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Caffe La Scala
Rating Details »
Categories: Coffee & Tea, Italian
Neighborhood: Coolidge Corner318 Harvard Street
Arcade Building
Brookline, MA 02446
(617) 734-9600
- Nearest Transit:
-
Coolidge Corner (Green)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Good for:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- None
10 reviews for Caffe La Scala
I was looking for a spot for lunch and some vegging when I spotted La Scala's sign outside the Coolidge Corner Arcade and boy am I glad I did.
The moment I walked into the hallway of the Arcade, it's like I a) stepped into another time or b) another place all together. When I saw La Scala's sign advertising free wifi... combined with its name I wrongly conjured up images of some yuppy cafe where I'd pretend to study for a while. Thankfully, that La Scala is not.
The place is run by a friendly Sicilian man who seemed pretty chatty with his regulars and the food was yummy and reasonably priced. While I vegged, a couple chatted inside and a mom shared some desserts with her kids. The atrium seating and quiet-ish atmosphere felt like a wonderful escape from an otherwise gray day.
$2 cannoli, and they are good! In fact, my sister says they are better than the $5 ones she had somewhere in the North End (she lived in Sicily for a few months, so I trust her judgement in that area)
The sitting area is adorable -- because it's in the Atrium, it's quieter and seems more intimate than places like the Panera across the street.
I haven't gone there for lunch yet, but it's on my list of things to do!
La Scala is a charming throwback to the 1950s.
Jerry Vale croons "Volare" on the stereo, and the retired folk lunch on mozzarella-tomato-basil panini ($7.00 with prosciutto parma), which, by the way, are amazing. Lots of flavors, just the right amount of salt, soft bread, generous portions.
The caffe nearly disappears inside Brookline's old arcade building, which feels at first like it was abandoned 50 years ago. (There's a shoe-repair place inside, which is closed on Sundays.) Maybe that's why no one seems to know about La Scala. The adorable server told me the owner struggles to get foot traffic. When I ran an errand at CVS next door, the cashier saw the remains of my sandwich in a to-go box and said, "Wow, that looks amazing." I told her where I got it, but she had never heard of the place. She had never even heard of the mall next door.
The espresso (I had a double cappuccino, $3.50) is perfectly good, if a little weak, and the $2 cannoli is a real treat.
The place is only staffed by one person at a time, which I consider inexcusable most of the time, so I had to wait a while for my order. I didn't mind. The server graciously acknowledged me when I arrived and told me my order would take a few minutes to make. That little bit of service goes a long, long way.
I live like 100 ft away from this place and I'd never seen or heard of it until I read about it on yelp... and since then my friend and I have been back twice! GREAT coffee (& the foam was PERFECT)... although a little pricey ($3 for a small latte or cappuccino, and when they say small they MEAN small, not like starbucks small ;-p).
We sat in the 'outdoor' part each time (its in a glass covered atrium type thing so its not really outdoors it just feels like you are) because the inside seemed a little messy/dirty. The guy that works there is super nice & serves you the coffee. I also believe they only take cash.
Dunno if I'd make this my go-to coffee place, but I def dug it as a new place to go with my friends. :-)
Also since some people noted the odd opening and closing times-
I called before going & asked about the hrs-- they don't seem THAT strange... but clearly dinner is out of the picture.
M-F- 9-5
Sat- 8-5
Sun- 10-4
i'd always sort of passed this place over... i guess i usually avoid the arcade building outright- for no good reason really, as i'm glad it is there since it is one of the few authentic (other than the c.c. theater and the ss pierce bldg) things left that give coolidge corner character. anway, i digress... i re-discovered caffe la scala upon return from a recent vacation in rome. i was still in a mediterranean/european haze of romantic cafes, amazing food, beautiful architecture... anyway, caffe la scala's quite decent espresso and simple charm made the transition back to the good ol us of a a bit less bumpy :)
ps-
try the cannolli.
Its a little gem in Coolidge Corner tucked in the Arcade, a 50's for runner to the current day mall. Its nice to see a thriving local establishment in the midst of encroaching national chains. My favorites including the chicken parm, mozzarella tomato basil pressed panini and the spaghetti with meatballs. The portions are generous and the tomato sauce is on the sweet and tangy side, just the way I like it. Its great place for a leisurely and relaxing lunch. Its a nice change to the typical national chains like Panara Bread across the street.
Borderline hidden gem... What do I mean? It certainly hidden its not really a gem... It tucked into the Atrium, which is this total throwback to I guess what a mall might have looked like in the 30's... Its one of the only spots you can go to get all your zippers fixed... Anyways, right, la scala... So you can sit out in the atrium there and you're in another world. Great place to order a Mozarella, Tomato and Basil sandwhich and mack on retired folks...
I siciliani invented cannolis - god bless 'em. And La Scala's cannoli will give you a wonderful reason to order their delicious cappucino. So nice to support non- corporate coffee. What a lovely place to sit. The food is down home cooking - the "gravy" as my Napolitan aunties would say, is "not bad" - which is high praise. Big servings of pasta are the rule.
People of Brookline, have you ever thought that there is a life after Starbucks? And it is right across the street! Go to Caffe la Scala, get a cappuccino and eat your panino or salad in peace! Did I mention they have lasagna?
Soooooo Cute! It has really european-esque decor and furniture. It's located in the galleria in the heart of coolidge corner. It's been there since forever and many locals go there to pick up a delicious expresso and get lunch. Every once in awhile i go there and have most scrumpcious proscuitto, mozzerella, and tomatoe sandwich *drool* to go. that's pretty much the only thing i get there, it's so good. I don't usually dine in there unless i'm with my grandparents because it's really small and the galleria is usually deserted but it's a great place to pick up lunch or to have a private moment with friends. It's much cheaper and equally as good as the more popular and well known italian bodega across the street. But it doesn't have as a large a selection. Everything seems really freshly made, i know the proscuitto is new and it taste good. They are only open for a few hours everyday but you can tell that at La Scala is really about quality.
*they use to have a chicken parm special for $5 that was really good too.
