The Longfellow Bar

Came here to celebrate my upcoming birthday and had such a lovely experience. The space is very pretty, I would like to sit upstairs at some point but the downstairs bar is also beautiful!Got two drinks and the steak tartare and was extremely happy with it all. The serving size of the steak tartare for $21 was absolutely massive, definitely would be good to share with two people or one if you're hungry. The flavors were delicious and the presentation was gorgeous. The couple next to me got the brussels sprouts and the burger and said they enjoyed them both as well. The drinks aren't too sweet at all, I got the Monaco and the Havana Daydreamin' and enjoyed both. Service was fantastic. The hostess and bar staff gently mentioned the Havana Daydreamin' which I ordered, turns out it comes with a rubber duck, (they gave me a duck with a party hat) and put a lit candle on the side of the drink. Little touches like that really help an occasion feel special and I appreciated the thoughtfulness. Throughout the night everyone was attentive and kind but I didn't feel rushed. This was a great bar to grab a drink and some food, I was very happy as a solo guest and would definitely come back with friends in the future.

A friend brought me here for dinner on a Saturday night. We did not have reservations but there were seats available at the little bar facing the kitchen. It felt like a chef's table experience as we could watch as different dishes were being prepared. I ordered a dirty martini and my friend ordered the blank space cocktail. They did not have blue cheese olives for the martini. My martini was nice and cold with three olives but not as dirty as I'd like. My friend's drink was delicious!We decided to order the fried brussels sprouts- without the fish sauce, the Longfellow messy fries, the fried shishito peppers and the wild green & cheese pupusas. My favorite dish was the pupusas. They tasted like a soft corn tortilla with lime- delightful. These were topped with microgreens and some kind of crumbled cheese. There were only four which my friend and I shared but I longed for more- next time! These were served with a side of curtido, a lightly fermented cabbage relish, that was lovely.I expected the fried shishito peppers to be breaded but I was glad they were not. They were placed on top of a squash hummus and were served with naan. This dish was sprinkled with chopped peanuts. Very nice dish.I just ate the avocados off the messy fries. Ok, I tried a messy fry or two. They tasted great with the sesame kewpie dressing, furikake seasoning and chili crisp. Large portion size!The fried Brussels sprouts were very nice. They were quite oily yet crispy. I enjoyed them very much. The atmosphere was lively yet warm and inviting. Our server was pleasant and the drink and food arrived in a timely manner. This was a lovely dining experience!

Nice location near Harvard. Limited food menu but enough to make a dinner out of it. The quantity of the fries was very good and would recommend adding that to any order. Large selection of unique drinks.

So, Longfellow was one of those places I've seen on social media that I said "must go" and I loved it. Sure, is the menu small? Yes. But, does it cater to everyone. Yes. This was huge for me since my picky sister was visiting and I took her here!We started out with cocktails to sip on before ordering our food. Our waiter provided his favorite & one of us ordered it. While, two of us order the same "Cruel Summer" cocktail. What I loved is that the cocktail menu names all the drinks after songs! Intriguing and fun. We ended up ordering for food the smash burger, regular burger, and chicken sandwich. All were excellent and pair well with house made sauces and fried cheese! Additionally, we ordered the loaded fried that had avocado and other toppings and regular fries. Both sets of waffle fries are THE BEST i've ever had. Crunchy & delicious pairing with the house made sauce. The actual atmosphere was so aesthetically pleasing and perfect for a small group or date night! I highly recommend, however, it is definitely up there in price for plates that don't come a side.

Great bar great vibes. Drinks were great/ especially the old fashion!Parking is a problem around here.Interesting vibe, loved the ambience and look of the bar. Bartender was knowledgeable and helpful.

