This place is amazing! Small hole in the wall but it's absolutely adorable inside. You walk into a small cafe and you can pay extra with a $10 credit to get in the cafe. London fog is a dreamy earle grey with almond and your choice of milk. Afterwards getting my drink, with a reservation, we went into a corner and are greeted. Shoe covers are necessary and need to put on. Followed by hand sanitizer and your in the room. Lots of rescued cats with all different toys you can use to play with. A full one hour to play with the cats and even chat up with the amazingly sweet staff. I adore this place and really want to come again. Can't wait. read more

This place has been on my TODO list for a while and I'm soo very happy I finally made it. I had THE best time with the kittys! We came on a Thursday morning and there were a few other visitors but not crowded at all, which was nice. I can't say enough nice things about the staff. They were so friendly, helpful, and genuinely happy to be there. The place was spotless. I was surprised how incredibly clean it was, literally no cat hair anywhere, how is that possible!? I had a fleece jacket and there was zero hair stuck to it, how!?No animal/litterbox odor and fresh water bowls everywhere. There's a small L-shaped room on main floor with the cafe area. Once it's your time, they take you into a small room to put on shoe covers and hand sanitizer. Then you enter the main room where they give you a short intro/info on kittys and what you should/should not do. Downstairs is a larger room with more cute kittys! There are kitty toys on both floors and plenty of seating on chairs and benches or even the floor. You can tell the kittys are loved and well cared for. They're just so sweet and adorable and I'm dreaming of the next time I can go and get my kitty fix. - Reservations are required + waiver before your visit - $10 credit per person to use at cafe - you can order drinks and treats while playing with the kittys - the pasties were delicious! Chocolate croissant was gigantic! The kitty macaroon was too cute! - once you're in the kitty area you can't leave so make sure you have everything before entering - small book store in the cafe area - gift certificates available Parking not great as this is on Charles street. Try the side roads or walk a couple blocks to the Common garage. read more

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I had a great experience here! I booked my cat time a few weeks in advance so I knew what to expect. I got a blueberry matcha and a cat macaron - both of which I greatly enjoyed! The cats were fun to be around and it was such a treat when they chose to interact with me. The employees were all very nice as well. read more

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I've only been to one other cat cafe, so I was quite excited for this to open and to give it a try! We got a complimentary drink, which was nice; I got a jasmine tea, which I was pleasantly surprised to find tasted like actual and well-steeped jasmine (I find a lot of places under or over-steep it, or scald it with water that's too hot). We didn't try any of the pastries because they weren't included, and also seemed a bit expensive given how much we'd already paid for the experience. The space isn't huge downstairs, so it's a bit intimate with whoever else may have booked (seems like they build in a 10-15 overlap); that could also be because they had just brought in some new cats and had split the space while they were getting acclimated. The staff are very friendly and clearly care deeply about the wellbeing of the feline friends inside, which I find really encouraging. They also do a really good job keeping everything clean. I'd you're looking for a quirky fun thing to do, check it out! read more

A Sanctuary Cafe - Bookstores Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

My partner took me here for Valentine's Day (February 13th because the 14th was booked out ) and it was probably one of the best local experiences I've had in Boston . Even though I have lived here my whole life, this is the first time I've actually stayed around Beacon Hill for a while and got to experience the neighborhood friendliness in addition to the welcoming staff. The café is just a 8 minute walk from the Charles/MGH station off of the Red Line and in the heart of Boston. With me and my +1's $10 credit combined, I got a chocolate croissant and a iced lavender latte, which was surprisingly tasty. The croissant was very fluffy and buttery and the lavender syrup in the latte wasn't overpowering the aroma of the coffee itself (I was too busy taking pictures of cats to include a picture ). It goes to show the café focuses on their cat and café experience. Also, since I have circumstances in which I am not allowed to have cats of my own, it was a very therapeutic experience to go somewhere where I could treat 16 cats like my own for one hour (as you can see with a couple of cat selfies). Not to mention, the hour flies by very fast . Now have more cats, you get the opportunity to both see them sleeping and interacting with them which was awesome for me to experience. The café does require you to sign some waivers prior to your appointment, but these cats don't seem likely to scratch you at all. Thank you Sanctuary Café for granting my dreams to play with cats.11/10 would come here again for my birthday if I can . read more

