Bittersweet Shoppe Newbury Street Boston Review

Bittersweet Shoppe is a local, woman-owned cafe nestled in the heart of Newbury Street in Back Bay. Created & owned by Tracy Casavant, the shoppe is a brick-and-mortar realization of her initial venture Bittersweet Homestead. On her website’s about page, Tracy details the journey of her ideas, and healing through some rough personal challenges (Hense the name… cause life is bittersweet). 

Opened in the throes of the pandemic in 2020, this little shoppe of dreams has survived and I have high hopes that it will continue to thrive as the world slowly adjusts to the ever-changing circumstances. 

The shoppe is eye-catching with the outdoor seating area bright and colorfully decorated, themed around the color yellow. It’s obvious at first look that a lot of care and planning went into the storefront’s presentation.  It’s definitely hard to miss, which is exactly how I found the spot in the first place, and it’s curled up as one of my favorite spots to grab food before work or on my lunch break. 

The copious amount of outdoor seating means that, with few exceptions, the shoppe can host several small parties looking to enjoy an outside meal away from the busier Boylston Street. This place can definitely get crowded on weekends, though, or doing special events (like Open Newbury). 

Inside is cozy 

The menu is designed around grab-and-go bites (Tracy has noted in previous interviews being inspired by picnic fare), with a variety of delicious pastries, breakfast sandwiches, some of the best grilled cheese you’re gonna find in Back Bay, and other gourmet-esque snacks. 

Of all the great yummy treats that this shoppe boasts, one of its hidden gems is the library of unsweetened flavored iced coffees, both iced and hot! Where else are you gonna find decadent chocolate raspberry swirl in drinkable form? Nowhere close, I bet. 

What To Eat At Bittersweet

My go-to for breakfast is the egg and cheese on a croissant sandwich, and you have the option of yummy add-ons for our meat-lovers out there.  It comes with fresh seasonal fruit on the side. 

For lunch, I default to the classic four-cheese grilled cheese sandwich. There are many other, more decadent and creative grilled cheese options as well, but you just can’t go wrong getting started with their basic offering. The sandwich comes with chips and pickles on the side, is a very generous size, and very filling. 

For pastries I’m a fan of their muffins, in particular, the raspberry/blackberry crumble or cinnamon roll. Both are absolutely delicious and, again, pretty hearty!

Some considerations will be price – you get a lot of bang for your buck but a meal and drink or pastry will run you around $15. This is pretty par for pricing for Back Bay, though, and I have no doubt that it will keep you satiated. 

Another thing to keep in mind is time – most of the meals are handmade by order and can sometimes take 10-15 minutes to prepare. This is, again, worth every moment but if you’re short on time it might be better to order ahead on GrubHub and pickup. 

Overall, Bittersweet Shoppe has quickly become one of my favorite spots to go during my breaks. It’s has a wonderful story of perseverance and provides an atmosphere and comfort food that’s simply hard to beat.