Tatte1 is a popular bakery and cafe with over twenty locations in the greater Boston area. Known for baked goods and brunch plates, their menu is seasonal and has Israeli, Mediterranean, and European influences. This review is based primarily on their South Boston location.
Tatte (South Boston)
Overall Rating: ★★★★★ out of 5 stars
Address: 60 Old Colony Ave, Boston, MA 02127
Neighborhood: South Boston
Perfect For: Pastries and savory brunch plates in an inviting cafe atmosphere
Hours: Mon – Sat 7am – 4pm, Sun 8am – 4pm
Reservations: No
Parking: Street
Links: Website, Menu
Cost: $20 per person (food only)
The entrance to Tatte’s South Boston location is bright and airy with high ceilings. Ordering takes place at the counter, and all seating is first-come, first serve. As is the case with many of Tatte’s locations, there is never enough seating and it can be hard to secure a free table. Note that Tatte is walk-in only and does not accept reservations. To skip the lines, you can place an online order for pickup.
Tatte’s South Boston location is unusual in that you can watch their cooks making pastries alongside machines efficiently flattening out dough and then rolling it up. I picked a high top seat that had a great view of the pastry production area.
Ready-to-eat pastries are on display near the ordering counter, showcasing their freshly prepared cakes, pies, croissants, buns, biscuits, scones, muffins, tarts, and cookies.
Their brunch menu has a number of offerings, such as tartines, quiche, soup, shakshuka, and egg sandwiches, and is similar to their all-day menu. I ordered the lamb hash, Greek style pancakes, and morning buns.
I’ve had their lamb hash a handful of times now at various locations. This dish features lamb cooked in warm spices alongside sweet potatoes, carrots, and pickled red cabbage. It’s topped with a poached egg and green dressing, and paired with fresh tomatoes and challah. I enjoy this dish every time and I love the depth and combination of rich savory flavors going on here. The execution is mostly consistent; most recently my challah bread was disappointingly hard and dry, when in the past it has had a soft pillowy interior.
The Greek style pancakes were good, but nothing extraordinary. They were standard pancakes, thick and fluffy, topped with sesame seeds and served with Greek yogurt and pear jam.
The morning buns were delicious. They have a dry and flaky exterior and top, and the bottom has a sweet and sticky coating. I’ve also had other baked goods from Tatte in the past that were quite good, such as their linzer cookies, gingerbread tile, and brownies.
Service at Tatte is average. Across different locations, the workers at the ordering counter are consistently indifferent, neither friendly nor hostile. Food is delivered relatively promptly, and empty plates and trash are efficiently cleared off tables by the staff.
Overall, I enjoy going to Tatte for my favorite menu items and I like knowing that I am getting a consistent experience no matter which location I am at. I’m interested in trying some new dishes, too — in particular, I’ve heard that their shakshuka is phenomenal. Shakshuka is one of my favorite breakfast dishes, and I usually follow this recipe for my homemade version.
- The word tatte is a Hebrew nickname for grandmother and its pronunciation rhymes with latte ↩︎