Martsa On Elm

Tibetan restaurant · Somerville

Martsa On Elm

Tibetan restaurant · Somerville

4

243 Elm St, Somerville, MA 02144

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Martsa On Elm by Joe St. Pierre
Martsa On Elm by @TheInfatuation
Martsa On Elm by Joe St. Pierre
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Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null
Martsa On Elm by null

Highlights

Martsa on Elm is a vibrant gem in Davis Square, showcasing comforting Tibetan and Himalayan dishes, including must-try momos and aromatic curries, perfect for cozy family feasts.  

Featured in The Infatuation
Featured in Eater

243 Elm St, Somerville, MA 02144 Get directions

facebook.com
@martsaonelm

$$

Information

Static Map

243 Elm St, Somerville, MA 02144 Get directions

+1 617 666 0660
facebook.com
@martsaonelm

$$

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dine in
takeout
payment credit card
reservations

Last updated

Jul 7, 2025

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@infatuation

"Martsa is a foolproof low-key, cozy date spot in the area. The dimly lit dining room features lots of Tibetan and Himalayan art, and the menu of comforting dishes is perfect for sharing. The appetizers are the best things here, so load up on beef and vegetarian momos, potato-stuffed aloo tikki chaat, and the crunchy and spicy papri chaat, filled with chickpeas, potatoes, and tamarind yoghurt sauce. Their mango lassi is fantastic, and their salted buttery Tibetan tea, while rich, is worth trying at least once. " - lala thaddeus

The 12 Best Restaurants In Davis Square 2024
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@infatuation

"Martsa is a foolproof low-key, cozy date spot in the area. The dimly lit dining room features lots of Tibetan and Himalayan art, and the menu of comforting dishes is perfect for sharing. The appetizers are the best things here, so load up on beef and vegetarian momos, potato-stuffed aloo tikki chaat, and the crunchy and spicy papri chaat, filled with chickpeas, potatoes, and tamarind yoghurt sauce. Their mango lassi is fantastic, and their salted buttery Tibetan tea, while rich, is worth trying at least once." - Lala Thaddeus

Martsa on Elm Review - Davis Square - Boston - The Infatuation
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@eater

"Davis Square staple Martsa on Elm, serving Tibetan food in Somerville for nearly 20 years, moved into a swankier new space a few doors down in late 2020. The full-service restaurant offers beer and wine alongside its lengthy food menu, with the momo selection including beef, chicken, or vegetable filling. They’re served steamed or pan-fried and make for a great starter before digging into Martsa’s curries, noodle dishes, and more. Try the butter tea or ginger honey lime tea for a warming accompaniment." - Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Where to Find Greater Boston’s Best Momos - Eater Boston
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@infatuation

"If the Dalai Lama ever comes to town, someone should take him to Martsa - not just because his portrait is hanging on the wall high above other pieces of Tibetan art, but because it’s hard not to find inner peace when you’re biting into one of their spiced chicken momos (we prefer the steamed versions to the fried ones). This is a tiny, casual spot that doesn’t have a liquor license, but it recently became one of the few BYOB spots in Boston, and the mango lassi drinks are more than good enough to accompany the spicy pork belly chili. If you’re staying away from meat, you’ll find something you love within their big selection of tofu and vegetable curries." - dan secatore

The Best Restaurants In Davis Square
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Dara Behjat

Google
Overall great experience. Their fried apps are absolutely drenched with oil so even with the good flavor it's overpowered by oil. Their short rib dish left a lot to be desired and was really dry and chewy. Everything else we has was absolutely delicious with great flavors. Will definitely come back and try more stuff on the menu.

Rhoda Schnitzer

Google
A Tibetan friend recommended this place so of course we had to try it out. The momos were delicious- we tried the vegetarian and chicken ones. The ginger lemonade I had was surprisingly not too sweet (most homemade lemonades tend to be a tad too sweet for my taste) and the noodles were tasty too. Service however could be friendlier and quicker. Definitely worth going back to

Enakshi Chanda

Google
Love, love, love the food! This place has a combination of Tibetian, Nepali and Indian food. The spices, taste, preparation are perfect. It has loads of vegetarian and vegan options. Definitely recommend the vegetable churue soup - perfect blend of all the veggies with cheese taste. The tofu chilli was fantastic. Even recommend the Beef Achar. Definitely visiting them again. I even tried the Tibetian tea - not a big fan. Remember it’s very salty.

