Cafe Landwer Back Bay

Cafe Landwer is a lovely spot with a cozy atmosphere that’s perfect for a casual meal. The decor and vibe make it a great place to relax and enjoy your time. As someone who’s Middle Eastern, I’d say the food isn’t entirely authentic, but it does the job. The flavors are good, and the dishes are satisfying, even if they’re not exactly what I’d expect from traditional Middle Eastern cuisine. Overall, it’s a nice place to visit, especially if you’re looking for a warm and welcoming environment

I agree with the sentiments shared. I had an excellent grilled chicken salad. It was a large portion and the food was excellent. I also had a great Turkish coffee. The only detractor was my server was non existent. She never checked on me after taking my order. I had to finally ask someone to get her to come settle my bill. In the end someone else helped me. Great food but hope they can improve the service.

Very picture-worthy brunch with pretty good flavor! The coffee is quite good, definitely better than most breakfast places. Not exactly authentic, but food is solid. The Benedict sauce is okay, but love that they use challah bread! Overall would come back, especially for the coffee!

This is a solid brunch spot with great variety of both classic American and middle eastern dishes. The pancakes are so fluffy and the shakshuka was delicious, however the decorative cast irons left a metallic taste on some dishes. I also suggest that you try to sit at the front of the restaurant for nicer vibes, the back is dark and has no windows.

Landwer has one of my favorite menus in town. Tons of options for vegetarians. The pancakes are amazing – we always order one extra for the table to split. Portion sizes are more than fair and the coffee drinks are great, as well. And if you have any room left, definitely try one of the homemade pastries for dessert. Servers are always friendly, although sometimes they go missing. They only have a single door instead of a double, so in cold weather, everyone in the front half of the restaurant gets blasted with icy air constantly. Definitely ask to be seated in back. Also, the tables have a strange bar going across them down low, so plan on bruising your shins. Who picked that garbage out?

Very cool vintage-modern cafe/restaurant. Really enjoyed the vibes of this cozy restaurant and can imagine how beautiful it would be in summer and spring to sit outside. They have two seating areas indoor and it’s a cute spot for studying or going out on a date too ;) aAll the food we got we rated between 8-10, ie very good! High recommend!!!

Lovely place, a good atmosphere and delicious food. The service was excellent, and the waiter was very attentive and friendly. Lots of vegan and vegetarian options.

Cafe Landwer has a cozy atmosphere and a tempting menu, but my experience was a bit mixed. The food was alright, a bit too sweet for the vegan rice. Service can be improving, my wife ordered latte twice, It never came. It’s a nice spot to try once, but I’m not sure I’d go out of my way to return.

Overall great shashukas! A nice midterranian spot to eat anytime throughout the day. I got the shashuka carne which includes short ribs and avocado! It is packed with incredible flavor! The tomatoes have a great amount of sweetness. The avocado is fresh and the short ribs compliments well by adding salt and fat! The bread was fresh and the side was amazing. Cafe Landwer is perfect for a family friendly breakfast or brunch!

We came here for brunch on a weekend. Initially we were sat under a vent that was blowing cold air, despite it being below freezing, so we asked to move. Not sure why that was running when it's so cold! It was shakshuka month so I got the shakshuka carne, which comes with short rib. I had high hopes but the tomatoes were not super flavorful and the eggs were slightly overcooked. Maybe it's not the right season for them or something. There was also a strange smell to the shortrib although it tasted fine and was pretty tender. For drinks, I got the house blend tea, which is non-caffeinated but comes with an English breakfast tea bag on the side that you can opt to add. My other friend who got another shakshuka agreed it was disappointing, but my friend who got the pancakes enjoyed them.

- Tasty shakshuka with stewed tomatoes, lamb/beef shish kofta (minced meat) skewers. - chicken shawarma hummus bowl was OK, nice and creamy but the dish had a plane monotone flavor. I would have preferred more variety of flavors/spices with this dish. - warm pita bread that's cloud-fluffy - casual restaurant with retro diner style tables and friendly service

Food was OUTSTANDING and service was good. Inexpensive meal for the area. Great local spot, highly recommend.

