Algiers Coffee House

by Allix T.

Come hither children and let me offer you some sage advice and instruction. Now listen carefully - I'm going to offer you secrets to a perfect summer afternoon and evening. Listen closely - I'll only tell you this once...Arrive at Algiers around 5/6 on a Saturday or Sunday and you'll notice the downstairs patio area seems crowded. Disregard - you can't imbibe there anyway.  Move on in, say "hello" to the charming staff, grab a menu, and walk on upstairs. Exit the staircase but keep going - look for the natural light. Ah, here you are. The roof deck.Grab a seat, wave down a server, order up some provisions (I'd suggest a pot of gunpowder green tea or the adult beverage of your choosing and a plate of baba ghanoush). Settle back (don't lean against the building though - little green and red beetles will take kindly to you). Go ahead, lounge, and spy on the happenings of Brattle Street below.Ease back, settle down, and take some time to unwind and recharge before moving back into the hectic summer routine of barbecues, parades, parties, concerts, grilled babies, and other affairs...

by Whytnee B.

A friend dragged me here with the warning that the service was pokey but it had good coffee... Well it turned out the service was fine, and I didn't even have coffee.I ordered the falafel platter with fries. Really really good. Fries were decent, and the salad was edible (unusual for a side salad shoved onto a dinner plate). My friend ordered the hummus app and it was great, and the pitas were super fresh and good.We opted for the outdoor seating, which was a little cramped but perfect for a sunny autumn Sunday.

by Shelly A.

Normally I wouldn't review a restaurant after only getting a cappuccino, but considering they call themselves a "Coffee House," I figure it's fair game. It was, in fact, one of my stops on my search for the best cappuccino in Boston.I walked in and wasn't really sure where to go. There were barista stations on either side of me, a wine beer bar in front of me, and an area for sitting wayyy in the back. A waitress nearly body-checked me and spilled most of a tray of water as she walked into the kitchen.A friendly young lady came out from behind on of the espresso bars and asked what I would like. I told her I'd like a triple wet cappuccino to go. She giggled nervously and replied, "I... don't know what that means." So I coached her a bit ("three shots of espresso, go a little wet on the foam") and stood back, expecting that this was going to be a complete disaster.A couple of minutes later she came out from behind the bar with a very short cup (I mean, smaller than a Starbucks "tall"), which seemed weird since I'd gotten three shots, but I guess those were their only to-go cups. It came to $5.20 (PARDON?!?!?!) and she actually had to ask another server to go into her purse to get change for my $20. Again, she was very sweet, but that was just a little strange... I kind of felt badly for using a big bill, but hey, it's Harvard Square; they should be kind of used to that, and prepared to give change.Now, on to tasting what I was sure would be an pitiful for excuse for a confused cappuccino... and (drumroll)... it was really good! Even though the barista had had NO idea what I was talking about, she ended up making exactly what I wanted. Given, she should have known what my order was in the first place, but winging it with a single sentence of advice and making it perfectly takes talent. So I really have to give her credit.I was still disappointed that it was so small for a triple (and for a COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS PRICE), but it was definitely a nice drink. They use pretty good espresso, too. It went really nicely with a couple of cupcakes from Sweet down the street. :)A confusing and confused place, but in the end it turned out okay. I also took a peek at the menu and it looked great and authentic, but that's for another day...

by Katelyn M.Chris P.Venu N.J R.Lakshmi G.