Reetu

Google
I decided to try this restaurant after a friend's recommendation for their momos. The food was enjoyable, although the service was a bit sluggish despite the relatively low crowd. It's worth keeping your patience. The flavors reminded me of homemade meals more than any other restaurant. I'm eager to return and explore their other dishes.

Lucia T

Google
Such incredible food new favorite spot for sure, so many vegan options too!

Sara Lingam

Google
Enjoyed the pork noodle soup at Martsa on Elm—flavorful broth and tender pork with perfectly cooked noodles. However, the portion was a bit small for the price. Tasty, but could be more filling.

Seth M

Google
Good food, service was fine but understaffed. We ordered the chicken dumplings and the noodles with vegetables, both of which were fine (nothing extraordinary). We felt bad for the waiters running around trying to get to customers, writing down orders as fast as they could, etc. It took them around 15 minutes to take out the order, and the food came out 30 minutes after that. Overall a good experience, I wish they had been staffed adequately to keep up with all the demand.

Schuyler Bailar

Google
My girlfriend and I really loved the food here. Pretty much everything was delicious and so flavorful. The ambience was also very nice - quiet and peaceful but also busy as the night went on. The shrimp curry was absolutely amazing. The Bhale - Tibetan bread - was light and fluffy and so yummy. The soups were both delicious. The Tibetan tea was comforting and tasty but also strange if you hadn’t had it before. The momos (dumplings) were probably our least favorite dish as the dough wasn’t as light and flavorful as we’d have wished. We’d probably award this 4.5 stars if possible - a half star deduction because the service wasn’t very good. They were a bit inattentive (we didn’t have our waters filled once without us asking) and they were a bit standoffish. But the speed of the food arriving and the quality of the food compensated well. In any case, we’ll definitely be back!!

Dave R.

Yelp
One of the best restaurants in Boston. The Shakampa is elite as hell. Pumpkin balls, momo, thenthuk all also elite. Vibes are good - not a lively spot per se but better sit down section than most similar joints. Service fast and always friendly. Love it

Dipika D.

Yelp
What a gem! This Tibetan restaurant has won my heart with its delicious cuisine and warm atmosphere. The Chicken Momo is a must-try, and the Aloo Paratha with chutney is my absolute favorite - crispy, flavorful, and addictive! My friends swear by the Beef Momo, which they say is the best they've ever had. Service is fine, bit slow I would say but I've always been there around busy time. The interior is beautifully designed, If you're looking for a unique and tasty dining experience, look no further!

Eric B.

Yelp
This was so much better than I thought; it is now on my I have to come back here and try more tasty things. I loved the wine selection, but the food is the star, as it should be. We ate the "matsa" for the first time, and I will get it every time. I was being vegan at the time of my visit, and I had plenty to choose from. Service was laid back and inexperienced, but we weren't in a rush, and as they got busy more people joined the service crew, so I saw it running ticky-booh by the time we left. The decor and atmosphere are definitely an Asian chic vibe. Dark, quiet, and with a little romance in the air. I think next time I will book two hours for dinner and not be so picky. Enjoy!

Margaret S.

Yelp
I think this spot is thoroughly average. Tried the momo, chicken qorma and the pumpkin curry. The momo was fine - not particularly flavorful, but definitely decent. There was a lot of dough compared to the filling. The chicken qorma (pictured) was definitely not doing well. It was too salty and also swimming in oil. Not too appetizing to look at. The winner was the pumpkin curry. If I ever came back, this is what I would get!

Nino E.

Yelp
Martsa on Elm has been here for three years, with their last location serving for five. My partner and I came here to try Tibetan food for the first time. I had momos before, but from Nepalese and other Asian restaurants so I wanted to see if theres any difference. If you don't know what they are, momos are steamed dumplings filled with veggies or meat. These are as good as the other great momos I've tried. I also wanted to try out other well known tibetan food. From my research: butter tea, shapalay, and thukpa. The butter tea was definitely interesting. It is used widely in Tibet and is drank by older folks in ceremony. The hint of butter adds richness to the tea which is savory. It's not something I would order again as i found it overwhelming, but it is worth a try. Shapalay is meat filled fried pastry. It's filling and delicious. The pastry is crunchy and the meat is flavorful. Lastly, thukpa is a noodle soup that can come with meat or tofu. The noodles are kind of like pho noodles but thicker. I loved the texture and flavor. I might come back for it again. I had beef for all the meals and i noticed they used the same style of meat throughout. The meat you see in the soup is the same being used in the momos and shapalay. It was very filling indeed. Overall, the ambiance is amazing, theres authentic decor throughout the walls. It made me feel like I'm in a foreign area. The food was delicious and t service was great and accommodating.

