How long can you linger?
After Dinner by p!o from Flickr
This is perhaps the most pressing matter of cafe etiquette, not only with your fellow latte-sippers, but also with management. In fact, some establishments have had such a problem with customers over staying their welcome that they have started covering power outlets or posting signs requesting that laptops remain out of site during peak hours (such at Toscanini’s in Central Square and their no laptops at brunch policy).
In my humble opinion there are two basic rules; the first applies also to restaurants. Do not linger after you have finished. This is an annoyance to waiters and hostesses, but smacks of bad taste in a busy cafe. Buying a cup of coffee does not earn you a landing pad for the day. I can’t tell you how many (single!) people occupy entire four person booth seats at Diesel Cafe in Davis Square for hours after finishing their meal.
Now, it is easy enough to make that latte, sandwich, or cup of coffee stretch for hours (maybe not easy, but doable). But is that really a fair solution? I always aim to consume my purchases at a normal speed and when they run out either buy something else or take my leave. That being said, it is highly advised to order more than just a cup of tea if you know you will be staying a while. Few things will earn you glares faster than ordering the cheapest item on the menu and then staying two or three times as long as other customers.
If you are looking for a place to hang your hat (or at least spread out your books and laptop) for a while, here are some of the best spots in Boston for passing a few hours or quality cafe time:
Espresso Royale Cafe (Newbury Street and Gloucester)
Hynes Convention Center – Green Line
One of three cafes in under the ERC/Bagel Rising umbrella, the Newbury location is without doubt the coziest. At high-traffic hours, it can be dumb luck to find a table, but early in the morning or in the late afternoon and evenings, you are sure to have an undisturbed space of your own. Bagel sandwiches are available until two to three hours before closing, and the beverages are supurb.
Athan’s Bakery (Washington Square, Brookline)
What this classy, European-style local is lacking in internet, it makes up for it by being open until midnight. Possibly the only such cafe hours you will find in Boston, but also one of the most congenial settings. The spacious main room gives you a great opportunity of finding a choice table, and the endless baklava and cookies up front will supply you with sweets as longs as you care to stay.
Clear Conscience Cafe (Central Square, Cambridge)
This is not a place you come for the coffee – or at least not the espresso. But the interior is gorgeous, with tons of tables, comfy couches, and homey lighting. The food is quite good, particularly the scones. Outlets abound and free internet is available (though only for one hour).
Gabi Logan is a Boston-based food and travel writer. On the web, you can find her recommendations for affordable yet delicious food in Boston at the Examiner and The 30 Minute Dinner Party.
