CSCA Cafe — Restaurant in Cambridge

Updated review 4/25/2025: I've been to CSCA Cafe a couple more times since they officially opened, and I've had a better experience each time!

There are always different types of pastries and entremets available --the selection is always changing. There are more drinks available now too --seasonal flavors like matcha raspberry latte and iced tea lemonade. The drinks are reasonably priced at $4-6 and they are not too sweet. I've enjoyed the matcha raspberry latte and chai latte and look forward to trying more.

The entremets are really good, and a steal at $6.50! I loved the raspberry vanilla entremet which had three layers of crunchy pastry, berry jam, and cake inside of a light white chocolate mousse. I didn't like the raspberry chocolate tart much, but I'm definitely going to try more entremets.

They also have day old pastry grab bags for $7.50. I'm so glad to have CSCA Cafe in the neighborhood -- truly a gem! Limited opening hours is the only downside.

Original review Feb 2025: I've been eagerly awaiting CSCA Cafe's opening, so was excited to go to their soft opening. The interior has limited seating -- 8 chairs -- and is a bit cramped, but is decorated well and inviting.

We got the ham and cheese croissant and the chocolate croissant (both $4.75). I liked the ham and cheese in the croissant -- good flavor and a good amount of ham. The croissant itself was more bready than flaky, but it was still pretty good. The chocolate croissant had a good amount of chocolate (3 sticks!) and was more flaky, but not as much as I'd like. Overall I'd say these were good but there are definitely other croissants in the area that I would prefer.

We also got the hot chocolate which was pretty good and not too sweet.

They sell frozen ready to bake croissants (and will eventually have additional pastries) for $14.99 for 4 croissants with filling. I'd definitely want to try getting these and seeing how they taste fresh out of the oven! They also sell some chocolates and other items made by alums. Pretty pricey, but it's cool...

Really interesting café run by the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts.

Never been to a café or restaurant directly operated by a culinary school before, so when I heard CSCA had a public-facing spot, I had to check it out. While it doesn’t carry the prestige of places like CIA or Le Cordon Bleu, CSCA has produced some respected chefs in the Northeast, and it seemed like this café was a low-key way to showcase that talent—or maybe even function as a training ground. Either way, most of what I tried was great.

They had a solid selection of croissants and sweets, and they sourced drinks from top-notch local vendors like George Howell Coffee and MEM Tea. My favorites so far have been the chocolate croissant, ham & cheese croissant, and their London Fog. The croissants don’t quite reach the flakiness of Iggy’s (my favorite local bakery), but they’re wonderfully buttery, fresh, and satisfying. However, the Honey Butter Cube Croissant was a complete miss. Too dense, under-filled, and oddly dry. We couldn’t make it past a few bites.

Bonus points for the outdoor patio though, which is a rarity in this part of North Cambridge. If you’re looking for a peaceful, low-key café experience with high-level pastry game, this spot is...

I’ve been blessed to encounter this place! I got to go with friends and the friend who has introduced this to us has shared of how special this place is for it to be an extension of a culinary school! All the baked goods looked so good - and I was tempted to try them all. We were able to share three unique pastries all with an aesthetically pleasing and delicious take of the flavors raspberry, coffee, and mango. Friends got the strawberry matcha latte and hibiscus lemonade. Drinks were equally delicious! The service is kind and friendly. I hope the cafe grows to accommodate more seating! The limited seating was the only downside that I would state. Thank you to all the students, teachers, and staff who work here!!

The menu here is indeed fresh and...