Bobby S.

Yelp
1. The food at Martsa is great 2. I really wish the owners would take the time to update *something* (social media, voicemail, etc) when they decide to close randomly. The problem with Martsa is the stars and moon have to align perfectly for them to be open. I get that stuff happens and it's your store. That's great! Just don't make me slog halfway across town to figure out if you're really open or just really busy. If this hadn't happened more than a handful of times, I'd let it alone. I know you know how to use Facebook and instagram. Be polite to your customers, let us know when you're closed with something other than a sign taped to your window! Also, get a better credit card machine! Yours often takes 10 minutes + to process a transaction. Which means if you have multiple tickets queued up - sometimes we have to wait 30+ minutes just to leave!

Ji Y.

Yelp
For appetizers, we ordered: 1. Shapalay 2. Veggie Momo 3. Beef Momo 4. We something else but I think they forgot. ‍ For the main dish, we ordered... 1. Crispy Eggplant and Tofu 2. Pumpkin Curry 3. Chicken Masala 4. Chicken Chili For Appetizers, the Shapalay was the best. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Beef Momo came in second and then the veggie Momo. They were all very good. I would come back for the Shapalay. Crispy Eggplant and Tofu was hands down our favorite. It kind of reminds me of the dessert candied sweet potatoes at those Korean take on Chinese food Restaurants. The outer skin has this light and thin layer of candied crispiness and the center is soft and lightly gooey. The veggies had the same coating of the delicious sauce that they used for the eggplant. Whatever, just order it! Pumpkin Curry was good but deceptively spicy. Be careful of the singular chili bits. I didn't taste the spice but the unfortunate party member who bit into the chili did. A lot of water was needed. The Chicken Masala was good . The Chicken Chili was nice because it was different than what we expected. If you're looking for something somewhat unique, this was it. Overall, we had a great time and meal. The waitress was kind. I would go again!

Tyler D.

Yelp
Food: great! The spicy beef noodles must try! Service: 7/10. On average. Ambiance: great! The music is really good! But no Wi-Fi!

Gloria H.

Yelp
I recently went to Martsa for the first time in a while and it's even better than I remember! I just wanted to put in a plug for my love the chicken thenthuk (spicy). It's so flavorful, savory, and spicy with tender tender chicken and thin chewy handpulled noodles. Probably one of my favorite broths in the world. We also tried a few things we hadn't tried before. The fish curry has good flavor but I didn't love the texture of the cod fillet. The roti is thin and chewy but a bit dry since it doesn't have much fat. The fiery pork belly has a very savory punch of flavor with very tender meat. Apparently the lamb squash is amazing. The steamed beef momos were delicious! They had delightfully chewy (what seems like handmade) skin with juicy flavorful beef inside. It comes with 8 and I would gladly eat it all myself. While I do want to try more menu items, I cannot resist the pull of the spicy chicken thenthuk. It's probably my favorite dish in this area, maybe ever. I hope to eat it for many years to come :)

Alice D.

Yelp
Came here on a Saturday evening and we only had to wait a few minutes to get seated which was good. The space was pretty full by the time we got there at around 7, but tables were freeing up when we were leaving. It never got too loud or rowdy which was nice - made for a pleasant meal overall. Their menu had a good variety of food and made it hard to choose, but we settled on 2 apps and 2 entrees to share for 2 of us. Our waiter was nice enough when taking our orders, but seemed to forget about my mango lassi as I had to remind someone to get it for me after our starters had come out. The pumpkin balls were interesting and tasty while the momos were a little disappointing - they broke very easily and were soggy in a bad way despite being steamed. Nonetheless, we'd probably get the pumpkin balls again as they were unique enough and the sauce they came with was delicious. Both entrees, the pork belly and chicken, we got were very delicious. I loved the spice associated with both and would love to eat them again if I ever came back. The portion however left a lot to be desired for the price so I found them to be a little expensive and not worth their cost. Overall, I'm glad I got to try this spot after passing it so many times in Davis, but I probably wouldn't come back if it were my choice of somewhere to eat. Delicious food, okay service, poor pricing.

