I remember Quentin Tarantino (playing "Jimmy") saying, "When I drink a cup of coffee, I want to taste it." Using a bit of poetic license, I couldn't agree more. I don't drink half-caf, non-fat, extra soy, Splenda-infused Mocha-whatever -- I just like to make slam poetry out of the silly, drawn out names. I drink coffee black, so I expect the stand-alone product not to taste like diesel fuel. I'm a rather cheap date -- I want the buzz and the body, and I'm happy. Mercy me, though, some VERY creative Kenyans (or Mexicans, Colombians, etc., depending on my mood) have gone above and beyond -- I never expected to be treated so well as the people at Barrington Coffee Roasting Company (provider of their beans) have done! My taste buds feel so intimately acquainted with the brew that Cafe Fixe turns out -- like these two parties are mingling and making friends, getting to know and love one another and each others' personal histories. There's a small mountain of detail in these complex flavors that the beverage communicates to the tongue, and the message is happily received! The effort put in is clear, as well. One barista mentioned he was trying to encourage the drinking of espresso out of demitasses, rather than to go cups, on the grounds that to go cups lose too much flavor. I've noticed in others' lattes that small decorations are arranged in the foam. Though the latte isn't my drink of choice, I enjoyed and loved the craftsmanship and the care that these folks put into their product. The interior and atmosphere are perfect as well, IMHO. The store is always very neat, bathroom included (the soaps smell incredible, very floral) and even I, an utter philistine concerning jazz, enjoy the jazz music they play every time. The people working there all have very pleasant timbre to their voices and they speak very softly and very clearly -- this is a hospitality I honestly can't think of ever having seen ANYWHERE. If there's a way to improve this place, I'm honest to God stumped. read more

I moved to Somerville after 3 years living in Brookline and Cafe Fixe is one of the things I miss most! Their iced americano is definitely the best espresso drink I've ever tasted. Their cappuccinos and lattes are amazing, too. The prices are EXPENSIVE, but I cut back on other things so I could afford to pay them. It's true that the place screams pretentious and the service is so-so. The first time I visited the barista was very cold. The second time, the same barista was smiling and friendly. (I was carrying plastic CVS bags when I went in the first time but not the second time, so maybe this was why?) But yes, pretentious. There is always only a single NY Times on the counter to flip through as you're waiting for your drink, and also always seems to be some guy sitting at one of the tables who is on his laptop and working on his first novel. Since I always came in sweatpants, I never felt comfortable enough to actually sit and drink my coffee at Fixe. My morning routine was grabbing a chocolate croissant from Athan's across the street (Fixe's pastries aren't nearly as good as Athan's), hopping over to Fixe and ordering my drink to go, then bringing them both home to enjoy in my (much less pretentious) apartment. read more

Great coffee, great music and overall a great feel. Really enjoy coming here. They are great!!!! Not to mention once a staff member gave me two tix for a red sox game. He couldnt go so he asked if i was interested. Hell yeah!!!!! Awesome place! Cant wait to go back... read more

Lived a short walk from this place for several years and absolutely loved it. I'd stop by for post-run espressos, pre-work pour-overs, mid-afternoon perfect capps, and the occasional study session. Magical, beautiful, awesome place. Here they believe in real coffee and the accompanying joy and wonder of a perfectly pulled shot. If you want to experience coffee and beauty, come and spend some time. If you want caffeine mainlined with a shot of sugar, go across the street. Charbucks is waiting for you with open arms. read more

Love that place coffee tastes so good , bagels are fresh . loved loved loved!!!!!!!!!!!

Cozy, pleasant and peaceful! Tried their Cappuccino, tasty. Welcoming staff, nice music.

I want to come here more. They have great pastries, seemingly great espresso and they serve coffee straight from the french press. Nice atmosphere. They're good at doing things right. read more

Delicious and charming. Prices are steep. Sit in the window on the cafe side for plenty of sunshine and good people watching.

I've been here twice and found the espresso leans too sour. The process seems OK, but I think the beans they use are too acidic.

First and last visit. I asked for extra shots in my latte and was advised not to order more than one by a pretentious, rude barista. I responded by saying that don't need advice, I need you to make my coffee how I order and am more than happy to pay for. He begrudgingly made my coffee and gave me more attitude when giving it to me. Also, there's a $10 minimum on debit and credit cards, forcing you to order more. Rude, a racket, and the latte sucked! Go elsewhere. read more

One employee behind the counter, environment can be a little snobby, expensive, and they have screwed plates over their outlets so that there is nowhere to plug in here. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I have heard their coffee is amazing, so I can't speak to that respect! read more

