As a college student I get it — sometimes you need to get out of the house to get your work done. It happens so often that I’m sitting at home and scrolling on my phone when I’m supposed to be writing an essay or working on a project. Sometimes all you need is a place to sit and a cup of coffee to make you lock in. And some days, especially in a busy, touristy city like Boston, it can be hard to find a spot where you can comfortably sit for a while and get work done.
I’ve composed the ultimate list of the best Boston coffee shops to get your work done, taking into account the amount of seating, how busy they are on a day-to-day basis, the wifi situation, and, of course, their selection of coffee and food.
Jaho
Maybe it’s the “Summertime Sadness” club remix on their playlist, or maybe it’s the option to add a shot of booze in whatever drink you get — but if I’m sitting at Jaho I am 100%, without a doubt, getting shit done. You don’t even have to order in-person — there’s a tablet to place your order or to peruse the selection of drinks.
Jaho has a huge selection. You can add boba, endless toppings, and practically any non-dairy milk under the sun to your drink (cashew milk, pistachio milk, oatmilk, almond, etc). It’s a bit pricey, which is, in my opinion, the only downside to going to Jaho. Along with an extensive wine, food, and smoothie menu, there are numerous locations around the Boston area, in Chinatown, Back Bay, and the South End to name a few spots. Jaho is perfect for just about any time of day. If you’re a student it’s open until 11 p.m. most nights for those times you just need to lock in and get things done. It has a unique dark but comfortable vibe and is a great contrast to other more overwhelming, bright places you could choose. I recommend trying one of their seasonal lattes when you go (like right now, they have a Cadbury creme egg latte).
Green Haus Cafe
In my personal opinion, Green Haus is the cutest coffee spot in Boston. Like the name implies, this place has a “greenhouse” vibe with hanging plants, flowers, and even a selection of plants that you can buy. Their coffee is roasted in Vietnam, and they have a selection of Vietnamese-style coffees like the Hanoi creme, as well as a really good matcha latte (I recommend the mango variety). Plus if you’re looking for a breakfast or lunch option, they’ve got a selection of delicious bowls, sandwiches, bagels, and tartines!
This is one of my favorite places to go, if I can manage to get a seat (an unlikely occurrence, what with Northeastern being nearby). This is a great place to stop by for a quick work sesh, or if there’s no seating inside, you can stop at the Roxbury BPL branch right across the street— there’s outside seating, too, where the BPL wifi reaches.
The Well Coffee House
The Well Coffee House aims to “brew community and compassion with great coffee” through its community outreach. This spot is a Christian nonprofit and does a lot of community service along with serving stellar coffee. They feature a local nonprofit each month and collaborate with Crimson Cup as their roastery, which is also known for its community outreach.
I’ve only recently found this spot, but it has quickly become an absolute fave. It is comfy, and homey, and artsy. The exposed brick inside gives it this specific cozy vibe that can be hard to find in the city. There are locations on State Street, in East Boston, and in Everett. I personally recommend the Well Iced Mocha (which uses white chocolate and caramel, how could you go wrong?) or the New Orleans latte, which has a subtle taste of chicory alongside the dark roast coffee.
Phin Coffee House
Phin Coffee House is a Vietnamese specialty coffee shop located near South Station on High Street. It’s got a sleek interior and a rather small seating area, but it’s still a great spot to stop by. There’s some places to sit outside as well if you can’t find somewhere inside the shop. There’s wifi, good ambience, and friendly baristas who always make for a quality experience at Phin.
Their coffee is delicious, and their food is too. They have an extensive food menu including avocado toast, a pho burrito, and a Banh Mi Tofu sandwich. I personally recommend the Ube latte (the matcha, or the espresso latte) and the Boston Creme latte.
