Yafa Bakery & Café

Omg the service here is so sweet - they care and remember all of their customers and their pastries are SO good. Well balanced flavors. Their chai drink is also amazing - strong flavor without being overwhelming. Perfect. Would get again. Loved their Classic Pistachio Baklava - it didn’t have that overly sweetness that you usually taste at other bakeries and restaurants that make and serve baklava. You could taste all the flavors. Their Palma is my favorite and Almondo is a close second. It holds its structure when you bit into it and then melts in your mouth. Will definitely be back! Small cafe with not a lot of seating. Best to grab and go. There is a line on the weekends but it goes by quickly.

Yafa deserves its stellar reputation and is frankly the best Somerville has to offer. From the moment you arrive, the staff is warm and attentive, welcoming you and often giving out samples of their delicious baked goods. There is something for everyone here, with gluten free options and allergens clearly listed. There is a good amount of comfortable seating. The baklava is perhaps my favorite I have ever tried, and you cannot go wrong with any choice on the menu. As a lover of pistachio, I would recommend the burma, kunafah, and muska kataifi in particular.

After coming back from Dubai and realizing that it’s not easy to find Karak tea in America, I was thrilled to see this bakery and cafe had it on our trip to Boston. I am not exaggerating, but I’ve never had better service in a coffee shop, restaurant or bakery ever. We were immediately welcomed with samples of pastries and karak chai (similar to masala chai - chai latte). After trying several things, we wanted to buy everything, but of course had to settle for one pastry each. I wish Yafa was in Brooklyn, this would be my go to spot. Every pastry was delicious, beautiful and made me feel like I was back in the Middle East. If you are ever in Boston, please do yourself a favor and visit Yafa!

The hospitality is just different here and you don’t find in the western world, much less Boston area. It’s not just a one off, I have been consistently blown away across 4 different trips bringing friends and out of town family. They have amazing middle eastern sweets (incl many vegan options), and breads that come with humus and lebneh which are so simple but taste next level. The lemonada drink is also excellent. I am mostly vegan so can’t speak to many of the desserts in the case that also looked amazing.

Just one step in and you’ll feel the warmth and hospitality from all directions. It’s really a place you need to visit yourself and I know you won’t regret it. Food: The smell of the fresh teas and pastries makes your mouth water. Then the samples the staff happily shares makes it harder not to try a few things yourself. The chai was my drink of choice and it was probably the best you’ll have in the great Boston area. Service: The staff was so excited for each customer and was so happy to be sharing the food they crafted. You are offered so many things to try that it actually makes it harder to settle on just one or two things to actually buy. Atmosphere: The decor was welcoming and calming and I’m sure I could easily sit for hours reading or doing work.