Whenever I visit New York City, specialty coffee shop hopping is always on my agenda. I've been visiting the city's coffee shops for over two decades and it's a pleasure to go both to a coffee shop I've frequented for 21 years and to a whole host of much newer specialty coffee spots on the same trip. NYC's coffee scene has continued to evolve with my own tastes and I always discover new cafes and roasters to check out. My most recent trip was no exception!
For even more NYC specialty coffee recommendations, check out my New York coffee guide or scroll to the end of this post for my accompanying Google Map.
BROOKLYN COFFEE SHOPS
* Dayglow (Bushwick)
It was appropriate that I arrived at Dayglow on a gloriously sunny November afternoon. If I'd arrived a few hours later, it might already have transformed into its nocturnal counterpart, Niteglow. I do love an all-day spot and Dayglow/Niteglow is particularly lovely.
As you walk in, you can't help but admire the candy-shop-like wall of retail bags of coffee from an impressive range of roasters. The cafe itself is light and airy thanks to the huge central skylight and light blue walls. You can take a seat at the large, L-shaped counter or at one of the tables by the walls (they brew beer in the back).
On hearing that the house coffee was roasted by a roaster in Ipswich, Massachusetts, I immediately knew it was Little Wolf, which I visited a few years ago. There was a Mexican coffee in the hopper, which tasted great with a little milk in my macchiato.
The pourover menu included some special single-origins from international roasters like Friedhats, Dak and Three Marks. But as I'd just had a pourover, I decided to dive into the signature drinks menu instead. There are lots of creative drinks, hot and cold, boozy and non-. I went for the Warhol, a sort of cortado with orange, cream and cinnamon: it was delicious!
Dayglow is located at 8 Wilson Avenue bet. Flushing Ave. & Noll St. (Bushwick). Website. Instagram.
* Drip Coffee Makers (Brooklyn Heights)
After visiting Drip's other coffee shops in SoHo and Bushwick on previous trips, I was glad I finally made it to their Henry Street location. Located inside Clark Street station, it's very handy for a wander through Brooklyn Heights or over Brooklyn Bridge.
The coffee bar is standing room only and I can imagine it gets very busy during peak commuter hours. Early on a Saturday morning, however, it was very relaxed. You can opt for the usual espresso-based drinks or filter coffee.
I was planning to order a macchiato but the barista convinced me to have an espresso instead, with Black & White's The Future coffee. The watermelon candy and gummy worm flavours were super-intense — and matched the hot pink colour of my mini-KeepCup.
Drip is located at 100 Henry Street (inside Clark Street station) nr Clark St. and other locations. Instagram.
* Loveless Coffees (Bushwick)
Looking for love in Brooklyn? Maybe you should be looking for Loveless instead! The Bushwick roaster's name takes inspiration from the My Bloody Valentine album of the same name. And their cafe and roastery is a gorgeous space with a pink-tiled bar at its centre (pictured up top), surrounded by colourful tables and chairs.
The friendly baristas walked me through the menu, which included two particularly special coffees available as a pourover (one of them was also on espresso), as well as the seasonal fig latte. I decided to go for the Maria Eugenia coffee, a washed Gesha from Colombia, which had super-juicy strawberry and mango notes, especially as the coffee cooled.
They serve a range of brunch dishes and sandwiches too, and my avocado toast was very tasty too. You can also buy coffee beans, sold in pretty, pastel-hued packages. I opted for a different — but similarly mango-tastic — Colombian coffee, which I've been enjoying at home. You get a free coffee if you buy beans, but as I'd already paid for my pourover, they gave me a discount instead.
Loveless is located at 86 Central Avenue nr Jefferson St. Website. Instagram.
MANHATTAN COFFEE SHOPS
* La Cabra (SoHo)
Danish roaster La Cabra has been making quite the international expansion. I didn't quite make it to their New York location last autumn, but made up for it by dropping by their Bangkok coffee shop. The SoHo coffee bar, on Lafayette Street, is a lovely, bright space, with a large central coffee bar at its heart.
It's also very popular: the queue was out the door on the sunny Sunday morning when I visited. But my time spent waiting to order gave me the chance to study the coffee menu. With four single-origin coffees on the hand-brew menu and two on espresso, there's a lot to choose from!
I ordered a washed Ethiopian Yabitu Koba as a pourover and then found a spot near the brew bar to wait, trying to resist temptation as staff members carried in freshly baked trays of pastries. It also meant I could eye up their range of retail coffees, some of which are unique and beautifully packaged. As for my pourover, it was very well brewed with delicate floral and citrus notes.
La Cabra is located at 284 Lafayette Street nr Jersey St. Website. Instagram.
* Suited (Financial District)
I used to spend a lot of time in the Financial District, where my former company had an office, and made a special trip back there this time to check out Suited. This small but sleek coffee shop is an excellent addition to the neighbourhood, whether you need a quick flat white to go or prefer to sit and savour a hand-brewed filter coffee (or brunch, sandwich or glass of wine, depending on the time of day).
The curved coffee bar takes centre stage and there are a few seats to the right (and a few more outside). While I waited, I checked out the pourover menu, which featured three coffees from North American roasters: Boulder-based Prodigal Coffee, Portland-based Heart and Toronto-based Subtext.
