Cafe Reviews

Laughing Man Marketplace

• 1 North End Avenue
• M-F: 6:30am-7pm; Sat-Sun: 9am-6pm
• Chambers–A/C/E/1/2/3; WTC–E; ferry, canoe, wetsuit…..
• Recommended roast: house espresso
• What’s brewing:  Laughing Man’s new location inside the NY Mercantile Exchange is hard as hell to find.  It’s accessible via the northwest or southwest entrances to the Exchange, and is located inside a recessed area off of a long, unassuming hallway.  There’s nowhere to sit “inside” the café, but there are a few tables in the hallway that offer great views of the Hudson River.  If you don’t feel like sitting inside, take a stroll south along the Hudson River Walkway towards Battery City Park, and enjoy views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Jersey City (is it even possible to enjoy a view of that place?!?)
• Other locations: 184 Duane Street

Noella Brew Bar

• 72 7th Avenue (between Lincoln and Berkeley; Park Slope, Brooklyn)
• M-Sat: 7am-7pm; Sun: 8am-7pm
• B/Q–7th Ave; 2/3/4–Grand Army Plaza or Bergen
• Recommended roast: Counter Culture’s Rustico Organic espresso
• What’s brewing: I could stay at Noella all day.  It’s split into two areas, with its coffee bar in the front and open seating area in the back (kinda like a cafe mullet, eh?), and has that “neighborhood” feel that would make it a hit anywhere.  In addition to pulling artful shots of Counter Culture espresso, Noella has an impressive selection of menu items, ranging freshly prepared salads to chocolate chip cookies.  Good luck finding a better fresh, out-of-the-oven cookie.
• Other locations: not yet.

Gorilla Coffee

• 97 5th Avenue (Park Slope, northeast corner of Park Place)
• M-Sat: 7am-9pm; Sun: 8am-9pm
• 2/3/4/5/N/Q/R/M–Atlantic Avenue/Pacific Street
• Recommended roast: the eponymous, delicious, and deservedly famous Gorilla “Cold Brew”
• What’s brewing: Gorilla Coffee’s bright red tables aligned in a relatively communal setting invite you to plop down next to a stranger and strike up a conversation about whether hipsters will still like their tattoos when being a hipster is no longer…hip.  Well, maybe that’s just me.  If you’re more into people watching than talking to people, take a seat on one of the two bright red benches flanking the entrance and enjoy the never-boring sights and sounds in this section of Park Slope.
• Other locations: I wish.

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Cafe Integral (inside American Two Shot)

• 135 Grand Street, between Crosby and Lafayette Streets
• M-F: 10am-9pm; Sat-Sun: 12pm-9pm
• N/Q/R/J/Z/6 Canal Street
• Recommended roast: house iced coffee
• What’s brewing: Cafe Integral’s founder, Cesar Vega, is on a one-man mission to bring awareness to the fact that Nicaraguan coffee is a gem. His café is housed inside American Two Shot–a trendy SoHo fashion boutique–and has a modern, clean, feel with its long white coffee bar and shiny silver La Marzocco espresso machine.  I had iced coffee the day I visited because it was about 175* outside, but I’m going to try his house espresso blend the next time I drop in. Once you’ve mulled around American Two Shot, head around the corner and explore the sights and sounds of Chinatown.

Kaffe 1668 (TriBeCa North)

• 401 Greenwich Avenue (between Hubert and Beach Streets)
• 1: Franklin, A/C/E: Canal
• M-F: 6:30am-10pm; Sat-Sun: 7:30am-10pm
• Recommended roast: Counter Culture Finca el Puento
• What’s brewing: when you first walk in, you’re confronted with a Viking-sized ceiling, floor-to-ceiling rugged, wooden columns, and an alleyway to the bar flanked with wooden tables and lit candles.  The ambiance is dark, and rather moody, which I guess is perfect if you’re looking for a cafe to drop some unpleasant news on someone. But, this part of TriBeCa–Citi is across the street–is always on the go, and that’s what Kaffe 1668 is best suited for: grab your expertly pour over brewed Counter Culture or Intelligentsia coffee, maybe a pastry, and hit the road.  And, hey, if you love/hate this location, then head south on Greenwich, take in TriBeCa, and before you know it you’ll be at Kaffe 1668′s TriBeCa south location.  Yeah, they’re the craft coffee “Starbucks” in this section of the neighborhood.  Thank God their coffee tastes amazing!
• Additional locations: 275 Greenwich Avenue

