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Helmand Dining Room - The Helmand Restaurant, Cambridge, MA

The Helmand Restaurant

4.8
4.8
773 Reviews
$31 to $50
Middle Eastern

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 17 times today
  • Vegetarian-friendly
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
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.

Order delivery or takeout

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
    (617) 492-4646
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Neighbourhood
    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

What 773 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Helmand Restaurant offers a delightful Afghan culinary experience with "fabulous food" and "wonderful service." Known for its "inviting atmosphere" and standout dishes like the kaddo and Qabelee Palow, this "not-to-be-missed" spot consistently impresses. While noise can be an issue, the overall dining experience is "highly recommended" and memorable.

773 Reviews
  1. Sadaf VIP

    Greater Boston10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Great kababs, perfect freshly baked bread, and nice ambiance! The quality and flavor is consistently great.

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  2. franny

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious food and easy parking and pretty decor. It was much more lively than last time -- but I came during Iftar!

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  3. Nanu VIP

    Greater Boston94 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on March 3, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    Everything was delicious. The lamb dishes are fantastic. The service was a bit slow but they were very busy.

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  4. Shawn

    Chicago2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 3, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food with unique flavors! Bread was exceptional and appetizers generous enough to share. Lovely restaurant!

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  5. OpenTable Diner

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 27, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing food! Wonderful staff! Gorgeous atmosphere

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  6. John VIP

    Seattle171 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 25, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Another great meal at The Helmand, sharing our favorite appetizers and plates family style. My only complaint is that I ate too much!

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  7. Bill

    Greater Boston1 review

    4.0

    Dined on February 25, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Elegant atmosphere, a nice assortment of menu options and drink options. Various table sizes and kind staff.

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  8. Kirk

    Greater Boston5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing food, as always, and great service!

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  9. Sharmo

    Greater Boston1 review

    4.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Great food but noisy and felt like the tables were too close to each other. Cramped up a bit. But otherwise good experience.

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  10. Rachel VIP

    Dallas2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 14, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our dinner here was outstanding. We went on Valentine’s Day, which is a crazy day for any restaurant, but they did a wonderful job. Our table was ready at the reservation time, service was prompt and friendly, and the food was delicious. We enjoyed every dish we had, from appetizer to dessert. And the fresh bread with dips…wow. I could eat that all day!

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FAQs

The Helmand Restaurant does offer delivery in partnership with Postmates and 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 4.8 stars by 773 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 17 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for The Helmand Restaurant

143 1St St, Cambridge, MA 02142

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Bent Street<br />Across from the CambridgeSide Galleria
  • Neighbourhood
    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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