The Best Cafés for Studying and Working around Boston
Achieve peak productivity at these laptop-friendly coffee shops.
Jaho Coffee Roaster & Wine Bar in Chinatown / Courtesy Jaho
Have a big term paper due, studying for exams, or need a change of scenery while working from home? Check out Boston magazine’s guide to the best cafés, coffee shops, and bars for students and professionals alike. We grabbed some coffee and got down to business to find the top spots for (cold) brews, savory bites, free WiFi, and plenty of outlets. So order a beverage—and maybe a bagel—and look at our notes on Boston’s best cafés for studying. After all, espresso and efficiency go hand in hand.
ALLSTON/BRIGHTON
Fuel America
Why do Boston College students flock to this Brighton gem? No clamoring for outlets in this room, filled with comfy leather chairs and spacious wooden tables. Coffee is the primary focus, but non-caffeinated options include fresh-pressed juice, smoothies, and protein-infused shakes.
152 Chestnut Hill Ave., Brighton, 617-782-0999, fuelamericacoffee.com.
Pavement Coffeehouse / Photo by Gregory Waldo
Pavement Coffeehouse
You’ll find Pavement in neighborhoods all over Boston, but but brace yourself for the freshest coffee and bagel experience at their Brighton location—the heart of the coffeehouse’s operations. Serving as Pavement’s HQ, menu staples are roasted and baked on-site. It’s also the ultimate study spot among the local chain, with a sunny seating area inside a revamped warehouse, and a small, seasonal patio to work al fresco.
415 Western Ave., Brighton, 617-766-6052, pavementcoffeehouse.com.
BACK BAY & SOUTH END
CuppaCoffee
Need a mental vacation? Take a trip down under at this local, Australian-inspired mini-chain and post up with some Lamingtons or Tim Tams, and unlimited Flat Whites. In addition to fast WiFi and ample seating, the South End location provides classic brekky bites like ham-and-cheese croissants and meat pies—Vegemite optional.
57 Traveler St., 857-317-2148, trycuppacoffee.com.
Render Coffee malted cold brew. / Photo provided
Render Coffee
Need a cozy corner to call your office for a few hours? Hidden among a row of classic Boston brownstones, this South End café has a relaxed atmosphere and a glass-ceilinged atrium. Plug in and get to work—or procrastinate while staring out the window—while the baristas craft your pour-over coffee and rosemary-potato egg sandwich.
563 Columbus Ave., Boston, 617-262-4142, rendercoffeebar.com.
DOWNTOWN BOSTON
Jaho Coffee Roaster & Wine Bar / Photo provided by Jaho
Jaho Coffee Roaster & Wine Bar
Whether it’s espresso or an espresso martini, this spacious, vaguely steampunk bar has your fuel. Night owls, take note: the Chinatown location stays open until 11 p.m. on weeknights and midnight on weekends, making the transition from caffeine to alcohol all the more seamless.
665 Washington St., Boston, 857-233-4094, jaho.com.
JAMAICA PLAIN
Ula Café
When Rik Kleinfeldt and Paula Anderson took over this neighborhood favorite in 2016, they forfeited a beer and wine license to focus on coffee, though Ula remains a popular spot to grab a sandwich on house-made bread. The rotating gallery of artwork on the exposed-brick walls might provide a jolt of inspiration, while the New Harvest Coffee drinks certainly will.
284 Amory St., Jamaica Plain, 617-524-7890, ulacafe.com.
CAMBRIDGE
Broadsheet Coffee Roasters / Photo by Julie Ciollo
Broadsheet Coffee Roasters
Alerting passers-by to the superior espressos, cortados, and lattes from Cambridge’s first-ever coffee roaster is a pink neon “COFFEE” sign. Since opening in July 2017, this café has also pleased crowds with a distinctly Middle Eastern-influenced menu items like the Georgian egg boat—a bread vessel topped with feta, mozzarella, spinach, egg, and your choice of zhug hot sauce or sun-dried tomato tapenade—served up in an open, airy space.
100 Kirkland St., Cambridge, 617-945-2867, broadsheetcoffee.com.
Revival / Photo by Gensler
Revival Café & Kitchen
Wonderland awaits not at the bottom of a rabbit hole, but a short walk from the Alewife T stop. The whimsical brainchild of Crema owner Liza Shirazi and chef Steve “Nookie” Postal of Commonwealth Cambridge, Revival has novelties like coffee sangria and sparkling iced teas, plus sandwiches on house-made English muffins, biscuits, and bagels.
125 Cambridge Park Dr., Cambridge, 617-665-5899, revivalcafeandkitchen.com.
SOMERVILLE
Remnant Brewery
This buzzy 2018 newcomer boasts ample seating both indoors and out, including an espresso bar up front and a beer bar beyond. And Bow Market’s café-slash-brewery is also a craft beverage go-to, with options from Barrington Coffee, AquaVitea kombucha, and more alongside house beers like the Dream Pop oat pale ale.
2 Bow Market Way, Somerville, 617-764-0641, remnantsomerville.com.
Winter Hill Brewing / Photo provided by Winter Hill Brewing
Winter Hill Brewing
Swing by this brewery as early as 7 a.m. to start your morning with Counter Culture Coffee and a hearty breakfast sandwich. Stoke the mid-day fires of productivity with a spicy falafel-cauliflower sandwich. Then close out the workday with one of Winter Hill’s small-batch brews. We’ll cheers to that.
328 Broadway, Somerville, 617-718-2337, winterhillbrewing.com.
With reporting by Greta Bjornson, Brenna Donovan, Olivia Gehrke, Amanda Madigan, Devon Musgrave-Johnson, Sophie Nunnally, Jessica Reyes, and Clare Zicari.