Everyman Espresso (SoHo)

• 301 West Broadway (northeast corner of Canal Street)
• A/C/E: Canal; 1: Canal
• open daily from 8am-6pm
• Recommended roast: Counter Culture Haru Single-Origin Espresso (see “coffee reviews” for details)
• What’s brewing: pulled on its sleek, silver La Marzocco Strada, Everyman pulls one of the best shots of espresso I’ve ever had. The ambiance at Everyman is warm and welcoming, with its loft-like open ceiling, tons of light, and a busy, multi-colored tile backsplash that runs almost the length of the back wall.  Seating is relatively limited inside—a gradually narrowing bench and a bar with seating for about four.  Not to worry, there are two benches outside that provide a great spot to enjoy your expertly prepared coffee and people watch.  The service here is first class, which probably explains how, after only being open a month, Everyman is already filled with “regulars” each morning.
• Additional locations: 316 East 13th Street (East Village)

Think Coffee (Bowery)

• 1 Bleecker Street (corner of Bleecker Street and Bowery)
• 6: Bleecker Street; B/D/F/M: Broadway/Lafayette
• M-TR: 7am-10pm; F: 7am-midnight; Sat: 8am-midnight; Sun: 8am-11pm
• Recommended roasts: Finca el Rosario (roasted by Plowshares near Suffern, NY)
• What’s brewing: if ever there were a more appropriately named coffee shop, I can’t think of it.  At Think Coffee, you cannot help but “think” or, more appropriately, groupthink.  I’ve never been to a coffee shop where more people are actively engaged in conversation rather than updating their Facebook page or texting their friends to find out why the night before is but a blur.  In typical Bowery fashion, the interior is a hodgepodge theme of rock-n-roll, grunge, and fashionistas.  The coffee is incredible, too.  If talking to people is not your thing, then I recommend taking your coffee outside to Think Coffee’s sidewalk café because there is no better place for people watching than along the Bowery.
• Additional locations: 248 Mercer, 123 4th Avenue; 730 Broadway; 73 8th Avenue; 14 Joong-Hak Dong (Seoul, South Korea)

Prima

• 58 East 1st Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenues)
• F: 2nd Avenue
• Coffee: 8am-5pm daily; Cocktails: 5pm-until they kick you out
• Recommended roasts: Ninth Street Espresso’s Alphabet City Blend (roasted by Dallis. Bros.)
• What’s brewing: come for coffee, stay for tequila shots.  Prima’s ambiance, drinks, and food are badass enough that you could literally come in for a late morning/early afternoon cup of coffee and wind up staying for dinner and drinks.  They serve up artfully roasted Dallis Bros. coffee (roasted for Ninth Street Espresso; see my review below) and have a wide variety of pastries to choose from.  The interior is coffee-house-meets-basement-bar, with its exposed brick and polished cement floor creating a subterranean vibe.  If you don’t stay long enough for dinner, walk one block south, cross the great divide–Houston Street–and get lost on the Lower East Side.  I bet you’ll stay there until it’s time to come back to Prima for coffee the next morning…..
• Additional locations: unfortunately, no.

NYC Love Street Coffee Truck

• Parked along Wall Street
• 2/3: Wall Street; 4/5: Wall Street J/Z: Broad Street
• Cash only
• Recommended roasts: none
• What’s brewing: there is nothing to “love” about this coffee.  I saw the truck parked on Wall Street and decided to give it a try.  The coffee was so over roasted and bitter that I instantly developed the coffee version of “bitter beer face.”
• Additional locations: Greenwich Village, Astoria.

