The Helmand in Cambridge - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Service is superlative & welcoming The food was favoured so well and so subtley , i was blown away. We had the Pulao & Ravioli both veggie dishes. Mashallah. Good taste, beautifully cooked. They make Turkish coffee with a flourish, in front of the patron, on burners and serve hot on the spot with cardamom, milk and sugar

Helmand is an amazing place for trying Afghan food. Their customer service is the best. 100% recommend anyone who wants to try Afghan food. Shafrin and Hassan are the BEST servers ever, they always make sure you’re taken care of. Thanks to everyone for their great hospitality.

We walked in here today, the food and service were outstanding

Qavelee .. the lamb is amazing the rice not so much a bit dry. The carrots are good overall ratio is way over to the rice.

Excellent, high quality food. The ambiance was lovely and our server, Hamyoun, was very friendly and provided great service!

Kuddu app was excellent. Meat was undercooked and chewy. Waiter forgot about checking in with us after serving food. Be WARY of their dark policy of charging madatory fee of table of 2 or more.

Nice I would say. Pretty good food

Dinner was excellent and Hamyoun, our server, was attentive.

The food was delicious! Perfectly spiced, excellently cooked. Really glad we found this place.

Good vibe and service but the food was subpar. I’ve had authentic Afghan before and this comes nothing close it. Very disappointed

It was amazing lamb cuisine. Probably the best lamb dishes that I had in the states.

We have been coming here for the past couple years great food and atmosphere. Our server today was haymoun he did a great job. Looking forward for next time.

A great classic near the Sonesta. It truly hits the spot in terms of food if you are in the mood for grill meat. Wine list is mediocre, but then one does not come here for great wine, so it is not a big deal.

The service was a bit weird. They brought out the dinner right with the appetizers. The bread was very good and the green dipping sauce was so yum.

Great place to relax and eat good food. Hamyoun was our waiter and he was fantastic!

Hamyoun was great, food was delicious!

Service from hamyoun was great food was excellent

The bread and lamb were very good! Great service by Hamyoun!

the service was amazing. Hamyoun was very attentive and quick. the food was great. I recommend

My friend and I tried this place for the first time today and loved their food. We got soups, side of mushrooms, and their “our cake”. Before the desert could come out, we were already full and satisfied. 10/10 would recommend.

Great food. Exceptional service by Hamyoun!

Delicious food - our first time trying Afghan cuisine, great atmosphere, and a very nice outdoor seating space. The service is very good, too- Hamyoun took great care of us. Definitely we’ll be back.

It’s my first time coming here and this place is AMAZING!! I can’t believe I haven’t come here sooner. The restaurant itself is so romantic and beautiful. The servers are so kind and helpful. Hamyoun helped us out and he was so wonderful. And the food- it’s safe to say all the plates we tried entered the clean plate club. We got the Bowlani for our appetizer. This was SO. GOOD. They give you two pieces of the pastry- one with leeks and one with potato (the potato was my favorite). We also got the Chowpan which was AH!! The lamb was beautifully cooked and seasoned, the eggplant and rice and bread were just-OMG! Just. So. Good. Please. Everyone. Come. Here!!

The food was so delish. Hamyoun gave us great recs and he was super sweet. Had a good time with my fiancé ❤️❤️

Food was DELICIOUS, decor was beautiful, service was poor and slow: our server disappeared for about 30 mins after we placed out initial order, forgot about my friend's drink order until WAYYY after we finished apps; about a 30min wait between each stage of service (greeting, apps, entrees, dessert, check and NO ONE even walked in the direction of our table) didn't serve us bread and sauces until we finally asked because one of the servers mentioned it (but never brought it) and apparently by then they were out of bread; brought us a dirty knife to use to share our dessert and after seeing him about 3 times the entire night they told us they were going to add a 20% tip to the bill (for a party of 4. I did not see that on the menu...). That's crazy (I am not the one who paid, our boss did, but still). The baklawa was super soggy and the "our cake" was very dry and did not taste like cardamon at all.

Great dinner experience. Hamyoun was really attentive and suggested the best dish to try. I’m going home With my belly very full!! Thanks!!