Café Fixe is the worst coffee shop I've ever been to. After struggling to make a purchase because of $10 credit card minimum and having to add extra items onto our purchase, we were served a disgusting iced latte that was mostly milk and weak while also tasting burned. After trying to discuss it with the pretentious barista, I was completely shut down and told that he has never had a customer complain in 9 years about his lattes. He explained that it was only one shot for the large latte. I had two friends taste the latte and they said it also tastes just like milk. I am a latte fanatic and get coffee at barismo, gracenote, tatte, and many others weekly. They all know how to make amazing lattes - cafe fixe had no idea what they're doing. I've never had a large latte with only one burnt shot. I've also never in my life experience such a rude and pretentious barista - he looked me in the eyes and said I should've asked more questions before ordering and if I paid for another I could try less milk (why would I risk that and of course it's still a $10 minimum)... after I said no (obviously) he said sorry you don't like Calories. Stay far far far away from this place! Horrible coffee and worst customer service of my entire life! Also very expensive for such poor quality. read more

Excellent espresso, friendly, low-key barristas, good pastries and cookies, and nice atmosphere. Couldn't ask for more in a cafe.

A good, properly made cappuccino. The coffee used was high quality, had a complex flavor, not over-roasted. Perfect.

They have the best coffee in Brookline! They carefully choose all their brews and you feel like you stepped into Europe the minute you walk in! Love it here! read more

I hung out here for a while and did some work. Coffee was tasty and atmosphere was great for either hanging out or doing some work. Would go back next time I'm in the area. read more

Disappointing croissant for a French cafe. Latte took 20 minutes. It was good when it finally arrived. Nice ambiance with lots of natural light but not enough seating read more

Really friendly and warm staff. Beautiful space, and best yet: wonderful coffee. The blends that they have rotating for drip/pour over/ guest espresso are always unique and delicious. Good place to study as long as you don't need internet/have an xfinity account, and the coffee shop is really neutral and not distracting. read more

I wish I could say I tried their coffee. This place is about halfway between a friend's house and where I live, so we met up for a study session. She had already ordered and didn't have any more cash, and when I went up to order I discovered there's a $10 minimum for cards. At a coffee shop. Where a drink will run you less than $4. I'm not going to create an extra $6 worth of... what? more coffee? two pastries? The bank across the street charges a $3 fee, my bank charges $2. I'm not spending $9 on a cup of coffee. I get it. I used to work in an independent small business retail shop - I know the cut credit card charges take. But it's a really awkward amount for the consumer given the goods they sell. Shop clean, seemed popular but for the most part not a lot of day long hang-outers (I don't think there's wi-fi for a reason). Baristas seemed friendly enough. Probably won't be back though. read more

Worst cafe I've ever been to. The staff is so rude and entitled. That's not how you build a business.

I should start with a conflict of interest disclaimer. The owner of this establishment is a good friend of mine. On the other hand, that is why I am so acutely aware of his obsession with fine coffee made perfectly. I won't say too much, as my main intent is just to see him up on Yelp so that people are aware of this shop that just opened on Election Day. The coffee is without a doubt the best I have had in Boston. That is not intended as a slam against any other cafe, and I certainly haven't been to all of the area cafes. Check out the macchiato. The minimalist design really works too. Very simple, clean, and elegant. Nice sounds, calm atmosphere, and wireless. read more

This place is terrific. The coffee was exceptionally good (we had both a cappuccino and a macchiato) as was the food (we had granola and a croissant). We were also impressed by the service. Although the cafe was crowded, the staff was gracious and helpful to me and my daughter. A definite winner. read more

Best espresso in beantown. It's a great place to meet a friend or to sit with a coffee and a paper. You won't find kiddos camped out all day studying-- there simply isn't space for it. this latter point probably contributes to the active and yet peaceful vibe there, which i find refreshing. I do wish the owner had let my little pooch sit with me as I had coffee with a friend outside on the patio, but not everyone's a dog lover, unfortunately. read more

