Caffè Vittoria

Caffè Vittoria opened on Hanover Street in 1929 and is described as the first Italian café in Boston. It has grown over the years to fill four levels, with three bars serving alcohol as well as coffee, but it keeps an old-world look, with antique espresso machines displayed around the room.

This is the North End's classic place to sit down rather than queue at a takeaway counter. Order an espresso or cappuccino, perhaps with a pastry or a digestif, and take your time. The café works well after dinner in the neighbourhood, when the pastry shops outside are busy and you want a table. In 1995 the owners opened Stanza dei Sigari, a cigar bar in the basement, which has been described as the last surviving smoking lounge in Boston.

Check current hours before planning a late visit. As a general tip, evenings at weekends are the busiest time, so arrive a little earlier or later than the post-dinner rush if you want to choose your seat. Because the café serves alcohol as well as coffee, it suits couples and groups of friends for an evening drink as well as anyone wanting a coffee break during the day.

Prices are moderate for a sit-down café. During the day it is a reasonable choice for families stopping for coffee and dessert, although the cigar lounge downstairs is an adult space. If you are visiting the North End for the first time, Caffè Vittoria is a good place to rest between sights and watch the street.

If you are visiting in the evening, a coffee here can be a calmer alternative to queuing at the takeaway pastry counters, and splitting a dessert between two keeps the bill sensible. Groups should allow time to find a table together at busy times, since seating is spread across different levels.

The café is in the middle of Hanover Street, close to Mike's Pastry and Modern Pastry, so it is easy to combine a cannoli from one of them with an espresso here. Old North Church and the Paul Revere House are both a short walk away, and the café makes a natural stop on a Freedom Trail walk through the North End. The North End's restaurants are all around, so it is also a convenient place to wait for a table elsewhere.