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A blue and white espresso-sized coffee cup with gilded gold edges and chocolate-hued coffee inside.
A Turkish coffee from Sip of Joy in the South End.
Erika Adams/Eater Boston

15 Outstanding Coffee Shops Around Boston

Start your caffeine adventure here

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A Turkish coffee from Sip of Joy in the South End.
| Erika Adams/Eater Boston

There is no one characteristic that defines the perfect coffee shop — it may be the place within throwing distance of home, the one right by work, or the convenient chain that takes online orders. For some, serious coffee is the priority; others care about the right balance of ambiance, free wifi, and exceptional pastries.

This map features some of the city’s best cafes and coffee shops that meet a variety of needs, from a quick, strong caffeine fix to a place to settle in for an afternoon and catch up on work over a seasonal latte (or three).

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Yego Coffee

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Owners Francois and Fatuma Tuyishime recently opened this cheery little coffee shop in Somerville’s Teele Square with a focus on exclusively Rwandan coffee growers. Francois is from southwestern Rwanda, where his family grows coffee crops, and the couple’s knowledge of the region’s coffee industry comes through in each expertly brewed cup.

A takeout cup of coffee with a cardboard sleeve that reads “Yego Coffee” sits on a wooden table with pink flowers in the background. Erika Adams/Eater Boston

Broadsheet Coffee Roasters

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You likely recognize this name: Broadsheet is a wholesale coffee roaster that supplies beans to many of the top restaurants and cafes in the Boston area. However, the company also has a great little cafe on the border between Cambridge and Somerville where customers can hang out and try Broadsheet’s latest blends.

1369 Coffee House

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Named for its address in Inman Square, 1369 Coffee House covers all the bases: hot espresso beverages, cold brew (available in growlers), seasonal tea lattes (usually with accompanying chalkboard art), bagels, breakfast sandwiches, pastries, and more. Don’t miss the Mexican hot chocolate on a cold winter day.

Curio Coffee

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Passing through the Lechmere area and craving a waffle and caffeine? Curio’s got you. Keep an eye out for the ever-changing waffle specials.

A white coffee cup stamped with Curio’s logo, placed next to a liege waffle on a table. Erika Adams/Eater Boston

Vietnamese cafe Cicada (Eater’s best new cafe of 2021), is the place to go to unplug, sip a sea salt-topped coffee sweetened with condensed milk, and eat noodle salad or banh mi, perhaps with a funky glass of wine on the side. Definitely try to grab a seat in the beautiful garden hidden out back.

A three-layered coffee drink sits in a curved glass on a white table. There’s a milk layer, a coffee layer, and a foam layer visible.
Cicada Coffee Bar’s ca phe trung, a Hanoi egg yolk cream coffee.
Cicada Coffee Bar

Revival Cafe and Kitchen

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Revival’s menu features cheekily named bagel sandwiches for breakfast (served all-day) and equally good wraps and sandwiches for lunch. To drink, there are plenty of fun hot and iced coffee and tea drinks, as well as other options like a ginger and lemon concoction, seltzer, and lemonade.

Kohi Coffee Company

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Hailing from Provincetown, this specialty coffee shop has expanded into three locations in Brighton, South End, and downtown Boston (near the Greenway). On the bean front, it collaborates with Maine-based coffee roaster Tandem, creating signature blends such as the Kohi Standard using Guatemalan single-origin beans.

George Howell Coffee

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George Howell’s swanky location in downtown Boston’s Godfrey Hotel is a European-style espresso bar with quick-serve coffee and a range of espresso beverages; be sure to check out the creative seasonal specials that are almost cocktail-like in their intricacy.

Gracenote Coffee

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Gracenote’s nook in the Leather District is tiny — don’t expect to open a laptop and park it here for hours — but it is friendly and warm and customers can reliably count on a great cup of coffee every morning. Find a second location in downtown Boston food hall High Street Place.

Sip of Joy Café & Bakery

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South End spot Sip of Joy may be the newest cafe on this list, but it’s playing for keeps with its outstanding menu of smooth Turkish coffee and pastries orchestrated by owners Matt and Burju Sari. For those who don’t have time to sit for Turkish coffee service, George Howell-roasted drip coffee, iced coffee, and espresso drinks are on deck.

Render Coffee

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Around since 2011, the popular cafe Render roasts its own coffee, offering pour-over cups, espresso drinks, and pots of tea. There’s food available, too, like scones, muffins, salads, and sandwiches.

Brothers & Sisters Co.

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A bit hidden from the bustling Washington Street in Brookline Village, Brothers & Sisters Co. is home to not only coffee drinks and tasty sandwiches, but also Jamie’s Ice Cream Co., the newest addition to owner Jamie Siracusa’s business ventures. The space is cozy and inviting, emanating a quintessential neighborhood cafe vibe with exposed brick walls, cushiony seating, and wooden tables and chairs.

Madhouse Cafe

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This cafe attached to a renowned motorcycle restoration shop is absolutely as cool as it sounds. Settle in with a cup of coffee (they stock Broadsheet), a square of flaky, sweet baklava, and watch the experts at work through a gigantic back window overlooking the shop.

This tiny coffee shop is a short walk away from Jamaica Pond, a scenic spot for strolls and all sorts of outdoor activities. The space is small but airy and bright, with large, street-facing windows allowing in ample sunlight. It’s best known for its espresso game, as its owners previously founded a mobile espresso bar on a tricycle called the Coffee Trike. Broadsheet supplies the beans.

Dunkin'

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Look, it may not be the best coffee in the city (head to any one of these other fine shops for that) but Dunkin’ is an integral part of Boston’s DNA. Out of the many Dunkin’ locations scattered around town, the coolest Dunkin’, in our opinion, is in Quincy. Located along Southern Artery, this shop was the first-ever Dunkin’, and it maintains its historical 1950s decor. (Read more about the shop’s history here.) It’s well worth a visit.