Love this place - you definitely need a reservation because it's packed! the service is relatively quick and all the servers were so nice. I got the falafel pita and SO GOOD. It was the perfect amount of saucy and flavor

We made a reservation for 6 people and luckily could get in the next day. It was confusing because there's a large sign out front saying wait to be seated, but we waited 15 minutes past our reservation in a large line out front before one person in our party just tried to go in and ask - they ended up letting us in that way. They were nice to let us sit while one person in our party was stuck in traffic. However, it took quite a while to get food, and the table honestly couldn't fit everything for us. Also the waiters were not very attentive, with it taking us a long time to get more water, and even the bill (about 30 min after we were done and 20 min after they had cleared about half of the plates) I know people rave about the shakshouka but my friends said it was lacking flavor. Smoothies were ok and the salmon eggs Benedict was fine. My friend said it didn't blow her mind. The pancakes are huge and super fun, and my waffles were yummy! Hard to mess those up though Overall, I'd say it was a decent brunch, but we weren't wowed. Also be prepared for a 20% gratuity fee

Had a delicious meal here. Ordered the mushroom hummus bowl and the mushrooms were deliciously cooked and hummus was so creamy. The pita was piping hot, soft, and hearty. They had many veg options and they were all labelled clearly. My 4 stars were for the service. It was a little slow but maybe it was the time of day. Would definitely go back.

Wait time was quite a bit but shashuka was def top tier! I love how they serve it with pita and not regular bread and they even had a salad on the side! The environment in the back bay location was quiet as we were in the back but highly recommend for brunch meetup

A group of us came for brunch and it was a busy morning. I got the smoked salmon sandwich and it was bigger than my hand. The sandwich was good, and I really enjoyed the bread, but I wish it came with a side. My friends also enjoyed their dishes. Service was ok, as we weren't really checked on and it was hard to get our server's attention. The drinks also came out slow. We got a round of mimosas and it took 15 min. The second round of drinks were also slow. Food came out at a timely manner. There is only one bathroom. I would rate it a 3.6/5, raising it up to a 4/5.

Sometimes you just want a whole appetizer platter for dinner and that's exactly what you order. It was a real mixed bag here--I do love me some baba ghanoush and I got to dig into that. The hummus was only so so, but overall the whole platter was very good, very generously portioned, and I ate it up with that pita bread they served. It's a nice enough spot, really conveniently located if you're down near the library or in the Back Bay. Since I was dining on my own this particular night, I didn't linger too long but it was a weeknight and not too busy, so I could have hung around and since the vibe was pretty casual, I would probably plan to spend a little more time there next time, maybe explore the entrees a bit more.

Best lunch spot ever! Huge portions, my go to for a business catered lunch. Recommend the Shawarma and dessert.

I have to say this place is a decent brunch place. The reason it is lower for me is I'm not particularly the biggest fan of the type of food offered like shaksuka, sandwiches, etc. Ordered a bottle of Prosecco for a flight of mimosa. Overall service is fine, nothing to say about it. Overall the food was good but to my personal taste, nothing too special

The wallpaper and decor is so chic and colorful. I went here with a friend, we ordered some teas. I got the skewers and they were delicious - so soft and flavorful. The service was moderately paced - they respected our conversation and let us chat but checked in for tea refills. I would come here whenever I'm craving Mediterranean food again!

The cafe is very cute with interesting wallpaper and mirrors. We came later at night so there wasn't a wait to be sat. We tried the chicken thigh skewers which were grilled nicely and went well with the grilled vegetables. The schnitzel was a little overcooked and dry. The bolognese pasta was meaty and saucy. I tried the mimosa which wasn't very special tasted like supermarket orange juice Their bathroom is a little annoying to get to. It's outside of the restaurant in the basement of the hotel

This was a really convenient spot to grab an early dinner before heading over to Fenway for the ballgame. The interior has a very appealing retro dinner vibe, and the eclectic Mediterranean menu had me salivating. That said, the menu descriptions "sounded" better than the execution of the food, which was good, but mostly underwhelming. However, the creamy hummus was delicious, and the pita was perfectly fresh and fluffy. I much prefer this fluffy Israeli style pocket pita to the thin araviki pita. So, why underwhelmed? My son described the schnitzel as a giant bland chicken nugget, not worthy of the $20 price. And the shakshuka lacked depth - cumin seasoned bland chunky tomato that seemed quickly cooked, rather than the shakshuka I know and love, which is a slow-braised stew with complex flavors from sweet and spicy ingredients. Spice it up, Landwer, America can handle it. Bring on the z'houg!

