Arts restaurant review

Brunch and beats

Harvard Square’s Beat Brassiere offers weekend brunches accompanied by live jazz music

Beat Brasserie

★★★★
Mon – Wed, 4 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Thu – Fri, 4 p.m. – 2 a.m.
Sat, 10 a.m. – 2 a.m.
Sun, 10 a.m. – 12 a.m.
13 Brattle St, Cambridge

Beat Brasserie, situated in Harvard Square, offers live jazz music to accompany weekend brunches. The atmosphere is perfect for someone who wants aesthetics of a jazz bar, but isn’t yet over 21.  

The restaurant does serve small portions — perhaps filling for a breakfast, but probably not for lunch. Their eggs benedict was creative — ingredients included avocado, pickled red onion, and mustard greens. The meal included two eggs, each on an english muffin.

While music for last Sunday was advertised to start at 10 a.m., it only started at 1 p.m. However, that day may not have been representative. 

Yet, despite small portions and late music, Beat Brasserie has its merits. The aura is cool — the ceiling is covered by chandeliers, and the walls are draped with velvet. The service is also excellent. When a drink came late (but definitely not too late — perhaps 10 minutes after the order) the waiter apologized profusely and made the drink complimentary.

For anyone who wants live music and a jazz-bar aura, and is okay with small portions, Beat Brasserie in Harvard Square is worth checking out.