Voltage Coffee & Art

Forget the reviews chiding the interior, the baked goods, coffee art or latte foam shapes… you want coffee, right? And by that I mean an espresso pulled just right to make any coffee snob wish they could reliably drink this at home with their high-​maintenance multi-​$$$ machine? Yeah this is what this place was about.
At some point last year there was a change of ownership. The old baristas all left, and the quality seemed to languish a bit. It’s closed and undergoing renovation now but I’ve seen the old owner (Lucy) painting walls, so hopefully that’s a good sign of things to come…

Low batt need Voltage Coffee. The coffee is artful and tasty just like the place. The shop is set up nicely with large tables far apart so that the usual tinder date does not bother your studies. #coffeebeantown
follow my instagram: @coffeebeantown

Good coffee, great pumpkin pie. Prices are a bit high. I came here to get some work done, but the place was totally packed, and I didn’t get a seat at a table until about 3 minutes after I received my cappuccino and pie. Would recommend.

Voltage Coffee is alright. I was initially wowed by the good reviews, increasing my interest in the place for my most recent Boston trip. The place is pretty close to the T (Red Line). Lots of seats and space, with plenty of customers coming in soon into the morning. The place is really artsy, a slight surprise from the recent spots I’ve tried in the area, as well as the coffee culture I’m so used to in CA. (Although there are more artsy than hipster spots in CA too.) The capp I ordered was ok. Nothing special. Despite all of the people, it doesn’t get too loud, so it’s a good spot to hunker down and get some work done or settle down for a business meeting. I’m sure I’ll have to come back multiple times for Voltage to grow on me, but it’s definitely worth a try.

Nice coffee shop with slightly elevated atmosphere.
I’ve gone here a couple times during downtime at work.
Staff is friendly, wait times are reasonable.
Can’t say much about the food, but from first glance, you’ll probably have better selection nearby at tatte.
Ordered a cortado — cut with just the right amount of cream and drink was just tall enough.
Give it a try!

Great coffee, awesome vibe, cool people. Coming from Seattle/​SF coffee is pretty hard to impress me. This place did just that. This reminded me a lot like Coupa Café in Palo Alto. A lot of startups, people pitching ideas and a pretty comfortable workspace. I didn’t really pay attention to the outlet situation but there is plenty of seating options to find the right spot for you. I am knocking them a star because they close so early! A place like this should be open until midnight or at least 10pm not 6pm. Other than that all was good.

DRINKS & SERVICE — 5 stars
I initially ordered a «Midnight Sun» which promised a hot chocolate with cinnamon & capsicum, so I was expecting a rich drink with heat. What I got was a warm chocolate, minimal cinnamon and no capsicum. VERY DISAPPOINTING! I went back to the barista and asked if I misunderstood the menu or if this drink was supposed to be spicy. She said, «yes, it’s supposed to be spicy, but the peppers we used in the last batch of syrup wasn’t spicy, so it’s not in the drink. I’d be happy to replace your drink if you’d like.» (Note: This is great customer service, I didn’t ask for the drink to be replaced, she just offered!)
I appreciated her offer and started asking her about other drinks. We settled on a lemon zest & molasses flavored cappuccino. She said she knows it sounded weird, but promised I would like it. I decided to go for it. On first taste, it was a bit odd to taste lemon zest with an espresso drink. After a couple more sips, I was hooked! Who knew it would taste so good??? (Apparently she did!) I would never order this myself, but glad she suggested it. Much kudos to her for recommending a drink like this to a gal who just returned a drink that didn’t meet expectations. You rock!
Overall, if you like trying custom syrups that they create by hand, this is a great place. If you’re looking for a «normal» syrup flavors, they have caramel & vanilla, but not much else.
VENUE & AMBIENCE — 4 stars
I like that the seating area. There are lots of nooks and crannies so people can feel like they have some privacy while they work here. There are also a lot of power outlets on every wall, so the place is set up perfectly for those who wish to enjoy a drink while working here.
FOOD — 3 stars
If you’re looking for a SNACK, this place is great. They have a handful of baked goods and a couple salads.
If you want a MEAL, go somewhere else. They didn’t have anything hearty, like a sandwich or anything I personally would consider lunch.
INTERNET — 3 stars
You can get 3 hours of free internet in exchange for your email. I’m not a huge fan of exchanging personal data for internet, but I guess the service provider has got to make money somehow, right? I just gave one of my junk collection emails, and was on my way to 3 hours of free internet.
If you run out of 3 hours of internet, then you can get more internet in increments of 30 minutes in exchange for watching an ad. But seriously, why would you spend more than 3 hours here? You’d be hungry for a real meal by then and then go find a place that serves real food.

