PlaceDaily use

Gracenote Coffee

Serious coffee bar — craft-focused, zero pretension.

My Take

Gracenote is the coffee shop for people who care about coffee but don't want to perform caring about coffee. The baristas know what they're doing, the beans are excellent, and nobody's going to quiz you on origin notes. Small space, limited seating, but that's fine — it's a bar, not a co-working space.

Why It Matters

Boston's specialty coffee scene is hit or miss. Gracenote is the consistent anchor. If you want a properly pulled espresso downtown without the pretension, this is it.

Best For

Quick espresso before a meeting, coffee nerds who want quality without theater

Watch Out For

Very small — don't plan to camp out with a laptop