This is my third time eating here, food is consistently good (although today rice was overcooked a bit). Hamyoun was a great host. I would come back.

The food was immaculate! Hamyoun was a terrific waiter, so eager and ready to answer our questions! ☺️

Amazing, delicious meal. Wonderful staff and outdoor tables.

Some of the best food I’ve ever had. Had Hamyoun as a server and he was great! Highly recommend.

We had a great time here in Helmand !! This was our first time trying Afghanistan food and it was delicious!!! Specially server Shafrin helped us to go through this night !!! He did a great job

What an exceptional experience. From the food, to the hospitality of our server, Hamyoun. This gentlemen assured we were well treated, and even assisted with requests unrelated to the restaurant. Above and beyond - thank you Hamyoun for making this dinner one to remember!

Service and food was great Thanks hamyoun!

Been twice for dinner and once for dessert at the time of review. Service is excellent, both indoor and outdoor dining are pleasant, and the food is extremely good. I especially love the Chapli Kebab and the green tea with cardamom. The orange juice is also really good, fresh squeezed.

I recently had my first experience with Afghani cuisine at The Helmand, and it was a delightful discovery. The restaurant has a pleasant ambiance that makes for an enjoyable dining experience. However, be aware that they only offer street parking, so plan ahead. Since the restaurant is always busy, I highly recommend making a reservation before heading out. For our entrees, we chose the Qabelee, Sheek Kabob, lentils, and Lamb Lawand. They also serve complimentary bread and sauce as a starter, with the bread being unlimited—a great touch. Additionally, they offer a selection of wines and Turkish tea to complement your meal. The standout dish for me was the Qabelee, which comes with rice that was the highlight of the meal. The pallow was so delicious that I couldn't stop eating it. It was perfectly seasoned and not at all spicy. The Qabelee is also substantial enough for two people to share. I had a lovely dinner with my office colleagues, making it a memorable evening. If you're planning to visit Boston and want to try something different, I definitely recommend giving The Helmand a try.

Glad we came to sample the food here. Visiting Cambridge for a week.

The service and the food were all top notch and delicious respectively. The explanations of the food menu explained by the waiter was professional and with details. Will definitely be back soon.

Food was great, Hamyoun on staff was also wonderful. Great vegetarian selections.

Outstanding fresh and flavorful food. Delightful ambiance. Loved the specials. Thank you to Hamyoun for excellent attentive service.

Food and service were amazing as usual !! Our waiter Hamyoun was super friendly, warm and welcoming with us !

Atmosphere is great. Food is delicious. Service is good.

Great spot, delicious food, lovely service

The food is pretty great! Hamyoun and Mustafa were great service :)

We love Helmand! Everything we've had here has been delicious. They also clearly label the vegetarian options, making it really easy to have a meat free night out. The food is super high quality for the price, you should definitely check it out!

What a wonderful spot! We came here to celebrate my dad’s birthday, and had a fabulous experience. My parents had been about 20 years ago, and were so happy that Helmand was just as good as they remembered. The staff was very kind and attentive, and the food was excellent. We enjoyed the bowlawni appetizer, Qabelee, Seekh Kabab, and Chappli Kabab. Everything was absolutely delicious. Definitely recommend, and will definitely be coming back!

Hamyoun was an absolute delight, polite and helpful.

This is the best Afganistan restaurant in whole of Boston. The vegetarian options are amazing and very tasty. The service is fantastic and our server Hamyoun provided great service

Love the service. Got takeout but have to try it yet. But the food was not up to the mark. Not satisfied at all.

We have been to the Helmand several times over the years. It maintains consistent quality. I have always found the food to be excellent, but the biggest caveat is that you have to be fond of the kind of food they serve. Afghan cuisine is its own thing (and just about everything I know about it is from eating at the Helmand, so I don't claim to be any kind of expert.) I do it a disservice by saying this, but one might say it is somewhere in between Indian and Mediterranean cuisine. I love it, personally.