The service was a little slow and not that great. However, I really liked my food. I ordered the halloumi shakshuka and smashed potatoes. The tomato stew itself was okay, I've had better-- but i've never had halloumi cheese and omg it was so yummy. I really enjoyed the crushed potatoes as well. It was like soft mashed potato texture but crispy.

Great place with a nice relaxing ambiance. The food was good and the drinks delicious. The one thing I was not impressed with was the bathroom. It was a complete mess but it doesn't take away from the rest of the experience. The staff was all pleasant and accommodating. Recommend for a quick and easy bite

Dropped by here with a friend to catch up. Really nice location. Restaurant itself is nicely decorated. I got a cup of coffee and Mediterranean shakshouka (no cheese). Food was served pretty quickly and portion was big. Presentation is nice. My shakshouka was good but needs a little more salt. Service was friendly. Options are all pretty good.

This is a very cute place right in front of the Boston public library. It was pretty affordable and had quick service. The halloumi shakshuka was plated nicely and had great flavor. I loved the halloumi paired with the dish which was something I haven't had before. I do wish the shakshuka came a bit spicer. The croissant Benedict was very flaky and paired nicely with the hollandaise sauce. The potatoes were my favorite pair with extremely crunchy outside. Would love to come again to try other items on the menu

For a great brunch spot near the finish of the Boston marathon this is the place to be. Granted I'm not a super big brunch fan as most foods have egg in them and I can't have egg, but I was able to find something to enjoy. The waffle looked amazing and so did the parfait but I ended up with the steel cut oatmeal. It was delicious and just what i wanted. I would definitely come back for lunch as the menu is way more expansive! The service was great, server was friendly, and it was early enough it wasn't too rowdy or noisy.

My best friend took me out for a birthday lunch (shoutout best friend) and we decided to come to Cafe Landwer. Ultimately, this has probably been one of our greater decisions we've made as a collective when it comes to dining option. Right off the bat, I noticed how cute the interior was, with lots of decorations and patterns that are vibrant yet easy on the eyes. I have visited the Cleveland Circle and Audubon Landwer locations in Brookline, but this was my first time here. We had made a reservation for midday, ended up coming earlier, and the host was very accommodating and were able to seat us. In terms of the service, there was definitely some room for improvement (we waited a while for the bill, had to ask a different server to clear our tables/provide us with the bill, and our original server was not very personable). However, I understand that people have off-days and honestly the food and vibes in the restaurant compensated heavily, so I don't feel the need to deduct a star for that. If you know Landwer, you know we HAD to go for the schnitzel options. My bestie got the classic schnitzel, and I opted for the schnitzel sandwich with pita in place of challah bread. Everything was delicious! The schnitzel was perfectly cooked, and tasted great, especially with lemon juice squeezed onto it. The sandwich was very good on the homemade pita, though I would substitute the red sauce for honey mustard or yogurt dressing, as done by the Brookline locations I've been to. Pickles and pickled cabbage called for a nice tang in the sandwich. The side of fries was also very tasty! Definitely stop by here for a bite if you're in Back Bay, you won't regret it!

Catering review: I had a vegan meatball pita sandwich from a box lunch which was delicious. Really impressed with the vegan meatballs, great taste and texture. I thought the sandwich could've used some vegetables (it was just meatballs and sauce) but still tasty nonetheless. However, the boxed lunch came with garden salsa sun chips, which are NOT vegan. Given that the boxes are labelled vegan and indicated to be vegan on the catering menu, this was disappointing.

