Bolt Coffee

After visiting RISD museum, I took a quick break at this coffee shop. The drink and scone are very good, especially the scone (with butter). The price is reasonable and service is excellent.

Neat. Excellent coffee in real ceramic mugs. Expresso served correctly, wow, haven't seen that in a long time. Glass of double expresso on a little tray, WITH a spoon AND a little glass of sparkling water WITH a lemon slice in it. Perfect. Hurrah finally expresso served correctly.

This is now the best coffee and service in Town The museum branch has amazing breakfast biscuits w Jam but it’s the coffee that draws me here.

Very nice and convenient cafeteria! The avocado toasts were amazing. The breakfast sandwich was excellent. Drinks were great, too: tea, macha latte, Americano Prices are not low, but the food was really enjoyable!

I enjoy Bolt coffee and if you’re near this museum this is a convenient place to find it. Parking can be tricky but worth it if you find a spot.

This place is absolutely fantastic. They knock everything out of the park: service is super friendly, the coffee is well-crafted, and the food is fresh and flavorful. My recommendations are: the breakfast sandwich and the avocado toast. 👍🏾

I was visiting providence for two days and I drank coffee twice there. I loved the staff and the atmosphere. Worth visiting if you're in providence. I had ginger snap & I forgot the other one something. Both were super perfect.

The breakfast sandwich was amazing! Did not feel like it came from a coffee shop, it was restaurant quality. Excellent coffee as well - the woodsman latte was perfect.

Easily one of the best lattes I've had in a long time. I enjoyed their seasonal peppermint mocha, along with the gingerbread donut. The person at the counter was also incredibly helpful when I asked about what beans to buy. I wish I still lived in Providence, I'd be there every day if I did!

Had to try the Gingersnap & Komorebi fun drinks and they were definitely fun and tasty! Also ordered the breakfast sandwich, which was honestly a bit disappointing. The biscuit was dry and the flavor of it all seemed dull. The space of this Bolt is really great inside the RISD museum.

I was in the area for the RISD Craft show and stumbled upon Bolt Coffee! This does not look like a coffee shop that you could get any work done during their peak hours. The line went by tremendously fast for the volume of people they had to wait on. I opted for their brioche donut- it was a nice sweet treat to help get through a long workday!

Can't beat the ambience! The coffee is good the pastries are good, but it's the ambience of being in a vast room off the museum that makes it special.

I had the most bomb pumpkin spice latte and the team there is so delightful and wonderful. Although I only went there for the last half hour to get some quick work done on my laptop I didn't feel like I was being rushed out at all. The ambiance was such a vibe, great music and very relaxing.

Great space for telework or study, if you appreciate a low buzz of noise while going about your tasks. Keep in mind that this cafe is in the atrium of the back entrance to the RISD Museum, so there is some bustle from museum-goers and folks who are chatting in the cafe. This cafe was challenging to locate, as Apple Maps directed me to the front entrance of the museum. To alleviate your potential confusion in finding: the cafe is actually named "Pearl Cafe" and is on the Benefit St side entrance. The cafe is operated by Bolt Coffee, and once you get inside you'll se a sign that says Bolt. I ordered a hibiscus iced tea, which was delicious. Their pricing is steep, but such is to be expected at any spot on the east side, especially in a touristy area. Tons of seating and table space, gorgeous high ceilings, loved the vibes.

Their coffee is strong and good. Very straight forward, high quality. Parking is hard to come by, but it's worth stopping in if you can find a spot.

This is a good coffee place. The coffee is good and the servers were polite. The place has lots of seating but only a handful of seats have electrical outlets nearby.

Great coffee, great food! Limited selections but everything they do have is great. They carry knead donuts which are always grand. The grain bowl is the fav for me on the menu and the avocado toast makes for a good simple snack.

Love a barista who knows when I need an extra shot before I do. Killer avo toast, biscuit, and espresso tonic

This coffee chain is GARBAGE. Biggest ripoff dumpster fest in the entire world. You charge me 5 dollars for a small hot black cup of coffee plain that tasted like puke. So go ahead, keep ripping these already struggling college students off with your crappy food and drink and see where you are at in a couple of years. This chain SUCKS. I hate bolt coffee with a passion. Don't ever go here, 0 stars if possible

Good coffee and good pastries! After a museum visit, coffee and donuts were exactly what we needed. I got an iced oat milk latte and a coconut donut. Both were great! Latte is ok the pricier side but it was great.