Ben F.

Yelp
I can't say this enough. This is THE BEST Tibetan/Bhutanese restaurant I have ever been to in North America. This restaurant is good enough to be *worth a trip to Boston*. It's also, in my opinion, one of Boston's best restaurants right now. They are also very vegetarian-friendly. Here are some of the things we tried (all vegetarian) that I would all HIGHLY recommend: - Tibetan salted yak butter tea - Tingmo - Dhartsay Mushrooms - Mughlai Tofu - South brinjal curry Will definitely be back. Please give them more business. This place is far better than the other Tibetan place in Central Square.

Karin V.

Yelp
Loved it here and can't wait to go back. The atmosphere was warm, inviting. It looked like most tables were booked up but we could still have a conversation. And the food!!! So good. Honey ginger shrimp! Gyathuk Choco (noodles and veggies)! Beef and spinach (with a kick)! Loved every bite! In fact, I'm going back tonight.

Molly G.

Yelp
Okay a much needed review update here. I hadn't been to Martsa since they moved locations and got a liquor license (beer/wine). Met a friend here for dinner the other night cause she loves it so I figured I'd give them a second chance after being underwhelmed on a previous visit. My friend swears my their soup specifically so I tried a veggie lentil soup. It was super flavorful and packed full of tasty veggies. We also split steamed Momos and the potato balls. Omg the potato balls. They were the perfect combination of rich, flavorful, soft on the inside, crisp on the outside, and drizzled with a tasty sauce with just a touch of heat. I really liked that the veggie momos were stuffed with spinach or chard or some kind of hearty greens instead of just cabbage like so many places. It was also a good quantity of dumplings for the price. We split a bottle of Chianti which was quite good and not too expensive. All the wines were by the bottle though so you have to either drink beer or commit to a full bottle fyi. Staff was friendly but never made us feel rushed. On a Wednesday night there were several other parties eating but plenty of open tables so no wait. Unfortunately they don't offer desserts but a short walk to JP Licks really wrapped the evening up well. I'll definitely return.

Gwen S.

Yelp
My family and I loved our experience at Martsa On Elm!!! We went on a Saturday night around 6:30-7pm and got in with no problem. I don't think they take reservations. *Note it did get quite busy around 8:30-9pm and people were waiting. The food is outstanding. I've never been to a Tibetan restaurant before so I didn't totally know what to expect. We ordered 1. beef momos (10/10 I loved the cabbage and sauce they came with) 2. lamb squash (11/10 my favorite) 3. cashew chicken (10/10 fresh and flavorful) 4. spicy beef noodles (cannot rate because so spicy!! I can't handle spice my family loved it) 5. Tibetan tea *I didn't love the traditional butter tea but I am so glad I was able to try it here. I would one thousand percent come again. The interior is dim and the decor is stunning. I cringe at saying "vibey"...but that's what it was (in the best way). Service was pretty good, except we got our check at the end without any prompting--and we wanted to order tea. I think our waitress was a bit stressed and potentially irritated with us but I would not dock a star for it. Can't wait to return! I recommend it if you're in the Davis Sq area and looking for a unique and delicious dinner.

Tweetie P.

Yelp
Will start off by saying the food was pretty good. Unfortunately, that's where the good ends. I have never felt more invisible in a restaurant before. The servers acted like they didn't want to look me in the eyes, nor did they want to acknowledge I was there. They did, however, speak to my boyfriend (who is white). Even after finally flagging a server down, I asked for a box and check. That said server brought a check to the table behind me instead, and we watched him give our check to the next server. Eventually, we got the to-go box and the check from the other server. During the whole dinner, I thought it was a sexist thing, but there were female servers too. We now assume it's a racist thing, and they thought I was chinese, seeing as how Tibet and China aren't on the greatest of terms. This place really needs to work on their service. But with that being said, we'll never be back!!

chaju J.

Yelp
The service is fine but the food makes up for it*!! Love the pumpkin curry, momo vegetable, pumpkin balls, eggplant coconut.

Vindhya R.

Yelp
Martsa is so cozy, the momos and manchurian curry are my favorite, very flavorful, especially with the tomato chutney they give for the momos! Highly recommend!

Richard R.

Yelp
Great place for Davis Square Indian food cravings. Highly recommend the mughlai chicken and shabhale. Pumpkin curry, pumpkin balls, and momos are also pretty good!