Pros: tons of food for what you ordered (great bang for buck), mezze platter was good, coffee was good, presentation left me feeling like an influencer, service was so friendly. Shakshuka plate was well-received too. And the ambience was so pretty Cons: some of the food was not good- felt like they should've done fewer menu items really well than such a broad menu. The guac especially was pretty clearly pre-frozen and super oily and tasted like it had gone bad, which really ruined the breakfast sandwich and the Landwer's famous breakfast. Most of the vegetables tasted pretty old, including the chopped salads. One of our pitas had a hair on it from the kitchen... which despite helping us kickstart our Spooky Season, it wasn't my favorite topping

I've been to Cafe Landwer multiple times, specifically the one across from the Boston Public Library. Usually, the service is amazing and the food is good. Today, on February 16th of 2025, I was very shocked. To begin, we were served by a young woman who practically ignored us for most of the time we were there. She was too busy having a conversation with her coworkers at the counter. Additionally, we asked for ice and water [twice].. and we never received anything. We had to ask other waiters [who weren't serving our table] for anything that we needed. I understand that this may be quite annoying for said waiters, but that doesn't mean you have to be rude to the customers. Every single waiter [except for one] spoke to us with dismissive tones. To put the cherry on top, we never received our appetizer bread, even though we asked for it twice. As for the food, compared to my past experiences, it was mediocre. I ordered the Chicken Pesto Pasta. First off, the pasta was left boiling for too long. The pesto sauce was extremely watered down, and the chicken was very lightly seasoned. My friends got the Rosé pasta and the cream bolognese pasta. Out of all our dishes, the cream bolognese was probably the best. The Rosé pasta was very watered down and was left boiling for too long as well. The best part of our meal was the Nutella Rosalach and the burrata. Overall, I am extremely disappointed with this experience and not sure that I would ever come back.

They started serving free bread, which is a great touch. The food was delicious, pita was warm and fluffy. The labneh and matbucha was *chefs kiss*. The pesto pasta was delicious and super flavorful, but the chicken was so dry I needed to drink water to get it down. It was busy, but not loud. Our initial server did not want to be there; she seemed annoyed the moment we sat down. However, the second server who helped us was super friendly and helpful. Also, if you can, try to avoid sitting by the door in the winter because it gets super cold as people go in and out.

Craving for halloumi after recent trip to Cyprus so when I saw halloumi and spinach shashuka, I must get it. I didn't make a reservation so I was told the wait time was 20 mins (Sat at 1pm) Happy to be seated within ten mins. Server came over quickly and I got my coffee and food promptly. The halloumi was "gamier" than I expected. The ones I had elsewhere were mild and tasted more like mozzarella cheese. Grilled is better in my opinion because the fried ones today were a bit dry. I was able to find one or two spinach leaves? Mostly cilantro for garnish. The presentation was beautiful but sadly it tasted as if it was from a jar (yes the pre made shashuka tomato sauce you can get at the grocery store). For $21, I was a bit disappointed. Cozy cafe. I would go back for the challah bread because it was so delicious! Warm and soft. Maybe the next time I go, I can sit up front (vacant tables not near the Charles hotel side) instead of the table next to the restroom. Easy payment option. Just scan QR code and you're good to go.

We got the breakfast sandwich, Mediterranean breakfast, and Eggs Benedict Florentine. The food was good but not very big portions and expensive. The sandwich is $11, Mediterranean was $17 for 2 eggs, some pieces of PITA, sauce and tomato cucumbers, the eggs Benedict was $19 for 3 eggs Benedict on a flat bread and some potatoes on the side. Personally, I wouldn't come back because of the price but if you're in the Copley area and looking for brunch, it is a tasty breakfast. Although, I wouldn't say it's anything special, just typical breakfast food with eggs. We also got the iced americano and spirulina smoothie. The smoothie was good but for $9, it was expensive. Overall, nice place for brunch in the area and interior is big with wood designs. Our servers were nice as well. If you want affordable breakfast, I would recommend going elsewhere.