I came here on a rainy afternoon because I heard its a nice place to eat lunch and study (or in my case write). It was a great suggestion. I sat upstairs and ordered the lamb kabob "sandwich" that comes wrapped in a pita. It was around $9 without tip -- a bit more than I'd pay for a normal lunch by myself -- but it was absolutely delicious. The lamb was tender and I licked up every bit of tahini sauce that came with it!  It even came with a small side salad!I'll return to try to the mint coffee, which has received rave reviews.As a Naval Officer, I have been to the Arabian Gulf a few times and even lived in the island country of Bahrain for a spell - so I feel like I have an idea what I am talking about when it comes to the kinds of food that Algiers serves.  With that said, I must add:They served me the best hummus I've ever had.I could not stop eating it, I actually asked the server if they put crack in it.  It was simply amazing, great body, texture, subtle flavors - it was drool-inducingly delicious.  Srsly.  Go get some right now.  Do it.Other than that I had a chicken kebab "sandwich", which is really a wrap-ish sort of thing.  The vegetables were all fresh, delicious, lightly flavored by the sauce and chicken - all very good.  I ate every bite, and remarked that if my vegetables were always as good as the ones I had there, I would eat a ton more of them.Overall a great food experience, the locale itself is unique and fun, intimate and inviting.  Yes, it's not "Harvard" - but why do you want all the places to be the same?  Once inside Algiers, you feel like you could be in a restaurant on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.Service is not amazing, but the drinks and food are.Boo!  Way to simply destroy my earlier characterization of Harvard as a remarkably photogenic campus.  I am not sure whether Algier's is the exception or the rule.  But, in any event, it certainly had a different "look" than the other places I visited today.  Points off for the initially brusque service as well.  While I understand that it is annoying when someone sits down and plays on the Internet all day, I'm not that customer (believe it or not, in between Yelp reviews, I am getting a ton accomplished today).  I actually BUY stuff.  In this case, I even bought a couple of beverages spaced over time.  Why?  Because I'm not an asshole like that.  The hot apple cider here is relatively remarkable.  Each cup is served with a generous cinnamon stick which thoroughly infuses the hot cider.  The result is a wonderful apple cinnamon treat that soothes the body.  Algiers is definitely the largest spot that I have visited today.  As far as a place to conduct work, it is a bit louder than Tealuxe (despite the fact that Algiers had classical music flowing as opposed to mainstream rock).  There are probably a few more plugs here than at Crema or Tealuxe.  The work space is fine.  Still, if you are going to conduct work, try and go before 5 PM.  Algiers is definitely the ugly duckling (in more ways than one) of the Harvard coffee shop scene.  Still, it makes excellent beverages and is serviceable as a place to finish work.  I would recommend it if Tealuxe and Crema are already full.I've been hanging out in Harvard Square for 20 years, and have seen a lot of great coffee shops come and go, so the fact that I only recently discovered one of the best remaining cafes in the city is... shameful. Considering how many years I drank away at Casablanca's downstairs, I feel like a complete retard for missing the perfect study cafe above. SERVERS: Just the way I like 'em: Quick to take orders, competent, and not too chatty. Service can be slow, but it's a poky cafe, so it's nice that they're not pissy if you have to track them down because they're a little laissez-faire. I did have one super-friendly waitress who was a little off-putting (I haven't come to expect smiles at Algiers), but she brought my sammich fast and didn't stab and SWF me so it turned out okay. FOOD: By which I mean coffee. REALLY good coffee. I drink whatever swill they give me so I can hole up for a few hours of studying, and I'm always pleasantly surprised when I take the first sip of Algiers. The strawberry smoothie thing and the falafel wrap are also tasty. ATMOSPHERE: A little cramped, but that adds to the European feel I love so much. No annoying music, which is welcome after the 1369 Gwar Experience. Occasionally annoying Harvard kids talking at the top of their lungs like they're interviewing for another consulting job, but they seem to do that in most of the cafes around town, so no points off for Algiers.Obviously, this is a great, classic old-school HS coffee shop that everyone knows and loves, and I'm just late to the party. But that's okay, because I'm staying and inviting my friends.This place is pretty awesome -- firstly its pretty gorgeous on the inside - despite the fact that you could totally pass it by from the outside -- i went here with someone I kind of sort of hardly knew -- and that part of the experience was rather miserable - but despite having not so great company -- i stlll think back to the cafe and think wow that place was awesome - i had a filafel! :P and it was so so good - lots of exciting things on the menu and lots of really great deepdark wood and the decor is awesome -- bottom line - cafe algiers is a hidden gemin harvard square -- and the perfect place to go if you have to subject yourself to bad company!

by Allison L.

