Moona - Cambridge

Contemporary Middle Eastern delicacies are served in a cozy atmosphere. I recently paid a visit to check out the latest Middle Eastern sensation in Cambridge. W... read more Contemporary Middle Eastern delicacies are served in a cozy atmosphere. I recently paid a visit to check out the latest Middle Eastern sensation in Cambridge. While the much-lauded za’atar bread was regrettably no longer on the menu, there were still plenty of inventive dishes to explore. Instead of opting for the larger plates, we decided to sample as many mezze starters as possible. Some items, like the dips platter and grilled squid, were underwhelming, but others stood out with unique elements that I really appreciated. The Moon mussels, cooked in coconut milk, had a perfectly creamy flavor that paired wonderfully with the small pieces of merguez sausage. The apricot sauce on the chicken bastilla was exceptional, and the feta fritters drizzled with honey were executed to perfection. My favorite dish was the eggplant fatteh, which had a delightful combination of yogurt, pita crisps, eggplant, and various spices. To conclude our meal, we indulged in halawa cheesecake, which was a delightful finish. The sprinkles of pistachio and grape molasses offered a unique touch that complemented the chocolate cheesecake beautifully.

We had been wanting to try Moona for quite some time, and we finally went for it—and it did not disappoint! The restaurant offers a diverse selection of dishes,... read more We had been wanting to try Moona for quite some time, and we finally went for it—and it did not disappoint! The restaurant offers a diverse selection of dishes, and we chose several smaller plates to share family-style. Although it would have been nicer to have the dishes brought out gradually instead of all at once, every dish was delightful. We highly recommend the "dips" platter, featuring hummus, baba ghanoush, pickled beets, olives, and more; it was definitely one of our favorites. The grape leaves were also superb. Overall, dining at Moona was a fantastic experience.

I’ve been three times, and I loved it the first two times but was disappointed with my visit this week. The dishes were lukewarm, including the falafel which I... read more I’ve been three times, and I loved it the first two times but was disappointed with my visit this week. The dishes were lukewarm, including the falafel which I get every time. Hopefully just a fluke. Cute spot with great cocktails and Mediterranean dishes. I love, love the eggplant fatteh and the fezcal and korkom&carrot cocktails the latter feels like you’re drinking a health juice.

Took my wife here for her birthday after reserving a table on Resy. The location is in a nice part of Cambridge but you’ll find the dining area of the restauran... read more Took my wife here for her birthday after reserving a table on Resy. The location is in a nice part of Cambridge but you’ll find the dining area of the restaurant to be fairly limited in space. Because of the limited space it was quite loud and hard to hold a conversation or even hear the waiter. For this reason I wasn’t a huge fan of the ambiance. Upon glancing at the menu you’ll find the majority of it is alcoholic drinks and wines with a limited selection of small-plate food options. It was cool to see some contemporary renditions of middle eastern cuisine but it was definitely not what I would consider authentic. We ordered the grilled blue fish, Eggplant Fatteh, Kibbeh Dip, Arayes Kofte, and Stuffed grape leaves. Everything was mostly good in flavor. The kibbeh dip was bright in flavor but left more to be desired. The eggplant Fatteh was really tasty because it’s just hard to mess up with fried eggplant. We really loved the grilled blue fish with the perfectly dressed slaw on the side. There was too much going on with the stuffed grape leaves because of the short rib on top. And overall my favorite was the arayes Kofte because of the crispy bread stuffed with an elegantly spiced patty of meat. For a small plate mezze type restaurant I would expect that the plates come out fairly consistently. At one point we were waiting a good 10 minutes between dishes. I would have wished the service was better timed. Moreover, the way the menu was written made it difficult to choose what to order. We had to ask a lot of clarifying questions to understand better exactly what we would be ordering. Food was good overall, but I don’t think this restaurant is anything worth raving about. Price per person: $50–100 Food: 5 Service: 3 Atmosphere: 4 Recommended dishes: Dips Plate

Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Price per person: $50–100 Recommended dishes: Grilled Whole Fish read more Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Price per person: $50–100 Recommended dishes: Grilled Whole Fish