Recommended for the price range Good service Soso ambiance Great pancakes Great fresh salad

Absolutely adore this little cafe! My husband and I were on a mission to try new places so as we walked by we decided to try this one. Seated immediately, thought the place was super busy at 2pm on a Saturday. Adorable Parisian Café vibe with a little New York City coffee shop mixed in . Our server was friendly and attentive and right on top of everything. Food was excellent so tasty. I was raving about it for hours. While we're trying to branch out and try new places, I have a feeling we're going to be back here very soon, and it will become a regular in our rotation!

Very cute! Lovely service and great food! The Pumpkin soup is delicious! Bread comes to the table and that is really good!

I am used to the rude employees at Landwer in Back Bay; however, Sergio M. and his "colleagues" last evening were nothing short of verbally abusive. The insults and sexual harassment felt visceral. For a lot less $$$, I can enjoy my tea elsewhere.

I was looking for a quick breakfast place before flying out of Boston so I came here because it was open early and I had seen the pretty Pink Menu that was special for the new Barbie movie. I ordered the Lovely Latte ($6) and the Pretty Waffle ($15). Both were their standard menu items (regular latte plus the Breakfast Waffle) but just pink. I gave into the gimmick because the prices were similar enough to the regular menu. The latte was standard - decent coffee flavor and not too milky. The waffles were surprisingly light and crispy. I really enjoyed it. I also ordered a side of scrambled eggs ($4) and turkey bacon ($5) since I was craving something savory to go with the sweet waffles. Eggs were decent but bacon was not crispy enough so I'd pass on that next time. Servers were friendly and quick with the order. The food came out quickly and I was in and out in about 35 minutes. Overall, a very simple but nice breakfast at a cute shop in Back Bay. The Pink Menu ends in August so make sure to stop by before then if that's what you're coming for!

Really nice cafe, plenty of seating inside and outside. Very quick service with friendly waitstaff as well. The menu is absolutely massive and is a mixture of Mediterranean food and American classics. They also have breakfast until 3pm. I ordered the croissant eggs benedict and it was the BEST eggs benedict I've ever eaten. I'll be dreaming about it for years to come.

Nice indoor brunch restaurant with meat and vegetarian options. If you like sweet, get a Nutella latte. Chicken kebab and hummus bowls were good, ask for green chilies to add spice. Service was very attentive and accommodating.

We have been to this location quite a few times now! One of the best Mediterranean food places around. Their dips are amazing! Our favorite dish is the Mezza Platter, which is often enough food for two. The service at this location is great and the place is clean.

Hands down the best hummus and shakshuka I've ever had. A great brunch place located conveniently on Newbury st. The area inside is huge and always packed and now I know why! Despite this, service was quick and the seating wasn't overcrowded. We were very happy with our visit.

Had a working lunch at cafe landwer and the experience was overall good Service - the staff were very friendly. There was no wait time during lunch which was surprising. Ambiance - the interior design is simple and comfortable. Really enjoyed the booths. Food - lamb chop was ok. A bit small on the portion given it's the most expensive dish on the menu. Left me hungry in the afternoon.

I love the history, decor, and the food. The falafel platter is generous and delicious. The service is mostly good but a bit hit and miss as multiple people were involved.

I went for some late night hot chocolate. The Nutella Hot Chocolate was excellent. The interior was very cute and I loved the vibes. In my opinion it's a great deal for $6.

I have throughly enjoyed both studying and eating here. Outside is always ideal because it suits the vibe but their inside is just as welcoming. The pancakes are an absolute must and although it's not the best shakshuka I have ever had it is still very good! The server was nice also.

So good! Came here on a recommendation and glad we did! Service was good and quick. Place had plenty of helpful staff. Great location. I ordered the salmon eggs Benedict and it was plenty of food! Look forward to returning for lunch or dinner. Perfect breakfast / brunch spot.

my friends and I were visiting and this cafe came highly recommended so we checked it out and it was really great! if there's anything you're going to eat here I highly recommend the landwer's pancakes!! it's so cute the way it's served and I loved that you can top them yourself & the pancakes themselves were so fluffy and delicious. the service was very quick and everyone was very nice! it was easy to get a table as there is a good amount of indoor seating as well as some outdoor seating. & it was cute inside too!

