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Little Donkey, Cambridge, MA

Little Donkey

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Visa Dining Collection

4.6 (2190)
$31 to $50
Tapas / Small Plates
505 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 39 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Lively
  • Good for special occasions
We’ve only got one rule: there are no rules. Our menu is an eclectic mix of global flavors, inspired by our chefs’ travels around the world. From Istanbul meat ravioli to ramen cacio e pepe, our menu is always unique and forever evolving. With a full raw bar, vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options, we’ve truly got something for everyone. Owned and operated by James Beard Award Winning Chef Ken Oringer, Little Donkey has been serving global tapas in Central Square since 2016

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Tapas / Small Plates, International, Dessert
  • Hours of operation
    Bar Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Ken Oringer
  • Private party facilities
    Little Donkey offers family-style options as well as a la cart, specially selected to accommodate any occasion. Our culinary and beverage teams will work with you to come up with the perfect wine, beer and artfully crafted seasonal cocktail selections to suit your needs. Please visit our website or email jai@littledonkeybos.com for more information
  • Neighborhood
    Cambridge
  • Cross street
    Norfolk Street
  • Parking details
    Currently street/meter parking. There are also parking lots on our block that are incredibly convenient such as Green Street Parking Garage, Franklin Street Garage, Metered lots on Bishop Allen Ave in between Essex St and Norfolk St and Norfolk St and Douglass St.
  • Public transit
    Easily accessible by the RED LINE at CENTRAL SQUARE or the Number 1 BUS.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Chef's Tasting Experience

    $75.00 per person

    Multiple dates available
    We’ve only got one rule: there are no rules. Our menu is an eclectic mix of global flavors, inspired by our chefs’ travels around the world. From Istanbul meat ravioli to ramen cacio e pepe, our menu is always unique and forever evolving. Our tasting menu takes your taste buds around the globe with classic Little Donkey staples to fun new dishes that you'll dream of. Oh did we mention caviar? Since we are a tapas restaurant, these dishes are shared. Menu changes frequently, feel free to call us at 617-945-1008 to find out more. Limited daily reservations are available.
    Chef's Tasting Experience Photo

What 2,190 people are saying

Little Donkey reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.1Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Little Donkey offers a vibrant dining experience with a diverse menu of small plates and creative cocktails. Guests rave about its "amazing food choices" and "fantastic service." Popular dishes include empanadas, ceviches, and shrimp bao buns. The atmosphere is lively, making it a "super fun vibe" for gatherings.
2,190 Reviews
  1. Louis VIP

    Greater Boston5 reviews

    2.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    We've been going to Little Donkey for eight years, since we moved to Boston. Over the last few visits it's become clear that the quality has been dipping. This last meal might be the last time for us, which is sad because we absolutely loved this place. Food quality is not as it used to be, service more blase and menu less innovative. It's almost as if they are deliberately seeking a different, less exacting clientele. Maybe we'll give it a long break and come back and see if things have shifted. We really hope they do.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Henry

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Wonderful experience! I especially loved the blt lettuce wraps and the empanada

    Is this helpful?

  3. Sophie VIP

    Greater Boston9 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on July 5, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Food was just okay. Came out very quickly (less than 5 mins from ordering). Everything tasted like it was pre-cooked. nothing great, nothing bad. Same size dishes.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Lindsey VIP

    New York City4 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on July 5, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 5
    Our waitress was incredibly rude and hardly came by the table so we weren’t able to order additional food or drinks until we had already finished the entire meal. By that point she was annoyed and we weren’t interested in celebrating at this restaurant any longer.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Zach VIP

    Greater Boston293 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on July 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    With new items regularly appearing on the menu, there is always something new and exciting to try. And with their fantastic service, you will never walk away disappointed.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Steven VIP

    Charlotte19 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and attentive service. Very dark and high noise dining room. Was offended when I saw on my bill a $1 charge for an ice cube in my Manhattan cocktail!!

    Is this helpful?

  7. Zach VIP

    Greater Boston293 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 25, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had another amazing meal at Little Donkey. They alway manage to WOW us with their food and service.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Sureel VIP

    Baltimore / Maryland5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 24, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Really great small plates menu and sharing experience. The mezcal aperol ginger cocktail was amazing.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Arnav

    San Diego2 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on June 18, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    bad food bad service ruined my birthday celebration with no free cake

    Is this helpful?

  10. Ajith

    New York City5 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on June 18, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    Food ideas seemed decent but bad execution and poor service made it BAD Parking is very difficult so plan 20 mins more for that Drinks were tasty but small Desserts were very average

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Little Donkey does offer delivery in partnership with Uber Eats. Little Donkey also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (617) 945-1008.

Little Donkey is rated 4.6 stars by 2190 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Greater Boston
  4. Boston
  5. Cambridge

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 39 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Little Donkey

505 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Norfolk Street
  • Neighborhood
    Cambridge
  • Hours of operation
    Bar Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Tapas / Small Plates, International, Dessert
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Currently street/meter parking. There are also parking lots on our block that are incredibly convenient such as Green Street Parking Garage, Franklin Street Garage, Metered lots on Bishop Allen Ave in between Essex St and Norfolk St and Norfolk St and Douglass St.
  • Public transit
    Easily accessible by the RED LINE at CENTRAL SQUARE or the Number 1 BUS.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Ken Oringer
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Private party facilities
    Little Donkey offers family-style options as well as a la cart, specially selected to accommodate any occasion. Our culinary and beverage teams will work with you to come up with the perfect wine, beer and artfully crafted seasonal cocktail selections to suit your needs. Please visit our website or email jai@littledonkeybos.com for more information
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