Beantown has many go-to spots for coffee bean lovers. Whether you’re looking for a quick caffeine fix, a coffee with a sit-down cafe, or a dairy-free latte, Boston has a variety of coffee shops in each neighborhood (and not just Dunkin’ Donuts, also known as Dunks).
Here is our carefully curated list of the five best coffee shops in Boston. So if you’re spending a day or more in downtown Boston, make sure to stop and take a sip at one of these coffee shops.
Recreo
Recreo Coffee & Roasterie was named the Best Coffee Shop in Boston Magazine’s Best of Boston 2020. Recreo brings Boston ethically sourced Nicaraguan coffee with social and environmental stewardship. Their single-origin coffee is grown entirely on their family farm in Jinotega, Nicaragua.
Their most popular drinks include cold brews, caramel iced lattes, and latte macchiatos. They also offer monthly drinks with special flavors such as pistachio, lavender, honey, nougat, and more. Recreo also offers their roasted beans for purchase by the bag.
You can visit this local favorite in West Roxbury or in City Hall Square.
George Howell Coffee
Have you ever dreamed of sipping a latte in an aesthetically pleasing cafe across the street from the Boston Common? George Howell Coffee can make that dream a reality! George Howell rotates their selections of espresso, drip coffee, Modbar single-cup pour overs, and coffee flights weekly.
They buy their regional and single farm-sourced coffees from Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Kenya, and Panama.
Their café at the Godfrey Hotel is the perfect spot to relax, sip on an espresso, and enjoy the shop’s contemporary architecture and art. This café also serves as an educational space for customers to learn more about specialty coffee with an extensive array of coffee beans, equipment, and public classes (including latte art classes).
George Howell Coffee also has a café in Boston Public Market, and one location just outside the city of Boston in Newton. The Thrillist named George Howell Coffee in The 21 Best Coffee Shops in America, so it’s easy to see why they are one of the best coffee shops in Boston!
Broadsheet Coffee Roasters
Located right outside the city limits of Boston by the Harvard Yard in Cambridge is Broadsheet Coffee Roasters. Their affordable menu includes drip coffee, iced coffee, cold brew, americano, macchiatos, and cappuccinos. Their coffee is roasted on site twice a week.
Founded in 2017, Broadsheet Coffee Roasters sells conscientiously-sourced coffees by the bag. These beans are sourced from Burundi, Colombia, Ethiopia, Mexico, and Rwanda.
Boston Magazine called them “one of best coffee shops around Boston”. Their talented baristas also create some amazing latte art.
Gracenote
Located in the Leather District of Boston, Gracenote Coffee is a downtown Boston gourmet espresso bar serving nitro cold brews, pastries, and much, much more. Gracenote fans rave about the cortados, nitro cold brews, and ginger chai lattes.
Other menu items include latte, flat white, americano, seasonal teas, and cappuccino. Gracenote also sells their ethically sourced coffee by the bag.
Their cafes are open and airy with a hip atmosphere, but still manage to have a cozy feel.
Tokava
Formerly known as 7 Pond Coffee Bar, Tokava Coffee provides some of the best seasonal flavors of the coffee world. The seasonal Spring latte with in-house lavender chamomile syrup, espresso, local farm milk, and topped with local bee pollen, can be ordered steamed or iced. Another favorite on the year-round menu at this Boston coffee spot is the New Orleans latte–a silky smooth latte with in-house chicory root syrup.