Michael W.

Yelp
Without exaggeration, this was the best restaurant meal of my life. I seriously felt like Ego from Ratatouille when I first bit into the Crispy Eggplant and Tofu dish, flashbacks to my childhood and all. The ambiance inside the restaurant is so beautiful and warm, the serving staff was all so friendly (plus gave great recommendations), prices are honestly very reasonable ($12 dishes), even the restrooms were nice. For my vegans out there, there are seriously SO MANY options it's actual heaven. Dishes we ordered:Crispy Eggplant and Tofu: 11/10. I never give out 11s, but this was seriously so freaking delicious. The sweet sauce hit so hard and the eggplant was the perfect balance between crispy and soft. Would recommend getting it with rice. Vegetable Momos: 10/10. First time having moms and ooooh they were so good. The onion/chili/red pepper sauce that pairs with it is so delicious. The momos themselves were warm, filling, and was a good-portion size. Really perfect appetizer. Curry Noodle Soup: 8.5/10. Super solid curry noodle dish. Got better as we continued to drink it, honestly thought the overall pairing of these three items was perfect -- noodle soup on a cold night was great. Noodles themselves I thought could've been a bit more bouncy / different textured. Only downside is that the wait time on the food was pretty long, but honestly is understandable given the quality of the food. Will be coming back here as often as possible.

James Z.

Yelp
Martsa On Elm is one of my favorite places to get food in Davis Square! The staff is always super kind and helpful, and their new location has plenty of space and nice ambiance. My favorite dish is the beef thukpa, it's a noodle soup with a beef broth that is rich in flavor, perfectly seasoned ground beef, and topped with scallions and cilantro. Recently Martsa changed the type of noodles they use which aren't as good as the OG ones but the soup is still amazing. It's a must-try!! The mughlai chicken is another must-try. Tender grilled boneless chicken pieces in a creamy cashew curried tomato sauce, it sort of has a tikka masala vibe going on but with slightly different nuances and consistency. Paired with some rice this one is a go-to! I always get an order of the steamed chicken momo as well. These dumplings are big and tasty! The tomato salsa and (very spicy) hot sauce these are served with really tie in this appetizer perfectly. I've also had a handful of other dishes from Martsa and they all have ranged from good to excellent. I think they are currently closed but should be opening again in the coming weeks, I miss them dearly and can't wait to eat here again.

Ashish G.

Yelp
Awesome place for Tibetan / Indian food. Brinjal and Fish are my go to foods. Other dishes we have tried are food too so you can't really go wrong.

Palak S.

Yelp
Love this place. I'm vegetarian. The food and menu is great. Try Spring rolls, Chocho, Manchurian and Choole Bature. My all time favorite place. Support small business.

Deff J.

Yelp
I rarely give 5 star reviews, but every single thing we had here was great, and pretty reasonably priced We had: Aloo Tikki and chicken momo to start Fried Beef Shakampa Mughlai Chicken Spicy Belly Thukpa and split a bottle of white wine. Came out to about $100, service was good and fast - this place is fantastic and we can't wait to ho back!

Atarah J.

Yelp
6/16/20 Update: So glad Martsa is back! I was missing this place so much during quarantine. They've updated their menu and they're currently cash only until their card machine works again! I really enjoyed the food here! It was my first time having Nepali food and I very much enjoyed it! We had the lamb, bok choy,and the parantha! Everything was great! Only taking off one star because the waiter looked like he hated his life but otherwise will definitely comeback! I would love to explore more Nepali food!

William C.

Yelp
Highly recommend the spicy beef shapta, beef shakampa, and shabhale. If you get the shakampa, taking it to go can be a good idea. Letting it be covered for a while softens the meat, which I personally think makes it taste even better.

Max G.

Yelp
The service is terrible here! My partner and I ordered take out and when I asked the waitress about the pick up she looked at me irritated and confused with a horrible look on her face. Waitresses always look upset and irritated, but the waiters are more friendly for some reason. Will not be returning here any time soon. Wish they would hire more friendly staff that look happy to work there.

Victoria B.

