy walk-in seat.
Giacomo's on Hanover Street has run a no-reservations Italian-American room in Boston's North End since 1985. Priced at $$. At 355 Hanover St.
Signature: Lobster ravioli, Fra diavolo
Order: Lobster ravioli with vodka sauce, the house signature.
Tip: Arrive by 17:30 to skip the longest wait. Cash only, BYOB welcomed from the wine shops on Salem Street.
Damien DiPaola named Carmelina's after his mother and runs it on Hanover Street as a regional Italian kitchen in Boston since 2012. Located in North End.
Signature: Sunday gravy, Tortellini al pesto
Order: The carbonara pasta with smoked pancetta and pecorino.
Tip: Reservations open four weeks ahead on OpenTable. The bar is the easier walk-in seat at 17:30 weekdays.