Beautiful cafe in a wonderful location. Sweet service, slightly elevated prices, a convoluted second floor. It's got my heart.

by Marcos R.

First time I went to this place I had a first date with this absolutely beautiful and intelligent but equally crazy Greek girl I fell in love with for a little while. She was such a disappointment that I should hate anything that reminds me of her, but Algiers is just too good to be blamed on.Let's start with the location... can't get better than that! Just a few steps from Harvard Sq. Station. Next is its architecture. I consider myself no expert North African or Andalusian architecture, but the place does seem to transport you a bit to a cozy house in the Sahara. And then there's mergasa, a lamb sausage pitta sandwich that's absolutely delicious. Of course their minted coffee and  tea are above the bar.

by Sara M.

I love this place- they have the best coffee in the Boston area (so smooth and rich), and it is a wonderful place to hang out.  You never feel rushed... but don't expect to get in and out quickly, either!As for the food, their hummus and falafal are delicious.  The only thing I would not recommend here are their crepes, which are nothing like traditional french crepes.  The ones here are very large and doughy, as opposed to the delicate and thin.  They aren't bad, just not great either.

by Ellie W.

Algiers is a quirkly little coffee house in Harvard Sq...great place to grab a coffee/tea with a friend. My friend introduced me to it as her favorite coffee house, and I can see why--it's a somewhat eclectic atmosphere inside, and it's a place you can go to just drink coffee and read for a bit.I normally sit upstairs--they've got outdoor seating, you get a nice view of Harvard Sq. They have a really good mint coffee...I get it every time I go to Algiers!

by Venu N.

Boo!  Way to simply destroy my earlier characterization of Harvard as a remarkably photogenic campus.  I am not sure whether Algier's is the exception or the rule.  But, in any event, it certainly had a different "look" than the other places I visited today.  Points off for the initially brusque service as well.  While I understand that it is annoying when someone sits down and plays on the Internet all day, I'm not that customer (believe it or not, in between Yelp reviews, I am getting a ton accomplished today).  I actually BUY stuff.  In this case, I even bought a couple of beverages spaced over time.  Why?  Because I'm not an asshole like that.  The hot apple cider here is relatively remarkable.  Each cup is served with a generous cinnamon stick which thoroughly infuses the hot cider.  The result is a wonderful apple cinnamon treat that soothes the body.  Algiers is definitely the largest spot that I have visited today.  As far as a place to conduct work, it is a bit louder than Tealuxe (despite the fact that Algiers had classical music flowing as opposed to mainstream rock).  There are probably a few more plugs here than at Crema or Tealuxe.  The work space is fine.  Still, if you are going to conduct work, try and go before 5 PM.  Algiers is definitely the ugly duckling (in more ways than one) of the Harvard coffee shop scene.  Still, it makes excellent beverages and is serviceable as a place to finish work.  I would recommend it if Tealuxe and Crema are already full.

by Chris P.

As a Naval Officer, I have been to the Arabian Gulf a few times and even lived in the island country of Bahrain for a spell - so I feel like I have an idea what I am talking about when it comes to the kinds of food that Algiers serves.  With that said, I must add:They served me the best hummus I've ever had.I could not stop eating it, I actually asked the server if they put crack in it.  It was simply amazing, great body, texture, subtle flavors - it was drool-inducingly delicious.  Srsly.  Go get some right now.  Do it.Other than that I had a chicken kebab "sandwich", which is really a wrap-ish sort of thing.  The vegetables were all fresh, delicious, lightly flavored by the sauce and chicken - all very good.  I ate every bite, and remarked that if my vegetables were always as good as the ones I had there, I would eat a ton more of them.Overall a great food experience, the locale itself is unique and fun, intimate and inviting.  Yes, it's not "Harvard" - but why do you want all the places to be the same?  Once inside Algiers, you feel like you could be in a restaurant on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.Service is not amazing, but the drinks and food are.