From being alternate workstations to the ignition point of path-breaking ideas to the place where new friends meet and old friends catch up, coffee shops define any urban city's energy. Boston referred to as ‘New England,’ has a few dozen coffee shops scattered all across the town. A visit to the city is incomplete without spending an afternoon or two at any of these dynamic coffee shops with vibrant interior decors and eclectic menus.
Let’s take a look at the top cafes where you can enjoy a cup of coffee in Boston, along with other snacks and confectioneries.
Top 15 Cafes to Have Coffee in Boston
1. George Howell Coffee
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The Godfrey Hotel outlet in Boston Downtown is the flagship location of George Howell Coffee. Designed aesthetically with contemporary decor by Peter Niemitz, George Howell Coffee serves a rotating selection of espressos, drip coffee, pour-over, and coffee flights every week. If you are a fan of the Frappuccino variety of coffee, make sure to ask the baristas if they are serving their season serving a frothy, creamy, frozen beverage named ‘The Original.’ You can also enjoy their delicious sandwiches, pastries, and chocolates. The company has outlets in Newtonville, at the Boston Public Market and Time Out Market as well.
Address: 505 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111 Hours: Monday to Sunday - 07:00 AM to 03:00 PM
2. Thinking Cup
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Established in 2010, Thinking Cup claims to be the first cafe to serve Stumptown Coffee in Boston Downtown. Their brews are made from original Stumptown roast brought in from Brooklyn, NY, and are excellent to taste. They have a unique Vanilla Ginger Latte and Honey Cinnamon Latte that they serve with their homemade syrup. You will also find a wide variety of teas, hot chocolate, sandwiches, and breakfast spread on their menu. Thinking Cup has three locations in Boston - Boston Common, North End, and Back Bay.
Address: Boston Common - 165 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02111 North End - 236 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113 Back Bay - 85 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02116 Hours: Monday to Wednesday - 07:00 AM to 10:00 PM, Thursday to Sunday - 07:00 AM to 11:00 PM
3. Render Coffee
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Render Coffee is known for its cozy ambiance and fresh brews. With two Boston locations, they are one of the most visited by regular office-goers for a quick sip and bite because of its reasonable rate. One can grab premium quality Americano at USD 3.75 and a Cappuccino at USD 4.25. Their signature drinks are the different cold brew varieties, which cost between USD 4.25 to USD 5.50. Render Coffee gets their roasts from Tandem in Portland and Gracenote in Boston.
Address: South End - 563 Columbus Ave, Boston, MA 02118 Financial District -121 Devonshire St, Boston, MA 02109 Hours: Monday to Friday - 07:00 AM to 02:00 PM, Saturday to Sunday - 08:00 AM to 03:00 PM
4. Gracenote Coffee
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Gracenote’s roast is one of the most widely used beans for coffee in Boston. They believe in sustainable practices and work towards bringing the best out of the roasting process, making them a pioneer in the field. They also have two cafe locations, and one of them is in the Leather District of Boston. The coffee shop is known for having friendly baristas and a cozy atmosphere inside. Along with regular drip, filter coffee, nitro cold brew, mocha, and lattes, they also serve tea and hot chocolate.
Address: 108 Lincoln St, Boston, MA 02111 Hours: Monday to Sunday - 09:00 AM to 02:00 PM
5. Nine Bar Espresso
Source An ideal place to stop for coffee in Boston before or between office hours, Nine Bar Espresso, serves up delicious roasts from Gracenote and tea leaves from Camellia Sinensis. You also get a wide range of pastries that come from A&J King Bakery in Salem, as well as savories like avocado sandwiches, ricotta toast, and bagels and cream cheeses. Remember to try their matcha latte tea if you drop in sometime soon.
Address: 45 Bromfield St, Boston, MA 02108 Hours: Monday to Friday - 07:00 AM to 04:00 PM
6. 3 Little Figs
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Although not located exactly within the city limits, 3 Little Figs is one of the most loved spots for coffee in Boston. Even though it is an only-takeaway place and you will need to place your order online before arriving at the cafe, 3 Little Figs is ideal for a drive-by sip or your every stop before work. Try out their specialty chia pudding, feta toast, or Greek yogurt. They have a particular Red Eye serving, which is regular coffee on top of double espresso shots among beverages. Their sandwiches and cold brews are worth a shot as well.
Address: 278 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA 02143 Hours: 08:00 AM to 02:00 PM (Takeaway only)
7. Flat Black Coffee Company
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Flat Black Coffee Company is Boston’s largest independently-owned roastery, acknowledged and recognized by several institutions. Each of their outlets has a small seating area for a cafe experience, but they primarily sell their original roast at the shops. You will find beans from around the world - African, Central and South American, Pacific Rim, and decaffeinated variety. They have import-quality teas as well, including Oolong and Darjeeling tea.
Address: 260 Franklin St, Boston, MA 02110 Hours: Monday to Friday - 07:00 AM to 02:00 PM
8. Revival Cafe + Kitchen
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Revival Cafe + Kitchen bake their own bread and pastries and pack a punch with every slice. The options for beverages at the Boston location are limited to classic drip, iced coffee, and espresso. However, they make up for that with the freshness of the brew. Try out their different flavored muffins, cakes, assorted cookies, and oatmeal bars, which they also make in-house, such as cinnamon coffee cake, carrot cheesecake, and pistachio bread.