Yelp
I'm in love. It's real this time. This was my first time eating Tibetan food. Where have you been all my life? I feel cheated that I never knew. We popped in here on a whim to escape the madding crowds of Elm Street in Davis. We were looking for vegetarian of substance -- not just an aside -- and we found it here. The serve all kinds of meat, for sure, but they also have a large number of vegetarian (and, yes, vegan) options throughout their menu. Because my date eats vegetarian, I opted to go all veggie so we could split and share without constraint. And let me just say, if all vegetarian food was this good, I could be one, too. (Maybe.) To the specifics, at 730 ish on a Friday night their large-ish (for Davis) one-room restaurant was at capacity. Just as we arrived, two tables opened but were filled by us and the folks behind us. They're clearly thriving! The service was efficient and fluff-less. Servers all wore masks as if they meant it. Neither of us had ever even seen a Tibetan menu, so we were slow, but our navigation was helped by the clear descriptions and categories. If menus could get stars, theirs would get five. It was an actual menu, too. No need to drag out the uber-cumbersome qr scanner. The room is nicely decorated with flags and stuff. No tablecloths but solid utensils and lovely dishes. Do Nepalis use chopsticks or forks? IDK. Good space between tables. No bar seating -- in response to Covid? -- but I hope they add it. The food is good. Very good. The soups (we each got a different one -- churue and tofu thang) are stellar. A good soup has layers of flavor and texture. OMG. So good. And their bowl-size serving could be the entree. We also got fried onions and potatoes, also very good. Again, layers of flavor. The dipping sauce!! The dumplings (momos?) were very good, but the spinach filling needed more flavor. The red chutney-like accompaniment was served cold? We took the offered option of getting half steamed, half fried which is a good way to start. (Next time I'd go fried.) (And ask for more of the spicy red sauce that came with the fried onions.) (And speaking of spice, they can increase the heat on any dish -- our sweet server laughed as she said this.) (I presume they can decrease it, too, but why?) Our single entree of red curry with tofu and pineapple and something else was very very good. How to find more superlatives? Drinks! They have a huge selection of non-alcoholic offerings -- teas and such -- but they also serve beer and wine. I ordered a ginger-lemonade that was perfectly flavored. It was served room temp so I asked for a glass of ice on the side. (No pictures -- I was trying not to be that person -- but the food is beautiful.) I can't wait to go back!

Kartik S.

Yelp
Excellent vegetarian options- recommend the tofu soup and Pan fried noodles! Lot seems to be freshly prepared too. Would go again.

Sharon T.

Yelp
This place was amazing! The interior is very beautiful and the server mainly left us alone but I'll focus on all of the dishes we got, from my favorite to least- Aloo parantha: 10/10 this was everyone's favorite. It's warm and crispy, with a delicious thin layer of well spiced filling Vegetable nezom: 10/10 all of the vegetables are perfectly crispy on the outer edges and caramelized on the inside. The eggplant especially is well done and the sauce is delicious and generously applied. A tofu in tomato cashew sauce (I forget the name): 9/10 the sauce was really interesting and complimented the tofu very well Fried veggie momos: 9/10 great filling with lots of different textures, the skin is fried until very very crispy, and the accompanying red sauce has great depth of flavor Mango lassi: 7/10 more on the watery side, and tastes a little carbonated but still delicious Fried rice: 7/10 pretty solid, no complaints but nothing stood out much Tofu thupka: 7/10 the broth is pretty plain but it comes in a huge bowl with lots of vegetables. The noodles are nice and springy Papri chaat: 7/10 classic chaat dish with strong flavors and great textures but it was cold, which we were not expecting

Ruby Y.

Yelp
such good food for vegetarians and omnivores alike, service is good, and a nice spot for a nice dinner.

Rebecca H.

Yelp
There are many vegan options which I will attach here. I loved the pakora app and my main entree. The chole that comes with the fried bread is spicy. The menus need to be replaced with laminated menus and the food was really, really greasy and may be off-putting if you were not expecting it. If you put on the "im eating greasy street food in a resturant space" then you will love the flavors they have. It was pretty fun and we will come back.

Anirudha B.

Yelp
Love their Chicken Qorma and Tingmo ! Their momos are great as well and have a pretty good variety in their menu that I would love to experiment if I stopped ordering the Qorma for once !

Joe S.

Yelp
Great place to dine and enjoy the tasty dishes! The concept of Bring your Own Boose is interesting too, and a lot of tables had their own bottle of wine . Food was tasty and Fresh, not too oily! Will definitely be back to test the rest of the menu

Maria M.

