Cicada

Cambridge, MA · $$$

Inebrious

Beverage Program Score

Editorial review: 2026-08-13

Editor: Micah Rousey

How we score

The editorial take

Cicada compresses a serious natural-wine point of view into 14 choices. Four orange wines form the center of gravity: Cacique Maravilla's Chilean moscatel and Marilina's Cuè Moscato are both $15 by the glass, while Meinklang Graupert pinot gris and Vini Conestabile della Staffa Arancio fill out the bottle options. This is substantial skin-contact coverage for a small, self-serviced dinner room, and it makes sense beside lemongrass clams, cured salmon, cashew pesto and green-papaya pickles. The rest of the list stays just as purposeful. Stamnaki assyrtiko is the least expensive glass at $12; Azimut cava brut nature brings the sole sparkling choice; chilled Furlani Altopiano Rosso and a rotating lambrusco give duck and charred eggplant lighter red partners. Nine wines are available by the glass, all at $12-$15, so exploration does not require committing to a bottle. What keeps the program from scoring higher is explanation: the menu calls the list natural but supplies no production or farming detail, no tasting notes and no revision date. Even so, the unusually deep orange section and chilled reds make this far more than cafe wine service.

What should I order?: Start with Stamnaki assyrtiko for clams or cured salmon. Move to Cacique Maravilla Vino Naranja when green papaya, herbs and cashew enter the meal. With duck, choose the chilled Furlani Altopiano Rosso; the rotating chilled lambrusco is the less expensive red alternative.
Who will enjoy this place?: Natural-wine drinkers who want several skin-contact choices, curious guests who prefer sampling by the glass, and diners looking for light reds that can handle Vietnamese herbs, pickles and duck without excessive weight.
When should I go?: Wine belongs to Cicada's evening identity, not its daytime coffee routine. Reserve dinner from 5 p.m.; going early gives more time to compare the orange wines before the compact self-service room fills.
What should I expect to spend?: Wine by the glass costs $12-$15. Bottles with published prices run $43-$62, including the rotating lambrusco at $46 and several orange wines at $53-$62. Two different glasses cost $24-$30 before food, tax and gratuity.
What makes the beverage program distinctive?: Four orange wines and two chilled reds put texture and temperature ahead of familiar varietal sorting, an effective response to a dinner menu built on lemongrass, pickles, cashew, salmon and duck.

Beverage categories

We only score what a venue sets out to do. Categories a venue doesn't attempt are left unscored rather than penalized.

Wine

A concise natural-wine list achieves impressive stylistic range through four orange wines, crisp European whites and chilled reds. Glass access and pricing are strong, though the menu provides little technical context and no explicit revision date.

Menu strengths

— Four skin-contact wines make orange a genuine section rather than a novelty
— Nine glass pours encourage movement across styles during dinner
— Chilled pinot nero and lambrusco are smart red options for the herbaceous, savory food

Standout selections

— Cacique Maravilla Vino Naranja 2021 — moscatel, Chile ($15/$53)
— Furlani Altopiano Rosso 2021 — chilled pinot nero, Italy ($15/$53)
— Stamnaki Assyrtiko 2021 — Greece ($12/$43)

Pricing: Nine wines by the glass cost $12-$15; listed bottles span $43-$62, with several glass pours converting to bottles at $43-$53.

How it sits with the food

Stamnaki assyrtiko or Azimut cava can meet the salinity of clams and cured salmon. Moscatel-based Vino Naranja has enough aromatic reach for green papaya and herbs, while chilled Furlani pinot nero avoids overpowering duck breast, black rice or smoky eggplant.

Inebrious does not score kitchens, food or the restaurant overall. We review the beverage program only.

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