Café Marliave Opens on Province Street June 1

The Marliave Cafe entrance. / Photo provided

A classic, downtown hideaway ideal for after-work cocktails or a romantic dinner is now also a go-to stop for a European-inspired, weekday breakfast or lunch. Café Marliave opens Wednesday, June 1, with a full range of coffee drinks, zeppole and other European pastries, panini, salads, and more.

Chef/owner Scott Herritt, who took over the 130-year-old Marliave in 2008, has been renovating the Province Street storefront for about a year. The café connects the upstairs dining room to the pastry kitchen.

“We have used the space in the past but not with this much focus,” Herritt says. “I wanted to create a café like the ones I enjoyed in Florence, Milan, Paris and other places I’ve been lucky enough to visit, a place that people can get an espresso beverage while talking to the barista and the staff.”

Herritt and chef de cuisine Barnett Harper are making the pastries, like fluffy, cinnamon-spiced beignets and spicy gingerbread; crusty breads for panini, and simple salads on site, as well as a daily quiche. Nick Baughman is leading the espresso program, and the zinc bar will also offer hot teas and freshly-squeezed juices. Check out the full, opening menu below.

Café Marliave, Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m., 51 Province St., Downtown Crossing, Boston, 617-422-0004, marliave.com.

Cafe Marliave menu. / Click to View Larger