An iced coffee in the foreground with a retro-designed shop in the background. A sign is visible saying “Dunkin’ Donuts” and “The Original Dunkin’”
Grabbing an iced coffee at the original Dunkin’.
Erika Adams/Eater Boston

Yego Coffee

Owners Francois and Fatuma Tuyishime recently opened this cheery little coffee shop in Somerville’s Teele Square with a focus on exclusively Rwandan coffee growers. Francois is from southwestern Rwanda, where his family grows coffee crops, and the couple’s knowledge of the region’s coffee industry comes through in each expertly brewed cup.

A takeout cup of coffee with a cardboard sleeve that reads “Yego Coffee” sits on a wooden table with pink flowers in the background. Erika Adams/Eater Boston

Broadsheet Coffee Roasters

You likely recognize this name: Broadsheet is a wholesale coffee roaster that supplies beans to many of the top restaurants and cafes in the Boston area. However, the company also has a great little cafe on the border between Cambridge and Somerville where customers can hang out and try Broadsheet’s latest blends.

1369 Coffee House

Named for its address in Inman Square, 1369 Coffee House covers all the bases: hot espresso beverages, cold brew (available in growlers), seasonal tea lattes (usually with accompanying chalkboard art), bagels, breakfast sandwiches, pastries, and more. Don’t miss the Mexican hot chocolate on a cold winter day.

Curio Coffee

Passing through the Lechmere area and craving a waffle and caffeine? Curio’s got you. Keep an eye out for the ever-changing waffle specials.

A white coffee cup stamped with Curio’s logo, placed next to a liege waffle on a table. Erika Adams/Eater Boston

Cicada

Vietnamese cafe Cicada (Eater’s best new cafe of 2021), is the place to go to unplug, sip a sea salt-topped coffee sweetened with condensed milk, and eat noodle salad or banh mi, perhaps with a funky glass of wine on the side. Definitely try to grab a seat in the beautiful garden hidden out back.

A three-layered coffee drink sits in a curved glass on a white table. There’s a milk layer, a coffee layer, and a foam layer visible.
Cicada Coffee Bar’s ca phe trung, a Hanoi egg yolk cream coffee.
Cicada Coffee Bar

Revival Cafe and Kitchen

Revival’s menu features cheekily named bagel sandwiches for breakfast (served all-day) and equally good wraps and sandwiches for lunch. To drink, there are plenty of fun hot and iced coffee and tea drinks, as well as other options like a ginger and lemon concoction, seltzer, and lemonade.

Kohi Coffee Company

Hailing from Provincetown, this specialty coffee shop has expanded into three locations in Brighton, South End, and downtown Boston (near the Greenway). On the bean front, it collaborates with Maine-based coffee roaster Tandem, creating signature blends such as the Kohi Standard using Guatemalan single-origin beans.

George Howell Coffee

George Howell’s swanky location in downtown Boston’s Godfrey Hotel is a European-style espresso bar with quick-serve coffee and a range of espresso beverages; be sure to check out the creative seasonal specials that are almost cocktail-like in their intricacy.

Gracenote Coffee

Gracenote’s nook in the Leather District is tiny — don’t expect to open a laptop and park it here for hours — but it is friendly and warm and customers can reliably count on a great cup of coffee every morning. Find a second location in downtown Boston food hall High Street Place.

Sip of Joy Café & Bakery

South End spot Sip of Joy may be the newest cafe on this list, but it’s playing for keeps with its outstanding menu of smooth Turkish coffee and pastries orchestrated by owners Matt and Burju Sari. For those who don’t have time to sit for Turkish coffee service, George Howell-roasted drip coffee, iced coffee, and espresso drinks are on deck.

Render Coffee

Around since 2011, the popular cafe Render roasts its own coffee, offering pour-over cups, espresso drinks, and pots of tea. There’s food available, too, like scones, muffins, salads, and sandwiches.

Brothers & Sisters Co.

A bit hidden from the bustling Washington Street in Brookline Village, Brothers & Sisters Co. is home to not only coffee drinks and tasty sandwiches, but also Jamie’s Ice Cream Co., the newest addition to owner Jamie Siracusa’s business ventures. The space is cozy and inviting, emanating a quintessential neighborhood cafe vibe with exposed brick walls, cushiony seating, and wooden tables and chairs.

Madhouse Cafe

This cafe attached to a renowned motorcycle restoration shop is absolutely as cool as it sounds. Settle in with a cup of coffee (they stock Broadsheet), a square of flaky, sweet baklava, and watch the experts at work through a gigantic back window overlooking the shop.

Tokava

This tiny coffee shop is a short walk away from Jamaica Pond, a scenic spot for strolls and all sorts of outdoor activities. The space is small but airy and bright, with large, street-facing windows allowing in ample sunlight. It’s best known for its espresso game, as its owners previously founded a mobile espresso bar on a tricycle called the Coffee Trike. Broadsheet supplies the beans.

Dunkin'

Look, it may not be the best coffee in the city (head to any one of these other fine shops for that) but Dunkin’ is an integral part of Boston’s DNA. Out of the many Dunkin’ locations scattered around town, the coolest Dunkin’, in our opinion, is in Quincy. Located along Southern Artery, this shop was the first-ever Dunkin’, and it maintains its historical 1950s decor. (Read more about the shop’s history here.) It’s well worth a visit.

An iced coffee in the foreground with a retro-designed shop in the background. A sign is visible saying “Dunkin’ Donuts” and “The Original Dunkin’”
Grabbing an iced coffee at the original Dunkin’.
Erika Adams/Eater Boston

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