Vester is a Scandinavian-inspired coffee shop in Kendall Square with chic interiors and good coffee.

Sumiao is a Kendall Square restaurant that serves some great Hunan food.

Lily P’s is a restaurant in Kendall Square that serves fried chicken and oysters.

Cambridge Brewing Company is a brewpub in Kendall Square, and one of the oldest breweries in Boston.

Shy Bird is a counter-service chicken place in Kendall Square that’s also, weirdly, not a counter-service place, thanks to a full bar.

The Automatic is a spot in Kendall Square that’s kind of a bar, kind of a diner, and kind of a 1950′s airport lounge.

Darwin’s is a big coffeeshop in Kendall Square that also serves beer, wine, and coffee cocktails.

Mamaleh's is an excellent Jewish deli and sit-down restaurant in Kendall Square .

Cafe du Pays is a seriously cozy French-Canadian restaurant in Cambridge.

Area Four in Kendall Square feels kind of like a cafeteria, except it has pizza and beer flights instead of overdone burgers and chocolate milk.