Really great place to stop by and give a try. Me my brother and his friend stumbled upon this place and it was one of few places with inside dining and Im happy we found it. Lots of great vegetarian offerings that will make your mouth water and leave you in debate between just choosing one. Definitely coming back here if I ever travel out to Boston again.

We used to go to this place and everything was perfect. I don’t know what happened to this restaurant but after this pandemic and COVID-19, the food isn’t fresh and good. I’m really disappointed with that! They gave us this Party Boat and avocado is all black!!! How come?! It is just NOT fresh, I am afraid that I’m going to be sick after that! And for this I have to pay almost $100? What for? Also the restaurant is quite dirty and the service wasn’t good enough. Please, take care of this matter! Stay safe!

Sushi... quality stuff. Visited on a Wednesday I think. The staff was very kind and attentive. This place has a nice design. Food is like a restaurant in Jacksonville I loved.

I had the lunch special! Very very good quality for the price! Haven’t had such fresh black fungus in a long time! Very HAPPY!!!

Overall it was good quality food, fresh fish and good service. I felt it was pretty basic , not that special, even for their specialty rolls. It has cool looking interior.

Would not recommend the all you can eat deal. They tried to make us pay extra for a dish (salmon miso fried rice) that we didnt finish because it was straight up just a bad dish. The salmon was really dry and rice was overwhelmingly garlicy...like where did they find such concentrated, military-grade garlic flavor? Also that one dish was insanely large, could have fed 3-4 people easily. Dubious to include on an AYCE menu.

Food is meh, maybe because we ordered take out. The food was cold when it got home (10 min car ride). Didn’t feel like it was freshly cooked.

Awesome ambience and super amiable service. The meals were crisp and delightful. Will clearly recommend this spot to my friends. Fair prices and generous meals. Keep up the great work.

Excellent food. I got fried rice and Thai tea. Odd decorative choices

First time trying this restaurant and ordered from grubhub for contactless delivery. I have never seen sushi rolls this small from a restaurant!! $26 for this little food?

The food and service is impeccable, and has been consistent everytime ive been there. The sashimi is the best Ive had in this city. Must try

The food here was really good. I got the vegetarian fried rice and I couldn’t believe how good it tasted. The vegetables were so fresh and the whole dish was so flavorful. I honestly tried to finish the whole thing because it was so good but I couldn’t and took the rest home.I was a little disappointed with the distance of the tables though - especially during Covid. I made a reservation for my birthday and I’m not sure if it got lost, but we were put in the back of the restaurant. This is not a big deal, but towards the end of our dinner, they sat a table of about 10 people right next to us and there was maybe 2 feet between their table and ours. It was close enough that I would be uncomfortable pre covid even.Otherwise, the food was good, I’d definitely come back and be seated outside. Or order take out.

Very nice place, smiley stuff. I was liked there.

Best in Cambridge! We’ve only had great experiences with both dine in and takeout, it’s our go-to for Thai/Japanese fare. They have great gluten free options as well.

Food is very delicious, drinks are great, music is awesome. Overall the ambience was great, I liked the place and the service was very satisfying. They are so quick in delivering the food so you don’t wait so long to start enjoying your food, and it is fresh and tasty.The live music adds a great value to the experience. Loved the place

Good sushi place with good selection and options but not as extraordinary as some comments suggested.We had the monkfish boat 2 and for the price ($115) we had very average choices. Make your own mind by looking at the picture. For me too much tuna and salmon sushi. The chef really needs to make n effort here.The service was good and liked the iced tea options.

**COVID 2020** We were seated out on the patio, and even though it appeared they are short staffed since the bartender was taking our order we received great relax service, with excellent sushi and cocktails

Went for lunch - service was fast, food was excellent. The green teas are extremely fresh and perfectly served. The menu is extensive - lots of various options and styles. The space is small, but with the windows wasnt claustrophobic.There is a stage for live music - nothing for lunch during mid week though.

Great place. They have jazz on the weekends and brunch. Loved the curry noodle special and the fairytale sushi is good. Love love love ancient fried rice and the spicy tuna over crispy rice. Large menu so everyone can find something they like.