Located in the RISD museum, this cafe lies somewhat partially underground with some seating near floor to ceiling window lighting (not pictured). I came here around 12pm on Saturday, and it was quite busy with people chatting or doing work on their laptops. Luckily, my friends and I found seating. I ordered the Cafe Miel with a vanilla glazed donut. Both the drink and the donut were delicious, but I was a little disappointed by the higher price of my coffee when it came in a smaller cup. They also sell some cool things at the cash register such as masala chai concentrate. We did not come here for the museum itself, but for some coffee nearby where we were walking. However, this is a quality cafe to stop by if you are looking for a break after the museum.

What a find, tucked into RISD! The queer-o-meter is non existent. It's RISD! Everyone is who they are and it's fabulous. 1-10? It's a 20. We needed up here by accident, after going to a few other local Places that were jammed packed. The people are nice and friendly, the food (which is limited to a good handful of times) is delicious and fresh and the atmosphere is high spirited and casual. No pretentious coffeehouse feels here. We sat had cappuccino, ate, talked, drank more coffee, ate a donut (that are amazing) and laughed. It's not cheap - but it was well worth the time out on a cold Sunday morning with friends. Thank you Bolt! We will be back!

Service: excellent service. Everyone was extremely friendly and attentive Food: the best avocado toast I've ever had. The bread is perfectly toasted and thicc. The hummus toast was literally dancing in my mouth. Coffee is 10/10. We will definitely be back for more.

tl;dr a trendy coffeeshop serving up artisanal drinks and Knead donuts in the RISD Museum Bolt opened its original location on Fountain Street to high praise and a loyal following, so the next logical step was to expand. And what better place for an artsy coffeehouse to team up with than the Rhode Island School of Design? This outpost of Bolt is situated within the RISD Museum, perfect for a pre-, mid-, or post-visit cup. The space is industrial-meets-metropolitan, with a marble countertop and high ceilings to contrast hardwood furnishings and subway-tile walls. A modern quilt hangs on the back wall, and a bright neon sign illuminates the coffee bar. Warm bulb lighting makes the room cozier, as does the entrance wall which gradients from grey to black. Tables are speckled throughout the open space, and at any given time most of them will be occupied to museum-goers and diligent students alike. Bolt serves up coffee and espresso drinks in baby blue dishware, with options for Knead donuts on the side. Espresso specials rotate seasonally to showcase different flavor combinations. This past visit, I ordered the Woodsman drink, which equated to a latte with added Vermont maple syrup. Service was quick and friendly, and my drink was prepared in a matter of minutes. Overall, I think that Bolt is far and away better than any chain coffee store, but still leaves something to be desired. The coffee drinks are good but never great, finding seating turns into a contact sport, and Providence has better donut options than Knead (re: PVDonuts). It's a fair addition to a day at the RISD, but not worth going out of the way for.

Nice cafe located inside the RISD art museum. I especially enjoy their lattes and lunch entrees. Today I sampled their savory grits plate with a latte, and it was delicious. The seating available is comfortable and quiet.

We could have spent all day here. What a fantastic location inside RISD! The atmosphere is so welcoming and modern. The staff was patient, helpful and kind! The drinks were so unique and we had a hard time choosing what to try because we wanted to try them all! We had order envy from the table next to us who had food! Going to have to come back and try some different drinks and some of the food!

I promised myself I would never purchase avocado toast. Unlike espresso, which takes a lot of skill and intuition to prepare well, it's silly to pay someone to make something as simple as avocado toast for you. However, the avocado toast at Bolt is truly a masterpiece worthy of the Manets and Picassos upstairs. They use really high quality olive oil and bread (They gave me the option of whole wheat or brioche.), and top it off with a sprinkle of flaky salt and red pepper flakes. So tasty, beautiful, and definitely worth the $5. But let's talk about the espresso. I'm never too good at describing coffee, but I'm always really happy with my drink here. The espresso tonic is totally refreshing and the ideal afternoon pick-me-up. It comes with a little twist of citrus which I wasn't expecting, but it made me feel like I was drinking a cocktail! It's hard to choose the best thing about this place. The atmosphere is pristine, the espresso is perfect, and the employees are extremely kind and always make an effort to get to know me. I'm so glad that this second location opened!

