From the outside, Temptations Cafe was hardly anything to look at. Temptations looked like any other cafe where you can grab a coffee and a muffin and be done—nameless, but purposeful. The inside, however, was a very different environment.
Upon stepping through the glass doors, the soft lighting and wood-patterned walls were comfortable and unique, and the decor of the cafe was both simple and subtle in its attractiveness. It was pleasantly cozy. The only pieces that took away from the warm and comfortable atmosphere were some lights trying to be a tad too noticeable. They were silver and looked like exploding fireworks, contrasting strongly with the peaceful environment.
The food was typical, neither awful nor outstanding. The menu boasted a diverse selection of sandwiches, wraps, paninis, salads and breakfast options as well specialized sweets. For drinks, there were a few smoothies to choose from and an average selection for coffee drinkers. There was a large presence of vegetarian options. The restaurant’s simple menu tried to cater to all customers, although it was limited in variety compared to other cafes.
[su_column size=”1/4″]1350 Beacon St
Brookline, MA 02446
(617) 739-4400
Mon-Fri: 7:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sat-Sun: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.[/su_column]The cost was reasonable for the portions: $7-8 for most entrées. At the same time, however, one could probably make food of the same quality at home and save money. This is Temptations’ downfall: Nothing on the menu is unique to the restaurant. All of the options could be easily found at another cafe or could be made at home.
The Pesto Chicken Panini ($7.95) was presented neither elegantly nor excitingly on the plate: The sandwich sat off-center and alone on a plate lined with wax paper. The taste was mediocre to say the least. The bread was a little too brittle and had the taste of something that had spent slightly too long on the grill. Many items on the menu had a sweetness that was slightly off-putting. This feeling was emphasized by the combination of the sweet taste and the slightly charred bread.
The salads had better presentations than the wraps and paninis did, but they were not much better in taste. The Goat Cheese Salad ($7.50) was served in a large, slightly curvy bowl. As for taste, the salad seemed like one that was quickly prepared at home. It was not tossed and the dressing came on the side. It gave the impression of something pre-made and taken directly out of the refrigerator.
Even the section of the menu labeled “Sweet Temptations” consisted of normal dessert items disguised to seem more unique. The Nutella and Banana dessert ($5.50) was a sandwich of sweet bread stacked with banana pieces and Nutella, all elegantly coated in powdered sugar. This item was served with much more flair than a plain old panini, yet it was unoriginal and lacking in the flavor department: The bread was dry and the banana was a little overpowering. The sweetness of the Nutella should have gone well with the taste of bananas, but the banana pieces were not very ripe and almost sour. The cafe atmosphere helped distract from the unoriginality of the food.
The food at Temptations Cafe is decent for the price you pay, but don’t be fooled into believing it will be in your dreams later that night. The menu was standard for a restaurant, but diverse by coffee shop standards. Overall, Temptations Cafe is somewhere in between. This restaurant would be great for meeting up with a group of people for lunch or for getting work done in a peaceful environment. This cozy workplace atmosphere is what makes the cafe stand out from others when the food does not.
Sophia Rintell and Conor Amrien can be contacted at [email protected].
