This Taiwanese restaurant is tucked into a quiet part of Kendall, and is the kind of place to order plenty of dishes to enjoy family style around the table. The mapo tofu is excellent, and the menu is packed with options, so count on multiple visits to make a dent in all Mu Lan has to offer.

This BBQ joint serves up all the favorites: brisket, burnt ends, pulled pork, and more, along with an admirable whiskey selection. Stop by the Smoke Shop’s original location (it has since expanded to four other locations, including the Seaport and Assembly) before heading to the Kendall Square Cinema to see the latest buzz-worthy indie flick. For pickle lovers, they serve both bread and butter pickles and sour spears.

State Park is one of the best bars in the neighborhood, and the food is excellent as well. The Nashville hot fried chicken is served as advertised — hot! Wash it down with a Miller High Life (or something better from the small but always well-curated draft list), and play something hip on the jukebox.

Established in 2001, this cozy neighborhood Italian spot has long been the perfect place to settle in at the bar or the charming dining room and enjoy a glass of wine and a big bowl of spaghetti alla chitarra and meatballs. In the warmer months, the patio is lovely as well.

Between the stunning dining room and the expertly executed French classics, Batifol has become a fast favorite in Kendall Square. Try the soupe à l’oignon gratinée (French onion soup) and the coq au vin. For the mushroom lovers, add a side of the roasted wild mushrooms.

Inspired by travel to Copenhagen, Vester is a woman-owned cafe serving up excellent coffee and breakfast and lunch classics, including some more European-inspired dishes like Swedish burritos and lingonberry turkey sandwiches. This cafe is the perfect stop for a bite if you’re working in or visiting the Kendall area.

The dough at Area Four is made with a sourdough starter and ferments for 30 or more hours. The result: one of the best pizzas in Boston. The wood-fired pizzas have a beautifully blistered crust. Keep things simple and get the “not pepperoni” (it’s soppressata).

This relaxed cafe offers daily breakfast and lunch and a beloved weekend brunch with a wide-ranging menu from surf and turf eggs Benedict with steak and lobster to Mexican churro French toast. Fuel up on a workday morning with their iced New Orleans-style coffee brewed with chicory and served with simple syrup and cream.

Just steps from the Kendall T stop, the newer Kendall location of Row 34 opened up in April 2023 and got right to work serving up its fun spins on quintessential seafood dishes. Think squid ink rigatoni, soft shell crab sliders with yuzu aioli, and a bacon cheddar burger with an optional fried oyster add-on.

Mestizo offers a modern take on Oaxacan cuisine with tacos, empanadas, carne asada, and enchiladas in a contemporary space with floor-to-ceiling windows that open up to the street on breezy summer days. To really shake up your night, order a margarita flight to sample with friends (or to drink yourself).