You spend enough time at
these bars
that it's pretty much a given -- from time to time, you're gonna find
yourself 1) in a strange NYC neighborhood in the AM, and 2) in need of a
cup of coffee. Or five. For all those times... to times, rather than
scrabbling at the empty bodega urn, pull up this guide: a roster of the
best coffee shop in 30 NYC neighborhoods.
Alphabet City
Ninth Street Espresso (
address and info)
There was a sad, decaffeinated time before NYC was flooded with serious,
for-real, great espresso and coffee shops, and it was right then that
Ninth Street Espresso arrived, changing the landscape of this sleepy,
weeping willow corner at 9th St and Avenue C forever. Though the no-BS
coffee chain has several spots now, this guy remains the best.
Astoria
The Queens Kickshaw (
address and info)
Perhaps only in Queens might someone pair craft coffee with... grilled
cheese!... but there you have it at The Queens Kickshaw. The spacious,
wood-filled room is a calm break from the bustle of crowded Broadway
around the corner, and is open from espresso o'clock ’til beer time,
closing at midnight with excellent grilled cheeses (and one of the
best mac and cheese dishes in the city) all along the way.
Liz Clayton
Bed-Stuy
Daily Press (
address and info)
It's not every cafe that can make a small space feel both airy and cozy,
but the comfortable, slightly-antiqued Daily Press in Bed-Stuy gets as
close as any. Solid coffees from Hudson Valley roaster Irving Farm are
joined by bagels, historic neighborhood photos, and a great patio.
Liz Clayton
Boerum Hill
Blue Bottle Coffee (
address and info)
This tucked-away outlet of the growing Bay Area coffee roaster's empire
is one of its best New York iterations: the tiny shop is nearly all
window-walled, and when the windows open and the cafe spills into the
street... there’s, you know, just a nice energy here -- sorry, is that
too West Coast?
Bushwick
Variety Coffee (
address and info)
Though the bustling, epic-people-watching Variety Coffee on Graham Ave
may be better known, this newcomer to the family is a stunner. A sunny
corner of Wyckoff is made brighter by this local cafe's spacious
footprint, which, by the way, is now where they roast their own coffee.
Chelsea
Pushcart Coffee (
address and info)
Though its street-level-condo exterior may lead you to presume
otherwise, Pushcart is home to both democratic (the main counter) and
uber-geeky (the manual bar around the side) coffee. It also features
local and out-of-town guest coffees from artisan roasters (and a tiny
table!).
East Village
Abraço (
address and info)
This archetypical example of a New York City coffee shop (sorry
Central Perk)
is a standing room-only shop whose warm lighting and necessarily
intimate, locally beloved feel can provide a sense of belonging in a
city that doesn't always. Bonus: they open up their front windows to the
street on warmer days.
Financial District
Bluestone Lane (
address and info)
Set in the repurposed revolving door of an office building, this
Aussie-run cafe has two separate sides -- the public compartment, and
the compartment for those who work in the office building. Each side is
entitled to excellent flat whites and lamingtons.
Flatiron
Gregorys Coffee (
address and info)
A local coffee chain that feels more mainstream than it is, Gregorys'
unique take on coffee bars has spread throughout Manhattan. Some tend
more towards the nerdy than others, but all feature a cast of
interesting, quality roasters (including this location).
Fort Greene
Hungry Ghost (
address and info)
Why did it take so long for someone to serve great coffee to Fort
Greene? Hungry Ghost's second full cafe -- the first is in Prospect
Heights -- is a pioneer in Fort Greene. Stylish and slightly austere
decor fills this corner of Fulton St, while Stumptown-fueled drinks flow
from the bar.
Greenpoint
Propellor Coffee Co. (
address and info)
If there's one thing the advent of high-end coffee has brought to the
city, it's an increased dearth of truly cozy coffee spaces -- all those
serious espresso bars tend to hustle you along. Not so for Propellor,
whose sunny mish-mash of Danish modern furnishings and tasty coffees
inspire lazy mornings (and afternoons).
Harlem
Kuro Kuma Espresso & Coffee (
address and info)
A charmer serving coffees from Durham, NC roaster Counter Culture, Kuro
Kuma is a small, kinda, sorta awkward little space in a part of town
that's dying for more great coffee. A good destination for caffeine (and
Wi-Fi) under the 1 train.
Courtesy of Intelligentsia
Herald Square
Intelligentsia (
address and info)
Recently opened in a giant flagship Urban Outfitters, this sleek, highly
efficient outlet of Chicago/LA coffee heavy-hitter Intelligentsia
features upscale coffees, pastries, and teas (and a great vantage point
for taking pics of the Empire State Building with your iPad, or
something).
Inwood
Darling Coffee (
address and info)
For those who need great coffee way the eff Uptown, Darling Coffee's a
lifesaver. This gentle giant near the top of the A train has been
bringing coffee to the tip-top of Manhattan since 2012, and now serves
beans exclusively from Plowshares, an artisan roaster from Hillburn, NY,
just a stone’s throw (okay, a really well-thrown stone) from the
Northernmost reaches of NYC. Bonus: house-made pickles!
Courtesy of Sweet Leaf
Long Island City
Sweetleaf LIC (
address and info)
This LIC cafe's known for two seemingly contradictory traits: meticulous
attention to detail and a chill environment. Hunker down in a big chair
(or at an old factory work table) for a carefully brewed coffee from
their own roasting works and a house-baked pastry, which you can inspect
while it’s made by peering through a picture window.
