Cafeography
Boston

Cafés with outdoor seating in Boston

Sidewalk and patio tables on Newbury Street, by the Frog Pond on Boston Common, in Kendall and Harvard Squares and along Columbus Avenue in the South End.

Photo: Newman Photographs, Pexels License

Boston’s outdoor dining season for 2026 runs from May 1 to November 15, after the city extended it into November.1 Fees apply only to patios on public sidewalks and streets: US$199 a month for a business without an alcohol license and US$399 with one, as of 2026, while patios on private property are free.1 Mayor Michelle Wu made the program permanent in 2023.2

The North End is the exception. In 2023 the city ended on-street dining there after residents raised traffic, sanitation and accessibility complaints, though restaurants with room may still put tables on the sidewalk.2 Late spring is the tricky season for sitting outside anywhere near the water: while the harbor is still cold, the coast can be more than 20°F (11°C) cooler than a few miles inland.3

Local tip: On a cool May day with an onshore breeze, pick a patio inland, in Cambridge or Jamaica Plain, rather than on the waterfront: the coast can run more than 20°F (11°C) colder than a few miles away.3

Where these cafés are: Harvard & Porter Squares, Cambridge (5), Kendall Square & East Cambridge (4), Somerville: Union & Davis Squares (4), Downtown & Chinatown (3), Central & Inman Squares, Cambridge (3), Jamaica Plain (3), South End (3), Roxbury & Dorchester (3), Back Bay (2), North End (1), South Boston (1), East Boston (1), Charlestown (1), Beacon Hill & West End (1).

At a glance

35Cafés listed
23With opening hours
06:30Earliest opening
22:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Sip Café, from 06:30 (Mon–Wed 06:30–20:00 · Thu–Fri 06:30–21:00).
  • Closes latest: Faro Cafe, until 22:00 (Mon–Thu 08:00–16:00 · Fri–Sat 08:00–22:00 · Sun 08:00–16:00).
  • Most listed streets: Massachusetts Avenue (5), Dorchester Avenue (2), Main Street (2).
  • Most common features: wi-fi (43%), card payment (29%), wheelchair access (17%).

Nothing matches those filters here. See all cafés in Boston.

Harvard Square and Porter Square

The Cambridge stretch of Massachusetts Avenue from Harvard Square to Porter Square is the likeliest place in Cambridge to find a café table outdoors. Hi-Rise Bread Company, a neighborhood bakery, café and grocery on Concord Avenue since 1996, opens at 08:00 every day.4 Faro Cafe at 5 Arrow Street, a block off the avenue, stays open until 22:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Toward Porter, Simon’s Coffee Shop at 1736 Massachusetts Avenue opens 07:30–15:30 on weekdays, and CSCA Cafe at number 1995 stays until 17:00 on Fridays. Cafe Zing is on White Street, just off Porter Square.

Kendall Square and Central Square

Third Time Together at 399 Binney Street is an all-day café that makes its own ice cream and mixes coffee with mezze and stuffed pitas.5 It opens at 07:00 on weekdays and closes at 21:00 every night. Cafe Beatrice at 100 North First Street also serves until 21:00 from Tuesday to Saturday, while Vester at 73 Ames Street and Ripple Cafe at 314 Main Street both start at 07:00 on weekdays.

Closer to Central Square, Dado Tea at 955 Massachusetts Avenue and 1369 Coffee House at 757 Massachusetts Avenue both have outdoor seats, and so does Andala Coffee House on Franklin Street.

Newbury Street, the Common and downtown

On Newbury Street, Thinking Cup at number 85 opens at 07:00 every day and stays until 21:00 on Saturdays and Sundays; Revival Cafe + Kitchen has tables at number 103. On Boston Common, the Frog Pond is a spray pool in summer and a skating rink in winter, managed by The Skating Club of Boston, and the pool runs 11:00–18:00 daily until Labor Day.6 The Frog Pond Café keeps the same 11:00–18:00 hours.

In the Financial District, Sip Café sits in the park at Post Office Square, completed in June 1992 above a garage of about 1,400 underground spaces.7 Café Bonjour at 55 Temple Place serves 07:00–15:00 daily.

South End, Jamaica Plain and across the harbor

South End Buttery at 314 Shawmut Avenue opens 06:30–20:00 daily, and Farmer Horse Coffee on Massachusetts Avenue stays until 20:00 except on Sundays. Colette Bakery is at 517 Columbus Avenue.

In Jamaica Plain, Jadu on Centre Street, Brassica Kitchen + Cafe on Washington Street and Fiore’s Bakery on South Street have outdoor seats. In Dorchester, look for Comfort Kitchen on Columbia Road and Homestead bakery & cafe on Dorchester Avenue. Eagle Hill Cafe at 65 Meridian Street in East Boston and mister Q. Cafe at 283 Main Street in Charlestown each have tables outside, and in the North End, Café Amalfi at 379 Commercial Street opens 07:00–17:00 from Monday to Saturday.

Sources

  1. Outdoor Dining Program, City of Boston, Office of Small Business, accessed October 2026
  2. Boston restricts outdoor dining in North End, announces permanent program citywide, WBZ / CBS Boston (February 16, 2023), accessed October 2026
  3. Boston: Climate, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  4. Hi-Rise Bread Company, Hi-Rise Bread Company, accessed October 2026
  5. Third Time Together, Third Time Together, accessed October 2026
  6. Frog Pond, City of Boston, Parks and Recreation, accessed October 2026
  7. History of Post Office Square, Friends of Post Office Square / Norman B. Leventhal Park, accessed October 2026
Keep exploring

Other ways to browse Boston

Wi-Fi

30 cafés

Bakery cafés

15 cafés

Open late

11 cafés

Early morning

9 cafés

By area: North End Downtown & Chinatown Back Bay South End Kendall Square & East Cambridge Central & Inman Squares, Cambridge Harvard & Porter Squares, Cambridge Somerville: Union & Davis Squares

FAQ

Outdoor seating in Boston: questions

When is outdoor dining season for cafés in Boston?

In 2026 Boston’s outdoor dining season runs from May 1 to November 15, after the city extended it. Patios on public sidewalks and streets cost US$199 a month without an alcohol license and US$399 with one, as of 2026; patios on private property are not charged.

Can cafés in Boston’s North End have outdoor seating?

Only on the sidewalk. When Boston made outdoor dining permanent in 2023, it ended on-street dining in the North End after residents raised traffic, sanitation and accessibility complaints. Restaurants with enough room may still place tables on the sidewalk, and Café Amalfi on Commercial Street has outdoor seats.

Where can you have coffee outdoors on Boston Common?

The Frog Pond Café on Boston Common is open 11:00–18:00 every day. The Frog Pond itself is a spray pool in summer, open daily 11:00–18:00 until Labor Day, and an ice-skating rink in winter, both managed by The Skating Club of Boston.

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