Phinista Cafe

Saw this cafe near Cambridge and decided to try it with some friends 😛✨ Food: 4/5. What drew me in initially was the ube tiramisu, which is something I’ve never tried before. It was quite good and the ube flavor prevalent, but the only thing is the cake felt too cakey and not as soaked/moist as a tiramisu typically should be. However, the banh mi was SO good and the meat perfectly flavored. The bread was perfectly toasted and you could hear the slight crispness from biting into it. The Nutella walnut cookie was slightly too hard, which could’ve just been because it was overbaked or stale. However, the matcha was solid! Service: It was quite packed in the cafe but the workers were so efficient, quick, and nice. Atmosphere: It was quite hectic and crowded when I went on Saturday around noon. It gives very bustling busy cafe vibes and is the perfect place to chat with friends and study. Lots of windows and sunlight, cramped but abundant seating. Overall, highly recommend this spot for a casual meetup and/or to get some quick studying done! Food was overall good!

This is such a cute cafe with delicious food. My friend and I shared crepes and the Bahn mi sandwich, both of which were phenomenal. The bahn mi especially - I wish I had my own order after eating half of it. I also got the ube matcha which was delicious. Service was friendly and fast. Only downside was seating is very limited inside. Overall, 10/10 will go back.

I am obsessed with matcha lattes and have tried a bunch of coffee shops in the Cambridge/Boston area and Phinista is my #1 go-to spot. Service is always great and staff are friendly. Drinks always come out fast. My go-to is an iced matcha latte with oat milk, 50% sweetness. Their matcha is ceremonial grade and the perfect strength. At other places I usually have to ask to double the matcha, but here their 5 gram serving is perfect. It’s hand whisked and not a prepped concentrate which is important. Have also tried their rice bowls and breakfast croissants and loved both. Ooh and their cinnamon rolls are so yummy! Atmosphere is a cute vibe. Couches are available to sit at as well as high top counters which you can sit at to people watch, and other tables and chairs. It’s usually busy, but I can always find a table to work at. WiFi is available which is also a plus. May sometimes be spotty though. Overall, love this spot.

Arguably the best matcha I've had in the Greater Boston area. Love the Pandan, Ube and Strawberry Matcha. Not too sweet and the matcha flavor is rich & earthy (very well-balanced). Such a nice cafe to work/study in as well as have food throughout the day. The BBQ chicken bahn mi 🥖🥪 is so good. The baguette is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The BBQ chicken 🍖 is really tender and flavorful as well. My favorite are the strawberry matcha 🍓🍵, ube matcha 💜🍵 and pandan matcha 💚🍵 with almond milk and less sweet. For a seasonal drink, they had banana bread matcha 🍌 and this was top tier (hope they bring it back). Their pastries and sweet treats are so underrated. The pistachio muffin was nutty, not too sweet and moist with chunks of walnuts and pistachios. Their matcha cheesecake was so decadent as well.

Worth the almost two hour walk to this cafe! Coffee was amazing. I ordered the iced saigonese and iced phin drip latte (it went by a different name on the menu). The thing that blew me away was the service. The barista was more than happy to let my dog and I wait inside while it was frigid out and she even made a pup cup for him without asking! Love the service! Will definitely be back again! Also I got so hungry I devoured the ube pastry. Apparently the ube custard is only available on the weekends FYI.