Irving Farm (Upper West Side)

• 224 West 79th Street (btw Broadway and Amsterdam Ave.)
• M-F: 7am-10pm; Sun: 8am-10pm
• 1: 79th Street
• Credit card minimum: $5
• Recommended roasts: iced coffee to go, Flying Donkey espresso to stay
• What’s brewing:  uniquely located on the ground level of a (white) brownstone, Irving Farm’s Upper West Side location is my favorite, and not just because it’s closer to my apartment than any of their other locations (Gramercy Park is WAY nicer than my neighborhood).  Inside, you’ll find a modern interior with a long, sleek, black coffee bar, contrast color wood flooring and paneling, and exposed brick.  Don’t hesitate to walk past the bar because in the back, you’ll find an urban oasis of sorts with a wall-sized forest mural, where you can sit back, relax, and enjoy your iced coffee in a Mason Jar (better than moonshine, I suppose).
• Additional locations: 71 Irving Place, 56 7th Ave., and Irving Farm Coffee House, located in Millerton, NY.

Kuro Kuma

• 121 La Salle Street #3 (btw Broadway and Claremont Avenue)
• M-Sat: 7am-9pm; Sun: 8am-9pm
• 1: 116^th/125^th
• Credit card minimum: $10.  Doesn’t everyone know by now to bring cash to coffee shops in NYC?
• Recommended roast: Counter Culture’s Finca el Puente (head over to “coffee reviews” for more info)
• What’s brewing: Alex, a co-owner of Kuro, told me that Kura Kuma means “black bear” in Japanese.  He and his co-partner met at a coffee shop a few years back, and after working in the coffee industry for a while, decided it was time to open a place of their own.  You would never guess this was their first coffee shop.  They won me over by offering Counter Culture, and have apparently won over the rest of the neighborhood in just two short weeks of being open, as there was a constant stream of caffeine-seeking patrons while I was there.  Kuro’s interior is small, with seating for 8-10 people, tops, but, it has an inviting ambiance with its clean layout, exposed brick—both natural and painted blue—and phenomenal service. I envision many people in the area making it their “go to” coffee shop.
• Additional locations: not at this time; however, Alex told me he and his co-partner would like to open a wine bar.  Their reason for not doing so already?  If you guessed “NYC bureaucracies” or “it takes FOREVER to get a liquor license in NYC,” then you guessed correctly!

Cafe Grumpy

• 224 West 20th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenue
• M-F: 7am-8pm; Sat: 7:30am-8pm; Sun: 7:30am;7:30pm
• C/E 23rd Street; 1 23rd or 18th Street
• $$: $4-7 per cup
• Recommended roast: Cafundo (Brazilian)
• What’s brewing: this is my favorite Café Grumpy location in NYC. I expect a quiet, down home atmosphere in Brooklyn, but not in Chelsea, where the neighborhood is bustling with activity 24/7. The interior here is laid out like a box car, with tables lining one wall, the espresso bar on the other, and an overall quiet, serene ambiance. If you want a little more action while you sip your latte, head outside, where you can sit on one of Café Grumpy’s two benches and watch the always-fascinating Chelsea residents stroll by. Another perk of Café Grumpy is that each cup is brewed fresh, so you’ll never get coffee that was brewed at 5:30am and stored in a carafe all day. The orange-chocolate scone is a must, and pairs well with any of their coffee offerings.
• Other locations: 13 Essex Street (Lower East Side); 383 7th Avenue (Park Slope) and 193 Meserole Avenue (Greenpoint)

Caffe Vergnano

• 200 5th Avenue, between 23rd and 24th street (inside Eataly)
• 10am-10:30pm daily
• F/M/N/R 23rd street
• Recommended roast: Hue Hue
• $: Single espresso–$2-3
• What’s brewing: with Mario Batali at the helm, it should come as no surprise that Caffe Vergnano inside Eataly serves up incredible espressos, lattes, etc. Don’t let the enormity and crowds of Eataly discourage you from stepping up to the espresso bar and ordering your shot. I prefer the Hue Hue blend, but you can’t go wrong with any of their offerings. Seating in this part of Eataly is limited, but, with so many Italian specialties under one roof, wander about aimlessly and enjoy your espresso as you go.

