New Tapas Restaurant To Open in Harvard Square

From mofongo con camarones (mashed plantains with shrimp) to asado argentino (Argentinian steak), Harvard Square diners will have their choice of eclectic Latin American cuisine tomorrow night with the opening of Congas Bar and Restaurant.

Located on the corner of Eliot and Winthrop Streets, this latest addition to the Square’s lineup of dining-out options will occupy the space that was previously home to Shabu Square, a hotpot restaurant that closed its doors this past June.

Infusing a culinary foundation of Spanish tapas with South American and Caribbean flavors, Congas will feature not only a novel menu but also a unique atmosphere and mood for the Square, said restaurant partner Mauricio Rocha.

“We want to create a world where you can just relax and listen to music by Celia Cruz, the queen of salsa, and hear songs like ‘Gypsy Queen’ [of Gábor Szabó],” Rocha said.

Panja S. Lymswam, Congas’ owner, reiterated their intended emphasis on good music and creating a “night-club like” ambiance at Congas.

Lymswam, who also owned Congas’ predecessor, Shabu Square, said that he decided to make the switch from hotpots to tapas after recognizing a relative lack of Spanish and Latin American food options among Harvard Square eateries. He formally requested to make the change to the License Commission in August.

Lymswam also owns Spice Thai on Holyoke Street and 9 Tastes Fine Thai on JFK Street.

“I think the opening of Congas and having another choice is really wonderful for the consumer,” said Denise A. Jillson, executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association. “It makes Harvard Square that much more appealing.”

According to Jillson, the idea behind Shabu Square, where food is cooked at customers’ tables in hotpots, “was new and interesting.” But the restaurant may have ultimately failed because of the competition it faced from another Shabu eatery in Cambridge—Shabu-Ya, which is located on JFK Street.

Congas itself might not be immune from culinary competition, Jillson added.

Though she said she did not believe a direct rival to Congas would open anytime soon, she noted the possibility of competition from the only currently existing tapas bar in the Square—Small Plates, which is also located on JFK Street.