Gracenote Coffee takes first place in the list of best Boston coffee shops. Your search for hip, high-quality artisan coffee has come to an end. Gracenote Coffee Roasters is an independent roastery and cafe that brews and serves locally roasted beans. Sip a perfectly creamy cappuccino or a shot of espresso while admiring the petrified wood counters, old-school manual espresso machine, and various plants suspended from the ceiling.

Taste has an elusive quality that is difficult to describe. This elusive detail makes describing Gracenote Coffee Roasters difficult. They approach coffee with care and skill as both coffee enthusiasts and roasters. Ultimately, they roast coffee to make it taste good. It also helps that they source some of the best green coffee on the market. What distinguishes us is their dedication to the coffees they work with—they try to see them for what they are and roast them in a way that allows them to express what they imagine and understand to be a coffee's full potential.

Aside from their philosophical approach to coffee tasting, they also use a variety of roasting tools to supplement their understanding of the roasting process. The most exciting aspect of their job is the combination of taste and analytics. Their understanding of process and method is dynamic and evolving. Their passion for coffee fuels and propels everything they do. Finally, they want to show you everything their coffee has to offer—they hope you enjoy it as much as they do.

Google rating: 4.7/5.0
Address: 108 Lincoln StBoston02111
Contact: N/a
Website: gracenotecoffee.com

Greystone Cafe, Bakery and Provisions ranks 2nd on the list of best Boston coffee shops. Greystone has always been a very personal project for me. They are a mother-daughter team who call the South End home. Greystone is their baby; it is a direct reflection of their values, emphasizing fresh, from-scratch food, exceptional coffee, a welcoming atmosphere, and personal service. They wanted to create a spot in the neighborhood that they would seek out. A location that could serve as their daily pit stop.

The name "Greystone" is not coincidental; it is the street where Jacqueline grew up and where Patty still lives. It embodies everything that Greystone aspires to be: a place that, in an increasingly transactional world, allows you to feel connected to where you live and the people around you. It all comes down to community. This ideally located South End cafe with a walk-up window is run by a mother-daughter team who refer to Greystone as their "baby." It's no surprise, then, that every cup and beyond is made with the utmost care and craft, as they also serve sweet treats and lunch bites. Greystone has it all, from single-origin pourovers to spicy chai.

Google rating: 4.7/5.0
Address: 123 Appleton StBoston02116
Contact: 857-350-4629
Website: www.greystonecafe.com

Phinistia is a gift bestowed upon the Fenway. It is part Vietnamese cafe, part Parisian crêperie. This establishment serves a variety of authentic beverages to keep you energized, most notably its phin coffee, which is brewed using a traditional Vietnamese metal filter for a strong but smooth result. Try the Phin en (best served black) or the Phin Trng (a traditional combination of coffee, egg yolk, and condensed milk), and if you don't like coffee, try one of its colorful, Instagrammable milk teas or lemonades.

Crêpes are made in front of everyone, sending a sweet aroma throughout the delicately wallpapered cafe, and lunch-goers love the bánh m and noodle bowls filled with fresh Far Eastern flavors like mint, lemongrass, and pickled vegetables. If you want to get your midday meal here, make sure to arrive early, before the lunch rush leaves no noodle or baguette behind.

Google rating: 4.5/5.0
Address: 96 Peterborough StBoston02215
Contact: 617-262-7700
Website: phinista.com

1369 Coffee House - Inman Square ranks 4th in the list of best Boston coffee shops. They envisioned 1369 as more than just a coffee shop from the start. They serve only the finest coffees and teas. They strive to create a welcoming environment and to be an integral part of the community. Many friendships, as well as several marriages, have formed at 1369. At our tables, many books and theses have been written. They take pride in being a good neighbor and a gathering place for the community. They are committed to preserving this feeling.

1369 Coffee House is the grand dame of Cambridge's many coffeehouses in many ways. The location simultaneously introduced Cantabrigians to great coffee and a fantastic coffeehouse scene; suddenly, savoring a latte over a chapter book, or sipping your third cup while toiling over an early-era MacBook, was acceptable. The cozy, narrow, neighborly Inman Square institution continues to thrive, even in the Starbucks era, and is now as popular with creatives and young professionals as it was with students. If you can't get a seat, its Central Square location is just as cozy but also just as popular.

Google rating: 4.3/5.0
Address: 1369 Cambridge StCambridge02139
Contact: 617-576-1369
Website: www.1369coffeehouse.com

With its flagship in the heart of Cambridge, barismo caters to locals. This lab-style coffee bar has little space to linger, but the fresh coffee, brewed one cup at a time, is what draws most customers in. The company takes pride in its open sourcing and meticulous attention to detail during the roasting and brewing processes. The friendly baristas are experts in their field and are always eager to talk shop. There are also barismos in East Arlington and Woburn, which are ideal for commuters.

Aficionados enjoy Barismo. This lab-style coffeeshop has little space to linger, but the fresh coffee, brewed one cup at a time, is what draws most customers in. The company takes pride in its open sourcing and meticulous attention to detail during the roasting and brewing processes. The friendly baristas are experts in their field and are always eager to talk shop.

Google rating: 4.0/5.0
Address: 169 Massachusetts AveArlington02474
Contact: 339-368-7300
Website: barismo.com