Cafe Gourmand

• 9 Maiden Lane, between Broadway and Nassau Street
• 7am-5pm daily
• A/C Chambers Street or Fulton Street; E World Trade Center; 2/3 Fulton Street; J/Z Fulton Street; N/R Cortland Street
• Recommended roast: House Blend
• $: Medium coffee–$1.91(incl. tax)
• What’s brewing: Tucked away on an otherwise forgettable street in the Financial District is Café Gourmand, a (relatively) new French café that is owned and operated by Parisians. The owners have done a nice job of creating a Parisian-esque café, with an open air ambiance, closely aligned circular, wood tables, and an assortment of paintings and relics from France. They offer a variety of coffee and espresso drinks, but I opted for the House Blend, a “strong, strong, Italian coffee” according to one employee. And, wow, was she right: their coffee is BOLD! Not that that is a bad thing, though. It was smoky, with strong earthy notes, and a hint of lemon. This is a great café to check out on your way to, or from, the World Trade Center site and 9/11 Memorial.

Mud Coffee

• What’s brewing: well, not much. “Mud Coffee” is an appropriate, or perhaps, eponymous, name for this coffee outpost at Osteria Cotta on the Upper West Side. The only good thing about the coffee here is the sidewalk seating, where you can watch Upper West Siders go about their day, or, notice that Joe the Art of Coffee is directly across the street, and go get a great cup/shot.

Sweetleaf LIC

• 10-93 Jackson Avenue (@ 11^th Street)
• E/M 23^rd Street; 7 Courthouse Square; G 21^st Street; 7 Hunters Point or Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue
• M-F: 7am-8pm; Sat: 8am-8pm; Sun: 9am-6pm
• Recommended roast: pour over version of Stumptown’s Esmeralda. If that is not available then order anything, it is all great.
• The scoop: hands down my favorite coffee shop in NYC. What made my trip to Sweetleaf even better was that they were offering my favorite roast the day I visited: Stumptown’s Esmeralda. The store itself is set up in a turn-of-the-century building with high arches, European antiques and a bar made of reclaimed wood. As if that is not enough, Sweetleaf has a vinyl room in the back where Guns n Roses meets shots of espresso and strangers become instant friends. I have not been to a coffee shop as passionate as Sweetleaf is about creating a “coffee experience” for their customers, and I will gladly take three trains from my apartment to go there again!
• Other locations: coming soon to Williamsburg

Gasoline Alley

• 331 Lafayette Street (between Houston and Bleecker Streets)
• B/D/F/M Broadway-Lafayette Street
• Recommended roast: Intelligentsia’s House Blend
• The scoop: there is something to be said for a coffee shop that has a line out the door each morning when there are, at least what seems to be, 15 others within walking distance. You realize why when you walk in: a funky, metallic ambiance with amazingly brewed Intelligentsia’s House Blend. Gasoline Alley is also one of the best places to people watch as NoHo, and nearby SoHo, are known for their sense of style.