Address: 103 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02116 Hours: Monday to Thursday - 08:00 AM to 03:00 PM, Friday to Sunday - 08:00 AM to 04:00 PM
9. Ogawa Coffee
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Identifying themselves as “coffee artisans,” Ogawa Coffee is an authentic Japanese roastery with their only international branch in Boston, USA. From regular espressos and lattes to season drinks like Smoked Maple Latte and Cafe Noisette - Ogawa Cafe serves up a wide range of beverages to suit Boston’s eclectic palate. They also serve Banana Almond Butter Toast, Turkey, Bacon, Avocado Sandwich, and the Classic Ham Sandwich as new savory options. You can also pick-up original Ogawa coffee blends and whole beans for brewing at home while you are there.
Address: 10 Milk St, Downtown Crossing, Boston, MA 02108 Hours: Monday to Friday - 08:00 AM to 04:00 PM, Saturday to Sunday - 09:00 AM to 04:00 PM
10. Curio Coffee & Wine
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Located a mere few steps away from Lechmere Station in the East Cambridge neighborhood, Curio Coffee is a go-to stop for coffee in Boston for Counterculture coffee and delicious waffles on-the-go. Curio Coffee makes all the staple coffee offerings using Broadsheet roasts, such as Espresso, Americano, Macchiato, Cappuccino, and Latte. They also serve hot tea, chai latte, and iced coffee. Do not forget to try their waffles, as it is their specialty. Curio Coffee offers a rotating variety of Liege waffles, including offbeat flavors like grapefruit rosemary, cinnamon, lemon poppyseed, and orange cardamom.
Address: 441 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02141 Hours: Monday to Friday - 07:00 AM to 02:00 PM, Saturday to Sunday - 08:00 AM to 03:00 PM
11. Pavement Coffee House
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Established in 2009, Pavement Coffee House specializes in single-origin roast imported from across the world and in-house bagels. They also have a house coffee blend called Rathskeller that they use in espressos, drip coffee, and iced coffee. While you are there, you can try their specialty drink called ‘Death Cream.’ It is a blend of cold brew, Half and Half, and homemade vanilla syrup. Do not forget to take away a pack of their homemade ‘Half Dozen Bagels’ available at USD 10.
Address: Berklee - 1096 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02215 Boston University - 736 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215 Fenway - 1334 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02215 Symphony - 44 Gainsborough St, Boston MA 02115 Newbury - 286 Newbury St, Boston MA 02115
Hours: Berklee - Everyday 07:00 AM to 02:00 PM Boston University - Everyday 07:00 AM to 02:00 PM Fenway - Everyday 07:00 AM to 04:00 PM Symphony - Everyday 07:00 AM to 04:00 PM Newbury - Monday to Thursday 07:00 AM to 02:00 PM, Friday to Sunday 07:00 AM to 04:00 PM
12. Cafe Madeleine
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A little bit of Paris amid the laidback South End of Boston, Cafe Madeleine is run by pastry chef Frederic Robert. The place is known for its macarons, eclairs, croissants, French pastries, and of course, madeleines. They have a regular and large house blend at USD 2 and USD 2.5, respectively. Decaf blend is also served at the same price. Along with coffee, you can try out their Ham and Cheese Croissant, Pain au Chocolat, Signature Chocolate Lake, and Paris-Boston
Address: 517 Columbus Ave, Boston, MA 02118 Hours: 06:30 AM to 06:30 PM
13. Zume’s Coffee House
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10 minutes’ drive away from Boston, Zume’s Coffee House is located in Charlestown and is a favorite of office-goers traveling to that part of the town for work. They specialize in vegan and gluten-free muffins, house-made granola bars, and non-dairy cookies. Among drinks, other than the regular Espresso, Americano, and drip coffee, they serve Caramel Salted Latte, Lumberjack Latte, and Mint Matcha Tea Latte. They have Nitro, black, green, crimson berry iced tea, and caramel latte in cold varieties. For vegans and anyone with lactose intolerance, they have non-dairy milk options and oat, soy, and almond milk.
Address: 221 Main St, Charlestown, MA 02129 Hours: Monday to Friday - 06:00 AM to 03:00 PM, Saturday to Sunday - 07:00 AM to 01:00 PM
14. Sidewalk Cafe
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Sidewalk Cafe is a classic spot for coffee in Boston with fresh brews, all-day breakfast, and lunch and dinner. They have a wide range of delicious time-tested breakfast sandwiches - egg and cheese, ham, meat, and bacon. They also serve up bagels, omelets, and homemade muffins. In coffee, other than the regular drinks, they have 15 different unique mocha flavors named Milky Way, Sidewalk Swirl, Funky Monkey, etc. Also, try out their 32 oz large iced coffee in various flavors - Vanilla Hazelnut, French Vanilla, Rainforest, Sidewalk Decaf, Mocha Mint, and many others.
Address: 764 East 4th St, South Boston, MA 02127 Hours: Monday to Friday - 05:30 AM to 09:00 PM, Saturday to Sunday - 06:00 AM to 09:00 PM (Kitchen closes at 08:30 PM)
15. Caffe Nero
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Founded by Gerry Ford two decades ago to make Italian coffee popular globally, Caffe Nero has their own roastery and uses the same blend in all its coffees. One of the best things about Caffe Nero is that they keep in mind a wide range of dietary requirements, such as nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegan. In coffee, they serve the usual staples. To go offbeat, you can try their Espresso Con Panna, which is swirled cream on top of a double espresso shot, or Caramelatte, which is steamed milk, caramel syrup, whipped cream on top of a double espresso shot topped with caramel sauce. They serve all-day breakfast, muffins, and croissants as well.
Address: 320 Congress Street, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02210 Hours: 07:00 AM to 07:00 PM
You can take a tour around the city of Boston to explore all these cafes and more. There is no dearth of stops you can make for coffee in Boston, and none of them are likely to disappoint you.
