The coffee scene in New York City is, you could say, fully brewed. There are organically grown hipster coffee spots, small companies from California and Australia, and iconic brands from Colombia—all serving freshly roasted, high-quality coffee that will put to shame any ubiquitous corporate coffee chains. Skip the blue-and-white Greek-themed paper cups of bodega coffee and try these top picks instead.
Devoción (Williamsburg)
An import from Bogotá, Colombia, Devoción has locations in Williamsburg, Flatiron, and Downtown Brooklyn. All the beans are sourced from Fair Trade farmers in—surprise, surprise—Colombia and then shipped overnight to a Brooklyn roastery, soon after landing in your cup in the form of excellent coffee. Each spacious location is designed for the guest to stay a while, with comfy sofas and chairs. The inviting atmosphere is also great for travelers visiting New York solo.
Abraço (East Village)
There’s usually a line at this Brazilian-accented East 7th Street espresso bar in the morning, as local East Village coffee fiends have figured out that Abraço is one of the best places for a morning perk in the area. Since 2007, Abraço has been sourcing South American beans—particularly from Brazil, the largest coffee producer on the planet—and then churning out high-quality coffee drinks.
Black Fox Coffee Co. (Financial District)
With two locations in the Financial District and two in Midtown, Black Fox isn’t too far from anyone who might work in these weekday bustling swaths of Manhattan. The design of each cafe is modeled after European coffee bars. They’re comfortable, warm, and invite you to linger while enjoying your high-quality cup of espresso or matcha latte or whatever you drink to get your morning perk.
El Condor (West Village)
This small cafe opened in early 2022 on Greenwich Avenue in the West Village with one main purpose in mind: to brew coffee in such a way as to remove the high acidity factor in the taste that has pervaded so much of third-wave coffee culture. It’s succeeded and has quickly become a neighborhood favorite. El Condor also has a menu of congee, bruschetta, lamb-filled roti, and pastries to go along with the various caffeinated beverages.
Insider’s tip: In the neighborhood? Check out more of our fav coffee shops in the West Village!
Coffee Project New York (Long Island City)
The two owners of this elevated coffee spot are on a mission to serve and promote quality coffee while creating awareness about sustainability in the coffee chain—from farmer to consumer and everything in between. The Long Island City, Queens location is a cafe and an academy to further the company’s goals. Coffee Project New York also has locations in Chelsea, the East Village, and Fort Greene.
St. Jardim (West Village)
Opened in 2021 on the improbable intersection of West 4th and West 10th streets in the West Village, this sunny, floor-to-ceiling-windowed spot serves up masterful cups of espresso and other coffee drinks. Grab a seat at the bar, sip coffee, and chat with the barista or other West Village locals. Edible items, such as the scrambled eggs, are excellent here. In the evening, St. Jardim turns into a natural wine bar.
Laughing Man Cafe (Tribeca)
After actor Hugh Jackman took an inspiring trip to Ethiopia, he came back with a craving to start a Fair Trade coffee shop that helped support Ethiopian coffee farmers. And so he did just that. This Tribeca coffee shop brews excellent single-origin coffees. It has since expanded its sourcing, now serving coffees from Central and South America, too. All profits go back to the coffee farmers themselves—a great way to give back while enjoying some of the best coffee on the planet.
Teranga (Harlem)
In Wolof, the main spoken language in Senegal, “teranga” means a deep sense of hospitality and respect. And at this Harlem spot, that’s exactly what guests get. Located in the Africa Center in Harlem, Teranga serves up excellent West African fare to go along with African-grown single-origin coffee beans, particularly coffee from Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Kenya—three of the best coffee-producing countries on the planet.
Insider’s Tip: Make sure to check out the salted caramel doughnuts and other treats while exploring Harlem restaurants!
Partner’s (West Village)
The coffee house formerly known as Toby’s Estate is a West Village favorite, anchored on the corner in a former bodega space on the corner of Seventh Avenue and Charles Street. In the warm-weather months, grab an espresso or cappuccino and plant yourself at an outdoor table or people-watch from inside as the large windows that provide prime West Village street viewing. Partner’s also has locations in Williamsburg and Midtown.
Yafa Cafe (Sunset Park)
Yafa opened in Sunset Park, Brooklyn in late 2019. And soon enough, the city’s coffee cognoscenti were planting themselves here to enjoy potent and flavorful Yemini-style coffee (to go along with delicious Yemeni fare). The coffee is on the pricier side—around $7 per cup—but try this intensely flavored Yemeni brew and you may soon be regularly trekking out to Sunset Park to sip coffee here.
Sey Coffee (Bushwick)
Housed in a sky-lit warehouse in Bushwick, Sey Coffee is a micro-roaster where they take coffee with intense seriousness. The sleek cafe space is airy and on the minimalist side with hanging ivy and a lot of light-wood decor. The coffees are sourced seasonally, so you never know what’ll get—but with certainty, it’s going to hit the high-quality mark.
La Cabra (East Village)
Despite the name, this small East Village coffee spot is not of Spanish-speaking origin (La Cabra means “The Goat” in Spanish); the owners are actually Danish—from Denmark’s “second city,” Aarhus—and they take their coffee en serio. La Cabra actually supplies many of Denmark’s Michelin-starred eateries with coffee. And so, it’s no surprise that the brew here is excellent. There’s an added bonus: the pastries here are some of the best in the city, particularly the cardamom bun.
If you couldn’t tell, we’re pretty serious about our coffee here in New York. If you want to get in on the action, come along on our Greenwich Village food tour, where we visit one of our favorite espresso spots in the whole city!
David Farley is a West Village-based food and travel writer whose work appears regularly in the New York Times, National Geographic, BBC, and Food & Wine, among other publications. He’s the author of three books, including “An Irreverent Curiosity: In Search of the Church’s Strangest Relic in Italy’s Oddest Town,” which was made into a documentary by the National Geographic Channel. You can find Farley’s online homes here and here.