Let's just say that I have given this place more than one try. I believe that anyone or any business can have a bad day. This place should be called Eeyore's because, "there never gonna make it." Especially with rotten customer service, an attitude that is not only rude, condescending, but off the chart pretentious!!! Please notice the 3 exclamation marks. The coffee is OK. It is very inconsistent in it's flavor. Even if it is supposed to be the same ground as the previous day. I love coffee and coffee drinks. More than that I love cafes. When I travel to a new place I seek out the local cafe. This place has all the bones for a great cafe even though it is quite small and seating is uncomfortable. It is clean, the coffee aroma good. I give their food an OK, nothing jumping out there that will wow the client. Their service sucks period! I'm not sure if wearing retro clothes and growing facial hair makes you a great barista but it definitely doesn't make you great at getting the customers to come back. A smile and some humility go a long way with most people. Speed in which you can get the product to the consumer especially if it is edible also a big deal. If you are too above gathering the dirty dishes a thank you for bringing dirty dishes to you or a sign saying thank you could help as well. Now I like my hot drinks hot. Here you might as well ask them to kick a puppy than to go against the coffee gods and make a latte or cappuccino above warm. I know my palate might not be as sophisticated as yours. You are of course a professional barista with a PHD in fashion. I do like though have money in my wallet that I am exchanging not for your attitude but for a product I will consume. So shouldn't I be able to have that drink warmed to my liking not yours? I actually asked for them to warm it up and they refused. Can you believe that? Oh and you better have cash because if you don't order more than $5 you can't use that credit card, apple pay or anything else. Because like the retro clothes, the retro mustache they have a retro accounting system. There is a saying in business the fish usually stinks from the head down. This is definitely the case here. I could go on but you get what I'm saying. This business will lose it's clients one by one by one if it doesn't change. The great thing is that they can offer consulting on how to ruin your business as well, all it takes is not caring what your customers say. read more

Without a doubt the best coffee in Brookline! Max and staff really know what they are doing. For those complaining about high prices, I respectfully disagree. Over-roasted and sometimes rancid brews across the street are about the same. Fixe's drinks stand out, are smooth and balanced. The atmosphere is different from Starbucks, Nero or Athan's. The vibe is calm, with jazz playing in the background, less conducive towards lingering in front of a laptop for hours (there is no Wi-Fi and no outlets), which I like a lot. Pick up a paper copy of the NY Times and enjoy a fine cup of coffee, espresso or latte/cappuccino. read more

DO NOT PATRONAGE this place! The reason to have coffee in a cafe is the atmosphere. I can make good coffee at home (and with the prices at Cafe Fixe, after only a few visits, I could even afford an expensive machine); I come to a cafe for the service, comfortable surroundings and agreeable atmosphere. Why would ANY customer want anything less? As a local, I will not go there again, I will not recommend my neighbors go there, and I will convince anyone who will listen to avoid this place! Give your money to other local merchants. read more

Great spot for coffee. I see there seems a bit of drama surrounding this place. From my standpoint I can only base my view on my experience, and yes I can say I am a fan. I have been 3 times. Now off to check out some other coffee spots, there is about 10 on my list. read more

I am a business owner in Washington Square and would never recommend my customers to go to Cafe Fixe. Though the coffee is good, the owner is very disrespectful to his customers - and often very rude. It seems this 'soup nazi' mentality does not seem to bother some folks but from a business owners perspective this is not the vibe we want to be known for in Washington Square. You can get a nice, 'european' feel close by at Athens and the folks there are professional and friendly towards all of their customers. For the sake of keeping professional standards and decency please don't go to Cafe Fixe and further support this man or personalities like this. read more

This is probably my favorite coffee place in the Boston area. I used to work nearby and now that I don't I still make the trek out to Brookline a few times a month to spend an hour or two enjoying the atmosphere and their delicious espresso-based drinks. Specialty-based drinks are little pricey but delicious. Their mochas aren't too sweet and their cappuccinos and lattes are typically made perfectly. I used to get their drip coffee but they don't always have a dark enough roast for me. There are a lot of reviews on here that mention bad customer service but I've never really had a problem at this place. Most of the baristas are friendly and will chat about the weather and how my day is going. There is one guy who works there who isn't exactly warm and friendly but he's never been rude and is super knowledgeable about coffees and teas and more than willing to give you a recommendation if you ask. Because it's such a small place with a small staff, there can sometimes be a bit of a wait, especially on the weekends but have patience. read more

Espresso is very good and strong. Friendly, helpful and knowledgable baristas. The minimum debit limit is $5 and the minimum credit limit is $10. this is very inconvenient at times and is the main reason why I did not give 5 stars. read more

What is with the owner, Max? He's surly, beyond brusque, has absolutely no tact and is boorish to boot. Too bad. Thought this might be a cute place to enjoy a latte but after frequenting the place several times I've decided to take my business elsewhere. The owner is unbearable. He's just downright rude to customers. And he's got the outlets turned off as he doesn't want to spend the extra $10 a month for people to plug their computers in. I've since learned that he's got a widespread reputation. He actually refuses to serve customers if he doesn't 'like' them. Guess he's not banking on repeat business. Certainly not mine. read more

the owner is the most pretentious snob i have ever encountered. very reluctantly with a very generous eye roll gave me the side of soy milk for my coffee. i'm sorry, i am lactose intolerant, and no I will not stop drinking coffee, as you suggested, just because I cannot use dairy products. good coffee is great, but i'm pretty sure being an absolute dickface does not improve the quality of your brew. i know this because I have had great, if not better, coffee elsewhere in the city, without having to suffer any snide remarks from as(s)cot who actually is just angry he's not in europe. i wanted to keep this review short and sweet mostly to get everyone to go to this place to order a "soy-vente-pumpkin-spice-latte-decafe"... just to watch the owners head explode as I'm pretty sure he's actually a human piñata full of caviar... read more

This place doesn't have any outlets and is really dirty. Also, there is no circulating air so it feels like you're suffocating.

