Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Giulia Is Opening in Former Rafiki Bistro Space in Cambridge

It looks like a new restaurant is coming to the stretch of Mass. Ave. between Porter Square and Harvard Square in Cambridge, and it will be moving into the space where another eatery had been until closing this spring.

Based on a post for a License Committee General Hearing that will be held tonight at the Lombardi Building in Cambridge's Central Square, a license transfer from the now-closed Rafiki Bistro to a new spot called Giulia will be discussed, with the proposed restaurant being a lunch and dinner place with a capacity of 90 (70 seats and standing room for 20). There is no other information on Giulia at this point in time, other than the fact that the manager of the restaurant is Michael Pagliarini, who had been a chef at Via Matta in Boston.

[September 5 update: The Chowder blog of Boston Magazine gives a bit more information on Giulia. It will be an Italian restaurant that will focus mostly on pasta, with a table dedicated to an array of fresh pastas that will be made during the day (it will become a chef's table in the evenings). Bar snacks, Italian wines, and craft cocktails will also be offered at Giulia, which could be open by mid-October.]

[December 4 update: Giulia had a soft opening this weekend, with Grub Street Boston reporting that an official opening could be happening sometime this week.]

[December 4 update, #2: Eater Boston reports that Giulia opens today.]

Rafiki Bistro closed in May after being in business for two years.

The address for Giulia is: Giulia, 1682 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138.

[Earlier Article]
Rafiki Bistro in Cambridge Has Closed