Starting with the positives, Vester always has the best variety of seasonal drinks. Every time I go, there's something new on the menu I have to try. Also, I'm a big fan of the Scandinavian decor and the woods chosen--super aesthetic! While the interior was neatly decorated, it's not the best place to get work done. There's a lack of direct lighting, with very few overhead lights. Most of the seats are bar stools, uncomfy to sit on for a long period of time, and they are all packed close together. And lastly, I'm not sure if I just went on a bad day, but the inside of the store felt as cold as it did outside (50 deg F). I ordered the lavender haze, a matcha latte with lavender syrup. Vester's lavender syrup is amazing, and I definitely got a strong whiff of that in my drink. The matcha flavor wasn't as strong, though. My drink had a large chunk of matcha sitting at the bottom, which was unpleasant--I ended up spending a few minutes scraping the bottom with my straw to mix it fully in. In terms of a "Vester price index", I was surprised this only came out to $5.88 after tax--Vester's known for rather expensive drinks. read more

Vester - Lavender haze (look at all the unmixed clumps at the bottom) - Cafes Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

fast service (got my latte in less than 3 min), average prices- $5 for a small (16oz) and $5.50 for a large (24 oz). they have unique flavors! and boba! was thinking about that coco ube syrup (.50 additional) but ended up skipping on it this time. nice open space with large windows :-) read more

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A fantastic cafe and addition to the Cambridge area! The seating arrangement is a little weird though. They don't seem to be fully optimizing the space that was previously used for Dumpling Daughter. The toasts are great. I love the extra touch of chives and lemon zest on top. I've been coming here everyday for breakfast lately. The Hong Kong milk tea and yinyang (which is supposed to be HK milk tea + coffee) though is not it. I like that it's an option, but if you're Cantonese, you can tell this is not HK milk tea just by the color of it. There's no black tea flavor (typically supposed to be a strong Ceylon tea) and it's mainly milk. I like that you can add lavender to it, but they'd be better off calling it lavender milk tea as to not fool anyone who's actually looking for a HK milk tea or yinyang. read more

Vester - avocado toast with tomatoes and milk tea (FYI, it does not taste like Hong Kong milk tea though) - Cafes Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Only had time for coffee, but it was absolutely delicious! Quick and fast service, with super friendly staff. Didn't have much time, but seems like a great atmosphere. Will be back to try the waffle sandwich! read more

Great café with the nicest baristas! I got a matcha (24oz) with lavender. Matcha is great, tastes like ceremonial matcha. Great for studying, though I was just visiting MIT. read more

Vester - Matcha latte 24oz - Cafes Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

A go-to for me whenever I am in Kendall Square! They have lots of unique drinks, seasonal flavors, and a variety of breakfast and lunch foods. I always order the hot honey grilled cheese with chicken and a strawberry matcha cloud latte. It does get busier during lunch time and it can be difficult to find a table but ordering to go is fast and easy. read more

Vester - Hot Honey Grilled Cheese with Chicken - Cafes Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Loved the drinks! I had the smoked salmon toast and the eggs were over cooked for my taste. The menu had great options for unique drinks so still worth checking out. read more

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A nice coffee shop in Kendall with some decent food options! Came here for a quick brunch on a weekend and it wasn't too crowded - they have a few menus at the front including one for drinks, sandwiches, and some pastries by the counter. I ordered a strawberry matcha cloud and a caprese sandwhich. The matcha drink was good, though the strawberry foam reminded me of strawberry yogurt flavor (would have been nice if it were more fresh). The sandwhich was great too but perhaps had a little too much balsamic dressing (to the point of making it a little too sour). Service was friendly and efficient! read more

Vester - Strawberry matcha cloud, caprese sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Vester has been around for many years by this point, since taking over the location of the excellent Ames St. Cafe. I've not had reason to come here too often, and so have held off judgment. However, my visit here this week has left me considerably disappointed. This is not a food or coffee review. You can find this elsewhere. This is specifically a wine review. I've known for years that Vester tries to be a European style cafe, serving both beer and wine. For many years, it seems that was successful. They still advertise beer and wine selections - though an actual menu is conspicuously absent. Furthermore, they offer private events with "one of Vester's ... certified sommeliers." So seems like ordering beer or wine should be fine. Alas, no. On inquiring about beer, I was informed they only had Stella. I finally went with the "white" option, which $12 and a 10-minute search for the corkscrew later yielded me a room temperature glass of white wine. The only reason this is not a one-star review is because the staff graciously refunded the cost of the wine when I pointed out that this was not acceptable. I don't know how business at Vester is doing, but failing on the high-margin sales of beer and wine is not a good sign. read more

