East Cambridge, Mourning the Recent Loss of a Karaoke Destination, May Get Another One

The owner of a longstanding Indian restaurant in Cambridge’s Porter Square is planning to open a new restaurant adjacent to the forthcoming Lechmere-area development Cambridge Crossing. Narinder Guhania, who owns Passage to India (1900 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge), will open Weltkuche Bistro, according to a hearing notice posted on the Cambridge License Commission’s website. An employee at Passage to India confirmed the news with Eater but was unable to share additional details at this time.

Weltküche means “world cuisine” in German; it is unclear at the moment what kind of cuisine (or, perhaps, cuisines) Weltkuche Bistro will serve. However, renderings in the window of the under-construction space indicate that it will be a restaurant, bar, and cafe.

Guhania recently petitioned the Cambridge Licensing Commission for a full liquor license to be issued at 5 Glassworks Ave. The proposed seating capacity for the space is 65, with an additional 30 patio seats available seasonally. Guhania’s petition also asks for an entertainment license in order for Weltkuche Bistro to feature DJs and karaoke nights — good news for East Cambridge, as the neighborhood’s longtime karaoke destination, Courtside, recently closed.

Weltkuche Bistro isn’t the first restaurant to announce its plans to open in the area. Will Gilson and the team behind Puritan & Co. also recently announced that they’re planning a massive restaurant for the Cambridge Crossing development, which will feature a cafe, a full-service restaurant, and a cocktail bar with a rooftop terrace.

When it’s finished, Cambridge Crossing will be a 43-acre, 4.5-million-square-foot development, and it will feature science and technology space, retail space, cafes, bars, restaurants, and residential units. Public green space is also planned for the development.

Update, 3 p.m.: This story has been updated to include photographs and information from renderings posted in the space.

Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

• Weltkuche Bistro Plans to Open at Cambridge Crossing in East Cambridge [BRT]
• Puritan & Co. Team Plans New Restaurant With Rooftop Terrace Cocktail Bar [EBOS]