Zibetto Espresso Bar

• 1385 6^th Avenue (between 56^th and 57^th streets)
• F/N/Q/R 57^th Street stop; B/D/E 7^th Ave stop; N/Q/R 5^th Avenue/59^th Street stop
• M-F: 7am-7pm; Sat: 9am-5pm; Sun: 10am-4pm
• Recommended roast: single espresso
• The scoop: there is something nostalgic about Zibetto. As soon as you walk in, you feel as though you have been transported back to the 50’s or 60’s with the baristas in matching white dress shirts, skinny ties, and white paper, triangular hats. Then, someone bumps into you and you snap back to reality. Zibetto only has room for about 20 people so hurry up and order, or get out of line. Create a spot for yourself along the counter and enjoy your espresso as the corporate types in suits and wingtips scurry about their day. When you are finished, head north to Central Park and visit the zoo, or get lost along the many trails and walking paths.

Battery City Market

• 77 Battery Place (corner of Place)
• A/C Chambers Street; E World Trade Center; 1/R Rector; 4/5 Wall Street
• 7am-7pm daily
• Recommended Roast: daily Stumptown offering
• The Scoop: This is not your typical NYC “bodega.” Inside, you will find a gourmet selection of meats, cheeses, salads, produce and, best of all: Stumptown coffee. Their daily drip coffee offering has been the same Stumptown roast each time I have gone in, but there could be worse things in life, right? They also sell what seems like 50 varieties of packaged coffee if you want some to take away. Grab your cup and head south to Battery Park and take in sweeping views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Governors Island, or, look west to Jersey, point, and laugh. (j/k, maybe)
• Other locations: 240 Murray Street (Goldman Sachs building)

Bean & Bean

• 71 Broadway (corner of Rector Street)
• 1/R Rector Street; 4/5 Wall Street or Bowling Green
• M-F: 6:30am-7:30pm; Sat-Sun: 7:30am-5:30pm
• Recommended roast: none
• The scoop: the best thing about Bean & Bean is their roasting machine and burlap bags full of beans. If you did not know you had walked into their store, you would mistake the interior, and the coffee, for Starbucks. If you are into over-roasted coffee at exorbitant prices, then Bean & Bean is the place for you.

Kava Cafe

• 803 Washington Street, between Gansevoort Street and Horatio Street (L 8^th Avenue stop; A/C/E 14^th Street stop)
• M-F: 7am-9m; Sat and Sun: 8am-10pm
• Recommended roast: Guatemala Finca El Injerto
• Roaster: Stumptown
• The Scoop: this the only café in Manhattan that I know of that has a coffee patio and garden. Located in the Meatpacking District, Kava has a distinctly European feel and offers wine, cocktails, gelato and paninis to go along with their coffee selections. The crowd here is diverse. You will find young families with strollers, bohemians reading the Times, and tourists in need of caffeine in between dropping thousands of dollars on clothes and heading to neighborhood nightclubs. If you can’t find a seat and shopping isn’t your thing, head over to the High Line and check out NYC’s only elevated public park constructed along an abandoned rail line.

Knave Cafe

• 119 West 56^th Street (Le Parker Meridien lobby) between 6^th and 7^th Avenue (N/Q/R/F 57^th street stop; B/D/E 7^th Avenue stop)
• T-Sat: 8am-1am; Sun-M: 8am-midnight
• Recommended roast: single espresso. The barista/bar tender was tight lipped on the current offering the day of my visit, but my unsophisticated palate believes it was Counter Culture’s La Forza.
• Roaster: Counter Culture
• The Scoop: this is not your typical “café.” It is located in the middle of Le Parker Meridien’s lobby in Midtown Manhattan, and with its dark, smoky ambiance it appears, at first glance, more fitting for evening cocktails than java. But then you sit down in plush, crushed velvet chairs. A barista comes to take your order. Your eyes start to wander over to the heavy burgundy curtains, the chandelier dangling in front of the bar and the great arched entryways. You then drift off into the smooth sounds of classical music playing overhead. Soon, you realize: this is a coffee palace! Knave serves up Counter Culture lattes and espressos as well as anyone else in the City. A bit pricey, though: $4.65 for a single espresso. I guess they have to pay for that chandelier somehow.