The customer service is terrible, the girl (host) in front has no sympathy with her clients. the rest excellent and the food very good. but the attentions are so bad. Thanks

Definitely one of the best Pan-Asian places Ive been to in the Boston area. The vibe is always nice and the food is delicious. After my fourth visit tonight, Ill definitely be back for more. The menu is quite extensive from sushi to curries and fried rice. The drink selection is pretty good as well and the place also has a bar for people who like that.

Delicious sushi and live jazz.They have a fizzy sake with jelly - so good!Staff even helped us remember a bag we were about to leave behind.

On your next date-night think Mad Monkfish.The Mad Monkfish stands out in its own special way coupling an emphasis on great jazz with its superlative collection of unique sushi offerings.There is also a variety of seating options to suit your tastes whether you came for the music or for quiet conversation over drinks and their tantalizing menu.This is one of my personal faves among Central Square restaurants. You really must go!

We were there to celebrate our anniversary. We met at Thelonious one year ago. And this time Mad Monkfish did not disappoint us. I love sushi. We had few special rolls. Food was delicious and fresh! Thank you!

Excellent Sushi! And fried rice. Try indonesian fried rice!

Amazing options for both fancier dinners and quick casual meals. Fantastic decor and atmosphere—perfect for dates and honestly, all occasions. Ambiance is accompanied by some lovely jazz, and there is often live music played here! Big fan.

Sushi is absolutely delicious here. Great atmosphere with light jazz. Worth the price.

Amazing thai and best sushi/cocktails in the area. This is our go-to for a date night. Seriously amazing cocktails.

The atmosphere was great. servers were nice and attentive. We ordered cranbary wontons as appetizers and i got Minkfish Medley and they bith were delicous. My friend got pad thai. She asked for extra eggs and peanuts and that is exactly what she got. It was not super expensive but there are many pricy dishes in the menu. i will definetely go back to try their sushi.

Definitely a place worth stopping over, the food is good and fresh, the prices are fair and it is consistently clean here. Keep up the good work.

If youre looking for an eclectic mix of Pan-Asiann food and live jazz music, you wont find any place better than The Mad Monkfish! We came as a party of three during peak hours on a Friday evening. My reservation was exactly what prevented us from waiting, so its definitely recommended to book ahead if youre looking at a night to go out. Sushi portions were smaller than I wouldve liked, but everything else was happy perfect. Staff were friendly and served us quickly, even though the place was packed!If this review was helpful, please consider a thumbs up. It would be greatly-appreciated!

The food was Bland didnt taste very well.

Definitely my go-to central sq spot. They always kill it with their Asian fusion plates and sushi varieties, awesome local jazz nights, the service is always on point, and the vibe is the perfect balance between classy casual! Monk

Amazing food and ambience atmoshpere. Went there with my family and my 2 yo daughter loved the sit down place. Out of all amazing food chicken satay was my fav! Def worth going next time. Cheers! With our fav drink

Very decent food. You pay a premium for the location and the vibe. Ive never visited when theyve had live music, but on a typical night its an okay but not great value. They do many different Asian cuisines decently but none excellently. You will never have a bad dish, but you can get a better version of any dish they offer somewhere else in Cambridge, and usually for less money.

Came in for a quick snack and I was surprised by their affordable lunch menu! We ordered the drunken noodles, miso soup, and tofu basil lunch. Great service, beautiful ambiance, and delicious food. I would definitely come back for more.

Its a pleasant surprise to stumble into this restaurant during a beautiful Labor Day weekend night. It seems to be a sushi restaurant , but actually a fusion place with southeastern Asian foods (Thai cuisine ?) Kids like it, so do we!

Had a great experience. Menu is packed so I asked for an assist from the staff. Ended up with Drunken Noodles and they were really good. Add some edamame and Sapporo on draft and you cant lose!

Really good food! They are accommodating for large crowds if you do the reservation on time. We were 28 and were able to pay by groups or individually.