Vester - Vester supposedly has "certified sommeliers". Guess they weren't around to make sure I wasn't served warm white wine. - Cafes Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cafe is super cute. Service is good. Drinks look cute but aren't good. Coffee IS NOT good. They had to remake mine 3 times and it still wasn't good. The cookies here are amazing! Food isn't great, better off getting it somewhere else. Also read your signs when you come to this place. For more of the conservative folks, this isn't the place to put your money. When I was there, some of my money from the things I bought proceeds to those women who need an abortion. So basically funding an abortion. read more

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The vibe is cool but the customer service from the lady with orange/red hair was unacceptable. She had such a bad attitude and very rude for no reason. Will not be going back just because of her. Food was cold coffee over priced. Not worth. Avoid if u can read more

My first time here and when I saw the food choices on the menu they all looked very delicious. The croissant I got was very fluffy, light and delicious. We got a vanilla and lavender latte and they were both very delicious. I would definitely come back for the coffee. However, I think the prices were very overpriced read more

Vester - Cafes Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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3.5 stars! I went with a friend for lunch during the week. The atmosphere is pretty cool and the staff are very nice. I got the buttermilk chicken ad avocado wrap. I wish the wrap had more sauce, but for the price it wasn't bad. read more

Everyone I know raves about Vester. I finally went and it was a HUGE letdown. The place was bustling for lunch. Long line & basically no seating. Service was fast & friendly tho. I ordered the chicken salad sandwich, and I usually love chicken salad. But this one was soo disappointing. It was falling apart--I got mayo all over my hands :(. The chicken salad itself didn't have any flavor, but I liked the hot honey aioli. The bread was too toasted & didn't mesh well with the liquidy filling. The chips on the side were fine, nothing special. At $12 (they've upped their prices), the sandwich was pretty small and wayyyy overpriced. Go to Flour instead for filling & much tastier sandwiches. read more

My toast was really good! Everything tasted fresh. The portions were very small and you need like 2-3 things on the menu to fill you up. I also got a Rice Krispie treat and it was a little hard but still good. I love that it's influenced by a neighborhood in Copenhagen. read more

Vester - Avocado toast - Cafes Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I came here before my doctor's appointment with hopes to have a quick bite and a delicious coffee. I ordered a cortado with oat milk and a kale salad (that comes with bacon). The salad was good- although I will say it was very basic which was surprising for this cafe. The cortado was delicious. I enjoyed the coffee quality a lot. I thought the cafe presentation was beautiful and the fancy idea to pour out glasses of waters for customers was thoughtful. The service was pleasant and friendly. I also did enjoy the interesting biotech conversations I was overheating near me. Since this cafe is right in the biotech center of Cambridge, this cafe is probably a regular hangout for workers and makes for a decent people watching spot haha I would come back here for a quick coffee and potential pastry if I was in the neighborhood. But, it is nothing I would go out of my way for. read more

Vester - Cafes Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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overall, vester has really unique food and coffee but is definitely way overpriced for a college student's budget and although everything is really yummy, cannot justify coming here often price wise the avocado toast was really good and the lemon zest adds such a unique twist! my favorite part was the bread- it was sooo toasty and crispy. this is a bit nitpicky but I did think there was a bit too much oil soaked in the toast for my preferences such that I didn't feel amazing after. the lavender latte with oatmilk is also a must! I should've got the 16 ounce instead of the 20 ounce though since it was a bit heavy. the first sip was really heavenly, but drinking the whole thing was a bit much. overall though, definitely recommend for a try! just don't know if I will come here extremely often because of the price point :/ read more

Vester - lavender latte - Cafes Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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If you enjoy FIKA in New York, then you'll probably find a place in your heart for Vester, also boasting Scandinavian roots. The cortado is my favorite in Cambridge other than at Curio, and the avocado toast with lemon zest is light yet refreshing. Not a huge fan of their HK milk tea, however, which was too foamy and lacked the thick sweetness of the traditional versions you can get in Chinatown (for a fraction of the price). read more

Vester - Cafes Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Great atmosphere and great service! I happily come here every morning before work and usually get a matcha latte. The baristas are quick and always smiling. read more

Cute place with wide variety of food and drink options. Service is fast and friendly. Good for working if you don't mind music. I thought everything was just fine but I also forgot to say my usual modifications. read more

Vester is an elevated cafe. The food is really great. The bread on their avocado toast is toasted and a great texture, it's not soggy. I also got their B.L.A.T. wrap, but made it a sandwich. The sauce was delicious! I wish there was a Vester by where I live on the west coast. I'd go all the time. read more

They just dropped a new pumpkin latte, and it tastes amazing. I would highly tout their customer service. I got the chance to strike up a conversation with some of them, and I could tell how much they cared for the service of their customers. This is a business that really prioritizes the customer. Beyond that, the cafe is very cute and has a great atmosphere to work in. I will be coming back to try more of the drinks and menu items. read more

