Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
Little Donkey, Cambridge, MA

Little Donkey

Visa logo badge

Visa Dining Collection

4.6 (2183)
$31 to $50
Tapas / Small Plates
505 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 32 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Neighborhood gem
  • Lively
  • Great for creative cocktails
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 2,183 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
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.1Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Little Donkey offers a vibrant dining experience with "divine food, superb service," and a "super fun and yummy menu." Guests rave about the "best in Boston" LD burger, "amazing menu," and "fantastic vibe." The restaurant's innovative cocktails and flavorful small plates, like the "to die for" shrimp bao buns, keep patrons coming back.
2,183 Reviews
  1. Sureel VIP

    Baltimore / Maryland5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    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?

  2. 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?

  3. 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?

  4. Zach VIP

    Greater Boston285 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 17, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Not only was the food fantastic and the service amazing as usual but they treat us very well as return patrons. They always draw a crowd.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Susan

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 14, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A rich diversity of intense flavors, perfectly prepared dishes. We especially enjoyed the ceviches, the empanadas and the grilled street corn. Loved my minitini, too.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Zach VIP

    Greater Boston285 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 12, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Another amazing meal with amazing service and a fantastic vibe. Brought friends from our college reunion and they were all very impressed.

    Is this helpful?

  7. David VIP

    Greater Boston6 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 12, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Service was a little off. Took a long time to put in order, but then the food came out at a good clip. Really love the LD burger, best in Boston, so honestly don't mind the slight spotty service.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Erin

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great service, great ambiance, great food. Don't sleep on the BLT wraps!

    Is this helpful?

  9. Nicole

    Greater Boston34 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on May 31, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    All the food was fantastic! First time visiting and it did not disappoint. Cocktails were a little sweet and pricey (comparable with Boston). The shrimp bao buns were to die for! The octopus was perfectly cooked. Halibut ceviche was so fresh! The burrata snap salad was my absolute favorite! The spicy sauce for the chicken sandwich turned it totally up to 100! Also really loved the Bangkok noodles! Great time. Can’t wait to go back!

    Is this helpful?

  10. Amy VIP

    Greater Boston18 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 30, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    This is a fantastic chef-driven restaurant. The food was unbelievably good! Our server was great, as were the support staff. Our only critique was that they took our empty plates away too quickly, while we still had some sauce on them! Our server was great about helping a member of our party decide on a glass of wine, as a perfect substitute. It was a fast-paced meal, but overall. we did not feel rushed. The starters, snacks and mains were all fantastic. A bit dear, but worth it. The ambience was lively, hip, and we appreciated the open 'garage' door on a warm summer night. Perfect place to have an exceptional dinner in Cambridge Sq before seeing a play. We look forward to coming back for another special occasion!

    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 2183 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 32 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
OpenTable
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Careers
  • Press
More
Businesses
  • Restaurant Management Solutions
  • Restaurant Reservation Software
  • Restaurant Marketing Software
  • Restaurant Event Software
  • OpenTable For Restaurants
  • OpenTable For Restaurant Groups
  • Restaurant Resources
  • OpenTable Pricing & Plans
Join us on
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2025 OpenTable, Inc. 1 Montgomery St Ste 500, San Francisco CA 94104 - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo