Yafa Bakery & Cafe

Service was pretty taciturn, but it's also a bakery so I don't think I needed more than that haha. I tried the spinach and cheese snail ($6.25) and a Napoli ($6.75). Both were okay, but not especially complex flavor wise? The snail was a bit tougher than I expected, but the cookie was a lovely sandy texture. Prices are on the high side (mostly 5-7$ range), but nothing unusual. I'd go back if I were in the area and wanted a treat. Note that they mostly had desserts out, only three savory items.

Very nice cafe in Somerville! Stopped by at the perfect time because it got quite busy after we grabbed a table. The workers were super nice and friendly. The spinach cheese snail was SO GOOD- flaky, salty, creamy. Everything we got was delicious. It's a small but cozy space- I will definitely be back!

Been meaning to try Yafa for a while. It's a cute little cafe with bright and airy decor. Tried a few different desserts. They were all lovely. The manakheesh looked good but didn't get a chance to try it. Will have to come back for it. Service was fast and friendly.

Absolutely worth a visit if you are in the area! I recently made a trip to the cafe with some friends and we split a number of pastries and drinks to try. We ordered the Harissa, Kunafah Pistachio, Donut, Kunafah Cream, Zaatar Manaqeesh, Yafa Chai Karak, and Lemonada. Everything we tried was really good and we loved the plates that they presented the pastries on since we dined in. My favorites were the Kunafah Cream, which had a beautiful balance of sweet and slightly savory from the cheese inside, and the Zaatar Manaqeesh, which was warm and delicious from the zaatar spice. I was really surprised by the donut as I was expecting a baked dough inside but was instead a more dense chocolate dessert that was both nutty and decadent. We were convinced to order their chai after trying a sample and being persuaded by its rich, sweet flavor. The cafe's size is on the smaller end but has tables to seat around 4 parties on the inside. Everyone at the cafe was really sweet and when we were missing an item from our order, the staff member addressed it super quickly! I would absolutely come back again and try more of their sweets and savory pastries!

Wonderful. Such kind service, you get a chai sampler when you walk in the door to whet your appetite, and the staff is usually kind enough to offer some tastes. Sad it took us so long to find this place.My favorites are the tahini baklava, pistachio kunefeh (this one is not made with cheese, more of a delicate ground pistachios + syrup patty), kunefeh cream (this one is made with a type of cheese I think, with a floral rose flavor), and pistachio roll (super pistachio, almost like a pistachio butter), mamoul, and almondo (cross between crumbly almond flour cookie and shortbread, I think--I have to be in the right mood to get this). The chai is also delightful and full of flavor. I really want to try one of the dates, since they seem so special and have a large selection, perhaps one of the marzipan, pistachio paste, or cashew chocolate-robed dates. Thank Yafa!

This might be my favorite discovery yet! Reviews brought me here to pick up sweets for a friend, and I was absolutely blown away by the selection. So many options left me a bit intimidated but the owner/manager kept handing out samples to all in line that had me selecting items I would otherwise have not.I don't think you can go wrong with anything. Baklava hasn't always been the first thing I would reach for but this place has made me a fan. I am now regretting not picking up some of their savory offerings but know I will be back.Place is on the smaller side with very few seats. Service was very friendly and despite the crowd, I did not feel rushed through the selection process.

Probably my fave bakery in Mass so far. I wish I came here earlier bc I would've been a LOYAL customer. The cafe is a small little shop by Porter Square with limited seating, The savory foods were good! I recommend baking all the savory pastries at 350F & microwaving the Kunafah Cream for 40 seconds on a dish. The cheese zaatar w hummus was my favorite, while my friend really liked the mana'eesh and spinach snail. The hummus was an extra $3 but you def want to get it with the cheese zaatar. Nevertheless lol it's still good on its own. I kind of wish we got the one with bell peppers, but this one still slapped. The snail had a nice flaky texture + the spinach and cheese combination paired well with it. Everything was great though - with or without supplements. It made for the perfect lunch.All around, we both LOVED the kunafah cream. It was so good! The taste is really floral, so don't order if you aren't a fan of that floral profile. I felt like I was eating a flower (in a good way)! I also really liked the crumbly but creamy texture of the pastry. The custard cream had a unique flavor with the best consistency. Overall, the kunafah wasn't too sweet or bland - just perfect.This place def had expensive pastries, but I get it. The savory foods, however, were reasonably priced.Yafa's barista also let me sample some coffee, and it was really flavorful + rich in spices. I have no idea what I sampled though. It made me really wish I ordered a drink, but I was too enamored by all the pastry choices.

Walking in the door to Yafa, the spirit is warmed by both the kindness of the staff and a sample of chai that will rock your world. The story goes like this: last year, my parents stumbled into this bakery while traveling through Boston to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. Now, all they can talk about is how they were spoiled rotten with Abdulla's beautiful sweets and contagious kindness for hours. I was finally able to stop in yesterday (10/2/24) to try just a few things for myself. Abdulla not only remembered who my parents were without having met me before, but also sat me down and gave me a tray filled with honey-sweet samples to try. To give you an idea of what the hospitality is like at Yafa, I was unable to finish everything Abdulla gave me and he refused to allow me to pay. His reply to my request to pay him was a smile paired with his superhero catchphrase, "spread kindness." Everything. Is. Delicious. You cannot go wrong in this bakery. My dad's favorite thing is the sweet Kanafa Cream, and my mom's go-to is the savory spinach and cheese pastry snail. Somehow, they're both right. Both of them also rave about the hummus, which I'll have to go back to try. My personal favorite so far is the almond Palma, which is a sort of shortbread cookie that gives you an orgasm while you eat it. I left Yafa with a box of them.Our family lives about 5 states away from Massachusetts and we spend our free time thinking of reasons to go back just to enjoy more time at Yafa. If you appreciate kindness and excellent food, this is the place to go.

I stopped by for the first time on a weekday afternoon when the bakery wasn't super busy. There were so many different varieties of pastries to choose from that I was a little overwhelmed and asked the person helping me for some recommendations. What I was not prepared for was the amount of samples they gave me! I got to try so many varieties and ended up picking a few to take home.The pastries are so flaky with a generous portion of whatever filling (I tried ones with walnuts, pistachios, and/or tahini). As expected, the pastries are sweet, but I thought the sweetness balanced really well with the pastry and nuts.I also picked up a Jerusalem bagel with hummus. The bagel had a subtle sweetness to it from the sesame coating but otherwise had a pretty mild flavor. The hummus was super creamy and savory, and I would actually come back for the hummus because I liked it so much!

I've tried a wide variety of Yafa's sweets, and all have been wonderful! I love the variety of nuts they showcase, from pistachios and walnuts to sesame (okay that's a seed) and hazelnuts.During my visits, they have been generous with samples. I almost felt bad being offered so many!The savory items I've had so far (zaatar manakeesh and spinach snail) have been tender, flaky, and flavorful.Yafa has quickly become my neighborhood favorite!