Yelp
Stumbled upon this great Tibetan place with few friends. Taste is simply awesum. We tried their Chicken chilli, Shamsday, Potato chat and Chicken Cashew nuts. They were all great. Ambiance and service is also good. You can find parking easily in the evenings. Its a must try. Great option for dinner. Right in Davis Square. Service size is good for sharing among 2-3 people.

Divyashree R.

Yelp
Right on the Davis square main downtown. The place has/had a wait time when we had been there. The service was great. Ordered a aloo tikki which was awesome. The momo s weren't great. It was little hard on the outside. The chole batura was something different from the regular but the masala was

Vickie L.

Yelp
Came here on a Friday night, pretty crowded and had to wait for a short while. Service is great! Food is not the best look but def worth the time and money (so as many delicious food does ;)) Beef momo - THE BEST from our order! I'm not quite sure about how they are as a dish if Nepalese momo, but they're absolutely some of the best Chinese dumplings/Xiaolongbaos around here 这小笼蒸包很好吃哎! Fried vegetable basket - fried pumpkin, eggplants, onions, cauliflowers ... all my favorite fried vegetables! It's like a heavier version of Japanese Tempura but def not too oily nor rich. Love it! Tofu Almond Curry - sweetish curry sauce wirh Tofu, food with rice but I feel chicken would work better than tofu Shamday (Beef potato dish) - very flavorful as well! Good combination with rice but beef is a bit dry. Overall a nice comfort food place in Davis Square :)

Irene S.

Yelp
Just a heads up that I saw that back of the kitchen people don't wear masks. The food was pretty good and the decor and setting is quite nice. The presentation of the veggie momos was quite bad. All the momos were only sealed partially. Id recommend being patient since they are understaffed. It was a a pretty packed restaurant and there was only one waitress running around. The South Brinjal curry was really good!! I'd get that again for sure.

Lucie B.

Yelp
My husband and I stopped at Martsa's on our way to a concert at Somerville Theater. I had a vegetarian dish with ginger and honey and he had the chicken curry. Both were delicious, and the staff was super friendly and efficient. The restaurant was busy but we got a table quickly, which was helpful since we had to get to the concert. The theater is only a 3 minute walk, which was a plus.

Gaurav B.

Yelp
The food was very good but the service was terrible. It took 1 hour for our appetisers to arrive, 1.5 hours for the mains. On top of that they forgot one of the orders. Hopefully the delay was a one time issue. Will be back to try some more options as the food that did arrive was tasty.

Susan Be A.

Yelp
This is my new favorite place! I just want to try everything! I used go come here back in Ye Olden Tymes when they had the buffet so I never got around to trying the menu! Anyway, I'm glad to discover it, I've eaten here twice recently and loved it both times. The pumpkin curry is amazing. I asked for it mild and it was perfect. I hope they will open up for lunch soon!!

Ben W.

Yelp
I have to agree with everyone here- food is awesome, service is pretty bad. This was my first Himalayan food experience and it really was delicious. We got the veggie momo, half steamed half fried which really are amazing as others have said. The pumpkin curry was amazingly flavorful, spicy, and sweet and the tofu and bok choy, while definitely on the oily side was great as well (tasted like a fairly typical Chinese stir fry dish, not bad by any means but not as interesting and flavorful as the momo and pumpkin curry). On the other hand, there was one singular server for the entire restaurant. The food didn't take a long time, but getting water refills took forever and it took us about 10 minutes to flag down the waiter to get some extra rice when we asked. He was a perfectly fine nice man, just overworked. I don't know why they can't have more wait staff, the restaurant was full on a Tuesday night and doesn't seem to have an issue getting customers. Overall, food 5 stars, service 2, but rounded up to 4 since the food really was great and imo worth the poor service.

Vinay F.

Yelp
Cozy pace in the heart of Davis Square. The food is tasty, service is great and you walk away satisfied on a budget! Here's what we got: 1. Chicken Momos (half fried, half steamed) 2. Chole Bhature (the strangest rendition - they got the Bhature completely wrong) 3. Fried Rice 4. Mughlai Chicken (delicious, not too greasy and how a lot of places in India serve butter chicken) The only reason this place isnt a 5 is because of the Chole - The Bhatura needs to be like a large puri, not a fat roti.

Joyce W.

