Tunic Coffee opened in spring 2024 at 186 Main Street, on the corner of Main and Old South in downtown Northampton. The storefront had been Meriyem’s Café before that, and Dobrá Tea before that. It is owned by Dan McKenney, who makes Firetype Chocolate, and Josh Wood-Triplett, who came from the coffee side, and the menu is built around the overlap between the two.
The theme is fantasy and tabletop gaming, played reasonably straight rather than as kitsch. A sword is mounted on the wall, small video-game creatures turn up around the room, and the maps on display splice Massachusetts geography into invented places. The owners played Dungeons and Dragons together and wanted a room that suited it. There are tables sized for games and a back room with a tiled table that larger groups can reserve. Board games, zines, and role-playing rulebooks are for sale at the counter.
Drinks and game nights
The seasonal specials are called Side Quests, and they are genuinely unusual: past versions have included a matcha and passion fruit soda with lime, and a shaken espresso under banana hojicha cold foam finished with smoked salt. Syrups are made in house, and the vegan options are better than the usual afterthought oat-milk substitution.
Board game night runs on the first and third Thursday of each month and is open to whatever people bring.
One practical note: the café’s own site warns that hours can shift for events or weather, so it is worth a look at their Instagram before making a special trip. If you are building an afternoon downtown, the Smith College Museum of Art is a few minutes west along Main Street.