Wonderful staff! Niko was really kind and attentive. Delicious breakfast sandwich! I ate it too fast and didn't take a pic

For those confused, as I was: this Benefit Street location is the younger of the two chapters of Providence-based Bolt Coffee Company, in a communal partnership with the RISD Museum. The actual space itself is called Café Pearl. First, I'm impressed by how this place presents itself. Beautiful, casual, and sophisticated. I've never seen a coffeeshop like it, and it's no surprise when you discover that its the brainchild of an inventive RISD-alumni design studio. Baristas are artsy, down-to-earth, always smiling, and give off a "j-chillin" vibe. I've had the espresso & tonic in the past, and just enjoyed their specialty "Gingersnap", a stormy espresso that floats right above a layer of fizzy gingerbeer. Both were presented in charming glasses. The iced espresso & tonic was an absolute treat, but the Gingersnap took it up a notch. The body is invigorating and smooth. The carbonation temporarily cleanses the palate, followed by the mild, refreshing burn of ginger in the back of the throat, and the faint echo of the dark espresso. I highly recommend alternating small sips with nibbles of the candied ginger included with the drink. While I haven't visited the original Bolt Coffee bar in Downcity, it's clear to me that they are not only purveyors of premium, curated Arabica coffee, but also champions of their motto, "coffee is best enjoyed with friends." It's the little nooks like this that make me fall in love with Providence again and again.

I just can't. I'm sorry. I was so excited when some friends scheduled a meet-up here, but this takes expensive coffee to the next level. I understand that $4 lattes are the new normal, but $4 for a run of the mill, standard cup of joe? I could make that myself, and my coffee tastes better. (Its been a while, but I also think they were lacking in milk options: only whole, almond, and something random like hemp.) And the food is wicked expensive, too. Though I couldn't order what I wanted (there were almonds in the granola and I'm allergic), I don't think the presentation or quality is as good as, say, Sydney, which is also expensive but worth the occasional splurge. As much as I like the baristas there, and that I can come on a Saturday morning and write unbothered in a quiet space, I just don't make enough money to justify returning.

I could be crabby and find some excuse to give Bolt Coffee a four-star review, but seriously the place was excellent. CR and I loved our espresso-flavored old fashioned from Knead Doughnuts as well as the coffee drinks that we ordered. My cortado, in particular, was perfect. Bolt is cool-looking and has a great vibe. The dudes who took care of us were friendly and helpful. Great!

My best friend/favorite person recommended the avocado toast. Good yummy so good and yummy radish and delicious

I went to the RISD museum for the first time in years a few months ago and was so thrilled to see this cafe right in the lobby of the museum. It's one of those places where you can just tell that their toasts and coffee cocktails will be both stunning in presentation and taste. I've gone a number of times since then and always get the ginger snap. Even when its not on the menu, I tell the servers that I don't need the candied ginger garnish and they whip one right up. I always have gone late(r) in the mornings or afternoons so there is usually only 1 or 2 pastries left, but I guess you're there for the art? The avocado toast is DELISH but more like a lot of chunky guac spread over a large slab of toast. And I tried their apple and prosciutto toast which was also delicious! I highly recommend this place if you're near college hill!

Spicy avocado toast. Knead donuts. Bolt coffee and espresso drinks. RISD Art Museum right down the hall, and inspiring decor in this gorgeous space. What is not to love?

Amazing lattes in a super cool atmosphere! I absolutely love this place! The latte art is on point and the baristas are really friendly. Only things detracting from a full five star review are the slightly high prices and that they are closed on Monday.

