Café Destaré

Café Destaré is an outstanding, long overdue addition to the city of Fitchburg’s bar/café scene. Located on Main Street, the café offers a multitude of martini and coffee selections along with desserts from the North End and some “light fare” menu items. The interior décor highlights the beautiful architecture shared by so many of our downtown buildings, with high tin ceilings, brick walls, and expansive spaces. The layout is very well done, with a bar area to the right when entering, a cozy collection of couches to the left, and an array of comfortable lounge chairs and tables in front of a performance area and wooden dance floor straight ahead.

I had eagerly awaited the opening of Café Destaré for some time, but I must admit, the place far exceeded my expectations. It’s quite refreshing to settle into such an upscale bar in the heart of Fitchburg. The extensive martini menu tempts you to come back and try everything (I would highly recommend the Caramel Mochatini), while the coffee selections immediately conjured up fond memories of countless hours spent at Caffé Dolce as a college student in Worcester. (For those not familiar with Caffé Dolce, it’s at 154 Shrewsbury Street and is a must try!)

I’ve been pleased to see that on the nights I’ve visited Café Destaré, it’s been quite busy. On weekends, if you arrive before around 10:00 p.m., the crowd consists primarily of young professionals and a few older patrons. After that, more college students join the crowd, often dressed for a nice night out and serving as a wonderful reminder of how lucky we are to have Fitchburg State in our city, and it becomes a bit harder to find a seat. The café also seems to draw a decent crowd on weekday evenings – it’s a great spot to unwind with friends after a long day at work. Servers are friendly and attentive, and free entertainment is offered throughout the week.

Café Destaré is definitely a place that I will be returning to time and time again. And the best part is, at the end of the night, I’m only a few miles from home instead of being out in Worcester or Boston as I’ve historically been if I wanted a great coffee drink or a night at the bar!