PAGU

Our wedding at PAGU was an absolute blast. The day was fantastic and went off without a hitch, but it should also be noted that choosing PAGU made our planning process a dream. We loved their decor, so we didn't need to bring in much of our own. They have incredible staff and catering is obviously included (and really freaking delicious), so we didn't have to coordinate any of that. Their location is so convenient and guests can easily access it via the red line. They connected us to our DJ, Mickey Grouse, who was wonderful to work with and preformed so well on the day! The managers who helped us plan the event were also such a delight to work with. They were responsive and we felt like they really understood our vision. We even had to do a last minute pivot 30 days out from our event when the workers at our original ceremony venue became part of a nation-wide strike. PAGU helped us move our ceremony to their restaurant (which was originally going to just be our reception venue), and in the end we could not have imagined our wedding going any other way. It really was a dream! We were so grateful too for how inclusive and allergy-friendly the menu was by default. We also had so much fun designing our specialty cocktails, and getting to do that will always be a cherished memory from the wedding planning process. We had 120 guests and would consider that to be the maximum one would want to have here. We were originally going to have 150, which would have meant seating about 30 of them outside, and though that seemed fine in theory, having now lived out an event there we feel like that would have felt rather disjointed. 120, on the other hand, felt cozy and intimate but never crowded. We love PAGU as a restaurant, and we love it even more now as a wedding venue. We'd recommend them to anyone!

My husband and I had a wedding cocktail hour, reception, and dancing at PAGU. It was intimate, elevated, and it is hard to beat the central location. The space was perfect for what we wanted and Amanda and her team were incredible. They were flexible, made the process very tailored to us and our style, communicated well, and was one of the more stress free experiences during wedding planning. My partner and I were able to visit PAGU for dinner quite a few times before our wedding, with various sized groups, and were always treated with kindness and warmth by all staff. We also recommend the specialty cocktail tasting with Jimmy. We had such a good time and Jimmy was incredibly talented and creative. During and after the wedding, we received many compliments on how fantastic the food and drinks were (worlds better than most wedding food!). We also wanted to give a special shoutout to our server on the night of the wedding. We could not have asked for a more talented or attentive individual! Thank you PAGU for such an incredible night! We could not recommend this venue more highly.

It’s impossible to fully express how wonderful PAGU is, both as a standalone restaurant and as a wedding venue. As Cambridge residents, we had eaten here with friends and family and knew the food, drinks, and service were excellent, and I hosted a work event with a partial buy out that everyone enjoyed, so it quickly came to the top of our list after we got engaged and were looking into wedding venues. From the very beginning, the staff, especially event manager Amanda, were so easy to work with, and they were very flexible to make the space, menu, and overall wedding very personal to us. After a cocktail hour with both passed apps and stations, we opted to have a buffet style wedding so we could accommodate a variety of palettes (our families are from different cultures: Chinese/Indonesian and German/Italian), everyone could find something they liked, and we could show off a seafood paella in a large format paella pan. They even offered a Thai pesto dish that is not standard on their menu! They were also extremely conscientious about guests with food allergies, clearly marking them on menus, and even going to specific guests (especially those with celiac disease) and providing separate non-cross contaminated dishes. They also managed the flow of tables and buffet line efficiently and flawlessly, which can’t be overlooked, as we’ve been to weddings where this wasn’t the case. Our guests all told us it was the best wedding food and cocktails they’ve ever had, and we were so excited to share one of our favorite restaurants with them. The space was perfect for our 110 person wedding. The outdoor patio was a nice space for a cocktail hour and provided a quiet place to hang out when the dance floor later opened. The main restaurant is much larger than it looks, so it manages to feel intimate while still fitting over 100 people without feeling cramped. We had the DJ upstairs in the mezzanine like a real DJ booth, which allowed him to have a great read on the dance floor and assure no one was sitting right in front of a speaker. Finally, they cleared the front two large tables for a dance floor that was plenty large enough for everyone to dance for over 2 hours. Finally, we were thrilled to use our wedding to support a local business that not only has a mission to serve excellent food and drinks (they’ve received James Beard Award nominations!), but also to build community. Chef/owner Tracy Chang founded several nonprofits during COVID to provide economic relief to restaurant workers and donate meals to hospital workers, and she and PAGU have been hosting roundtable events to start conversations about sustainability, culture, and community. We first heard of PAGU after my sister went to a roundtable event about using invasive green crabs in cooking! We knew hosting a wedding was going to be an investment, and while we would have been so happy choosing PAGU for our wedding for the myriad of reasons above, we felt especially great about putting our investment into a place that cares about the world and community around it. We could not recommend PAGU enough for your wedding!

We cannot recommend Pagu highly enough for your wedding or event. From the very first email, they were unlike any of the venues we had reached out to. Overall, Pagu is flexible, which not only made wedding planning MUCH less stressful, but it made our wedding personal to us. Every time we had a question, they had an answer and a solution. You’re not messing around with rentals for plates, chairs, tables, linens or tons of decor. The space is beautiful and already functions so well as a restaurant, allowing you to just be their guest on your wedding day. The FOOD! Multiple guests came up to us and said it was the best wedding food they had ever had. Everything was hot, fresh, aesthetically plated and delicious. The family style sharing was relaxed, fun and nobody had to wait in line. The cake was so light and beautifully decorated. Day-of, what really stood out was the exceptional service and kindness we received from the entire team at Pagu. Everyone who works there was so positive, accommodating, and thoughtful. When I was “hiding” before the ceremony, the team delivered an entire tea/coffee service with some of the food to make sure I got something to eat! When we got back to our hotel, we found a portion of each dish in our fridge, just because they heard we hadn’t finished our second course or dessert while we were socializing. It was above and beyond thoughtful! Beyond taking extremely good care of us, all of our guests commented that it was one of the most relaxing weddings because the Pagu team thought of everything. At most weddings, there’s not a server checking in with you about your allergies, restrictions, and if you would like a drink. Since Pagu is a restaurant, you get outstanding restaurant-quality service. They even made a last minute, individual substitution for a new dietary restriction on the spot, and allowed that guest to enjoy the food, too! Another huge bonus was there was almost no bar line, since they’re used to making drinks for this many people! Other highlights of our experience include doing the cocktail creation session with Jimmy. We aren’t big drinkers, so we almost didn’t do this, but we are so glad we did - it was a blast, and the guests loved the personal cocktails. We highly recommend it! The space is gorgeous, the people are a dream, and the food was outstanding. Amanda (the venue coordinator/manager) was so easy to work with and on top of everything. Even our very traditional families (who were very skeptical when we said we were getting married at a restaurant) said afterwards it was one of the best weddings they’d been to.