Boston is a booming city with countless stores, restaurants, and cafes. It can be hard and overwhelming to find the best coffee, and even harder to find the small, underrated gems in a city full of large chain stores.
Once you start exploring the city and stumble across new stores, or even ask a classmate for recommendations, you can find coffee shops that stand out from the crowd and make you want to keep returning. Here are the five Boston coffee shops worth going out of your way to try:Â
1. Clear Flour Coffee Bar
Tucked away on a quiet Brookline street, Clear Flour Coffee Bar is the perfect place to escape Boston’s busy streets. Connected to the coffee bar is Clear Flour Bread, which gives you the chance to grab a delicious fresh-baked pastry with your coffee and makes it an ideal stop for a slow morning or an afternoon pick-me-up.
The cafe serves espresso drinks made with Tiny Arms coffee beans, along with house-made syrups and other breakfast items. If you’re looking for a new coffee place near Boston University, it is definitely worth checking out.
2. Greystone Cafe, Bakery, and Provisions
Located in Boston’s South End, Greystone Cafe, Bakery, and Provisions brings a cozy neighborhood feel to the city’s coffee scene. Founded by a mother-daughter duo, this cafe emphasizes freshly made food, coffee, and a welcoming atmosphere.Â
Beyond its classic lattes and cold brews, it offers seasonal drinks and syrups that add a welcome change to its original menu. Their huge house-made pastries also make this cafe stand out. This is the perfect place to stop by during a morning stroll through the South End.
3. Phinista
If you’re in the mood for something different from the usual iced latte, Phinista is the place for you. With locations in Fenway, Allston, and Cambridge, this French-Vietnamese-inspired cafe creates unique drinks for Boston’s coffee scene.
They’re known for their signature Iced Saigonese topped with salted cream foam, their colorful Ube Matcha, and many more creative, flavorful flavors. They also serve Vietnamese-inspired bánh mì sandwiches, pastries, and other sweet treats.
4. The Half Cookie
If you believe a coffee run isn’t complete without something sweet, The Half Cookie is the perfect place to visit. Located in Chestnut Hill, this cafe and bakery combines specialty drinks with cookies that are anything but ordinary.
The menu features all kinds of cookie flavors such as Sea Salt Nutella, Funfetti, and more. If you’re looking for a new spot to satisfy your sweet tooth and give you an energy boost, this is the place to go.
5. BON! Specialty Coffee
Nestled in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood, BON! Specialty Coffee is a charming spot worth checking out. The cafe makes a convenient stop while you explore one of the city’s most beautiful neighborhoods.
BON! Specialty Coffee offers a selection of drinks and baked goods, and a stop here gives you another reason to venture beyond your usual coffee order.
In a city as big as Boston, sometimes the best spots are the ones you haven’t discovered yet. Whether you’re looking for a cozy study spot, a sweet treat, or a pick-me-up, these five cafes bring something unique to the city’s coffee scene.
So next time you reach for your usual coffee order, switch it up and explore one of these hidden gems!Â
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