Ordered takeout and the food was absolutely delicious

Wonderful food and athmosphere our waitee Hamyoun was very friendly and attentuve. We had a great time

This is THE most authetic qabuli pulao with the most juiciest lamb shank that falls apart. Carrots are so well caramalized and the pulao itself is very tasty full of yakhni. AMAZING!

Great food and service,enjoyed every minute

Fabulous dinner. Katie was amazing server

Hamyoun was awesome. Great service and delicious food

Food and ambience was excellent- great service. Hamyoun was our server

If you haven’t tried Afghani food, what’re you waiting for? Everything was amazing including our server Hamyoun

Great food. Well spiced. Reasonable price for Boston.

An absolute treat. The Afghan cuisine was delicious. The bread with various sauces was so good (the spicey red sauce was my favourite). Had a vegetarian meal, and it was mouth watering good, and large portion size. The owner came over a few times to chat. Staff was so friendly and helpful. Highly recommend.

I recently dined at Helmand, had a great experience. The ambiance was warm and welcoming. The food was absolutely amazing with authentic Afghanistan flavors. I highly recommend trying the Chowpan. The service was friendly and attentive. Thank you Mo

This would be five star all the way except it is very noisy. This restaurant and others need to figure out how to reduce crowd noise. For a table of eight it was impossible to converse with anyone other than the people directly next to you or directly across the table.

I had a fantastic meal at the Helmand. The food, especially the Qabelee, was delicious. Our server, Hamyoun, was exceptionally attentive and friendly, making the experience even better. Highly recommended!

Delicious food in a festive atmosphere. Family run. A nice break from our traditional fare. I've been 3 times and there are still several things I want to try on the menu! Good vegetarian options (I eat meat but struggle for good restaurant ideas for those who don't.) It is somewhat loud inside - fine for a table of 2-4 but can impede cross-table conversations for larger groups. Quieter option outside at the street side tables in nicer weather. Decent street parking in the area plus a garage 2-3 blocks up,

Decent food, well prepared but at the end of the day it didn’t stand out. The best way to describe it is well prepared afghan food but lacking the gourmet touch. If you had afghan or middle eastern food you may not be blown away. For a first timer it’s a treat.

Great food and service. There are a ton of tables squished pretty close together, so walking around can get tricky. Everything I tasted was good.

Everything we've ever tried here has been delicious. Don't miss the Kaddo appetizer, an amazing blend of sweet and savory.

Amazing experience. Thank you Hamayoun for the great service and kindness!

Food is expensive though is good. We paid and added 15% tip but, Waiter came back with the receipt and DEMANDED we pay at least 20% tip. I don’t think we’ll be coming back.

The waiter named Hamyoun is the best .

Really big portion halal food. The taste was good and the staff was kind.

We try to stop here first whenever we fly into Boston on our way to Vermont. It’s always perfect from the moment we step in the door with multiple pieces of luggage because our car isn’t there yet. They never scowl or stress over it, they insist on out storing it with them and not worrying about taking it to the car. This is such a wonderful way to be greeted after a miserable flight. The level of service never dips while you are there. It would be enough if they just stopped there but the food is never short of fantastic. This place is mandatory stop.

Ate here during graduation weekend, had a phenomenal experience. The atmosphere is so beautiful, great place for a nice special dinner with a large group. The food is as authentic as you’ll find in the country. Qabli pilau, and their naan bread is phenomenal. They bake their naan fresh in a giant tanoor oven right in front of you. Mohammed was our host. 10/10 hospitality, made sure we were cared for and had a wonderful experience. Thanks for having us, can’t wait to be back. Will post photos soon as I can.

Nice Afghan restaurant in Cambridge. Book before you come and thanks to all the staff hamayoun and zarkina

Nice restaurant for family dinner, everything tastes great. The Kabuli rice was the best. The Mantwo were good too.

I ordered Theeka kabab, it was so tough I could only eat 1/3 of it. The serving sizes were too small also.

This Afghan restaurant has been at the Cambridge Side galleria for several years. We have in the feel times and enjoyed every time we went. The restaurant was crowded on a recent Saturday evening. I would recommend making a reservation. The menu features a lot of lamb dishes along with chicken beef and vegetarian options. I really enjoyed the lamb shank and the baked butternut squash among other things that we shared.

