In Cambridge, the smell of deep, rich chocolate fills the room on Hampshire Street, wafting through shelves of wine bottles, around walls full of polaroids, and over the plush, cushioned seating. A fluid, pop rock record gently spins, filling the corners of the dining room with music.
This is Zuzu’s Petals, a dessert and wine bar that focuses on bringing a scrumptious screen-free experience to its patrons. No phones are allowed while dining, a rule strictly enforced by signs, as well as the staff. This is primarily to preserve the ambience and connection between guests. Keeping the space phone-free at Zuzu’s is something that co-owners Alexandra Whisnant and Bobby MacLean are very passionate about.
“It transports you out of the real world. If you had your phone, it’s taking you away from where you are, taking you back to civilization,” MacLean said. “You can’t be immersed if you’re somewhere else.”
Before opening Zuzu’s Petals, MacLean owned a food truck first, before then opening a grocery store in Bow Market that specialized in handmade products. Whisnant, who attended pastry school in Paris, has been a full-time chocolatier for 13 years and owned a chocolate shop in the Market as well. Three-and-a-half years ago, the pair saw the space open up in Cambridge and decided to take the leap to open Zuzu’s, something they both expressed a lot of passion about.
“I always wanted to have my own space where people can enjoy desserts together,” Whisnant said.
Open daily from 5 p.m. to ll p.m., Zuzu’s menu is primarily filled with European-style desserts, made with fresh and local ingredients. Whether it’s the rich and decadent tiramisù, the dense and fudgy buckwheat brownie, or the tangy refreshing cherry-choco ice cream, there is an option for everyone. The menu also lists recommended wine pairings for each dessert. Each wine is listed separately on the menu, with descriptive notes for each glass.
MacLean says that the desserts and wine are romantic on their own, but there is a unique energy that fills the scenery in Zuzu’s Petals. From tables of two, to tables of eight, the table service provided allows people to continue their conversations and time spent together uninterrupted. They don’t rush guests either, with no time limit on how long parties can stay.
With a healthy vinyl and board game collection, there is plenty to keep guests busy and off their devices. Besides their usual offerings, Zuzu’s Petals hosts events like all-you-can-eat Brownie Mondays, where guests are served free brownies with an order of wine.
“It’s inspired by this place in France we went where they brought us a cheese board that was for the whole restaurant,” Whisnant said. “When we experienced that we thought it was really cool, so we do that with the brownies. We bring a big board, [guests] cut as much as they want, [we] take it away, bring it back, and it just goes around several times.”
There are also weekly French nights, where guests can come to practice their French. Francophones receive a free drink. For Whisnant, it’s not only an opportunity for her to practice French, but to also give people a space to practice and meet like-minded others.
Whisnant and MacLean make it very clear that Zuzu’s stays true to its original mission of being a place for people to eat, drink, and build genuine connection. MacLean insists that they “don’t follow trends,” and it’s worked so far. The business won a Best of Boston award in 2024, something Whisnant says was “so great.”
“We’ve been doing food businesses for a long time,” MacLean said,“so to actually get some more recognition other than a steady flow of customers, it felt really good.”
And Zuzu’s only continues to grow. In April, the wine bar will have its 16-person patio out, bringing its experience back outdoors in time for the warm weather.