Delicious but a bit pricey. Also we sat at the table near the kitchen and the smell coming from the kitchen was bad. It was something like bleach or a detergent.I really loved that they responded to my review quickly and very nicely! So I edited my rating and I need to mention that the servers were also very nice like the manager!

Unique spot. They have live jazz Thursday through the weekend which is really cool. Id recommend double checking the schedule.Gets pretty busy on the weekends so make a reservation or show up before you plan on eating and walk around while youre waiting to get called.Spicy tuna is very good too.

The food was incredible. The live music was such a treat and the staff were really just so helpful. Try the Holly and Ivy sushi roll, dang that was incredible. So was the Frog Princess roll.

Beautiful interiors, really great sushi and pretty good prices considering how expensive sushi places get. The live Jazz room adds another layer to the experience. It does get crowded on the weekends so check in before going.

I love this place. Their food has good flavors

Went because a friend recommended it. Nice atmosphere and music, really delicious food. Waitstaff was very polite. I got the Shoyu Ramen and it had such a rich flavor. Definitely going back again.

The food is consistently well prepared and yummy, cashiers hands over great service. I loved how neat it is and ambience. Will come visit again.

Incredible food, and food choices. Very fast service. Big servings.The huge menu has very similar prices throughout which are affordable, reasonable, and make it easier to make a choice. Im definitely going to go back as soon as possible! Highly recommended. We sampled the calamari which was so light and crisp, like nothing Ive had before (we already ate half then I took a picture). We also had a lobster sushi roll which was delicious. The fried/seared duck dish over veggies in a coconut thai soup with jasmine rice (it was addicting) entree and fried salmon curry dish were so good. Matcha green tea ice cream to finish it all off was great.

Ive been here many times and Thelonious never disappoints! The live jazz is great, theres outdoor seating when its warm, the cocktails and food are incredible, and the service is great. The live jazz isnt so loud that you cant have a conversation, and if you have a group with you, you can ask for the floor seating for more isolation.If youre here with a group, the sushi boats are definitely the way to go. The avocado salad and sashimi dishes are also incredible. Ive also enjoyed the maki rolls and noodle dishes. For cocktails, my favorite is the lychee drink, with the mango mai tai as a close second.This place is great, high recommend!

This place used to be a 5 for me -- I had been coming here for years since it had opened, well before they had the jazz section. They have evolved and cater to a different clientele, and their prices reflect it. Overall one of my favorite Thai-fusion restaurants but they are pricier than I would like, especially since they used to be cheaper and their food hasnt really changed (still good but not worth more). Worth checking out but I think charging $10/person to listen to the jazz is a little pretentious...its a Asian restaurant, not a swanky jazz club in NYC!

Great food and great ambience. Often live music. Katsu Kare a must-try.

The food is delicious. Ive never been disappointed with anything Ive gotten here. Love coming here for that very reason.

Yummy Japanese and mostly Thai food at this area, beautiful jazz bar and restaurant. They have a pretty broad sushi menu, Japanese noodles and some other Japanese dishes. They also offer quite a few Thai dishes as well. Staff are really friendly and helpful. Food prices are very reasonable. Cant wait to visit at night, when Monkfish becomes a #jazzclub.

Great food and great atmosphere!

Third time here and Ive never been disappointed. Got the Cranberry-Teriyaki Chicken on my first visit and that has been my favorite so far, but you cant go wrong with Pad Thai (especially the bacon Pad Thai). Ive also had the Pork Rad Na, which was good but not as good as the others. Some of the tables are pretty close to each other, but just ignore your neighbors, listen to some great (sometimes live) jazz, and enjoy the amazing food!

Great food (mostly had the sushi). Service is quite dry though, doesnt give a great vibe.

Great menu selection and friendly service

Lively place on a thursday! Smooth jazz. I recommend the pad thai and any special roll.

This restaurant is awesome and spacious, the food was yummy and the prices were very fair. quickly, productive service and very friendly waiters. Highly recommended.

Love love loved this restaurant. The cranberry crab Rangoon was over the top so were the octopus dumplings. I had the crispy chicken pad see yew and my guest had the una ju poke bowl. They kept our water glasses filled with a cucumber water and the leechee martini a favorite. We did vanilla fried ice cream for dessert with whipped cream and strawberries. The wait staff was efficient and friendly, bathrooms spotless, and the smooth jazz playing in the background a treat. If you are in Central Square stop in you wont be disappointed.

