Pavement Coffeehouse
1663 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA
Crema's Take
“Pavement Coffeehouse offers a genuinely inviting space in Harvard Square with a spacious, cozy interior and a helpful second floor perch perfect for studying or people-watching, though visitors should approach the espresso drinks with tempered expectations. The shop's unconventional approach to coffee—like using drip coffee instead of espresso in their cafe au lait—suggests a house style that doesn't always align with specialty coffee standards, and reviews consistently note that drinks tend toward thin or underwhelming. If you're seeking atmosphere and pastries for a long work session over wifi, this is a reliable neighborhood spot; if you're a precision coffee enthusiast, you might want to explore elsewhere in Cambridge first.”
What to expect
Espresso-focused, with a pour-over program. A slow-sit, laptop-friendly spot, good for meetings. Pastries on the menu. Wifi.
Google Reviews
The drinks left me wanting. I ordered the seasonal orange mocha and my wife an Earl gray. The coffee was hot, that's about the best I can say. It tasted warm milk with a hint of chocolate sprinkles. There was no orange flavor to it and I smelled the coffee more than tasted. The…
I asked for a cafe au lait with an extra shot of espresso. The cashier got weird with me and said they don't put espresso into their cafe au lait (latte). Instead they put drip coffee in. It is not a crazy assumption that the base of a coffee drink will be espresso. The staff…
Pavement Coffee in Harvard Square has a cool space and friendly staff, but unfortunately our drinks fell short. The cortado wasn’t the standard size or temperature, and my iced latte was not good — I ended up throwing it out. The drinks were also overpriced for the quality.
This is a nice cafeteria to grab coffee, read a book, or plan your schedule. The interior is spacious and cozy. Be sure to check out the second floor for a great view of the campus.
I personally don’t like pavement that much, the bagels are really pretty, but they don’t taste that good. The bagel bread is really hard sometimes. And it’s so hard to chew, I don’t recommend the bagels. I haven’t had the coffee before, but that might be good. I also heard that…
Crema Reviews
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