I really like this coffee shop. They’ve got these very creative lattes that are a lot of fun to try. Some of them are really weird, but it’s sort of like those Every Flavour Beans from Harry Potter. The space is pretty and it’s a great place to sit and have a chat. I come here frequently to chat with friends when I’m in the Boston area.

On our first visit, we got an espresso and a cappuccino. The espresso was bitter and not especially glorious in any way. The cappuccino had a bunch of milk on top, but there was no latte art as in the numerous photos of this place. My expectations were very high because of the five-​star reviews by my friends, but I walked out shaking my head in disappoint. Watt was going on at Voltage?
We decided to give this highly-​regarded establishment a second chance: I ordered a pour-​over ($ 4). The pour-​over was made from a Central American coffee and was excellent! OK, that was a real data point.
It’s true as well that the Voltage rooms are set up so that it’s easy to work, study and chat. I could imagine becoming a regular if I needed a «home away from home» for writing Unilocal reviews and attending to other business. Conclusion: four stars.
But back to the coffee: I’m worried about possible inconsistency and would need to come back several times before agreeing that Voltage is The One.

I am obsessed with this place. Like, move-​to-​Cambridge-​now because of Voltage kind of situation.
Starting with the space itself, they have nooks and crannies and shared tables a plenty so you can have any type of solitary or social coffee shop experience. I sat next to a woman in her 80s and had an amazing chat. I also overheard some political activists having a meeting about the Patriot Act as I had my head buried in some work. And then there are daters, and laptop-​users, and book clubs… The ambiance seems to draw a creativity out of people. There is even a mailbox for Deliver Me: an unreliable mail system where you write a letter and hope someone picks it up and delivers it by hand to the address you’ve written. There are only 6 other places in the country with this set up so far, so way to go Voltage for being ahead of the curve.
But none of this would be possible without the QUALITY of their menu offerings.
The coffee is artful and tasty. Really good cup of latte. THE BREAKFAST ENGLISH MUFFIN is so yummy I can’t stand it. Caramelized onions really bring it home. And the crepes are yummy too. I’m just so happy eating here that I have to encourage you to do the same.
Props to the barista who started singing along to Regina Spektor beautifully during one of my visits. That’s exactly what I’m talking about.

I get a volt of electricity coming here.
Voltage has a nice variety of hot and cold beverages, from straight espresso and pour over coffee to flavored lattes and hot chocolates. For each drink, the baristas grind up the beans right in front of you on the spot, and they make it look so easy and effortless.
My friend and I stopped in and found it to be full of happy patrons. The smell of the coffee beans was heavenly and filled our noses as we tried to decide what to get. We got a Beyond the Sea latte (caramel and salt), a Paper Plane latte (cardamom, rosewater, and honey), and a Midnight Sun hot chocolate (cinnamon and capsicum). We had several people in front of us with multiple drinks, but the baristas were pouring them efficiently and in a decent amount of time considering each drink was ground up and crafted from scratch. We stood there, close to the counter, in awe watching as they made each cup. For our caramel latte, the head barista sprinkled the top with salt around the milky heart he had just made. Our other drinks featured similar beautiful latte art, with a special rose on top of mine!
The coffee is excellent, and the flavorings are so unique and enjoyable. The caramel/​salt latte was nicely flavored, with the caramel not overwhelming the espresso. The cardamom/​rosewater/​honey latte was good, but it was really my taste flavor-​wise, though I love honey; the rosewater seemed to dominate a little more, but if you like these flavorings, it was very well done. The stand out for me on this one visit was the hot chocolate. It was very flavorful, but not overwhelming with spices in any way. It was (yes, it’s long gone now – within fifteen minutes of getting it) absolutely delicious and one of the best hot chocolates I’ve ever had. We got the small (8 ounces, or exactly one cup) for all of our drinks, and it was the perfect size to satisfy my coffee and chocolate cravings.
Not only are the drinks outstanding, so too is the service. The baristas were extremely kind and welcoming. They made our visit very fun and like we had been there many times before, though it was only our first. The head barista, in particular, was absolutely supreme, both in crafting each drink and in being personable with customers.
The atmosphere is very comfortable and open, too. It has an artsy vibe, with sculptures as well as paintings along the walls and books against one back wall, so it lives up to the second piece of its name. It has an ample of amount of seating, inside and out, and Wi-​Fi.
I’m planning future visits during which to try each of the flavored lattes and hot chocolates. Like the message on the wall: «This is where you’ll find me.»

