20 best Boston coffee shops to try right now

This tiny shop is one of the best places to pop in for a gourmet coffee near South Station. The independent roastery and cafe that brews and serves their own locally roasted beans—and it truly makes a huge difference in the taste and richness of the drinks. Sip a perfectly creamy cappuccino or knock back a shot of espresso, and admire the petrified wood counters, old-school manual espresso machine and various plants hanging from the ceiling.

Between the expansive seating, subway tiles and overall sophistication of the space, you’re forgiven for thinking you’ve walked into a bistro when you enter the flagship George Howell Coffee. There’s a massive marble bar, two espresso machines, coffee education classes, a retail corner for purchasing brewing equipment and beans, and a menu of upscale treats. But the coffee drinks still reign supreme, including specialty drinks like The Original (a frozen blend of coffee, milk and sugar). The shop owns and operates a roastery in Acton, and also has locations in Newtonville and the Public Market for your caffeine needs.

Once a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop, residing in a small spot on the Greenway, this LGBTQ owned cafe is now in multiple locations, including the South End, Brighton, and the original spot out in Provincetown. You’ll find the independent spirit of a great cafe in each space, with talented baristas serving craft coffee and a small assortment of baked goods.

With multiple locations in and around Boston, this unionized coffee shop roasts their coffee at their headquarters in Brighton. Beyond the house made bagels, lunch options and craft coffee served however you’d like, the positive vibes at all eight locations in Boston and Cambridge keep happy guests coming back for more.

This ideally situated cafe with a walk-up-window on Appleton Street in the South End is run by mother-daughter duo who refer to Greystone as their ‘baby.’ It’s no surprise, then, that the utmost care and craft goes into every cup and beyond, as they offer sweet treats and lunch noshes. From the single-origin pourover to spicy chai, you can’t go wrong at Greystone.

Proudly owning its place as Cambridge’s first (and only) specialty coffee roastery, Broadsheet Coffee Roasters takes its spot behind Harvard Yard and serves up conscientiously-sourced coffees from a rotating selection of sweet and complex beans roasted on-site twice weekly. There are also take-out bags of whole beans for DIY drips, along with online tutorials to help you learn about options for brewing at home. Need a little lift? Grab one of their bulk jugs of 32 ounces of coffee.

Curio Coffee & Wine is the best of both worlds: an independent specialty coffee shop by day, natural wine bar by night (on Thursdays and Fridays, anyway). Just a few steps away from Lechmere Station, hot coffee is batch-brewed, while the iced selections are made from fellow Cambridge-based business Broadsheet Coffee Roasters’ well-loved Bulletin Blend. Espresso drinks keep you going, while their award-winning Liège waffles (famous Belgian street waffles with pearl sugar) are made to order on a griddle imported from Belgium.

Caffeine enthusiasts and vegetarians love this chill Davis Square destination. You’ll find top notch coffee, light fare with lots of veggie options and excellent people watching at this cafe. If that’s not enough to hook you in, there’s a pool table and a black-and-white photo booth that give you delightful reasons to extend your caffeine break.

This Japanese coffee chain’s first international branch gives downtown office workers a solid option for well crafted cups of coffee. The moment you walk in the minimalist interior leads you straight to the coffee bar where cheery baristas await, ready to create adorable latte art. There are also light sandwiches and Asian sweet treats. Soothingly creamy hot chocolate is made with whole milk, heavy cream and rich, melted Carupano dark chocolate; it’s topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cacao powder. There’s also a spicy version with a subtle chili kick.

This second-floor South End cafe is a sanctuary for caffeinated locals reluctant to give up their seats. Locally owned and operated, coffee is the first and primary order of business here, with beans sourced from nearby roasters and transformed into americanos, cortados and cold brews. Nab a table by one of the windows in the back room cupola; if you’re lucky, a chair on the shaded patio will eventually open up.

Truly a gift to the city, and the Fenway, this shop is part Vietnamese cafe, part Parisian crêperie. This place offers a number of authentic beverages to keep you highly caffeinated—most famously, its phin coffee brewed using a traditional Vietnamese metal filter for a strong but smooth result. Try the Phin Đen (it’s best served black) or the Phin Trứng (a customary combo of coffee, egg yolk and condensed milk) and if you’re not a coffee kind of person, grab one of its colorful, highly Instagrammable milk teas or lemonades. Crêpes are made atop a griddle for all to see, sending a sweet aroma throughout the delicately wallpapered cafe, and lunch-goers love the bánh mì and noodle bowls filled with fresh flavors like mint, lemongrass and pickled vegetables. If you’re looking to get your midday meal here, just be sure to show up on the earlier side, before the lunch rush leaves no noodle or baguette behind.

