Verveine Cafe

As a gluten-free person, I cannot say enough about how great Verveine is. I've had a multitude of their offerings and each time, I've been amazed. It is also inspiring that pastries and breads can taste so good that I've been doing more baking at home. I've stopped by when they originally opened and since then I've returned plenty of times. I'm a big fan of their bread selection such as their pita bread as well as baguettes. I haven't tried any of their grain bowls or sandwiches, but I really enjoy their pastry selection. Their chocolate chip cookie in my opinion is the best in the greater Boston area. Service has always been pleasant and besides their opening, I don't usually wait a terrible amount of time. I like their seating selection, primarily by their windows, as it's aesthetically pleasing for photo ops. It's always buzzing inside and their outdoor seats are great too during the summer. I'm looking forward to seeing what they make next as they continue to offer a variety of goods like pizza rolls and churros.

Unbelievably cute rustic yet chic coffee house feel. Booming on the weekend, yet the line out the door was surprisingly quick. 20 minutes probably less. Staff was great. Servers are cheerful even through the mobs of people. Busy busy busy on the weekend. Still very pleasant atmosphere. Lots of seating even with the line wrapped around the perimeter walls. So many pastry choices that are far outside the norm--I love it. Will come back to try more for sure!Though I was pleased with the pastry selections we made, I was underwhelmed by the entrees. They all LOOKED great. Served with a smile. Fantastic plating.red kuri ricotta toast - very overpowering in citrus. And everything is cold. Weirds my taste buds. But my partner enjoyed it.maitake congeethai chicken sausage was good, couldn't really taste the caramelized onion which I was hoping for. Mushrooms didn't do much. Otherwise, congee is a little dull. Wished for some more zest. More umami. Egg was rubbery and lifeless. Couldn't taste it. moni's spicy chili biscuit - the non spicy "spicy chili jam" was dull, fluffy scramble was nice but just salty--no spice or differentiating flavor. Arugula in a dry sandwich just hurts. There was the tiniest single sliver of avocado. Since there was no savory portion of the sandwich, the biscuit was just dry and unaccompanied. I sound harsh here--it's definitely a "good" breakfast sandwich. But it feels like it could be so much better with a little flavor profiling and heightened spice choices. I actually enjoyed the taste of the Thai chicken sausage with the biscuit more. So I guess I wanted a more savory experience with the spicy chili biscuit than what I was left with. That could be my bias as I adore cheese on my egg sammies--something to combat the dry, airy space of floury bread items. Again, it's my taste preferences overpowering the review. Their execution is fine, and it's a decent offering. Just doesn't wow in taste as it does in look and feel.The winner that was not pictured: the caramel corn cookie! Now that had a salty sweet molasses punch from flavor town!Will come back to try other items FOR SURE. Especially their VAST array of decadent pastry selections And again their vibe and layout is quaint, weekend comfy -- and their staff are incredibly nice even through the mobs of folks pouring in.

I once thought I had celiac... so I decided I would cut gluten from my diet. Going on that diet was the hardest thing I could do. I told myself I couldn't do it because baked goods were my love of my life, and I just tend to love things with gluten in them. I got tested turns out I'm not celiac probs just a little on the spectrum of gluten intolerant. But anyways, I retract my statement that I couldn't do go gluten-free because now Verveine exists, and BOY IT IS SOO GOOD. Even if I wasn't gluten-free I would just come here to eat the gluten-free baked goods are everything.What I ordered:Maitake Congee:4.5/5It was surprisingly unique and good. I would say if congee had a baby with mushroom risotto, this would be it. A dish that is traditionally Chinese, but with a western twist. It had some parmesan and caramelized onions with it, which surprisingly complemented the dish. The maitake mushrooms in it were also really good and full of flavor. The Thai sausage in the congee and egg made the dish very hearty overall and very filling for one person. The only con:There was like I think a chili oil drizzle, but it just wasn't doing too much (lack of flavor).Ube brownie: Can't even rate... (do yourself a favor and just get it.... it's a must)I tried a sample. And right off the bat, I had to get it. It was soft and moist and everything you want from a brownie.Strawberry and cream choux5/5The choux were also very good and couldn't even tell it was gluten free. on the inside the was strawberry jam and a yogurt like cream. The filling was giving me a flash back to those Danimal yogurt cups (ifykyk) but make it elevated. That stuff was delicious. Service:Pretty quick. Got my food in less than 15 minutes. Self-service for water.Ambiance:Was pretty busy around 11:40 am. Waited in line for about 10 minutes. Seating inside and outside.

Verveine does have delicious pastries, I was just concerned from my visit today about the abundance of fruit flies on all of the pastries that were on display. I saw a few of them stuck on the cream of some pastries as well I hope they invest in some covers or fans to keep the flies away! The line was also pretty long around lunch time, so make sure to have ample time when you come. I waited about 20 minutes before I got to order. The pastries also are not cheap, each cookie is about $5.25 but are pretty tasty. They also have good gluten free options!

As I am a gluten loving person I did not rush out to try Verveine when it first opened. Having now seen the crowds calm down during the weekend breakfast rush hour I ventured in to check their offerings. While I only tried the gruyere and cheese hand pie I don't regret my choice. The hand pie was hot and crispy and the filling was delicious. Their cookies caught my eye but that's for another visit.

As someone who's gluten free, I can't tell you how much living 10 minutes from an entirely gluten free cafe like Verveine's means. Everything I've tried here has been 10/10, from their sandwiches to their baguettes to their pastries. I will be coming back every weekend until further notice.

I really wanted to love this new bakery / brunch spot -- especially since I went with a friend who was super excited about all the gluten-free menu items -- but was disappointed by lackluster flavors and sky-high prices. I acknowledge the appeal of an all gluten-free bakery, but my opinion is there are other bakeries in the Cambridge/Boston area with better gluten-free offerings at far more reasonable prices.We somehow ended up spending nearly $80 before tip on two breakfast sandwiches and a few pastries, which perhaps wouldn't have been egregious except the portion sizes were tiny and the taste was meh on most of the items.The most disappointing item was the BEC breakfast sandwich, which is supposedly on a Japanese milk bun but was the complete opposite of a milk bun -- dry, flavorless, flat.The best item we got was the lemon meringue tart, which had a nice punchy tartness, solid crust, and good textured meringue.Food:1. BEC (2/5)2. Moni's Spicy Chili Biscuit (3/5)3. Cinnamon roll (4/5)4. Black sesame cream puff (3.5/5)5. Lemon meringue tart (4/5)Drink:1. Iced strawberry milk matcha latte (3/5)

If you want gluten free baked goods, Verveine is a great option in Cambridge! The cafe has a cute patio area and feels really spacious and bright inside too. They have a large selection of really great looking baked goods - I tried the gouda scallion scone and guava hand pie and both were unique and delicious. For only ordering two pastries it was a bit pricey but still overall a great place to order a treat! The line to order can be a bit long but moves quickly. Definitely stop by if you're near Central Square!

Unbelievable bakery. Everything is delicious. This place is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

First off be well aware this place can get packed very quickly Espically on the weekend. They are onlyOpen Wed through Sunday till 3pm. When you walk into this place you can see the bread are being made on sight and the baker are working feverishly to insure customer get the best quality. One of the sandwich I recommend is the blt it is to die for because of the fresh ingredients available during the peak season. The place is very communal people sharing tables and eating off beautiful China ware.