“I’m starting a column,” I said, turning to face my friend as we rode the Tufts shuttle to Davis Square. “It’s about the best places to go off-campus to study, the lesser-known ones, and I need ideas.”
Her eyes immediately brightened as she said, “Oh, I know! Revival Cafe. It’s in Davis, just a little further down Elm Street.”
“And it’s not super well-known?” I asked.
She shrugged. “I’d like to think so at least.”
I made my way over to the cafe and started to doubt my friend’s claims when I immediately ran into a group of Tufts students leaving the cafe.
I can see why it’s so loved. Revival’s atmosphere embodies modernness, with sleek black-and-white walls, trendy decor and unconventional menu names.
“Can I get a Bagelicious?” the woman in front of me asks at the counter, a bit uncertainly.
Meanwhile, its sister building, the Leather Studio, fuses the old with the new.
The Leather Studio is Revival’s additional seating space right behind its main building — the existence of which I only discovered during my second visit.
The building looks vacant, with peeling black paint and a faded wooden sign above its doors that probably once said “Leather” and can barely be classified as saying “Studio.” It’s a stark contrast to Revival’s fresh paint job and colorful wall art. If it weren’t for the unassuming sign by the cafe’s front doors advertising the additional seating space, I never would have realized the two buildings were connected.
While Revival is brightly lit with natural light streaming in through its windows, the Leather Studio is dim, enclosed by patchy gray walls and a splintery wooden ceiling. Revival’s decor is plentiful, adorned with plants and artsy signs advertising specialty drinks and bring-your-own-mug initiatives. The Leather Studio’s walls are bare, its furniture a mishmash of sleek formica-topped tables and antiquated spindle-back chairs.
Upon entering Revival, you’re immediately hit with the chatter of friends reuniting, twitchy first dates and vibey overhead music. The Leather Studio, on the other hand, is often wholly silent.
This is what I love so much about Revival: the duality of its two buildings. It can satisfy either social and study needs — or both, if you’re so inclined. And it has tons of other perks, too.
Located on the edge of Davis Square close to Porter Square, Revival is a short walk from the shuttle stop, and its prices are reasonable. Its food and drink options are delicious and abundant. Of the ones I tried, my personal favorites are the red crema latte, the spumoni bread and, my top choice, the coconut bread.
Without a doubt, Revival Cafe provides the best of both worlds — a welcoming, lively cafe, as well as a sequestered, tranquil study space.
I spotted a friend in the Leather Studio who loved the ambiance of the cafe. “Don’t tell anyone about this place,” she said.
I tell her, with regret, that I unfortunately will be. “But don’t worry,” I assured her. Because who reads the Daily anyway, right?
