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    Phinista Cafe

    4.3 (45 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 1 week ago

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    Phinista Cafe Photos

    PHINISTA CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Phinista Cafe

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    sea salt coffee
    Ilmaa H.

    They currently have a $3 coffee deal between 8am-10am. We tried the regular and the sea salt vietnamese coffee. I got the regular one less sweet, which I think meant they just added less condensed milk which resulted in basically an americano. I wish I could have still had a creamy drink, just less sugary, but I get it. The sea salt cream was also decent, and for $3 it can't be beat. The cafe is great to do some work from. There is a variety of seating and outlets. I even tried a taro bun and it was pretty tasty. You definitely need some carbs to go with the super acidic vietnamese coffee.

    Pandan cheesecake Ube tiramisu
    Evelyn W.

    Really enjoyed the drinks I had here! The kyoto fog was delicious and their matcha tastes good. The desserts I got were okay, they didn't have a strong ube or pandan flavor like I thought they would. Really interested in trying their coffees and other pastries.

    London Fog, Pandan Matcha Latte
    Thao L.

    The drinks were REALLY good!! Their kyoto fog is to die for and their matcha lattes are really bomb. But their pandan and ube flavor are really bland and you can't taste it in drinks or pastries. Their pastries are mid though so you can go without.

    Maple 5 Spice Latte.
    Lindsey H.

    Loved it here! A cute little cafe with a good amount of seating if you want to work or just stop in for a quick drink they have space for it all. They have a pretty solid menu with bites, pastries, and of course multiple drink options. I'll give them a couple of extra points for their taste in music. It was a really nice vibe in there. The service was standard. They were a tad busy, so it took a while for my drink, but the food was ready almost immediately.

    Ayatt A.

    This is such a cute cafe with lots of seating and natural sunlight. The staff working are so nice and are willing to explain different drinks to you. I had a strawberry matcha and got one of the vietnamese inspired coffees for my mom. We both loved our drinks and thought the quality of ingredients used was excellent. Can't wait to come back!

    Ube Cheesecake (Gluten Free)
    Nat B.

    One of my favorite cafes in Cambridge! It is a cute little Viet cafe that sells multi-Asian food fare and beverages, and it is conveniently located next to Porter Square. I got their Ube Matcha Latte with Whole Milk and Ube Cheesecake, and they are both authentically ube and delicious! They have several seating areas ranging from high top tables to couches. Near the entrance, there is a community board area, where people can post advertisements and event fliers. It's great that a cafe has a space for people to share what's going on in the community. Also, they used to have a piano, but it looks like it has since been replaced with a table. They play chill music in the background, great for getting work done, and they also have free fast Wi-Fi. There are cute Polaroids of the staff and artwork on the pillar that I enjoy looking at.

    Grilled BBQ Pork Banh Mi & Iced Saigonese Sea Salt Phin
    Connie L.

    Phinista is a great addition to Porter Square - It's the perfect spot for a cozy cafe day. They're very busy, so you'll have better luck finding a spot on the weekdays compared to the weekends. In terms of the menu, their Iced Saigonese is the most popular drink and for good reason. It's a bold coffee combined with a salty & sweet cold foam. Very delicious. I think their banh mis are good but not great. The bread is nicely toasted, but the pork was a tad dry. Otherwise the flavors are decent. Staff is nice too, they're very sociable and helpful.

    Cold brew with orange cold foam
    Niamh M.

    Nice cold brew with orange cold foam! Giving 4/5 because it was $8 which is very expensive! Will go back to try the biscoff cheesecake but will get a different coffee, $8 is a bit much

    Banana bread pudding iced matcha latte
    Casey A.

    I love the matcha at this cafe. In full disclosure, I've only had the matcha and one pastry, so I can't speak to the actual savory food. But I'll give the cafe 5 stars for the matcha alone. I love that the matcha is whisked for every order, and you can control your sweetness level. I've had just a plain matcha and it's the perfect level of grassiness/not bitter. I also tried their banana bread pudding matcha, and it might be my favorite thing ever. It's slightly sweet and a little salty. I would warn that every time I've stopped in, it's been really busy on the weekend so there may not be available seating. However, definitely recommend!

    Ube matcha latte
    Alyanna T.

    My partner and I shared an ube matcha latte and nutella walnut cookie - TASTE: 5/5 - wasn't expecting much ube from the latte, but the flavor was actually there! And the sweet Nutella and contrasting walnut hit the spot. Curious to try their food TEXTURE: 4/5 - satisfying cookie w creamy Nutella and crunchy walnut pieces PRICE: 4/5 - paid $13 total SERVING SIZE: 4/5 - the cookie we got was smaller than the one on display, but otherwise satisfied our post-lunch sweet treat craving SERVICE: 4/5 - walked in at 1:30pm on a Saturday and the space was packed w almost every seat taken. Drink was ready 5min after ordering ATMOSPHERE: 4/5 - cafe vibe w lots of students and cozy touches PARKING: 4/5 - got a metered street spot on Mass Ave

    Lemongrass Steak Banh MiLemongrass
    Tiffany C.

    Been hearing great things about this new spot and wanted to check it out! Great ambiance with nice music playing - definitely hard to get seats on a weekend and most seats are communal. Long line when we arrived so we ordered online which was the wrong move haha, our order ended up taking much longer because we didn't just order at the counter. Staff was kind albeit stressed! Matcha is authentic and a good portion. I tried the strawberry matcha and appreciated that they used real strawberries The sandwich is decent but mine may have suffered from getting caught in the rain Saw someone with a delicious looking plate eating in, if I return I'll have to give that a try!

    Karla C.

    I am obsessed with matcha lattes and have tried a bunch of coffee shops in the Cambridge/Boston area and Phinista is my #1 go-to spot. Service is always great and staff are friendly. Drinks always come out fast. My go-to is an iced matcha latte with oat milk, 50% sweetness. Their matcha is ceremonial grade and the perfect strength. At other places I usually have to ask to double the matcha, but here their 5 gram serving is perfect. It's hand whisked and not a prepped concentrate which is important. Have also tried their rice bowls and breakfast croissants and loved both. Ooh and their cinnamon rolls are so yummy! Atmosphere is a cute vibe. Couches are available to sit at as well as high top counters which you can sit at to people watch, and other tables and chairs. It's usually busy, but I can always find a table to work at. WiFi is available which is also a plus. May sometimes be spotty though. Overall, love this spot.

    Michelle T.

    I ordered the ca phe trung (egg coffee). It had a very very unpleasant smell and taste to it. I've tried this many times in Vietnam and other cafes and it is NOT supposed to taste like this. Also, comparing to other pictures my drink doesn't look anything like them regardless of being takeout. I took a couple sips and threw the drink away at home. Staff need some retraining.

    Mom's Tofu Salad Bowl

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    Pakkapol S.

    Happy hour will be coming sooooon! Thanks for great comment Kim!

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    Ask the Community - Phinista Cafe

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    Phinista Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated August 2026

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