This chef-driven gem serves up a vibrant mix of international small plates and crafty cocktails in a cozy, lively atmosphere perfect for sharing.
"Little Donkey is a really fun tapas restaurant, although it stretches the definition of “tapas” away from its proper home in Spain and takes it all around the world. This Central Square eatery serves up everything from manti with red pepper butter to ramen cacio e pepe to burgers with foie gras." - Erika Adams, Karen Wilber, Terrence Doyle
"A meal at Little Donkey is like booking a flight to every continent, except you don’t have to deal with extreme jetlag and you’ll be eating nonstop the whole way through. Start with hamachi sashimi and Filipino-style ceviche, move on to pupusas with honeynut squash and Turkish manti, and end on a high note with the cocoa-nib cookie dough and pandan brownie sundae. This place is laid-back and doesn’t take itself too seriously—you won’t be embarrassed about bringing your loudest friend who likes getting shots for the table, but you’ll be equally comfortable coming here with your second cousin you’ve only met twice." - tanya edwards, megan zhang, dan secatore
"This buzzy restaurant in Central Square has a globally influenced menu designed for sharing. The cocktails are great, too, and for dessert there’s cookie dough whimsically served on a batter beater. Make a reservation if you’re in a plan-ahead mood, or be prepared to wait a bit at the bar for a table if you just show up — it’s quite a popular spot." - Celina Colby, Dana Hatic, Erika Adams
"How many luxe ingredients can one burger hold? According to Central Square mainstay Little Donkey, a bunch — and somehow, it all works out well in the end. The dry-aged beef patty is coated in cheese, onion soup mayo, buffalo pickles, with a few crispy jalapeno chips tucked in, too. It’s decadent, and it’s well worth the money." - Celina Colby, Eater Staff
"Little Donkey is a big place that hits the sweet spot between bar and restaurant. It’s also got a really broad menu of small plates that covers everything from Italian to Thai food, so it’s a great place to bring a group that can’t figure out what they want to eat before heading out for the night. The drinks are especially fun." - dan secatore
