If you take a stroll across the Academic Quad, you may notice that around one in every five people are either a) holding a coffee or b) holding an energy drink. You may wonder, ‘Why on earth are so many people drinking caffeine?’
Visiting cafes and sharing a delicious coffee over brunch with friends or family is an essential part of the college experience, and of the human experience. Maybe you run into a friend you haven’t seen in a while, or make a new one over your hatred of Starbucks’ matcha. Regardless, for many, cafes are a vital part of 21st-century life.
Currently, there are five cafes on Tufts’ Medford/Somerville campus: The Sink, Tower, Hotung, Kindlevan and Mugar. Additionally, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University has one of its own. As a result, Tufts students have a wide array of coffee, vibes and study spaces to choose from.
To give you some background on who I am and what qualifies me to take you on this coffee odyssey across campus, I have been to nearly every coffee shop in my hometown of Gig Harbor, WA. I have studied in them, gossiped in them and even received college decisions in them. So, I would be honored to take you on this mission, where we will cross dangerous streets, walk over 10,000 steps per day, interview some cafe patrons and taste some good — and perhaps some not-so-good — coffee.
SMFA Café
Although the SMFA Café is far from the Medford/Somerville campus, it is definitely a ‘visit at least once in your time at Tufts’ kind of place. Joie Li, a first-year combined degree student, goes to the cafe for “breakfast, lunch and dinner” because their SMFA studio classes are quite long.
The food options are similar to those at Commons Marketplace, Li said, offering sushi, sandwiches and drinks. Combined degree students can use meal swipes there; however, if you are not a combined degree student, the cafe accepts only JumboCash or card.
Li rates the ambiance an eight out of 10. “A large part of the reason why I committed to Tufts … was because [of] how beautiful the SMFA building is. There’s a lot of natural light,” they said.
If you are ever in the mood for some smaller bites to eat and a beautiful place to study that is similar to “[main] floor Tisch,” come to the SMFA Café.
Tower Café
Tower Café is small but mighty. With large windows peering out onto campus, comfy chairs to do work in and a wide array of snacks between its two vending machines, students may want to take a quick detour here before heading into Tisch to study.
Tower offers a variety of snacks and drinks. For those who don’t drink coffee and prefer energy drinks, Tower has many (specifically Celsius) in the fridge. Chai, matcha and other tea options are also served both at the Tower counter and in a vending machine just inside the cafe’s entrance.
The Sink
You may know The Sink as the only cafe on campus run entirely by students, but that’s not the only thing that makes this space special. The Sink offers vibrant oranges and reds, a cozy setup above the Commons, and, of course, fun drinks.
The atmosphere is ideal for both socializing and studying. First-year Onyx Hopwood rates the aesthetic and ambiance a 10 out of 10. “It’s a wonderful place, and I like the seats. … The vibes are wonderful,” they said.
Based on my observations and short conversations with some of The Sink’s baristas and managers, the most ordered drinks here are the Cinny Vanilly and the Beesting, both perfect for the oncoming fall weather. As someone who has had both, I can 100% endorse these drinks.
Kindlevan Café
Although the location may scare some non-STEM majors, Kindlevan Café is a great place to stop by in the morning for a beverage and a little treat. However, they may run out of ever-popular smoothies like Mango Sunrise or Very Berry Chocolate Protein, so grab your go-to flavor before the morning rush.
Sophomore Ellie Heller suggested going in between 10 a.m. and noon.
“There are waves [of students] right when the class periods end … when [the line] peaks, but then even 15 minutes later it clears out again,” she wrote in a statement to the Daily.
Heller said that she studies at Kindlevan between classes, and that it’s a great place to do homework before or after class. As a non-coffee drinker, she shouted out the iced chai as a favorite order of hers.
Kindlevan is also the only cafe on the Medford/Somerville campus that takes meal swipes, so I’d recommend stopping by for breakfast or lunch if you’re on a meal plan.
Situated at the heart of the Tsungming Tu Complex atrium, the Kindlevan space is lofty, leading to an imposing yet elegant atmosphere to study in. The nearby art installations offer some flashes of color and character amid the white and gray. Heller rated the cafe a six out of 10 aesthetically.
“[Kindlevan] is clean and airy with nice light, but at the end of the day it’s a practical space and not super chic aesthetically,” Heller wrote.
Mugar Café
If you are a prospective international relations major or history buff, come to Mugar to lock in while surrounding yourself with what could be your future: The Fletcher School. But if you aren’t either of those things, you should still stop by!
Mugar is cozy, with large windows that let in plenty of natural light without making it impossible to see your computer screen. First-year Anya Bhojwani rated Mugar an eight out of 10 for ambiance and aesthetic.
“It is nice and quiet mostly, and it’s pretty empty. … I like the aesthetics, but it’s a little bit ugly,” she said.
Mugar, located inside Fletcher, is also the only cafe located near the Residential and Academic Quads, in case you don’t want to go downhill for your coffee.
Hotung Café
Hotung Café is the place to go for a group lock-in session, or where you can randomly run into your friends and not do any of the work you were planning on doing. While in Hotung, I also happened to run into Hopwood after their Sink escapade, who said they go there to “study with [their] pals.”
With a prime location in the Mayer Campus Center, across the street from Dewick MacPhie Dining Center and near a lot of underclassmen dorms, Hotung experiences a lot of foot traffic. For Hopwood, who rated Hotung an eight out of 10, this docks points because they “can never find a seat.”
However, the multicolored ambient lighting adds to an overall aesthetic allure that might be what keeps bringing students like Hopwood back. In addition, the staff members are super kind. If you’re having a hard day and there isn’t a huge rush, definitely stop by and say hello.
So, whether you are a first-year trying to get through your first midterms season and in need of caffeine and a study spot, a sophomore trying to decompress amid the craziness of finding off-campus housing, a junior meeting with friends to plan for upcoming study abroad excursions or a senior trying to draw out your final year at Tufts by seeing friends, at least one of Tufts’ unique cafes will provide you with what you are searching for.