It was my first time at Cafe Landwer, and I was excited to order after seeing the menu. I ordered the beetroot & burrata, the hummus basar, and an iced tea. I was enjoying the beetroot & burrata, then took a sip of my iced tea, where I found a piece of glass/plastic in my mouth. The server was apologetic and informed me she would address this with her manager, and I witnessed her bring it up with him. The manager (she mentioned his name was Ronny) did not approach me but instead decided to go outside to the front of the restaurant for a smoke break, then followed up with going to the expo and touching food, which questions if they were food handler certified. Shortly after, I received the hummus basar, where the short rip was served cold, and I had to fight the meat off the bone. I was displeased at this point and gave up trying and asked for the check. While waiting for the check, one of the servers was taking someone else's order, where she suggested to them not to get a specific item due to "the kitchen always overlong cooking" the menu item and mentioned it "comes out mushy" while understandable trying to protect the guest's experience, it is evident that the kitchen also has problems and server doesn't trust the chefs to execute. Furthermore, regarding Food handling safety, the server was applying chapstick, but the kind where you use it with your finger, at the front register. I witnessed her cleaning it off her finger by rubbing it on her apron, suggesting she would not wash her hands. The server didn't charge me for my Iced Tea at least.

Lovely spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We made reservations beforehand so we didn't have to wait to be seated. We ordered the following items: Farmer's Market Cauliflower - DELICIOUS! The best cauliflower we both have ever had as an appetizer. Baked with Silan, Served on Tahini & Tomato Salsa So flavorful and soft to enjoy! For my main entree - i ordered an appetizer which was plenty for me! I ordered the smoked Eggplant in Tahini. It was served w/ Tomato Salsa, Olive Oil & Lemon Mint Dressing. Garnished with Microgreens, Served with Pita Bread. The pita bread was soft and perfect companion. LARGE PORTION! My husband ordered the vegan burger w/ sweet potato fries. It looked SO good! He enjoyed it tremendously. I cannot wait to come back here again. They really know what their doing and their menu is just BEAUTIFUL!

I could come back everyday here just for the brunch options alone. This is the perfect place to bring anyone for a beautiful meal (which also tastes delicious!) in the bustling Copley Square area. The restaurant was very busy for a Saturday morning, to be expected, which did mean that our food took awhile to get to our table. Still, we were able to enjoy the trendy restaurant interior and do some people watching outside the large windows before our food arrived.

There was a 30 mins wait time for a Sunday brunch for walk in. It's a cozy place with well decorated dinning area. You order from the app. Pita could be a little bit softer but Shashuka was nice. Egg was perfectly runny with great spices. Most dishes comes in big portions except beef balls. They were smaller and less than what we had months ago and more expensive now...

Came by for dinner and overall it was a fun place to eat. The portions were huge and the food was very tasty. I ordered the Vegan Neatballs which were very good and came with a side of rice. Inside the restaurant is so cute and the decor was really fun!

beautiful restaurant! We paid $50 for two full breakfast meals, two drinks, eggs, and bacon! Hard to find in Boston. The waffles and pancakes were similar to cornbread which made them perfectly not too sweet. They both came with powdered sugar, syrup, a mountain of whipped cream, and a fruit bowl (+ Nutella for the pancakes). We thought they were delicious!! The eggs and turkey bacon were great too, good texture and such. The Nutella latte was incredible! So milky and smooth and thick- unbelievable. The iced late did NOT compare sadly. Very strong espresso, needed cream, and just did not have the solid flavor that the hot one had. We were seated super quickly (on a Saturday morning!) and immediately got water. Our waitress was on it and was there to fill up water whenever it ran low. We were also able to order online which was nice so then we didn't have to worry about wait times. Overall- 10/10 everything I would want at a breakfast place and more. Completely unexpected and I will definitely be coming back.

Perfect place for a casual weekday lunch. Not too crowded, good service, huge variety on the menu. I tried the salmon sandwich and my friend had the falafel - both were delicious. Would return for breakfast or lunch.