26 coziest local coffee shops in the Merrimack Valley

Consult this list of the 26 coziest coffee shops in the Merrimack Valley the next time you want to sip, read, chat, or relax.

New Hampshire’s Merrimack Valley is the land of cozy coffee shops. But for us, it’s not just about the java. These cafes are our “third places,” a term coined in the 1980s by sociologist Ray Oldenburg referring to spaces outside of home and work where friends and strangers can gather. It’s where we go to fetch a latte and a bagel, of course, but many of these bistros provide more than just sustenance. They host poetry readings, display local artwork, game nights, open mics, book clubs, craft gatherings, workspaces, and libraries. Most of these cafés double as gift stores with cool coffee-themed merch. That merch contributes to the charitable work that some of these coffee shops do, like the non-profit Bonhoeffer’s Café & Espresso in Nashua, which donates all its proceeds to local and worldwide charities, and The Cure Café in New Boston, which helps fund childhood cancer.

These are our happy, communal spaces, whether they’re situated in strip malls or historic buildings. Here are our favorite spots in the Merrimack Valley, listed by town.

The coziest coffee shop in Bedford

Lighthouse Local

Address:  21 Kilton Road, Bedford

Yelp Rating: 4.6

Hours: Monday through Friday: 7 a.m.–2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 8 a.m.–2 p.m. 

Cozy coffee shops in Concord

Totally Tea & Coffee

Address: 2 Capital Plaza, North Main St, Concord

Yelp Rating: 4.0

Hours: Tuesday through Sunday: 8 a.m.–6 p.m. 

Grab a hot drink with a sense of humor at Totally Tea & Coffee in Concord. (Stacy Milbouer)

The Brothers Cortado

Address: 3 Bicentennial Square, Concord

Yelp Rating: 4.7

Hours: Monday through Thursday: 7 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Friday: 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Sunday: 7 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Some cafés, like Brothers Cortado in Concord, provide outdoor seating in warm weather. (Courtesy of Brothers Cortado)

Gibson’s Café 

Address: 45 South Main St, Concord (in Gibson’s Bookstore)

Yelp Rating: 4.3

Hours: Monday through Saturday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Sunday: 11 a.m.–4 p.m. 

The coziest coffee shop in Contoocook

Everyday Café

Address: 14 Maple St, Contoocook

Yelp Rating: 4.2

Hours: Monday 6 a.m.–3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday: 6 a.m.–8 p.m.

At the Everyday Cafe in Contoocook, guests are greeted by a giant wooden cup. (Stacy Milbouer)

Cozy coffee shops in Derry

The Grind 

Address: 5 West Broadway, Derry

Hours: Monday through Friday: 6 a.m.–3 p.m. Saturday: 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Sunday: 9 a.m.–2 p.m. 

Yelp Rating: 4.1

LGC and Bakery

Address: 158 Rockingham Road, #4 Derry

Yelp Rating: No rating yet

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday: 7 a.m.–3 p.m. 

The Coffee Factory Roastery & Cafe

Address: Hood Commons Plaza, 55 Crystal Ave., Derry

Yelp Rating: 3.8

Hours: Monday through Friday: 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 8 a.m.–3 p.m. 

Roasting beans at the Coffee Factory in Derry. (Courtesy of Coffee Factory)

Casa Java Café

Address: 17 Birch St, Derry

Yelp Rating: 3.8

Hours: Monday through Friday: 7:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 8 a.m.–2 p.m. 

The coziest coffee shop in Goffstown

Goffstown Cafe

Address: 24 Main St, Goffstown (on a 19th-century railroad depot)

Yelp Rating: 4.5

Hours: Monday through Friday 7 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday: 8 a.m.–3 p.m.

Some coffee shops are located in historical buildings, like the Goffstown Cafe in a 19th-century railroad depot. (Stacy Milbouer)

The coziest coffee shop in Henniker

Everyday Café

Address: 4 Orchard View Drive, Londonderry

Yelp Rating: 4.5

Hours: Monday through Friday: 7 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday: 7 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday: 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

The coziest coffee shop in Londonderry

Coffeeberries 

Address: 4 Orchard View Drive, Londonderry

Yelp Rating: 4.5

Hours: Monday through Friday: 7 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday: 7 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday: 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

Local artists can display their work at Coffeeberries in Londonderry. (Courtesy of Coffeeberries)

Cozy coffee shops in Manchester

William & Sons Coffee Co.

Address: 489 Amory St, Manchester

Yelp Rating: 5.0

Hours: Monday through Saturday: 7 a.m.–4 p.m

Proba Café at The Bookery

Address: 844 Elm St, Manchester

Yelp Rating: 4.2

Hours: Monday through Sunday 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

The Proba Café is smack in the middle of The Bookery bookstore in Manchester (Stacy Milbouer)

Restoration Café 

Address: 235 Hanover St, Manchester

Yelp Rating: 4.1

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 7 a.m.–3 p.m. 

At the apothecary-themed Restoration Café in a 19th-century Manchester building, iced drinks are served in glass beakers. (Stacy Milbouer)

Waterworks Cafe

Address: 250 Commercial St, Manchester

Yelp Rating: 4.0

Hours: Monday through Friday: 7:30 a.m.–3 p.m. Saturday: 8 a.m.–2 p.m.

Cozy coffee shops in Merrimack

Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe

Address: 436 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack

Yelp Rating: 4.2

Hours: Daily: 6 a.m.–6 p.m. 

Hot Rize Cafe

Address: 634 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack

Yelp Rating: 4.2

Hours: Monday through Friday: 6 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 7 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

Cozy coffee shops in Nashua

Bonhoeffer’s Cafe & Espresso

Yelp Rating: 4.2

Address: 8 Franklin St, Nashua

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday: 4 a.m.–2 p.m.

All the profits at Bonhoeffer’s Café and Espresso go to local and world charities. (Stacy Milbouer)

River Walk Bakery & Café

Address: 35 Railroad Square, Nashua

Yelp Rating: 4.2

Hours: Monday through Thursday: 7 a.m.–3 p.m. Friday through Sunday: 7 a.m.–6 p.m.

Riverwalk Bakery and Café in downtown Nashua offers a closeup view of Main Street. (Courtesy of Riverwalk Café)

Jajabelles Coffee & Bakeshop

Address: 143 Main St, Nashua

Yelp Rating: 4.6

Hours: Wednesday through Friday: 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 9 a.m.–2 p.m.

Coffee & Kindness

Address: 105 West Pearl St, Nashua

Yelp Rating: 4.9

Hours: Monday through Saturday: 7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Sunday: 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m.

The coziest coffee shop in New Boston

The Cure Café

Address: 8 Mill St, New Boston

Yelp Rating: 5.0

Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 6:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 7 a.m.–2 p.m.

The coziest coffee shop in Salem

Farmhouse Roasters

Address: 163 Main St, Salem

Yelp Rating: 4.8

Hours: Daily: 7 a.m.–2 p.m. 

Need a gift? Look no further than your local café, like Farmhouse Roasters in Salem, which can sell anything from fresh-roasted coffee beans to latte-scented candles. (Courtesy of Farmhouse Roasters)

The coziest coffee shop in Wilton 

Local Share

Address: 43 Main St, Wilton 

Yelp Rating: 5.0

Hours: Wednesday to Friday: 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 

The coziest coffee shop in Windham

Village Bean

Address: 33 India Rock Road, Windham

Yelp Rating: 3.9

Hours: Monday to Friday: 6:30 a.m.—4:30 p.m. Saturday: 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Sunday: 8 a.m.–1 p.m.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.