Cambridge Common and Lizard Lounge to Close in May

The Cambridge Common restaurant and Lizard Lounge, its basement music venue, are set to close at the end of May 2027. Owners Holly Heslop and Charlie Christopher are in talks with a prospective buyer for the property at 1667-1673 Massachusetts Avenue. They have not identified the potential buyer.

Heslop, 77, said the decision was difficult. The restaurant’s chef, Arcesio Suarez, plans to return to Colombia after 28 years there, while Christopher, 82, has ongoing health problems. The couple told staff about their plans roughly a month before the closure announcement. Three managers are now focused on making the remaining months as good as possible, Heslop said.

The couple opened Cambridge Common in 1996 and the Lizard Lounge in 1997. The intimate club hosted local acts and touring musicians, and became an early venue for Lake Street Dive. It also held a popular Sunday poetry night. Club Passim managing director Matt Smith called the venue an important part of the Cambridge and Somerville music scene.

The restaurant’s income helped cover the club’s costs, including insurance and its liquor license. Heslop described presenting music as a labor of love, and said the owners plan a public sendoff in the spring. Club D’Elf, which played a regular residency at the venue, hopes to bring it back for a few months in 2027 before the closure.