This sandwich was deliciousssss It's usually made with brioche but they ran out so I got it on a croissant. The cheese was perfectly melty and the egg perfectly runny. The slightly sweet matcha latte was a perfect balance to the salty sandwich. Would go again! read more

Vester - Egg and cheese sandwich with smoked salmon, matcha latte - Cafes Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Loved the waffle sandwich and avocado toast. Quick, easy, delicious and reasonably priced. read more

Vester - Cafes Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Vester is very cute and has a fun menu! I spent a few hours working here on a Friday afternoon. There's not a ton of seating but we were able to find seats. Excellent specials (we tried several of their summer specials: the ube cloud matcha latte, strawberry cloud matcha latte, and iced oreo latte were all incredibly delicious and unique) and tasty sandwiches. It's similarly priced to other Boston-area cafes (meaning sandwiches in the $10-15 range). If you're looking for a slightly pretentious but very fun, tasty, and pleasant cafe, Vester is a great option. read more

Sad that this was underwhelming. Hoping it was an off day bc the menu concepts and ideas are so good. Execution is where the downfall is. Drinks: The iced ube Hong Kong milk tea was good! We enjoyed that with whole milk. Would have loved a bit more ube taste. We also tried the iced Fruit Pebble Matcha with oat milk and that tasted like literal cereal water. I wish the matcha was stronger bc I felt like I couldn't taste it at all, my gf said she tasted a hint. Food: We tried the Brussel salad sandwich which was actually pretty good! Dressing was flavorful. Interesting concept but actually a lot better than we imagined. We also had the prosciutto di Parma which would have been delish but the construction of the sandwich felt careless. Mozzarella chunks were unevenly cut and shoved in between balls of prosciutto and randomly sliced tomato. The glaze was so good and I wanted more of it but there was only glaze on the top. Eating it as a sandwich meant taking bites of bread and only tomato or bread and only prosciutto. I ended up taking it apart and layering it myself. The bread was the star for the sandwiches. Crisp and fresh baguettes! Both sandwiches came with homemade chips. I also got the ube Rice Krispie. When I asked about it, the girl behind the register said it was an ube Coconut Rice Krispie which sounded delish but when I received it it was actually not coconut but Oreo topped. It was fine. It was soft but tasted like a regular home made Krispie. Barely picked up on the ube. Overall, ingredients were fresh and good quality but it is pricey. read more

Vester - Prosciutto di Parma & Brussel salad sandwiche - Cafes Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Super cute cafe, great for a quick bite in the morning! The coffee tastes pretty similar to Starbucks, but the iced lavender latte was probably the highlight of my meal. I also got the truffle turkey club which was delicious, but the sauce tends to seep out of the holes in the bread. Overall a good ambience, but nothing mind-blowing!! read more

Vester - Truffle turkey club - Cafes Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Cute little spot to have breakfast at. I had the lox bagel sandwich which was very tasty. They have espresso based drinks as well. read more

Vester - Cafes Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Decent food but they haven't figured out how to do online ordering correctly. They moved the pick up area to the dining room, which is where they're busy working on catering orders in the morning, and they don't actually put your food anywhere accessible. They also don't use Toast's feature of telling you when the food is ready. I finally had to get someone and point to my food on the shelf in the kitchen and by then it had been sitting for 10 minutes and was cold. read more

Friendly staff and beautiful space. Latte is creamy and the egg waffle was the perfect combo of salty and sweet. Excited to try their sandwiches and seasonal drinks next time read more

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Stumbled upon this place on my way to a job interview. I saw that it was a new place and had a cool cafe vibe. It shares space with Dumpling Daughter but they are pretty strict about sitting on the side you ordered from. I got the Mikes Hot Honey Grilled Cheese + avocado. Wow wow wow SO GOOD. The bread was perfectly toasted and the mix of sweet and salty was fantastic. Seating is limited but they have lots of counter seating and a few tables with chairs. There is free WiFi and the staff is super friendly and can make recommendations or accommodate any changes to your order. On my second visit here, I got the Avocado Toast. It's lightly dressed with olive oil, sea salt, chives and lemon zest. It was another delish plate. I'm in serious trouble because I got the job and I think I'll be here a lot. read more

Vester - Cafes Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

A lovely addition to the MIT neighborhood and a good study spot! I've been here a couple times and tried a few drinks; they have a spiced chai latte that is very lightly sweet (unlike most), as well as some more esoteric options, like a hot honey latte and vietnamese coffee. Prices are reasonable. They also have food, and they are connected to Dumpling Daughter next door. The sister restaurants are owned by actual sisters! Looking forward to trying more stuff and happy to add this place to my rotation, which previously consisted mainly of Flour. read more