Blue Bottle
Blue Bottle does specialty coffees, and their cafes don’t necessarily offer that warm and cozy vibe, but if you sit there for an hour, you’re bound to get something done. To be honest, the inside of this place used to scare me, and it deeply confused me that they don’t have a vanilla flavor (it still does, but I’m over it). Blue Bottle curates a vibe — it is quiet, simple, and the coffee slaps. It’s more up-scale, and a bit pricey, but it really shows through in the taste, especially if you’re a coffee snob like me. The beans are roasted in small batches, and there’s a lot of care put into each cup of coffee to make sure it’s balanced and doesn’t taste too burnt or acidic.
George Howell
George Howell is one of my favorite spots to stop by, partially due to their year-round maple flavor. There’s one right by the Downtown Crossing area, and the seating area extends into the hotel lobby it is attached to. There’s a few other spots in Boston as well, as well as in Cambridge right by the newly opened Lovestruck Books. George Howell’s coffee is always on point, their selection and seasonal flavors are great, they have wifi and seating — overall a 10/10 on the work-ability scale.
Caffe Bene
Caffe Bene is located near Mass Ave, just a block away from Northeastern and the Symphony orchestra. I know this spot because they sometimes hold K-Pop cupsleeve events here, but they’re open week-round and have got a decently sized seating area in the back. There’s wifi, bathrooms, and a huge menu that is perfect for students looking to work. Like Jaho, this is another spot that is open later than most (until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday). This is one spot you’ll definitely be able to find me this finals season.
If you’re in the mood for a sweet treat, I recommend the Caramel Cinnamon Honey bread, a scoop of gelato on a waffle, or one of their ice parfaits. And if you want something savory, they have a selection of grilled cheese sandwiches made with waffles. For drinks, you can get coffee, matcha, bubble tea, non-alcoholic mojitos, or smoothies, and you can add a scoop of gelato to any drink. I personally recommend their brown sugar latte, an affogato with a scoop of any flavor of gelato, or their Cafe Saigon.
Thinking Cup
Like their name implies, the Thinking Cup is a great place to do some serious thinking. It also means it doesn’t have any wifi. However, if you have a hotspot or are willing to use up your data, you can definitely do work here. It’s a nice, cozy spot with a decently sized seating area and a wide selection of breakfast food, sandwiches, and pastries.
Thinking Cup serves Stumptown coffee, roasted in Portland, Oregon, and is the first place in Boston to sell this particular coffee. They’ve got three Boston locations in some of the busiest areas of the city: Tremont St, Hanover St, and Newbury St. I personally recommend their honey cinnamon latte or their French hot chocolate.
Pavement Coffeehouse
There are a few Pavements around Boston like on Newbury Street (always busy) or Fenway (usually busy), but I’d personally recommend the one in Harvard Square in Cambridge, right off the Red Line. Pavement has good coffee, food, seating, and wifi. This particular location has a huge outdoor seating area and has the beautiful red-bricked Harvard right across the street. Sitting here you can pretend to be living out your “Legally Blonde” dreams, or you could play chess on one of the pre-set table games in the area.
If you’re a bagel fanatic like I am, I recommend the Harper (lemon-dill cream cheese, cucumber, tomato, and vinaigrette on a bagel) or the “bee sting” breakfast sandwich which is topped with hot honey (I’m vegetarian, so I ask for no bacon). For drinks, I love the ice maple death cream (just iced coffee, maple syrup, and lots of cream), or a spanish latte. Pavement has everything any cafe-lover would enjoy, and always has free wifi and seating.
Caffe Nero
Ok, this is an obvious one, but is a list like this really complete without mentioning Caffe Nero? Caffe Nero is a coffee chain that started in London and has branched out to the U.S. on the East Coast. Cafe Nero has ample seating, and on a weekday, the ones in Boston tend to have a few open seats at a time.
I used to work here, so let me tell you what’s worth it and what’s not. Their chai latte is to die for. It’s on the sweeter side, so if you like a spicier chai this probably won’t be your favorite — but an iced chai latte with oat milk and two shots of espresso is usually my go-to, or a classic mocha. Their food selection can be hit or miss, but I recommend their tomato breakfast roll, vegan breakfast roll, caprese sandwich, or the ham & swiss croissant.