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The coffee and matcha culture in Boston has been thriving for the past few years, with cafes opening up on street corners all across the city. For students, this means plenty of opportunities to find somewhere outside of their dorm or apartment to study while sipping on a cozy beverage. Over the last few chilly months, I've made been on the hunt for new spots to get some studying (or relaxing) done while enjoying a tasty drink. Here is a list of some of my favorite spots for coffee, matcha, pastries, and comfortable atmospheres across the Boston metro area:
📍 Jaho Artisan Coffee, 116 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02116, is just a short walk from the Boston Public Library and feels like a lively living room in Back Bay. I love settling in here with a matcha latte. The warm lighting, steady background chatter, and easy access to the library make it an ideal spot for long study sessions and laptop work between meetings. They have lovely decorative touches, like the white orchid on the counter where I picked up my drink.
📍 Paris Baguette, 581 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, in Central Square, is my go-to when I’m in the mood for a more indulgent study break with a Korean coffee and a pastry. I love how the wall is decorated with handwritten words. Along with the smooth, slightly sweet coffee and the lineup of tasty pastries, it’s the kind of place where studying naturally stretches into a slow and caffeinated afternoon.
📍 Wishing Cup – 45 Court St, Boston, MA 02203 is located on Financial Street, which is easily accessed from Tufts by hopping on the green line and getting off at Government Center. There are a couple of matcha places around here, but I like Wishing Cup best. The last time I was here, they had this seasonal orange matcha cream foam, which is lined up with beautiful layers, and still anchored by a light matcha and orange flavor. The big street-facing windows make it an ideal spot to sip and get some focused work done.
📍 PHIN COFFEE HOUSE – 10 High St, Boston, MA 02110 is another one of my Financial District matcha stops for study sessions and project discussion with friends. The iced matcha latte here is creamy and beautifully balanced, and the long counter seating along the windows turns into an easy “open laptop and zone in” setup that often keeps me here for a couple of hours.
📍 Tatte Bakery & Cafe – 399 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116
A strong taste of matcha with light sweetness that makes it easy to settle in with your laptop and help me get my work done, or join in on a coffee chat with friends, teammates, and colleagues. The big windows looking out over Boylston bring in tons of natural light, and there’s a mix of counter seats and small tables, so you can either tuck into a corner or spread out with a cup of matcha and a pastry. If you are not a big fan of matcha, a coffee latte is also another option for studying in Tatte. The coffee latte is a creamy and strong enough coffee to power a long study session. The steady background buzz and bright, airy interior make it a comfortable study space.
📍 Life Alive Organic Cafe – Davis Square, Somerville, MA
Their strawberry matcha is layered with beautiful colors and is sweet enough, with fresh berry flavor playing against the moderate bitterness of matcha. The Davis Square space has big windows, a mix of communal tables and plants, so it feels like an aesthetic and “green” study lounge where you can spread out notebooks, plug in, and stay for a couple of hours. Live Alive Organic Café is also open until 9 PM, later than the normal café shop. It is less crowded past 6 PM, so you can spend more time working on your laptop and then grab dinner.
📍 Phinista – Boston, MA
My favorite place for a matcha so far is Phinista! Phinista’s strawberry matcha is not too sweet but not too bitter either. What makes it special is that the strawberry syrup is made of real strawberries, so you can find actual strawberry chunks in the drink. The cozy Paris-meets-Saigon interior, bar seating along the window, and soft background music make it a nice study space as well. The drinks and vibes here make Phinista one of my absolute favorite spots for students looking for a couple of matcha with a fruity twist.