
Funky dinosaurs in an airy, relaxed upscale cafe setting at Revival. Photo: Mike Deehan/Axios
Last week, I did something most of us used to do all the time, but probably haven't gotten to very much the last few years: I popped into a bustling cafe to meet with someone.
The setup: Revival Cafe on Newbury St. is the quintessential spot for a quick bite or fancy coffee. I got an Americano and sat at a sidewalk table.
Why it matters: In a town where mid-tier coffee consumption is dominated by Dunkin' and Starbucks, and Tatte and Cafe Nero seem to pop up everywhere to cover the higher end, it's impressive that a smaller chain of three cafes can establish itself and then expand during a pandemic.
There's breakfast served all day, so try the Jimmy Pesto sandwich (egg, feta, spinach and sunflower seed pesto on a homemade muffin) or the Salt-N-Pepa Sando (egg, bacon, cheese and maple mustard butter on a salt and pepper biscuit).
- For lunch there's the Green Goblin (grilled chicken, garlic roasted carrots, pickled jalapeños and cheese on a sweet potato roll) or the Down with LPC (lemon pepper chicken salad with golden raisins on rye).
- The extensive drink menu features matcha, house-made elderflower and thyme syrup, and cafe classics.
Details: Crema Cafe veteran Liza Shirazi and Steve "Nookie" Postal of Commonwealth Market in Cambridge founded Revival in 2016 to provide top-notch coffee and beverage service alongside pastries and savory snacks.
- Their Newbury St. location opened in July 2021, joining locations in Alewife and Davis Square.

Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Boston.
More Boston stories
No stories could be found

Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Boston.