As a lover of coffee and pastries, one of my favorite parts of being at Harvard has been the incredible array of cafes and bakeries around the Square and Greater Boston area.
With a T (subway) stop right by campus, it’s incredibly easy to hop on the train and spend a Saturday morning studying and hanging out at one of Boston’s many incredible coffee shops. In this blog post, I’ll compile my favorites. If you’re coming to visit campus, I highly recommend checking out one of these spots!
Best Pastries: Sofra Bakery & Café
Located near Harvard’s Allston Campus (a 15 minute walk or 5 minute shuttle ride from the Yard), Sofra Bakery & Café has quickly become my go-to spot for delicious pastries and coffees. They offer a unique blend of Greek, Middle Eastern, and Turkish food and coffees. In particular, the Tahini Brown Butter Croissant is one of the best pastries I have ever had!
Best Near Campus: Tatte Harvard Square
Just feet from Harvard Yard, Tatte is a New England classic and a great spot for a nice brunch or quick pick-me-up without straying too far from campus. The expansive seating area also makes this an ideal location for meetings, coffee-chats, and catching up with friends.
An incredible latte at Tatte in Harvard Square!
Best Use of Board Plus: Café Gato Rojo or Lamont Cafe
Each semester, through a program called Board Plus, Harvard College students receive $65 loaded onto their Harvard ID cards for use at on-campus cafes and graduate school dining halls. Café Gato Rojo is a cozy spot within the Yard where you can buy coffee and snacks using Board Plus during the day, and Lamont Café (located within the eponymous library) allows you to use Board Plus to get some late-night study fuel.
Best for Studying in Boston: George Howell Coffee
Frequently listed as one of Boston's best cafes, George Howell Coffee is accessible from campus via a short ride on the T. In addition to their renowned coffees, they also have a great array of pastries, breakfast dishes, as well as lunch foods, making this a great weekend hang-out location!
Classic New England: Dunkin Donuts
Any list of the best coffee shops in Boston would be incomplete without the omnipresent Dunkin Donuts. A New England staple, you can find a Dunkin on nearly every street corner, and for a quick on-the-go coffee, there is no better option! Plus, those donut holes are delicious!
Enjoying a cup of Dunkin iced coffee in the Radcliffe Yard on a warm spring day.
Bonus Pick: JP Licks Ice Cream
While not technically a dedicated coffee shop, JP Licks, an ice cream shop located in Harvard Square, also offers an array of coffees and baked goods, in addition to their delicious milkshakes and sundaes.
JP Licks is so good that I even enjoy it during the winter!
A photo of the 2026 Summer Recruitment Ambassadors on the Weeks Bridge
Drawing can be a leisure activity or a great way to relax. A sketch book and pen often accompanied me at the park in my free moments.
A photo of the Harvard Art Museums
My Philosophy banner
My Siblings and I When we were Younger
Here I posed with my new team to celebrate our victory in my first game of flag football. I even taught the team how to sign "K" for Kirkland House in ASL
During the Cultural Rhythms, Caitlyn showcased her beautiful Vesido De Flores dress from Mexico and I showcased South Sudanese Lawa. Later only to find out she is in Pforzheimer House, the best house. We become friends ever since. An amazing woman
FUP Silent Disco
First-year students gather to commemorate a successful alumni networking event at the historically exclusive Harvard Club of Boston
Nearly 200 students across 20+ high schools attended Harvard's first High School Ethics Bowl (HCHSEB)
Mollie and Kai during the interview at Currier House!
A sign welcoming new Quincy house residents on Housing Day!
The Barker Center, home to the Harvard College Writing Center
2026 LEAD Board
During my internship at the Harvard Admissions Office, I met great people who continue to be my close friends.
Secquoia and her fiancé after running the Cambridge Half Marathon
Secquoia with her mom and sister at a family weekend event!
Some friends and I took a coach bus from Boston to New York City and visited Times Square as a part of this trip!
My friends from my entryway and I pose for a picture together before we go kayaking!
Philip Brooks House, the locus of public service on campus, located in Harvard Yard.
Every September, the College holds an Extracurricular Fair in Harvard Yard. This is one of the first opportunities for many to learn about GAASA.
Captured around sunset as we hiked the Watchman Trail.
My friends and I celebrating our last first day of classes this semester.
The view from one of the peaks in Mount Mansfield State Forest, Vermont!