Ports

• 251 W 23^rd Street, between 7^th and 8^th Avenue (1 or C 23^rd street stop)
• M-F: 7am-8pm; Sat and Sun: 8am – 7pm
• Recommended roast: Kenya Ngunguru
• Roaster: Stumptown
• The Scoop: here is what you need to know about Ports: a group of actors came in and the baristas yelled, “you’re back,” to which the actors exclaimed, “YES WE ARE!” Apparently, the troupe came to the City looking for work and ended up finding their favorite café, instead. They came to Ports every day, multiple times a day from what I could gather. Mind you, they were in Chelsea, where there is no shortage of great cafes to choose from. That said, Ports, which is less than a year old, is a welcomed addition to Chelsea’s and the City’s café scene. They offer up Stumptown in a variety of methods and their nautical ambiance creates a relaxed, day-at-the-beach feeling. Don’t forget to pick up a valued customer card. You’ll earn your free drink before you know it!

Prodigy Coffee

• 33 Carmine Street, between Bedford Street and Bleecker Street, 1 Houston Street stop
• M-F: 7am-8pm; Sat: 8am-8pm; Sun: 8am-7pm
• Recommended roast: Brazilian House Coffee
• Roaster: George Howell Coffee Company
• The scoop: If you are a fan of the classic Red Radio Flyer Wagon, like me, then Prodigy Coffee’s bright red bench outside its entrance on Carmine Street will lure you inside. There, you will find aromatic, freshly brewed coffee roasted by George Howell Coffee Company and baristas who are teeming with excitement to serve you. They also have one of the more intriguing pieces of artwork I have come across in NYC coffee shops. Check it out in the “photos” section.

Third Rail Coffee

• 240 Sullivan Street, between West 3rd Street and Bleecker Street, B/D/F/M/A/C/E West 4th Street Stop
• M-F: 7am-8pm; Sat and Sun: 8am-8pm
• Recommended roast: Intelligentsia House Blend
• Roasters: Intelligentsia and Stumptown
• The scoop: The coffee and ambiance at Third Rail are great. So great, in fact, that it is virtually impossible to find a seat. The line is out the door on weekday mornings as the eclectic mix of Greenwich Village residents, from bohemians to professors to soccer moms and dads, begin their day with a jolt of java. Grab a seat on their bench outside and people watch, or, head north to Washington Square Park and join a chess match in the Park’s northwest corner or soak up some sun.

Irving Farm Coffee

• 71 Irving Place, between East 18th and 19th Street, N/Q/R/L/4/5/6 14th Street-Union Square stop
• M-F: 7am-10pm; Sat and Sun: 8am-10pm
• Recommended roast: Colombia El Jigual
• Roaster: self-roasted in their upstate New York facility
• The scoop: If you are in the Gramercy Park area, you absolutely must stop by Irving Farm Coffee. Nestled into the ground level of a brownstone in one of Manhattan’s toniest neighborhoods, Irving Farm Coffee has a farm-to-table feel that we city slickers have fallen in love with. Don’t forget to head north and peep through the gates of one of New York City’s private parks, Gramercy Park, the keys to which only a chosen few posses.

Joe the Art of Coffee

• 514 Columbus Avenue, between West 84th and 85th Street, Upper West Side
• B/C—81st or 86th Street stops; 1—79th or 86th Street stops
• M-Sat: 7am-8pm; Sun: 8am-8pm
• Recommended roasts: Bolivia Illimani, Peru Chirinos, Colombia Medellin and Joe Seasonal House Blend
• Roaster: Ecco Caffe
• The scoop: This is a typical line at Joe. It is worth the wait. Trust me. Its high ceilings and intimate setting makes you feel like getting lost in a great book, or, simply watching the passersby on bustling Columbus Avenue. If you cannot find a seat inside, there are two benches flanking the entrance and, if these are taken, take a stroll a block east to Central Park or head south to the Natural History Museum!
• Other locations: 1045 Lexington Ave.; Dekalb Market (season; re-opens April 1); 550 W 120th St. (Columbia U.); 141 Waverly Place; 9 E 13th St. and 44 Grand Central Terminal.