Consistently good food and service.

I would be happy at a restaurant that has good live music, and I would be happy at a restaurant that has good food. This one has both! I had crab rangoon tonight that had such a light, crispy wrapper and creamy, flavorful filling that just by the end of the appetizer I was in gustatory bliss. They dont have live music every night of the week, but its a treat to have a smooth jazz trio playing all dinner long.This is one of the restaurants that I make sure all of my visiting friends try at least once!

Great food and a wide variety to choose from. All the dishes we ordered were well prepared and so tasty! Gray jazz on top of it all.

The Mad Monkfish serves decent Asian dishes. I wouldnt say it is anything outstanding but overall definitely hits the spot if you are craving sushi or a Thai dish. I recently noticed that they added a fairy tale section to their sushi menu. This section includes creative rolls with a combination of fish and fruit that I found really interesting. I also have not been lucky enough to be at the restaurant while a musician plays music. One thing to notr is that the water they serve you is cucumber infused, this took me by surprise the first time I ate here.

The quantity on average was less than I expected, but the food was not bad. The lighting is pretty dim.

The food here is great and they have creatively different sushi rolls you wont find anywhere else. I love the crab meat fried rice. The only reason I didnt vote this place a 5 out of 5 is because of the service. They are not attentive or particularly pleasant. Not unpleasant but not welcoming, which is very unfortunate because the food is so good!

My friend is a vegetarian and we came here just because they had many more vegetarian options than other places I looked up. Still one of my favorite places, I cant get enough of their noodle soup! Their sushi and thai food is good as well, so this pretty much hits the spot for whatever you may be craving. Customer service is on point as well. We had a small issue with our order and they were on it right away.

Love the party boats and the quick service — this place is a place me and my friends frequent because of it’s convenient location to Hmart and MIT campus. The curry fries are surprisingly a hit as well!

Ordered the chicken Kapow with brown rice and a fried egg as takeout. Didnt realize that chicken in this dish was ground up until I received it, but that was because Ive never tried chicken kapow before. The Taste was very well-balanced when you mixed in the brown rice with the chicken. There was definitely a spicy kick but nothing too strong. Felt like I had eaten a lot of sodium after the meal, but would still recommend this dish!

Huge selection of sushi boats with the freshest of fish Ive had in Cambridge.

Its a vibe! What type of vibe is entirely up to you! Great food, live music, great service and awesome drinks! Great for late buisness meetings, or for dropping in with the bros or ladies; or for that one on one with that special someone!

The staff who served our table was superb kind.Hot foods were very delicious.Maki was good as well.

I checked this place out with some friends who live in Central and none of us were impressed. They were out of the dish I wanted to order, but recommended the Tom yum soup instead. When it came, the noodles had all glommed together as a single mass. There was a gross seafood thing in it I couldn’t identify. My friends food was good. When we finished our drinks they did not ask us if we wanted another. The drinks were so so.At several points we were rushed. We had only been seated for an hour and were mid meal when our check was placed at our table. we said we were not ready and they took it back. We were not offered dessert but just given our check again at which point we gave up and just left.Overall we felt very unwelcome. I would not come here again. It was expensive for what it was.

Food is so fresh and tasty! All the sushi is amazing!! I recommend the Basil fried rice with crispy chicken if you like a lot of heat!

Yummmmm! And really yummy vegetarian / veggie options

Great service, fresh sushi

Great service. Reasonable price relative to food quality. Love both Japanese and Thai food here. Of course, spectacular jazz music and vibe.

This place serves consistently great food, especially if youre a fish or sushi fan. The dishes are visually attractive, delicious and the service is good. My ONLY concern is that its noisy when busy, to the point where its hard to hear people at your own table. I dont understand why restaurants do not take steps to manage noise levels better. It really detracts from the dining experience.