A picture of many runners (including the author, Ricky) running during the Cambridge Half Marathon.
Various colorful flower bouquets which were given to first-gen/low-income student on the kick of of FGLI Visibility Week.
A picture of Harvard College students who attended RAZA's first event of the semester in the fall of 2024.
A photo of me with the first two other students who were hired as freshman student workers last fall
One of my favorite photos of TCS. Small Island, Big Family!
View from the hotel in Sidi Bou Said, Tunis
A picture taken of me during Harvard vs. University of New Hampshire.
Samia Afrose with friends at Luxor Cafe
Samia Afrose and Hana Rehman at South Asian Convocation
My Sister and I on NSA's Executive Board in 2023
Hana Rehman at Mock Mehndi
Hana Rehman at Sur Sagar
Harvard College students host Chaand Raat.
A photo of myself looking at the Zanzibari waters
Cheering you on in your scholarship application journey!
Harvard Foundation interns in the spring of 2024, dressed up before the event of Cultural Rhythms.
A group photo on the last day of class!
Grupo Frontera with those who attended RAZA’s Trailblazer Award ceremony
My view from atop a hill near a mining camp.
My bookshelf in my dorm!
Malika Umar and Samia Afrose Celebrating Eid-al-Fitr
Seeing the Lotus Temple in Delhi, India was only one of the many great experiences I've had thanks to Harvard Model Congress
Me with the director of FOP, the wonderful Lesedi Graveline
My mom and I at Junior Parents Weekend
MEDLife volunteers posing for picture with MEDLife Logo
My fellow HFAI coordinators and I at Sufra!
The 2022 summer American Repertory Theater (from left to right): Chinyere Obasi '24, Caron Kim '24, Sophie Kim '24, Diana Chen '25, Sophie Garrigus '25.
My friends and I love attending the socials that are hosted by the affinity groups!
The sunrise on the morning of Housing Day this year.
My First Harvard Yale Game
The Fall 2021 HFAI Student Coordinator Team!
A picture of a white poster with "Adams House is the Best House" written on it.
So grateful to have worked with these amazing student leaders this past year!
My fellow singers and I singing “Lay Me Low,” our closing number, by Addah Z. Potter and arranged by Kevin Siegfried, at Reunion: A Fall Concert.
Here's some friends and I at Acadia National Park over an extended weekend!
Me and a teammate sailing the first double handed sail of the year.
Cherry Blossom outside Lowell
Here's Harpreet and I with our best friends back in high school!
Here is a picture of my family, including my mom, brothers, grandma, uncle and aunt, and cousins.
trips into Boston are worth it!
My blockmates and I at Winthrop House on our Housing Day!
I have very specific playlists for every mood.
Here are some of the books I've been reading for fun lately!
Kuumba had a winter concert last year that focused on the importance of Black Love; this photo, which captures the power of intimacy, was taken during the dance section of the concert.
Here is the full cast (and some of our crew) for the Hyperion Shakespeare Company's production of Macbeth!
Here's a group photo of the Radcliffe Choral Society on the steps of Stella Maris Church in San Juan! We sang here several times, for rehearsals, church services, and our finale concert the night before we flew back to Boston.
Here's the new Sunflower sign we just put up with our students as community service.
Harvard Yard, where many first-year students live.
A Zoom Picture from my FYRE Family!
I found myself this summer sitting at my laptop a lot more than I had originally planned
I make the most of my Zoom-ed reality by taking calls outside!
Here I am teaching a government class from last summer!
During the last days of first-year, I organized an outdoor picnic in Harvard Yard for the Black Class of 2022. There was pizza, music, and an entertaining, but yet chaotic game of musical chairs.
Performing at the Peabody Museum's Day of the Dead celebration and exhibit.
The view of the Charles River from Leveret House, which is right next to Winthrop House!
My Harvard Journal Project notebook, with its (not so successful) attempt to color the Harvard logo on the front.
My friends and I decided to have a group photo session the day before leaving campus!
Me giving out homemade awards to my MFP students!
I took this photo of the Boston skyline while running by the Charles River.
The office threw me a mini goodbye party to thank me for my work during the summer!
Veritaffle
Another spot to rest with great views of New Hampshire!
A view of the city of Boston from Harvard's campus.
Nigerian Students Association Executive Board at our 9th Annual Independence Day Gala
