A Mediterranean Cafe serving up Italian-American cuisine. The menu features a Kobe beef burger (a reasonable $12), traditional pizzas, lobster ravioli, autumn risotto, and a variety of entrees. The atmosphere is modern, sleek, and uppity with silver/white walls and sleek metal accents. The seats are a modernized cork- so that's what they do with the discarded wine corks!. The double sided mirror hides the enormous flat screen when it's not running the latest game. This is a great new restaurant sure to have crowds gather. If you don't like the food, stick to the great bar drinks (Champagne, favorite fruit, favorite new cocktail- $10). A new favorite all around in the Back Bay...

The cafe recently opened, and is a state-of-the-art, all-ages, student-run music venue and coffee house. While most rooms in Boston have a specific musical niche, Cafe 939 will embrace nearly any style, from rock, jazz, folk, and world, to bluegrass, hip-hop, electronica, avant-garde, and beyond. The New Brew, a free lunchtime concert series featuring up-and-coming student performers, is currently running Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., and a weekly jazz brunch is being planned for this summer. The menu includes a variety of coffees, teas, sandwiches, paninis, salads, bagels, muffins, cakes, and other snacks. When school is in session, Monday mornings host "kidsjam"; where Berkelee education students and their professors run a young child jazz/movement program. Free, but you must reserve each class before each semester. Clean bathrooms but No baby changing stations. Plus- very accessibile. For more information about events, go to Berklee Events.

A hidden gem amidst bustling Newbury Street comes a bookstore that calls itself “Boston's alternative". This diner-style restaurant draws rave reviews from students and families alike. You can cozy up in any corner and peruse the variety of books, magazines, and interesting knickknacks, or munch on Trident's munchies like classic salads ($8-14), sandwiches ($9-11), coffee, smoothies ($4). They have a great selection of loose teas ($2.50-$3.50) and serve breakfast all day (omelettes $7+). The staff will take a book off the rack for you and let you take it into the cafe. This quiet spot to sit back, chill out, and enjoy, is the perfect break from the craziness of Newbury. They also have a public restroom: on the right, halfway down the store.

Au Bon Pain means the place of good bread in French. Au Bon Pain is a stylish bakery café located at America's urban junctions and suburban crossroads.

In 1976, the founders of Paradise Bakery & Café created their first freshly baked cookies and muffins in Long Beach, California. As their success grew, they continued to expand their menu selections adding delicious brownies, croissants, quiches, breads, soups, salads and sandwiches. Items tend to be a bit pricey and lines can be long (especially during lunch hours), but the food is top-notch. The chocolate chip cookies that come with the sandwiches to be undercooked, but the cookies at the bakery counter are amazing. The kids' meal contains a half sandwich (grilled cheese/turkey/ham/PB&J) or mac 'n cheese, fruit, a drink, and a chocolate chip cookie. Even the pickiest of children are bound to find something they like with choices like that. Frequent diner card available. This Paradise Bakery & Cafe is located inside the Prudential Center.

A little off the beaten path in the Prudential Mall, Tossed offers creative salads that can actually be a full meal. Boston has been sorely lacking such a place. I worry their location won't be good enough to sustain the business, but I'm hopeful. From their site: Since 1998, our mission has been to serve the highest quality food, using only the freshest ingredients, in an upscale and fun environment, providing friendly and efficient service. The quality, presentation and creativity of our salads are on a par with those found in fine restaurants.

Deluca's is the Back Bay grocery for your last minute items. The shop carried a small variety of most goods, but plan on paying a hefty fee for more grocery items. Downstairs has liquor, beer, and wine. (The staff have recommendation cards placed around the great wines). Upstairs there is a deli that makes a HUGE sandwich for a small price. In the summer, there are tables and benches set up around the bundles of flowers for sale. Try and nab a table, sit back, and watch the passer-byers. While the setting is idillyic and the shop charming, don't expect a large variety of goods in the small store as well as high prices.

With hundreds of locations in the Boston area, Starbucks is definitely one of the largest coffee shop presences in Beantown. Starbucks is not only known for their coffee drinks and pastries, but the relaxed setting, mood music, and open space with comfy couches it provides for their clientele. Although they are mainly known for their coffee, Starbucks also offers a variety of teas, waters, iced drinks, sandwiches, and desserts. Hours of operation depend upon location, and it accepts cash, credit, and Starbucks gift certificates.

The Back Bay's only authentic NY pizzeria, featuring thin crust Neapolitan and deep dish Sicilian pizza. Now serving the lowest priced and largest slice of pizza on Newbury Street! Bostone's daily Sicilian slice specials: Monday: Buffalo Chicken Tuesday: Meat lovers Wednesday: Sausage Pepper and Onion Thursday: Barbeque Friday: Spinach Tomato Feta Saturday and Sunday: Potato Bacon Chicken Ranch Delivery from 5:00 p.m. to 1/2 hour before close with a limited delivery area and a $10.00 minimum. Currently delivering within the following area: Berkeley to Hereford and Beacon to Boylston. All other areas can have delivery via Diningin.com

Think coffeeshop spiked with alcohol. Overlooking the Mass Pike sits this quirky alternative pit stop, with a truly diverse clientele, an alt-rock soundtrack, and a skater-punk-themed decor. A busy lunch crowd lines up for hummus platters ($6.50), sandwiches and wraps ($6.20-7), and salads ($5.75-6.75). At night, the Other Side feels much more like a bar, as friends relax over pitchers of domestic and imported beer ($16-20) and chips and salsa. Despite the traffic, the patio makes a surprisingly good place to enjoy one of the special lattes ($4.25), smoothies ($4.50), or desserts; a cozy second-story loft adds another seating option. Half sandwich or salad with soup combo $6.75. The Other Side Cafe, or 'Osc' as it is known by some of the spindly hipsters who frequent it, is also known for its chili. The outdoor seating is a lot less posh than other Newbury cafes, but has a funkier people-watching--the crowd that frequents Other Side can be a lot more fun to watch and talk to! They offer brunch on the weekends, and breakfast food all day during the week. Other great offerings include movie nights and trivia. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.