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I wanted to like this place, but for the cost it was not worth it to me. All of the employees were super nice and helpful, but I felt like the room was over-booked. For the money I paid, I expected for it to just be me and my guest, but there were multiple other groups and the cats were not having fun. Someone would try to engage a cat, the cat would reject the attention, the person would walk away, but then someone else would come up and do the exact same thing. Maybe we came at a time when most of the cats were generally less active, but in that case, the number of people who can book should be adjusted. In summary, The cat to person ratio was not right. Too many people competing for too few cats attention. The drinks were good but so small. The employees were great, but I feel like i got ripped off a little. Sorry read more

My daughter and I flew into Boston for just 6 hours before we had to fly out and still made time for this experience. I did not realize you needed to book an appointment at least a day in advance. But the owner heard me expressing my sadness about missing out and made an exception for us. Every single staff member was friendly and helpful. They keep the place clean for the cats and ensure all visitors know how to treat the cats well. The hour flew by and we didn't want to leave! The only thing I wish were different is for the cats to be a little friendlier. I know finding the perfect friendly cats for that environment could be difficult but many of the cats wanted nothing to do with humans. Which is okay because just looking at the cats brings joy to me. But nothing better than a lap cat or a cat who wants to rub against you begging for pets! read more

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Questionable ethics and terrible customer service What business arbitrarily refuses entry to someone with a diagnosis--with no mention of this practice in their terms and conditions, AND then still has the gall to insist on charging for that individual? A Sanctuary Cafe. I want to share a warning about this business's highly questionable practices. We will not be returning but I offer it in hope that it is useful to others. It seems from the reviews that I am not alone in this type of experience. Here is the background: We were celebrating a birthday, but one of our party of four--my son, had previously been diagnosed with COVID. Trying to be a good citizen I let the business know a day in advance. I made a fair and reasonable request--that my daughter be able to use his ticket, enabling her to stay for longer. I was happy to pay to stay with her too. They had multiple free slots available, so they would not be losing business. In fact, they would be gaining an additional entry fee from me. Once they heard that my son had a prior diagnosis of COVID, we were advised by email and in no uncertain terms that he was not welcome. There is no policy to this effect stated in their purchase agreement. In essence, therefore, he was denied access to a service that we had paid for. Legal? No. Not even close. For exclusion, the following conditions must be met: - The person must show visible, potentially contagious symptoms (e.g. coughing, sneezing). This was not the case. - The business must have a clear, consistently enforced policy for health-based exclusions. This was not the case. - The exclusion must be based on observable behavior, not medical assumptions. This was not the case. - Refund or alternative service (rescheduling) must be offered to avoid contract breach or discrimination claims. This was not the case. So to be clear: they deny my son access via email with no legal policy in place, but then refuse our reasonable request to use his admission payment for the later slot for my daughter citing "their policy." This is laughable. They seem obsessed with rules and inflexibility when it comes to their policy (no changes, no cancellations, no reschedules) and yet are clearly flexible with the law, in effect denying services that have been paid for, and where that denial is not governed by their T&C or any legally allowable exclusion. So here's the deal: - You will pay. - You will never be refunded within 72 hours, in any circumstances, no matter what. - You will never be able to reschedule within 72 hours, in any circumstances, no matter what. - You will however find that your admission is arbitrarily cancelled in whatever circumstances, seemingly dependent on the whims of the business, and even if that means breaking the law. Terrible. Why did I give 1 star? Well, I would have given 0 if I could, but the cats at least deserve 1. Because, well, they are cats, and gorgeous, and can do no wrong read more

Can you imagine how much they charge to pet cats and a drink? $20 tops? $25? No. FORTY DOLLARS. The area is cramped, it smells odd, and it's an utter rip off to pet cats in an area that basically avoid you. The $40 "complimentary tea" we got should be borderline illegal for being a scam. They tossed a tag bag into a cup. read more

This place is my happy place! There is limited seating but they always have great baked goods and I always try their new drinks when they get new seasonal drinks. I love watching the cats while I drink their amazing warm teas. Their interpretation of the London Fog called the Charles Fog was so warm and comforting. All the drinks I've tried are so good! The tabby cat drink my friend got was so amazing as well. Definitely worth a visit! read more

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