Next Chapter Café at Village Books: Sweet & Savory Nibbles
The 2nd floor of Village Books & Paper Dreams transformed by The Next Chapter Café
Bookstores and Cafes are a tale as old as time. Nothing is more delightful than relaxing with a treat, natural lighting, comfy chairs, and a stack of books waiting to be read. Now, what if we add in a water view and a meal option? I am beyond excited to share that Chef and I visited The Next Chapter Café, which opened mid-June 2025 and it is a great new chapter in the storyline of restaurants in Fairhaven!
Located on the second floor of Village Books, this Café location has been one of the secret nooks of Fairhaven that locals tote about as a great meeting spot. It’s spaced just right to where you can have a quiet conversation but don’t have to worry about being quiet either.
The Next Chapter Café continues the tradition of offering delicious pastries and nibbles while also offering a meal that works for any time of day. What I love most about this new Café is the collaboration of local favorites. The combination of Bry's Filipino Cuisine and It's the Sweet Things — which also have their own spaces downtown, is flawless and we even spotted Otherside Bagels and schmear on the menu!
The Next Chapter Café - June 2025
The Next Chapter Café Menu - June 2025
On our first visit we picked up the Ube Matcha and the Almond Croissant. Between the two, the Almond Croissant won for me. Compared to other almond croissants in town this one was a great blend of buttery and flakey lamination with a flavorful almond paste that appeared in each bite. A great balance of sweetness and croissant flavor without being overly sugary. I didn’t get pictures of these ones, but we enjoyed them on the Village Greens in the sunshine watching dogs and kiddos play on the lawn.
We were back the very next day to eat in.
We are already big fans of Bry’s food, so to have access to it in Fairhaven is huge! Since I work a few blocks away, I’ll definitely be a frequent patron! Chef got the Combo Plate (a little bit of everything) which includes, “a smaller portion of each entrée item (Chicken Adobo, Calamansi Pork and Butternut Squash Curry). Served with Jasmine White Rice and Salad.” I was torn between the Chicken Avocado Ciabatta and the “Caprese” Style Chicken Sandwich, the former one for today’s meal! My Caprese Style Chicken Sandwich included, “Boar’s Head Chicken, Pesto, Tomato, Basil, Mixed Greens and Parmesan Cheese served on a toasted ciabatta bun, served with salad or chips.”
Then I couldn’t resist the S’mores Wedge from It’s The Sweet Things.
It was the perfect amount of food, the dining space saw folks happily come and go on a Tuesday afternoon and we thoroughly enjoyed everything. The thing that stuck out the most to me was that each bite was enriched in its own unique flavor. Even my sandwich had a rich balance of flavors each taking turns with which ingredient was the most forward. I have no doubt that might become my “to-go” order on late days at the office.
In Summary — The Next Chapter's story is just starting!I can’t wait to visit again and try more of the menu, have meetings here, and meetups with friends. It’s new, things will be changing, I’m sure new things will appear but for only being open for a week in a massively busy bookstore like Village Books it’s off to an amazing start to me! Here’s to the Next Chapter Café!
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