Voltage has been on my to-do’s for awhile, as I have been on the quest to find the best coffee shop in Boston. Unfortunately, Voltage does not make this list for me.
After brunch across the street, my boyfriend and I wanted to split a latte at Voltage.
The wrong’s:
— The place reeked of synthetic cooked sausage, in the worst way. The interior reeked of a rich oily stench, which I can only imagine came from cooking really bad sausage. I couldn’t sit inside because I thought I was going to puke. Good thing there’s outside seating.
— The staff was not friendly at all. We were deciding what drink to order and the cashier asked, «Is that it?» staring at us to make a decision when there was no one waiting to order behind us.
— For a coffee shop boasting an art gallery and great latte art, I was appalled by how my latte came out. I ordered a soy latte, for here, and I couldn’t believe they would give a customer a latte that looked like that. PLEASE SEE PICTURE BELOW.
I won’t be returning to Voltage — I’d rather get Stumptown from Tatte across the street.

I would have given it 5 stars purely for the aesthetic, but the baristas could have been a bit friendlier and I found their lattes to be a bit bitter.
A plus for creativity in specialty drinks, just came a bit short for me taste-​wise. Overall, it is in a super convenient location, is a great place to get some work done and grab a snack or two. I would recommend to a friend.

The lack of friendliness and disappointing baked goods will unfortunately keep me from becoming a repeat customer.
Don’t get me wrong, the coffee was VERY good. Definitely 5-​star good. But the coffee-​shop experience I love just wasn’t there. Baristas seemed a little smug and I’ve had much better pastries elsewhere.
I wanted to love it, but it just wasn’t happening.

If I was a local, I’d definitely come here regularly to get some work done and hang out with friends. Their coffee and lattes are super unique because they’re named after authors and they taste delicious.
If you appreciate the arts and shops with cool designs, you’ll love walking in and just roaming around the various rooms.
When the hubs and I got our drinks two things bummed me out:
1) I asked for it in a to-​go cup but they put it in a regular cup.
2) The latte design looked more like a scribble. so I felt kind of jipped from the «experience»
Yet, the cashier was kind and it tasted scrumptious.

Wow this café is such a great find! Tons of seating, free wifi, lots of natural light, in a beautifully decorated space that feels at once artistic and homey at the same time. Came on a wed afternoon and there were a lot of people but it still felt quiet enough to study. Also have specialty flavor lattes, sandwiches, pastries, and crepes. Perfection!

This place is very enjoyable. Quality pours, delicious lattes (my friends who only drink black coffee love lattes here). I’ve really enjoyed their flowering tea and jasmine tea. Delicious, subtle flavors.
That being said, it is pretty expensive, and I just got used to Starbucks prices. Guess you also pay for the experience.
Service has been friendly whenever we stop by after lunch. Customers seem chatty and friendly too.

Safe haven from the rainy biting cold of Boston winters. A slice of sanctuary away from one of the busiest squares in Boston.
Stumbled upon t his coffee before a customer site visit this morning after a long drive and a freezing cold walk in the gloomy rain, desperately seeking some mandatory morning coffee/​breakfast and a place for to do some pre-​work work. Name sounded familiar from mentions in the past, a coffee shop and an art gallery, what could go wrong?
Modern, clean, minimalist design with displays of art along the walls, a large book shelf in the back of the café with books encompassing everything and anything. A cup of mocha with some art on top, delicious and not overly sweet. A cup of granola with dried apricot and pistachio, slightly roasted and tasted like perfection with lingering smell in the nostril and its rustic aftertaste on the taste buds.
Love.

Coffeeshop jackpot! Voltage really has it all with their modern sunny space, creative latte menu, scrumptious and afforable breakfast items, art-​filled walls, and free wifi.
I had the Plaid Jacket latte, infused with cardamom and ginger. Kind of like a dirty chai, but more subtle. Even more delicious was the egg-​avo-​cheese breakfast sandwich on seedy whole grain bread. I was seriously in awe of this bread!
There’s lots of seating inside & out, and the vibe is chill and welcoming. I stayed for a couple hours to get some work done — would easily make this my local coffeeshop if I lived in Boston.

Art gallery+coffee shop? That’s double the awesome! I was excited to try this place and I had high expectations, but I was kind of let down because it seemed like a regular small-​size coffee shop with some featured artwork.
I like their concept, but I wish it was executed better. They should display more artwork. I guess I am comparing this place to another art gallery/​café in LA that I used to frequent when I lived in LA and I imagined this place to be like that.
I got a latte and the price is pretty standard here. I thought my latte had a strong bitter-​y finish and it was too fruity and acidic for my liking. Maybe they over-​extracted the coffee.
Overall, it was not bad. This place is nice to go for a coffee date or catch up on some work/​study.