For a large group of 11 people we were seated fast. Our order came perfectly and the food was delicious. Our server fast and courteous and agreed to split the bill between the two parties. Cant say anything wrong about this place.

Excellent Japanese food. The quality of the service is higher that the standards. Possible for a slight extra fee to eat in a room with jazz concert given by acclaimed musicians such as Yoko Miwa Trio. Five stars are not enough. Give all the stars you can.

Came on a Friday night and the live music was great, vibe was great and sushi was solid. Great date spot.

Great Staff, Food and Decor

I have been here about a million times. They are my standard for quality sushi in the Boston/Cambridge area. If I try a new sushi place I ask myself, is this as good as Thelonious Monkfish? (Aka: The Mad Monkfish) So far I havent found anything I consider better. They have the best of both worlds with an artistic and somewhat Americanized twist on sushi with their signature and fairytale sushi, but they also offer a quality classic experience with more traditional options on other areas of the menu. They have a terrific venue, and occaisonally live music, typically centered around the jazz genre which is right up my alley. Its a gorgeous place, gorgeous and delicious food, and friendly staff. I cant stress trying them out enough. Its amazing stuff!

Good service and great food. The jazz here was great!

Always good Sushi. Pretty big inside and its usually easy to just walk in and snag a table. Which is nice considering how busy things generally are at lunch and dinner time.

This is hands down the best sushi and sashimi you can get in Cambridge, quite possibly in all of greater Boston.

Very fresh and nicely prepared.

Bestest, freshest, flavoriest sushi in the area. I started going here before they expanded into the big room--and I am so proud of how far they have come! Needless to say Ive been through about 4 boyfriends since I started going here, and the one Im absolutely in love with also loves this place!! So hes a keeper.The menu is expansive, but it is not for lack of quality -- EVERYTHING is delicious. I love the pigs tears and all of their noodle dishes.I understand prices have gone up a little, and that there is now a cover charge for the music room, but it all makes sense as they continue to build their brand and their musical guests.Lots of love! Keep doing what youre doing!

Sushi is divine, tea is even better. Great upscale Japanese place. Even more, they have live jazz sets, one of which I caught recently that was really great. The other patrons can be a little loud and detract from the performance, but on the other hand its nice to talk and eat while still being engaged in the music. Half-background gig kind of vibes. All in all great place, they should just call themselves Monkfish though, the Mad is kind of gratuitous hahaha

Wonderful service. Great Ramen and fried rice

We had a very nice meal. Service was a little slow.

Food was so delicious. And just the right portion size.

Good food for the price, lots of options, and their cocktails are good. Service is very nice and as expected (time-wise) - perhaps even a little quicker than one might expect on a Friday night! I give it a 4 only because Ive had sushi Ive liked better, but the food is definitely great for the price, and the rolls are creative. Tom yum fried rice and pad Thai are very good. Soups and appetizers were good, but not amazing. All in all I would definitely go here again if I wanted some good sushi without breaking the bank.

Last came here in 2016 on a trip to Boston and talked it up to friends until we finally made it out to the area again. The name is slightly different, and its bigger inside, but the food is just as amazing as I remembered. Great atmosphere and wonderful live music, too. The Volcano Roll is an easy spicy favorite though Im personally a huge fan of the Lover Man Maki. Glad we got a reservation! Definitely hit this spot for great sushi & Asian fusion.

Pretty good restaurant with a variety of food to choose from. I had a curry dish and it was a bit spicier than I expected but I wanted to try spicy level 3 myself. Bathroom was clean and a bit small. And thr ambiance is nice with jazz music.

Great price. The food was pretty good. My only complaint is that hostess was a bit rude.

Food is consistently good. Be prepared to wait especially on the weekend.

Worst place I’ve ever seen

Creative, unique and delicious menu. Not cheap, but worth every penny. Truly special dining experience. They also have outstanding Jazz music thursday through the weekend. No cover!

Great sushi and some fun tea options!

They have live Jazz Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Its an up charge ($10 I think?) to sit in the room where the live music is (dont fret, you can hear it everywhere) and its a must-do. Its a perk that everything else here is just great. Ive never even just had a mediocre experience, its always great!