Sofra Bakery
Where olive oil flows like conversation and every dish tells a sun-dappled story
The Thoughtful Splurge — worth every penny
Lebanese-Turkish bakery and cafe. Sister restaurant to Oleana. Mezze, baked goods, Turkish coffee. Cozy space, perfect for lunch or afternoon break.
The Maitre d' Recommends
The Vibe
Sofra feels like a Middle Eastern grandmother's kitchen if that grandmother had trained at the best culinary schools. The compact space bursts with color and aroma—display cases overflowing with pastries, the scent of cardamom and rose water, shelves lined with specialty ingredients. It's a bakery, a cafe, and a culinary education all in one.
Comfortable conversation level
Why It's Great
Ana Sortun's Middle Eastern Bakery That Changed How Cambridge Eats
When James Beard Award-winning chef Ana Sortun opened Sofra in 2008 with pastry chef Maura Kilpatrick, Cambridge got its first true taste of Turkish and Eastern Mediterranean baking. Suddenly, morning pastries weren't just croissants and muffins—they were buttery borekas, syrup-soaked baklava, and savory flatbreads that transported you to Istanbul.
The display case is an education. Turkish breakfast spreads with shakshuka and house-made labneh. Pomegranate-walnut muhammara that redefines what a dip can be. Cookies flavored with rose, tahini, and spices most Americans had never encountered. Each item represents a recipe perfected through years of study and experimentation.
What makes Sofra remarkable is how it balances authenticity with accessibility. The flavors are genuine—Sortun spent years traveling and cooking in Turkey—but they're presented in familiar formats. A morning pastry, a lunch sandwich, a box of cookies for a gift. You don't need to know Middle Eastern cuisine to fall in love with it here.
The success has spawned expansion (a new Allston location opened recently), but the original Huron Avenue location retains its charm. Lines form for weekend breakfast, but nobody minds the wait. The regulars know: good things are worth waiting for.
The full Turkish breakfast spread—a selection of dips, spreads, eggs, and flatbread that turns morning into an occasion.
Shakshuka
Eggs baked in spiced tomato sauce with za'atar flatbread—the breakfast of champions
Morning Bun
Buttery, cardamom-scented, and absolutely addictive
Muhammara
The walnut-pomegranate dip that converts everyone who tries it
Lamb Flatbread
Turkish lahmacun done right—thin, crispy, topped with spiced lamb
Why It's In Our Guide
Sofra introduced Cambridge to a whole cuisine of flavors most residents had never experienced. It's where Ana Sortun's Oleana vision translates into everyday eating—accessible, affordable, and absolutely delicious.
“Sofra doesn't just serve food—it shares a culture.”
— Boston Globe“The best thing that ever happened to breakfast in Cambridge.”
— Boston MagazineThe line out the door every weekend morning tells the story. Cambridge residents treat Sofra pastries as currency—bring them to parties, give them as gifts, hoard them as personal treats.
Insider Tips
Early morning (8-9am) to beat the breakfast rush. Weekday lunches are calmer.
No reservations—it's counter service. The line moves quickly.
Limited seating inside and a few outdoor tables in good weather. Many people take pastries to go.
Try something you've never heard of. The staff explains everything with patience and enthusiasm.
Street parking on Huron Avenue is possible. It's also bikeable from many Cambridge neighborhoods.
Ratings & Reviews
Based on 2,801 reviews
1,567 reviews
Updated 2024-12
1,234 reviews
Updated 2024-12
Frequently Asked Questions
Sofra specializes in Turkish and Eastern Mediterranean baked goods and cafe fare. The morning pastries, particularly the morning bun and various borekas, are legendary. The shakshuka (baked eggs in tomato sauce) and Turkish breakfast spreads draw lines on weekends. They also sell specialty ingredients and cookbooks.
Reddit Mentions
Contact Details
1 Belmont St, Cambridge, MA 02138
Tue-Sat: 8AM-8PM, Sun: 9AM-6PM, Closed Monday
20 min walk from Porter
RedIn Cambridge, even casual dining involves a thesis statement.
“She was my Rushmore.”
— Herman Blume, on Cambridge dining