While the North End is brimming with espresso shops, Caffè Ducali sets itself apart as a spin-off operation of North End pizzeria Ducali fame. Whether you’re sipping a matcha latte complete with foam art or just a plain old cup of joe, this neighborhood caffè isn’t known as “Boston’s Italian Espresso Bar” for nothing. You’ll also find a handful of pastries, breakfast sandwiches, plus lunchtime slices from its adjacent pizzeria.

What began as a single brick-and-mortar bakery in Brookline has overflowed into neighborhoods and communities around Boston and Washington, D.C., with 22 Tatte Bakery & Cafes in the greater Boston area. Lattes and coffee are served the way you want, whether it’s subbing a non-dairy option for milk or pumping up the volume with caramel syrup. Not to be outdone by the stellar beverage list, each beautiful café serves up delectable pastries, plates, bowls, soups, tartine and sandwiches (even brunch on the weekends). They also have a massive gluten-free menu.

Serving tourists and busy office workers just off the Greenway, this spacious shop bills itself as a coffee shop and lounge. During the day, it’s filled with people of all ages sprawled on the old-world look booths and high tops sipping Barrington Coffee Company’s blends. The shop serves Instagram ready baked goods – you don’t want to miss the creative, over-the-top croissants – and in the evenings it’s the perfect spot to grab a craft cocktail after work.

In many ways, 1369 Coffee House is the grand dame of Cambridge’s many coffeehouses. The venue simultaneously introduced Cantabrigians to great coffee and a fantastic coffeehouse scene; suddenly it was okay to savor a latte over a chapter book, or to sip your third cup while toiling over an early-era MacBook. Now as popular with creatives and young professionals as it initially was with students, the cozy, narrow, neighborly Inman Square institution continues to thrive, even in the Starbucks era. If you can’t manage to snag a seat, its Central Square branch is just cozy, but also just as popular.

Among an unending sea of cafés serving drip-coffee in styrofoam, it’s refreshing to sip a rich pour-over out of a stout ceramic mug from this local chain. By serving Stumptown coffee, Thinking Cup is the best choice if you’re within spitting distance of the Boston Common, strolling along Newbury Street or exploring the North End, looking for a quick fix. Keep an eye on the expert baristas as they produce Instagram-worthy lattes and, if you’re hungry, don’t overlook the breakfast sandwiches and selection of flaky pastries.

Deja Brew is one of those special places where New Southie and Old Southie unite. Long-time regulars still enjoy a hot regular, while the younger set flock for fun flavored specials like coconut almond fudge. Brewing Downeast Coffee Roasters (cheers to another family-owned business), they also serve breakfast and lunch until their 2pm closing time. Try the daily soup specials such as tomato bisque and tortellini with sausage or the popular Bubba Biscuit, an egg, cheddar, bacon, garlic aioli and arugula sandwich named after life-long Southie resident and retired firefighter Bubba Cahill.

With a flagship in mid-Cambridge, Barismo appeals to local caffeine aficionados. This lab-style coffee bar offers little space to linger—but the reason most patrons come in is the fresh coffee, brewed one cup at a time. The company prides itself on its transparent sourcing and its attention to detail during the roasting and brewing processes. The engaging baristas are experts at their craft and usually eager to talk shop. There’s also a Barismo in East Arlington.

Change up your morning routine and get your caffeine fix at this petite cafe in the heart of Davis Square. Nine Bar Espresso serves locally roasted Gracenote coffee and specialty loose-leaf teas, as well as delectable pastries and small bites. Their take-out window offers that charmingly neighborhood feel, all while offering that perfect cup on the run.

Founded on the North Shore, Jaho’s Massachusetts roots run deep. You’ll find its string of specialty coffee roasters and cafes (we’d be remiss not to mention, its wine bar, too) dotted throughout the city; it has a flagship store in its native Salem, with other locations in the South End, Downtown Crossing, Back Bay and a promised Cambridge location coming soon. Each Jaho is as cozy as the other, designed by the founders’ own passion for “sitting in a relaxing café and watching the world go by,” so you can expect to want to stay awhile at Jaho.