Trident Booksellers and Cafe
Spending some time in Boston's Back bay? Considering a unique cafe to eat at? Try the Trident Booksellers and Cafe on Newbury Street. They are the last independent bookstore in Boston. Certainly worth checking out to eat, or to browse around the store.
This a small bookstore that is pack with all sorts of unique books. This is a perfect lunch spot to stop in while window shopping on Newbury Street. You can eat in the Cafe or pickup and go. In the summer time, you can eat outside and watch all the nice cars go by. The outside patio does get very busy around lunch time, your best bet is to eat early or after 1:30.
You can find all sorts of books around the cafe. What makes this place better than Barns and Noble are the personal touches. Are you looking for a good book to read? Do you want to rely upon the reviews that you read online? Directly across the cash register is a bookshelf filled with staff recommendations. You can read why people suggest the particular books. I found that some of the recommendations are much better than anything you can find online. If you're unsure about a book, just ask someone. (Try doing that on Amazon!)
While browsing around the store recently, I encountered a large section of adult coloring books. These are all the rage right now. You can browse the collection to find the one that suits your needs. In addition, they have a good collection of color pencils and pens for the books.
Trident Booksellers and Cafe is a great place to find the hard to find gifts too. They have all sorts of little gifts on the tables around the store. I am not sure how they find some of these things, but it's always fun to go in and see what new and creative thing that they have in stock. In addition, near the cash register, they have a good collection of Boston gift items for people looking for souvenirs. They have a good stock of 'Good Night Boston' and 'Hello, Boston' book series.
Just because Trident Booksellers and Cafe is on Newbury Street, one of the most expensive retail streets in New England, it doesn't mean everything is way over priced. I have found the prices on books and gifts to be very reasonable. Their sandwich prices are very competitive with most of the eating establishments around the Back Bay.
Trident Booksellers and Cafe is located on 338 Newbury St in Boston's Back Bay. The nearest cross street is Massachusetts Ave. Their location is perfect for anyone walking down Newbury Street.
Suggest Trip idea: Make Trident a midway breakpoint as you explore the various stores on Newbury Street. Starting from the Boston Gardens walk down the even side of Newbury Street. When you reach Trident, sit down and enjoy a snack then walk back to the Commons on the Odd side of Newbury Street.
If you're attending a convention at the Hynes Convention Center. Consider stopping by the Trident Booksellers and Cafe, it is about a 5-minute walk from the Convention Center main entrance to the Cafe. I am sure that the food and experience will be better than anything you get at the Convention Center.