Pavement Coffeehouse

If Boston is the proverbial college town, Pavement must be its coffee mascot. The independent local chain has a way of popping up wherever students are—its eight (and counting) cafes cater to the communities of BU, Northeastern, Berklee and, since 2018, Harvard, where it opened a stand within a newly redesigned student center (open to the public). A slender Newbury St location caters to a slightly older, urban clientele of Back Bay shoppers, workers, and residents. It offers a few outdoor seats on a stone patio. Founded in 1998, Pavement has been capably roasting its own coffee since 2018; it previously served Counter Culture. Try the housemade bagels. 

— Alexander Henry