This morning i went to Cafe Fixe for the first time. I ordered a large skim latte with splenda (not such a big deal right?) and i received endless ridicule from those around me and both people who were working there! The blonde lady behind the register said that they don't generally sweeten there lattes and that i could put it in my self and that they dont have skim milk only reduced fat. Then the barista man said that skim milk and artificial sweetener can be bad for my health. I just don't feel that it was there responsibility to tell me what is healthy and what is not. and why do they even have splenda if they are going to be rude to all who use it. Then the guy in line behind me says that if you use artificial sweetener it will increase your chance of stroke by 60% if you use splenda and both workers agreed. for all they know im a diabetic and can't have sugar... All in all my experience was not pleasant at all and in my opinion if your spending over $4 for a latte, the people who work there should have a mildly pleasant attitude to their customers. I will not be returning. read more

Their drinks are above average. But their attitude is downright obnoxious and snobby. The staff is extremely aggregate and rude in a passive aggressive way. Everyone I know has the same opinion and most have stopped going there. They also seem to hate when customers come with children. My wife decided a month ago that she will never go there again. I assumed that she was overacting so I went again recently and immediately decided I will never give them my money again. read more

I hate to give this place three stars.. but when you lose a customer over 30 cents it becomes your loss not mine. This place has the best espresso in the city, no question. The ambiance is unique and I wish I had the heart to come back. I understand times are tough, especially for small businesses, however, you need to 1) review your card agreements with the credit card companies you accept, and 2) read up on MA State Law. You're $5 card minimum is going to hurt you much more in the long run then saving an occasional penny. You've lost a $4.70 customer, one that walks 3 blocks in the opposite direction to grab a coffee only to take the train back in the other direction. read more

I had an interesting experience at the coffee shop yesterday. I ordered a small cup of coffee with a shot of espresso poured in. The order-taker said that the owner would not allow them to pour a shot of espresso in their coffee. So I ordered the drinks separately. I paid for my coffee and went over to the area where you pick up your drinks. After I got my drink, I poured them together and added some 1/2 and 1/2. The barista noticed me pouring the drinks together and told me that I couldn't do that and was no longer welcome there. He was furious and said, "We don't allow that to happen to our espresso. We make it a certain way! Please leave at once." I was actually being assaulted by a barista for mixing together the coffee that I purchased. It was like being in a Jerry Seinfeld or Larry David sitcom. Very funny! But I won't be back. Too many other places where my smiling face and money are more than welcome. read more

Walking into Cafe Fixe is like taking a trip back in time to elitist coffee shops of the early nineties with its high-priced espresso and calculated jazz. Given the choice between Starbuck's and Cafe Fixe, I'm glad I chose the latter, but I will never go back. I didn't have any cash on me, as I wasn't expecting to stop for coffee. When I tried to order a small latte and pay with my card, I was told there's a $3.95 limit. What is that? I understand credit card limits, and I would have been more understanding if it were a $5 limit, but $3.95? That's ridiculous. It probably has to do with the credit card fees, but it makes you look like a tool. So I took my large latte--exactly $3.95, how convenient and reasonable for an 12 oz beverage. Another woman looked at her large in a to go cup, and asked, "Is this the large?" Whatever. The coffee was delicious, and I loved sitting in the window. When I was finished, I thought I would be polite and take my cup and saucer up to the counter, where I was quickly informed I should put them in the bus station (which I saw as I was sitting the plate on the counter). This infuriated me. It's something small to ask, sure, but it's certainly not the way to make someone feel welcome. I will never be back. Two stars because the coffee was decent. read more

Like so many others that have posted I too have had a horrible experience with the owner and I won't go back to Cafe Fixxe. Ever. I'd say go across the street to Athans but there is one girl with short pixie cut dark hair working at Athans that belongs in a straitjacket let alone to be working with the public. I'm not asking for red-carpet-star-treatment, just decency. Starbucks seems to be the best option for normal customer service and a consistently pleasant experience from staff. 'Nuff said read more

No question. The coffee is good. Expensive, but that is par for the course for good coffee in this neck of the woods. The main problem here is that Max, the owner, is the Coffee Nazi. His employees are under strict orders not to do anything for you beyond the absolute minimum. Don't ask for anything beyond what you ordered the way they deliver it. After many visits, I will not be returning. read more