Great addition to us RISD student's coffee choices! This is definitely slowly becoming my go-to spot if I am looking for a little more of a "real" coffee than getting starbucks down the hill. Great drinks but overpriced. I also LOVE their current specials, the Komorebi (it has matcha and grapefruit soda amazingness in it). -- just a quick comment on the portion though... it is $4.5 and look at the to-go cup size... I meannnn it's a really good drinks but I certainly finished that in like 3 zips, especially compared to the same drink but with the glass cup when you drink in the cafe, it is distinctly different with the same $$$. I also tried their avocado toast and chocolate sprinkle toast. Nice bread but overall I just think Mehh. I personally enjoyed the chocolate sprinkle a little more, hoping it might be a tad bit sweeter. I liked how they added spice to the avocado though. Really nice space/interior design :) super photogenic for those who love ig-ing like I do ;)

I have become a huge fan of the atmosphere in this cafe. There is a great mix of students, artists, visitors, families and more that creating a really relaxing space for studying and people watching. The cold brew is really strong and fragrant. Also the baristas a creative with their coffee drinks and made me a great one with ginger a few weeks ago. The food is also lovely, though somewhat pricey. The avacado toast is great as well as the proscuitto and goat cheese toast. I can't wait to come back and take in some art and snacks.

My mocha lacked flavor. Seating was difficult. Wait qas quick......... ......... ..............

We got coffee here every morning while we were on vacation and it made our entire day. The vibes are immaculate and the coffee is dope.

Wow what a gem! This is a great place inside the RISD museum to get some coffee or unique drinks. I ordered the Komorebi which was sparking local grapefruit juice mixed with fresh matcha. Absolutely refreshing. And my friend got one of their coffee which also was good. Overall, if you ever go through RISD, definitely stop by this place

The people at this gorgeous new Bolt location are straight up lovely. The coffee is excellent, and the space is beautifully designed - but what truly sets them apart is the exceptional service. I've been here numerous times now and the folks behind the counter are consistently just so attentive and courteous and professional, from giving you more detail about a particular item as you are ordering, to the way they bring your order to your table. And they pull excellent espresso shots! And assemble beautiful toasts. Speaking of which, the menu is so interesting and varied. They have special drinks you don't really find elsewhere at local coffee shops, like the Woodman (with maple syrup) and the ginger snap (a beautifully presented ginger/espresso drink with candied ginger on a skewer). And the food offerings satisfy a sweet tooth or a craving for some thing savory. Today I wanted savory and went for the prosciutto and ricotta toast with basil olive oil, and it was delicious. Even the faceted glassware is pretty (if you order to stay). Lovely experience all around!

Great price, Great Drink! Their matcha tonic is very interesting, definitely recommend to give it a try!

Lovely place to stop by and work remotely and sit in the beautiful RISD museum. The staff is really great and the coffee is delicious. It can feel very loud at times because of the high ceilings and the fact that the interior is not closed (it's connected to the lobby of the RISD museum), so keep that in mind if you plan on doing remote phone calls. PSA: as a donut aficionado, don't expect too much from these ones from Knead - the ones that I got were extraordinarily dry, and I am not one to throw away a donut! But if you're hungry or need sugar, these donuts will solve that craving temporarily!

Really cool atmosphere and good coffee, but they burned my breakfast sandwich and it didn't make it very easy to eat. I will say, the staff is very nice but I don't think I'd ever order food here again.

Superb specialty coffee shop with very reasonable prices. The bright and fruity featured espresso was absolutely delicious in a cappuccino. It was a nice surprise to see that they offered another option for espresso besides their regular blend. The breakfast sandwich was so tasty and MASSIVE (in a good way)--you get a lot of food for the price. Get it with the hot sauce! Fast service, and they seem to be set up well for the pandemic/to-go order only system. Well done!

I used to frequent the Dean location but I've been going to this spot more often now that I work near the RISD museum, and I have to say I really like it. The space is bigger here so you're more likely to be able to grab a table and hang out at peak times. It's also a gorgeous space that does NOT share the generic touristy feel typical to museum cafes at all. The coffee is AMAZING. They rotate which roaster they are featuring pretty often which I love because it adds some variety. They also have coffee "cocktails" that rotate too (sounds pretentious, right? They are delicious though, and the baristas will be more than happy to explain the drinks to you -- don't be intimidated!!). I highly recommend the espresso tonic on a hot day. The food is really great (bring back the hagelslag please though!!), they have fancy toast which is all I've ever tried but also other things I think (?? The toast is so good I've never felt a need to branch out). It's not huge portions so maybe don't come here for food if you're super hungry, but what they have makes for a great snack. They have Knead doughnuts too!! So basically: definitely stop in if you're going to the RISD museum, probably stop by anyway if you're in the area and in need of some caffeine and/or a snack, and there's enough space to hang out if you want to do that.