• 341 East 10th Street, between Avenue A and B, north side of Tompkins Square Park
• L—1st Avenue stop.
• 7am-8pm daily
• Recommended roast: Alphabet City Blend
• Roaster: Dallis Bros. Located in NYC for over 100 years and sources beans from their Brazilian coffee farm.
• The scoop: if you are like me and love a clean, minimalist interior, then this is the place for you! With its exposed brick, black and white pictures and boxcar design, Ninth Street Espresso’s Tompkins Square Park location is a great place to catch up with friends, or, sit, ponder and solve the world’s problems. Nice out? Then head south across 10th Street to Tompkins Square Park and watch, or take part in a protest or two.
• Other locations: 700 E 9th St.; 75 9th Ave. (Chelsea Market).

La Colombe Torrefaction

• 319 Church Street, on the corner of Lispenard Street, TriBeCa
• A/C/E/N/Q/R/6—Canal Street stop; 1-Franklin Street stop
• M-F: 7:30am-6pm; Sat and Sun: 8:30am-6:30pm
• Recommended roast: Corsica
• Roaster: self-roasted
• The scoop: if you are like me and love bold coffee and, I mean, makes you say, “holy sh*t that is bold” when you drink it, then La Colombe’s Corsica is the coffee for you! The cafe is large and offers sweeping views onto the streets of TriBeCa, which are great for people watching.
• Other locations: 270 Lafayette St. (SoHo) and 400 Lafayette St. (NoHo)

Stumptown

• 18 West 29th Street, between Broadway and 5th Avenue, in the lobby of the Ace Hotel
• N/R—28th St. stop,
• 6am-8pm daily
• Favorite roasts: Burundi Kinyovi, Costa Rica Valle De Los Santos and Holler Mountain
• Roaster: self-roasted
• The scoop: I have not been to any other cafe in NYC where the line is as long at 8am as it is at 8pm. It has incredibly diverse patrons: during my last visit, I stood in line behind a Billy Idol look-alike and in front of CoCo Chanel’s long, lost cousin. If you are into people watching, take your drink into the lounge of the Ace Hotel and take a seat in their plush, chairs, and enjoy! If it is nice out, take a stroll south on Broadway and enjoy some sun in Madison Square Park.

Kaffe 1668 (South)

• 275 Greenwich Street, between Murray Street and Warren Street, in the Financial District/Lower Manhattan
• A/C Chambers Street stop; 1/2/3 Chambers Street stop; E World Trade Center stop
• M-F: 6:30am-10pm; Sat and Sun: 7:30am-10pm
• Recommended roast: Rwanda Nyarusiza
• Roaster: Intelligentsia
• The scoop: do not let the outside of this coffee shop fool you, it is incredible! By NYC coffee shop standards, Kaffe 1668 is enormous. It is always abuzz with financial and creative types and has anywhere from five to eight coffee selections on the menu. They use the clover brewing method and after you grab your coffee, head on over to the mezzanine in World Financial Plaza for breathtaking views of the World Trade Center, or, head north on Greenwich and take in the sights, sounds and unique architecture of TriBeCa.
• Other locations: 401 Greenwich St.

Blue Bottle

• 450 West 15th Street, between 9th Avenue and 10th Avene, across from Chelsea Market
• A/C/E/ 14th Street stop
• Recommended roast: Honduras Cerro Gacho C.O.E.
• Roaster: self-roasted
• The scoop: If you get a chance, check out the siphon bar at their Chelsea location. It is cheaper and more fun that going to an actual bar, and you will not wake up with a hangover or any regrets. Well, you might regret not staying longer. If the siphon bar is not your style or you are in a hurry, watch the baristas prepare your coffee using the popular pour over method.
• Other locations: 160 Berry Street, Rockefeller Center