We went to Longfellow's on Friday (December 16, 2023) night after work for a quick drink and witnessed a bartender (30s, brown hair and clear eyes, preppy looking with fresh? arm tattoos, wearing a red, green, and blue flannel with brown leather elbow patches under his bar apron) *smash* (not just drop) a glass on purpose onto the floor in front of his two shocked and scared looking colleagues behind the bar (they were a young woman with short hair and a young BIPOC man). The sound reverberated through the bar, shocking everyone into silence, and we were not the only patrons who saw him do it. This bartender (in the flannel shirt) who smashed the glass then looked around angrily (he had been looking angry and barking at patrons earlier) and allowed his colleagues to clean up the damage. We happened to be looking at him when he threw the glass down. I understand that the job may be stressful at peak hours, but this man should not be allowed to work as a bartender due to his complete lack of professionalism and the violence of his actions. His colleagues at the bar, who both nice, looked very scared of him. I would turn around and leave if I saw this man behind the bar again. I would add I usually have a great experience at Longfellow's and have been coming to this space when it was once Algiers since I was a college student here more than a decade ago. Witnessing what happened Friday night colored my view of Longfellow's and Alden + Harrow as an establishment.

5 stars for the drip or drown drink. What an amazing cocktail! I didn't add the egg but I will be adding it next time!We also had the shishito peppers with squash hummus. SO DELICIOUS. Was not expecting it to be so tasty.The crab nachos were not good. I've had them in the past and they used to be better. Laughing that in my last review I thought $9 was pricey because now they are $16.. Would not recommend getting these!I've been coming to Alden and Harlow + Longfellow for years and it's great if you order certain items. Some drinks and some food are overpriced for taste/quantity! If you want to nab a spot at the upstairs bar come early when they open and it's usually pretty empty.

Really cool bar above the restaurant A&H, though I'd come back on a less busy day of the week. We went on a Thursday evening and the place was absolutely slammed. (Also, if you're a total newbie like me, don't go around the corner outside below the Longfellow sign, you'll just see a staircase leading down to the basement. You need to go inside the restaurant above the sign Brattle Hall and the bar is upstairs. I popped in and asked the hostess where Longfellow was and she very coolly told me I was already here. Whoops.)We put in 3/4 of our drink orders well before this massive group swept through and went out onto the rooftop deck, but didn't get most of our drinks until maybe half an hour to 45 minutes later. I didn't mind since we were all catching up, but it did feel like we were forgotten about, when our waitress started bartending too (or mixing ... I forget whether bartenders at cocktail bars prefer to be called mixologists instead). One of our party ordered a drink a few minutes after the rest of the group did and she just never got her drink. Seems maybe they go drink by drink rather than table by table? Given how long we waited by then, she just cancelled her drink and we all opted to not order a second round, which is a shame, since the ingredients and combos all sounded pretty inventive. Mine was good, a tad on the sweet side. The setting is beautiful - the seats at the horseshoe bar would be great for a date or relaxing dinner. We didn't order any of the food. All in all, check it out if you don't have anywhere else to be/aren't falling asleep by 9pm (I'm guilty of the second one, for sure).

Awesome 2nd floor charming long curved bar in a historical building with a library/hogwarts prefect feel (was quiet on a weekday evening upstairs). Tall ceiling and windows to catch a glimpse of Cambridge. Creative cocktails crafted with premade infusions and syrups you can see behind the bar and flavorful tapas.. Really knowledgeable bartenders and upscale yet relaxed ambiance.

Walked a mile from Porter Square to grab a post dinner drink. Would have walked 5 miles for this place. It was adorable. Drinks were in-line with your average cocktail in Boston and significantly above average in taste. I ordered Josh's choice and my husband ordered the paradise. Cocktail menu was different from the one online, food looked similar. Ambiance was adorable, would recommend for a date night or GNO. They do have a patio with cocktail tables, no chairs, that you can take drinks out on. Adorable bar on the main floor and upstairs. We sat at the upstairs bar and I just stared at the beautiful ceiling. Bartenders were polite, not very conversational (though my husband and I were clearly in our own conversation), and quick to take our orders. Drinks took a minute to prepare but they were complex. They have cute decorations for each drink, one person even had a drink with a feather clipped to the outside. Different menu from other 2 restaurants in the same building owned by the same chef. Food looked amazing, though I did not try. Cannot wait to come back for dinner or brunch.