Yelp
A delicious find! My friend and I dropped by for dinner on a Sunday night and left happily stuffed! We shared an order of the Momos (half fried and half steamed). They were quite flavorful but a little dry inside. I was expecting some juice to spill out from the first bite, but it was instead dry and a little disatisfying. The Pumpkin Curry was bomb and super super tasty! I'm normally a carnivore, but would happily order this dish again for its spicy kick and creamy base. Pairs amazingly with rice!! We also ordered a Noodle Soup dish with chicken and lots of veggies. It was simple and satisfying. It wasn't amazing, but definitely reminded me of something homecooked with love! Overall, Martsa is a great spot for some tasty, belly-warming, Himalayan feastin'!

Fatma H.

Yelp
I don't believe they ever answer their phone. Called multiple times 12+ times and they never answer! It's as if they don't want business.

Valeria S.

Yelp
Ordered the vegetable pakora, shamo dhatsay (spicy mushroom curry) and Shamday (beef curry). All three were incredibly good! I thought the vegetable pakora was a decent size as in there were lots of veggies. These were fried to perfection and were not greasy at all. I whenever I visit Martsa On Elm I get the Sunday or the mushroom dish and this time I decided for both. The beef curry is not spicy but has a lot of flavor and is for sure a must try! The mushroom dish this time was incredibly spicy ...much spicier than I've had it before. Nevertheless it is delicious - it's got a creamy sauce to it and lots of different mushrooms. Make sure to order a side or rice with your orders!

Abigail A.

Yelp
I enjoyed the variety of food options ranging from Tibetan, Indian, Pakistini, and much more. They offer various options of meat, chicken, beef, lamb, and vegetarian, so there is something for everything. I came here on a Saturday night with my friend. It was pretty full, and there isn't a lot of space, so expect to be cozy with your neighbors. The food came out in a timely fashion, and I highly recommend trying out the momos! We ordered the chicken momos, which come in a group of 8. Because we couldn't decide on having steamed or fried, they actually offered the option to get half friend and half steamed. Highly recommend that option! Best of both worlds! It has a nice ambiance, cozy atmosphere, and a great place for an intimate date. Because they were very busy, it took a while for my friend and I to get water refills and our bill at the end of the night. If you're looking for a nice, sit-down dinner and have the time to spare, I highly recommend this place. If not, then just be ready to be a little more proactive in getting their attention for water-refills and your bill.

Ulysses L.

Yelp
A longtime local presence that serves delicious food... Why only one star? We ordered takeout a few weeks ago and were horrified to find our order packaged in styrofoam... inexcusable in 2021. If they served in responsible packaging, I'd be back in a flash. As is, I will be boycotting until I receive reliable third-party confirmation that they have arrived in the 21st century.

Siwen M.

Yelp
I like this place! It's cozy and intimate. The distance between tables is small. The environment is family-friendly. Our table was surrounded by two family with a couple of kids and another group of girls. Food is like Indian or Tibetan. We ordered two curry main dishes, a small plate of sausage, dumplings, rice and bread. The serving size is slightly small, but good enough, because the dishes are oily and rich. It's slightly pricy I think. We spent 27/person without drinks. The waiters are friendly, more like a family's business. I will go again to try more dishes.

Patricia W.

Yelp
First time coming here, and for a late Friday night dinner (9:30pm). The restaurant closes at 10:30 so I was unsure if the food quality would be not as great but this place did not disappoint! Must haves: -Chicken Marsala curry dish. Seriously excellent complex flavors. I've grown up eating a lot of curries and this is def the best I've tried so far in the area. On the spicy side so beware or get a mango lassi to help cool your tongue! -Beef momos (steamed). Try them with the spicy sauces that come on the side. The chocho (wok fried noodles) with chicken was solid and exactly what we wanted, but not unique compared to the other items. Chicken was very tender. Service: good, friendly, attentive waiter and the food came out really quickly! everything was piping hot and fresh within 10-15 minutes (granted we were one of two tables left at that point) Conclusion? I'm def coming back to try more of their items. Highly recommend this place for curry and momos.

Frank D.

Yelp
One of the better Davis sq choices, for sure! The food seems to all cooked fresh. They don't have a liquor license but you can bring your own! I prefer the fried momo over the steamed (the just have more flavor). I will also agree with other on the pumpkin curry. In addition, anything with "chili" in the title is satisfyingly spicy and full of flavor. On a side note, they're still using styrofoam containers for take-out which is illegal and just a bad environmental choice.