Delicious Afghan food with plenty of vegetarian options. Family friendly with high chairs. Cozy ambience.

The complimentary bread was so delicious that I mistook it for an appetizer. It's the best Afghan food I've had in the past two decades. What's impressive is that most of the reviews are voluntary. I over-heard good amount of compliments at the reception;

Nice food but too expensive for what it is Service too bad, no professional The bowl is more than the same price for this one, the service is available on the media. A restaurant in the Mediterranean area, which means it is not too expensive for me for quality and taste

Great place for authentic afghan food, bought mantoo and bolaani with chicken and beef kabob as well. Great meal but chicken and bolaaji might not be worth it for the price.

The Qabelee is one of the most delicious cuisine that I have tried so far. Strongly recommend it.

One of our favorite places in Cambridge! Food, service, and atmosphere are always great!

You know, there is usually a good reason why a restaurant stays in business for decades. Everything was good -- the food, the service, the vibe. I wish I took more pictures because the pumpkin appetizer, albeit tasty, was probably the least picturesque dish we got. The rice with lamb and raisins (qabelee), the lentils (?) our friend ordered... Everything was delicious. I'd totally consider going back.

Ali is restaurant owner for 30 years and he love ❤️ serving people . Food was delicious 😋 and it’s worth coming here if you are in Boston .

Yummy food! The staff were so pleasant and helpful. The owner even came to our table personally to ask how we enjoyed the meal. The make fresh traditional bread here.

Returned here recently after not living in Boston for almost 20 years. My original review stands, 100% --- it was/is as follows: The Helmand is one of my favorite dining destinations for so many reasons: they make amazing Afghani food (they were cutting edge and very under-the-radar when they opened in 1996), there's no pretense, it's inexpensive, the restaurant is in beautiful setting ... (and in the winter they even have a great fireplace!). Order veg. aush and mourgh pallow -- the sauces with the wood-fired flatbread are also amazing ...

Anything I tried was delicious. And also different enough from other types of foods that are commonly found in the restaurant scene. Service is very good. Atmosphere is very good too. Highly recommend it.

A wonderful opportunity to sample all kinds of Afghani food. The atmosphere is warm and cozy. The food is delicious and portions are generous. It reminds me of home, and I will come back.

Excellent place for special occasions. Everything is good there. Lots of the appetizers are worth trying.

Had the Qabelee and Mantwo. Very delicious. The staff is great and so is the atmosphere.

Great food, good prices, great service.

Before I went to The Helmand, I didn’t think I liked Afghan food so much, but this restaurant definitely changed my mind. Outside the restaurant, the look is a little deceiving, but once you’re inside, it’s a very open comfortable area. The food at this restaurant is excellent. Our favorites were the Aushak (Afghan ravioli filled with leeks and scallions), and the Kaddo (Pan fried baked baby pumpkin), which were both very flavorful and delicious. Our waiter at the restaurant was also very nice and friendly. The restaurant is relatively expensive, but I would definitely recommend trying this restaurant, as you don’t come across many great authentic Afghan restaurants.

Great flavors. We had the Aushak as starter, the dopiyaza and koufta challow for mains, and finally topped off with the pistachio and cardamom ice cream. Very fulfilling dinner experience for our anniversary.

The food was great. I loved it here. I will come back.

Get the cake. You won't regret it.

Murgh challow and Lamb lawand are must-try. As I am leaned to Indian spices...this had a perfect combination of it. There are decent vegetarian options not limited to baked potatoes. It had a touch of home blend flavors that makes it stand out.

The place looks authentic, and the atmosphere and the service are amazing. We had the lamb lawand, aushak, mantwo, and the traditional yogurt drink - they’re all good but nothing special. The bread they serve, however, is really good.

not being open on Saturdays is a huge disadvantage compared to the many other outstanding Mexican establishments

Very good food, and I love the decor.

Great flavors, cozy quieter setting, substantial vegetarian section.