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Helmand Dining Room - The Helmand Restaurant, Cambridge, MA

The Helmand Restaurant

4.9 (801)
$31 to $50
Middle Eastern
143 1St St, Cambridge, MA 02142

Make a reservation

2 people
11:00 PM
Booked 6 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Vegetarian-friendly
  • Good for groups
Helmand Restaurant offers Afghani dishes with a wood-burning oven where the famous flatbread is cooked on one side of the room and an intimate fireplace is on the other side.

Helmand Restaurant entrées include tasty choices like qabelee, which is pallow rice baked with chunks of lamb tenderloin, raisins and glazed carrots or mantwo, a homemade pasta shell filled with beef and onions. If you like spicy dishes, try the koufta challow, consisting of beef meatballs with Afghan seasoning sautéed with sun-dried tomato, hot peppers and green peas in a fresh tomato sauce. Several vegetarian entrées are also available such as the kaddo and banjan challow, which is pan fried and baked pumpkin and eggplant served with challow rice and yogurt garlic sauce.

*Due to limited patio seating, we do not take reservations for our patio . Please note the patio or any other special requests in your reservation, or ask upon arrival, and we will do our best to accommodate.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Middle Eastern, Afghan, Halal
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Neighborhood
    Cambridge
  • Cross street
    Bent Street<br />Across from the CambridgeSide Galleria
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Close to the Lechmere Green line T stop & bus station
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Kosher, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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What 801 people are saying

The Helmand Restaurant 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

4.9
4.9 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Helmand Restaurant offers "phenomenal food" with unique, vibrant flavors and a "wonderfully vibrant ambiance." Renowned for its "exceptional" bread and diverse menu, it provides an "enjoyable experience" with attentive service. While some note a "high noise level," the engaging atmosphere and "fabulous service" keep guests returning.
801 Reviews
  1. Lynn

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was delicious as always. The restaurant was quiet when we first got there around 6 but it got full very quickly and there was a lot of background noise. It was energetic but it wasn’t easy to have a conversation for a large group. Food came out quickly and the service was good.

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  2. Matthew

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 14, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I had a lovely dinner with my daughters here last Friday; the kebabs and lamb stews were delicious, our server Sadaf knowledgeable and pleasant, and a really enjoyable experience all around

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  3. Esteban

    Orlando / Central Florida East6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 14, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Dinner was outstanding, everything was delicious. Looking forward to going back and trying other things. The bread alone is worth a visit.

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  4. Peter

    Greater Boston27 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 13, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our 3rd time there, fabulous service and unique and exceptional food at VERY fair prices

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  5. Christine VIP

    Greater Boston22 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    From entry to exit. a wonderful experience. The host was welcoming, the servers attentive and the food delicious. We ordered appetizers and our server recommended a third as we were going to order two of the same ravioli to share. So happy he did, the pumpkin was more than we could have expected. Highly recommend trying and sharing everything you can on the menu. The food is like a fireworks display of flavor in your mouth.

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  6. Susan

    Greater Boston16 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Always a great experience. If you're looking to try a new cuisine, check it out.

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  7. Roy

    Greater Boston2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    One of our favorite places to eat. Always consistently good.

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  8. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco Bay Area1 review

    4.0

    Dined on June 1, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Service could have been better and waiter could have been around more. Food was very good. Noise level is too high. They should consider rugs to dampen the noise.

    1 person found this helpful

  9. Soledad

    Greater Boston2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 24, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    What a beautiful restaurant. I had not been in over 5 years. The restaurant continues to be esthetically beautiful, clean and well cared for. The food was absolutely delicious. The lamb, the vegetarian special were delicious. The service was great All around a stellar dinner with my family. I can’t recommend highly enough.

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  10. Jane

    New York City1 review

    5.0

    Dined on May 20, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We loved everything about our dinner tonight! The dining room was perfectly beautiful clean and comfortable and the service was great. We’re already looking forward to our next visit!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Helmand Restaurant does offer delivery in partnership with Uber Eats. The Helmand Restaurant also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (617) 492-4646.

The Helmand Restaurant is rated 4.9 stars by 801 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
11:00 PM
Booked 6 times today
Google Map for The Helmand Restaurant

143 1St St, Cambridge, MA 02142

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Bent Street<br />Across from the CambridgeSide Galleria
  • Neighborhood
    Cambridge
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Middle Eastern, Afghan, Halal
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Close to the Lechmere Green line T stop & bus station
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Kosher, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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