A high end gourmet chocolaterie in the South End. Aroa offers a wide variety of chocolates, sweets, desserts, and hot chocolate only made from the highest quality of cacoa beans. Good news: the South End just got alot sweeter.

Christy's looks like your typical neighborhood joint with its tiny quaint tables and menus on the walls. Don't let this fool you into thinking that you can't fall in love with it. I can picture walking into this place from the cold, windows fogged up on the inside with warm steam and enjoying a simple, but unique, Vidalia Chicken wrap at $6.99. Other award winning selections to the menu make this worth the trip, such as the Texana pizza topped with grilled steak priced at $9.49 for a small. Salads start at $4.99, and the breakfast omelets look absolutely delish. They also have good coffee! Catering is also available. Cash only for now, and the prices are very reasonable. By the end of the year, the owner plans to install a credit card machine.

This small Korean-owned cafe offers a refreshing and quaint atmosphere amidst the busy Allston area. The menu includes the standard cafe offerings of various coffees and various things to nibble on, as well as many interesting Korean treats such as gimbap (a rolled Korean rice dish similar to sushi) and patbingsu (ice shavings covered in a variety of fruit and dessert toppings). Other enjoyable offerings include boba milk tea and fresh-made smoothies. The atmosphere and staff are very friendly, and free wi-fi is graciously available for the technology-savvy patron. A hidden gem in Allston, this cozy cafe is a quiet and relaxing experience.

Very small Beacon Hill Starbucks with a few stools to choose from and no bathroom. If you need a quick in and out cup of coffee, and no need to lounge with your laptop, this is the best place for you.

They are experts at the cappuccino. Order one, and they'll have it on the table within a couple of minutes: hot, frothy, and decoratively doused with cocoa to create a veritable artistic masterpiece. You won't need sugar. As you drink this down, the cocoa runs down the inside of the cup in streaks. Can you resist the urge to forgo any sense of decorum, and lick the inner rim like a child? Heaven on earth for $3.15 per cup.

JP Licks is a Jamaica Plain institution. It has been in several locations, since it's founding in 1981, each time outgrowing where they were. Now it is located in the old firehouse and besides serving fantastic ice-cream, JP Licks roasts their own coffee and serves pastries throughout the day. Open from 6:00 am to midnight daily - this is a hub for the neighborhood. In the morning, folks are having coffee and reading the paper. On summer nights there is a line out the door as everyone comes over to get a cone.
You cannot go wrong if you choose a JP Licks ice cream cake for someone's birthday. No longer just in JP, there are locations throughout the city. But if you want to try the original this is the place to come.

Located within the (older) building of Boston Public Library's Copley Square central branch (Boyleston St entrance) Lines can move slow, but it's well priced healthy food (and snacks) can be enjoyed in or in the lovely fountain courtyard.

This Starbucks has ample seating- even cushy armchairs! Staff are friendly and if you are lucky, they will have samples out for you to taste test!

Giant Teakettle: Incongruously placed atop a Starbucks, the steaming kettle (erected in 1873) holds 227 gallons, 2 quarts, 1 pint and 3 gills.

Thornton's, located across from the Prudential Center and down the street from Northeastern University,is one of the best brunch spots around. During the winter, locals will stand out in the cold to get a spot at a table inside, but during the summer, the outdoor tables and the newly opened addition make plenty of space for hungry customers. The service isn't the quickest, but the plates of food that eventually arrive are worth the wait. Perfectly seasoned home fries, big plates of eggs and toast, chocolate chip pancakes, and huevos rancheros are among the best options. Ask for an iced coffee in the summer, especially after a late night: the stuff is like rocket fuel, and you can literally feel your eyelids opening wider as you sip. Come early for a table outside in the summer, and large parties may have a hard time getting seated quickly. They also do to-go at the inside counter! Perfect spot for peoplewatching--you can see kids playing in the fountain at the Christian Science Center, and fancier folk on their way to Copley Square hotels. Staying at the Colonnade Hotel but don't want to eat there? This is two seconds away, and a much cheaper option.