I'd never tried the latter, but am partial to a spot of subtext, so I decided to go for their Shoondhisa coffee, an Ethiopian coffee with juicy cherry and grape flavours. There weren't any free seats so I took my coffee to go and it tasted even better as it cooled. If you need to stock up on beans, Suited's wall o'coffee is a good place to stock up!
Suited is located at 45 John Street nr Dutch St. Website. Instagram.
Blue Bottle Coffee (TriBeCa)
I've visited many Blue Bottle Coffee shops over the years and was pleased to find one in the lobby of my hotel, the Walker TriBeCa. Better still, it opens at 6:30 am — perfect for warding off the jet lag. It's an attractive space, with light wood and marble accents and a pleasing geometry. They serve espresso-based drinks and hand-brewed filter coffee. I got a lovely macchiato for the road in my 4oz KeepCup, which I enjoyed on the way to the subway.
I was meeting my Dad at the Rockefeller Center for an early-morning ascent to the Top of the Rock. But first, more coffee was needed, so we descended to Blue Bottle's subterranean coffee bar in Rockefeller Plaza. I've been there a few times before and it's a very useful location if you're in Midtown. I had another macchiato and a tasty 'everything' croissant.
Blue Bottle is located at The Walker Hotel, 396 Broadway nr Walker St. (and other locations). Website. Instagram.
Butler (SoHo)
With several cafes in NYC, Butler specialises in brunch, sandwiches, pastries and specialty coffee from Intelligentsia. Their SoHo location was close to my hotel so I went for breakfast on my last morning. I had a very nice cortado, accompanied by a delicious bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. The pastel-hued cafe is also a lovely place to hang out while plotting your next move.
Butler is located at 177 Lafayette Street nr Grand St. (and other locations). Website. Instagram.
The Elk on Mott (Nolita)
I came across The Elk's Nolita coffee bar on my first afternoon in New York. The sun was almost over the yardarm but I decided that one last coffee would help keep jet lag at bay. I've been to The Elk's West Village cafe before and the Mott Street location is just as attractive. I browsed the interesting range of gifts and homewares on sale while I waited for my coffee.
As for the coffee, it's from Partners, and my macchiato was very well brewed, tasting smooth and sweet. There's a covered outdoor seating area out on Mott Street, which is great for a spot of Nolita people-watching.
The Elk is located at 228 Mott Street bet. Prince & Spring St. (and other locations). Website. Instagram.
Hungry Ghost Coffee (West Village)
After a rare Wolves victory on Saturday, I found myself drawn to the lupine branding of Hungry Ghost, and went to their West Village coffee shop for a celebratory macchiato. There are 12 Hungry Ghost locations in total — a whole pack, or enough for a whole football (soccer) team plus one reserve! — and they all have their own character and style.
The West Village cafe was bustling on the sunny Saturday afternoon when I visited, but I managed to nab a seat at the front window, where you can watch the denizens of NYC stroll by. Coffee is provided by Stumptown, and my macchiato tasted great, living up to their motto of "always chasing the perfect shot."
Hungry Ghost is located at 315 Bleecker Street nr Grove St. (and other locations). Website.
Kaigo Coffee Room (SoHo)
Located just off Canal Street on Lafayette, Kaigo Coffee Room serves excellent specialty coffee in a relaxed setting (I loved the ceiling light fixture featuring upside-down coffee cups). It was very close to my hotel but as it was closed the weekend when I visited, I was only able to drop by on my last day. It was worth the wait!
They do a good line in specialty drinks, like the lavender matcha latte and the black sesame latte, if that's your jam. And my KeepCup and I enjoyed a top-notch macchiato brewed with coffee from Onyx.
Kaigo Coffee Room is located at 120C Lafayette Street nr Canal St. Website. Instagram.
Sawada Coffee (TriBeCa)
I visited barista champion Hiroshi Sawada's titular coffee shop in Chicago but hadn't realised I was staying so close to its NYC sister location. Although it was just across from my hotel, it was tucked away inside the New York branch of another Chicago import: Au Cheval (the burgers are worth queuing for).
After returning from my Brooklyn Bridge run and finding Kaigo closed, I fired up my Google Map and saw that I'd already saved Sawada. The stunning wooden coffee bar features a mural of Sawada himself and the espresso machine has some rather impressive art itself.
The menu has all of the usual espresso-based drinks, as well as a few seasonal drinks and pourovers. As time was of the essence, I opted for a cortado, which was well brewed with rich, chocolatey notes.
Sawada Coffee is located at 33 Cortlandt Alley nr Walker St. Website. Instagram.
REVISITING OLD FAVOURITES
As I spent a fair amount of time in Greenwich Village, I was also able to visit two of my oldest favourite New York coffee shops. First, the original location of Jack's Stir Brew on West 10th Street, which I first visited with friends on a snowy visit to NYC in December 2003. 21 years later and it's still going strong! My Dad and I enjoyed our coffees on the bench outside, which was great for people-watching.
I also stopped by the original branch of Joe Coffee on Waverly Place, which I first discovered in 2007 (in what may have been my first ever latte art photo!). It remains my favourite Joe location — and not just for nostalgia reasons!
My final coffee experience of the trip was a fab coffee pop-up at Filson, a hip outdoor clothing store in the Flatiron. I enjoyed even more coffee samples from Loveless, and also tried a really sweet Honduran coffee from Bushwick-based Obscure Coffee Roasters.
For 80+ more of my favourite coffee shops in New York, check out my NYC specialty coffee guide. My accompanying Google Map (updated in November 2024) is included below for reference.
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