Can you update your hours on yelp and your website just rushed to get here before work because it said you'd be open only to find you were closed

Love the location, the service, and LOVE the coffee. They work with different roasters outside of Providence to bring in some different flavors. They had an amazing roast from Washington that I absolutely fell in love with! I can't wait to go back and try their espresso drinks, especially the latte with maple syrup... mmmm. My friend tried toast with peanut butter and was not a fan of the bread. I hope to try the grits on the menu soon!

One of my favorite coffee shops in the country, not just for their coffee, but for their people as well. Everyone at Bolt has such a fine attention and detail and excellent customer service. Their specialty espresso drinks are excellent.

This hometown coffee shop is right in the RISD Museum at the benefit street entrance. You do not need museum entrance to enjoy. The space is very lively and usually full of people. It is a wonderful setting. You might have to wait for a seat, but then you wont want to give it up.

Bolt consistently crafts the best coffee drinks in PVD. "Ditto" my review for the Bolt/Dean Hotel location, but here's some appreciation for some of the folks involved: Bryan- focused and rather zen, Cafe Pearl was his aesthetic labor of love. Spare and beautiful, this space is, nice job Bryan! Todd- a licensed Q-Grader and coffee credentialed jack-of-all-trades smarty pants. Kacey- the charmingest barista who is hospitality personified. She also makes lovely jewelry so visit her Etsy or stall at the Providence Flea. Justin- the mellow roasting enthusiast behind Enjoy Coffee who also exhibits extreme patience on a Buddhic scale w/ chatty people that make much ado about nothing. Mark- a born teacher from whom I somehow always come away with learning some random arcane interesting tidbit about coffee. Cuz sharing is caring. Mark and Justin also share custody of a refractometer, a scientific tool that helps them figure out stuff like coffee extraction numbers to home in on their technique. I do not think this shared custody arrangement is the outcome of some forced legal decree tho bc they do seem to get along swimmingly. This new outpost of Bolt has added some additional baristas whose unique strengths have not yet been observed by yours truly, but I certainly will take the time to figure it out as a self-appointed coffee anthropologist. Last notes: -easier parking and more table space to spread out in this shop than at the Dean Hotel -Museum entrance is free on Sundays and they haven't yet slapped me on the wrist for sipping coffee while perusing the collection -A Cinderella balcony for all the VSCO-cam enhanced snaps you wish to make as well Great job to everyone involved, keep the coffee goodness coming.

Avocado toast, chickpea sandwich, savory pop-over and cappuccinos. The coffee was great and the food was delicious! Small menu with a lot of flavor! Go here!

The good: clean and eye appealing space that leaves your mind clear of noisy decorations or blaring music to focus on work or catch up with a friend; kind workers and awesome donuts supplied by the now open knead doughnut shop in downtown prov; never crazy crowded and always a chill atmosphere. The bad: connected to the risd museum so unless you make sure you go to the direct entrance you'll be confused for a little walking left, turning rights, and going up one elevator and down another to get here (museums under construction) The ugly: none! Oh just one, only open till 5 and I would love one of my favorite cafes to be open later so I can stay for a little while longer

came here to study, stayed for the drink. i rlly appreciate this place bc the baristas are basically professional bartenders...they'll whip up custom orders as long as they have the ingredients. i saw the matcha + seltzer water in previous photos many times, they didn't have it on the menu anymore but i asked for it anyways and the barista was like say no more. cool drinks and good environment for cracking the books. cups are small so it is $$$ but hey, it's ~artisinal~

I loved the staff and the atmosphere. Worth visiting if you're in providence. I had ginger snap & home something. Both were perfect.

I've been going to bolt now for about a year. I can't say enough good things about the quality of the coffee and the serene environment. The barista's are always very knowledgeable and kind. I'm very picky when it comes to coffee and even want to know with the beans are from and they never disappoint! Even so much to mix different things together to give me a new experience every time I go there. The only downfall is parking. I do wish it was easier to park, it's all meters. So remember to bring your quarters.

Very friendly staff, fancy and creative menu with vegan options. The open floor plan means it's not a cozy coffee shop to work in, but it is a communal spot that connects the coffee shop, RISD students, & museum goers in one shared space which I find to be an enjoyable community experience.