Courtesy of Cafe Grumpy
Lower East Side
Café Grumpy (
address and info)
With their in-house bakery just next door, this quiet branch of the
Brooklyn-based roaster also occasionally plays host to coffee-brewing
classes, in case you wanna step up your at-home game.
Midtown
Culture Espresso (
address and info)
Innovative coffee and cozy service on 38th St? Yup, at Culture, where
the unexpected surprises run deep (do NOT sleep on the fresh-baked
cookies).
Midtown East
Little Collins (
address and info)
Part of the contemporary wave of Australian-run/inspired cafes, Little
Collins focuses on service as much as exceptional espresso and brew
coffee. They've got fancy under-counter coffee brewing modules known as
Modbar, and although there’s almost nowhere to sit, the coffee and
house-made schnitzel (??) make it not matter.
Courtesy of Joe Coffee
Morningside Heights
Joe Coffee (
address and info)
Perhaps the busiest Joe location, this sunny, marble-ensconced atrium is
constantly filled with both coffee-breakers and study-breakers -- you
get to choose which kind of person you'll share a table with, because
you will definitely be sharing. Also, their sandwiches are pretty legit.
Nolita
Gimme! Coffee (
address and info)
Their upstate ways (the coffee's roasted in spacious Ithaca) translate
surprisingly well to the city crowd. This standing-room-only bar serves
up nice espresso drinks and stylishly packaged beans and coffcessories.
Courtesy of Cafe Grumpy
Park Slope
Café Grumpy (
address and info)
Dude, don't blink!!!! 'Cause if you do, you might walk past this
inconspicuous 7th Ave cafe and miss some of the best coffees in the
neighborhood being made for you by some of the city's best baristas. A
long, narrow space, the Park Slope Grumpy isn't ideal for a long dawdle
-- laptops aren't allowed -- but chatting up your barista at a seat at
the back bar while you sip your by-the-cup brew is totally permitted.
Prospect Heights
Sit & Wonder (
address and info)
Though you can actually find an abundance of cozy places to sit and
drink terrible coffee, it's rarer and rarer to find cozy places to sit
and drink really
good coffee. Sit & Wonder remains one of
them -- an unpretentious (and not college-y) hangout cafe on a rapidly
changing strip of Washington Ave. There’s a patio, as well as (bonus
alert!) a guy that sometimes comes in and hands out random things he's
found on the street.
Red Hook
Fort Defiance (
address and info)
While Fort Defiance is a full-fledged (and very fine) restaurant, its
daytime hours are the shared domain of the coffee drinker and breakfast
cocktail crowd. Counter Culture beans provide the caffeine at this New
Orleans-influenced joint, and there's no better place in Red Hook to
enjoy a relaxing (mid-)morning coffee.
Soho
Everyman Espresso (
address and info)
Staking out their space on a competitive corner of Canal St, this
surprising, wedge-shaped gem of a coffee bar has a Danish-y,
'50s-modern-influenced decor, plus Counter Culture coffees, handcrafted
sodas, and just a little bit of attitude.
South Slope/Greenwood Heights
Southside Coffee (
address and info)
A neighborhood cafe on deep 6th Ave, Southside caters to aging hipsters,
junior high students, yoga moms (!!!), dog people, and everyone in
between with equal warmth and superior, awesome coffee from a variety of
roasters.
Tribeca
Kaffe 1668 (
address and info)
Make sure to confirm which Kaffe 1668 you're meeting your friends at --
there are two just a few blocks apart on Greenwich St. This, the
original location near Chambers, is notable for its two levels of
seating and abundance of wooly sheep (not real). Owned by Scandinavians,
they roast their own coffee out in Red Hook.
Courtesy of Joe Coffee
Upper East Side
Joe Coffee (
address and info)
Though the neighborhood surrounding it is a coffee desert, this
Lexington Ave outpost of local mini-chain Joe is the UES's most
picturesque oasis. It's also one of the roaster's most beautiful shops
-- sit and space out by staring at the light fixtures until the caffeine
kicks in.
Courtesy of Irving Farm
Upper West Side
Irving Farm Coffee Roasters (
address and info)
Though it's only been there a little more than two years, it's hard to
imagine this stretch of the UWS near W 79th St without the spacious,
bustling caffeine-ery. Irving Farm serves upstate-roasted coffee and
stalwart food like grilled cheeses with ham or a Cubano with homemade
pimento cheese. It's also great for people (or puppy) watching.
Courtesy of Third Rail
West Village
Third Rail Coffee (
address and info)
An essential neighborhood place, this personal-sized cafe is lined by
benches that face inward, emphasizing a feel of interaction rather than
New York person-pod isolation. Most people's main complaint here is that
the staff is actually too friendly. #FirstWorldProblems
Williamsburg
Parlor Coffee inside Persons of Interest Barbershop (
address and info)
Grab a fancy haircut and a fancy coffee -- locally roasted just a couple
miles away near the Navy Yard -- at THE SAME TIME in this chic
Williamsburg establishment with super well-executed coffees.
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Liz Clayton is a coffee writer and photographer living in Brooklyn, New York. She's the Associate Editor of coffee website sprudge.com, and a regular contributor at Sprudge, Kinfolk Magazine, The New York Observer,
and others. Her book Nice Coffee Time was released on Presspop in 2013.
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