Nothing special, despite other postings. To each their own. To start, we ordered a coffee and a chai latte, and both had little to no flavor and extremely watered down. Perhaps the other specialty drinks are better? But idk...considering the basic of drinks were subpar. For brunch, we ordered the croissant prosciutto with poached egg, and the avocado toast. Both dishes came out cold and unseasoned (not even a little bit of salt and pepper). Random note, noticed food packaging from Costco in their kitchen lol. Overpriced for what you get and the lack of flavor. read more

This is a very special coffee shop in Kendall square and Cambridge. Vester cafe really feels like a community space even during Covid and they're committed to creating super tasty and fresh food to Kendall sq and the neighboring offices. Nicole, Cayla and the rest of the staff are so sweet. I feel very grateful to know them and am always rooting for their success. My fav things to order are the turkey + Brie sandwich, any of the toasts, the revival (such a great combo, and their general coffee selection. The new Vester@Home options have been super fun and tasty to try out too. These are frozen ready-made meals with quality ingredients that you can have for later. It shows how much care Nicole puts into her business. Support local business and go check them out !! read more

Excellent lavender latte; rich and delicious . Highly recommended when in Cambridge. read more

Vester is an absolute GEM! I go to Vester Southie at least 3 times a week and can't get enough of the cookie butter latte. The staff there is unmatched and the vibes are immaculate, always! You wont be disappointed at Vester! read more

The smoked salmon scrambled eggs toast and the oat milk steamer at Vester are both very delicious. The toast is a good texture (the bread is sourced from Iggy's, which I like). The scrambled eggs are soft (not rubbery like at some places) and topped with a sprinkle of Cyprus lava flake salt, which enhances the smoked salmon's flavor. I thought this was quite a good touch to the dish. Unsolicited suggestion: Perhaps also give customers an option to add a layer of fresh micro-greens between the smoked salmon and the scrambled eggs. I could also see hot honey being drizzled on this (see below for additional discussion of hot honey). The oat milk steamer is quite different from other beverages I've had. It has a bit of heat from the "hot honey" (spicy honey), which they also sell in the store. This is a good, warming drink for spring, fall, or winter. Unsolicited suggestion: Perhaps also give customers an option where toasted oats are whipped/emulsified in for added texture. I went on a Saturday morning when it was quiet, and the owner prepared my dish and also took time to respond to my questions about the cafe: it's a place inspired by her travels and specifically by Danish food principles (fresh ingredients, locally sourced, and minimally processed). The price is quite steep but not beyond what one would expect for the Kendall Square/MIT area and Boston/Cambridge generally. read more

Vester - The Specials - Cafes Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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tl;dr: cute cafe with a creative, reasonably-priced menu and great atmosphere/friendly staff I stopped by Vester last week, looking for a change from the Starbucks down the street and curious about this place that Yelp confirmed was new to the area. I was keeping my expectations low - I thought that it might be your typical hipster coffee shop that sells drinks that aren't worth the price, but I was really pleasantly surprised by the affordability and creativity in the menu. I will note that I haven't tried any food here, but the options do look surprisingly appealing and substantial for what seems to be a drink-focused place. As for the drinks, the menu is divided: there are coffee-based, espresso-based, and tea-based drinks - with some mixtures between the categories. For example, they have a Yinyang drink that's a mixture of coffee and milk tea, as well as their signature drink, the Camo, which is part espresso and part matcha with a little bit of white chocolate. I got the Camo when I went and it was fantastic! The matcha quality seems to be pretty high so it didn't get overwhelmed by the espresso, and the white chocolate addition made the drink just sweet enough without becoming a dessert, while picking up the flavor a bit from the bitter main components. I definitely plan on going back and doing my best to make my way through their menu, particularly their more creative options that I haven't seen elsewhere - which should take a little while since there are quite a few! read more

Vester - Inside the cafe later in the afternoon - Cafes Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Great new addition to Cambridge! Atmosphere: Cute and trendy coffee shop/cafe, with a separate back room for if you want to get some work done or meet up with friends. Service: Friendly and attentive! I was able to score some free chocolate chip bread pudding during one of my visits. Food: Great selection of drinks and unique sandwiches. Prices are slightly expensive but comparable to other Cambridge cafes in the area, so it doesn't make a huge difference. I've tried their lattes and Turkey (sub Tempeh) sandwiches, which were both delicious! I also tried a sip of their Chai Latte, which I'm definitely going to get on my next visit. I'm excited to come back and explore more of their menu, especially their famed grilled cheese sandwich! read more

Very good sandwiches. The staff are very nice too. Price feels slightly high but not unreasonably so.