Russell House Tavern

Russell House Tavern sits on JFK Street in Harvard Square, with a menu that can support a full dinner or a drink and something from the raw bar. Oysters, littlenecks and shrimp cocktail share space with steak frites, roast chicken, pasta and the house burger. Tavern pizzas give a group another straightforward thing to share.

The restaurant runs separate lunch, dinner, brunch and late-night menus, so the choices depend on when you arrive. Its late-night oyster offer has its own hours and holiday exceptions, worth checking if that is what brings you in. Cocktails, beer and wine cover the drinks side. Weekend brunch starts earlier than weekday lunch, and the current closing time is later on Friday and Saturday.