Manhattan - Upper West Side

HAMPTON CHUTNEY
Coffee Served: Cardamom Coffee

464 Amsterdam Avenue, between 82nd and 83rd Streets
TRAINS:
79th St. or 86th St.



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This is not a coffee shop. (The food is delicious.) But I bring people from out of town here just for the coffee. Since this is doctored-up, sweetened coffee, I don't know how good it would be black..but as it's served here..delicious.

NY Mag review of Hampton Chutney
Citysearch review of Hampton Chutney

Manhattan - Soho

HAMPTON CHUTNEY
Coffee Served: Cardamom Coffee

68 Prince Street, at Crosby Street
TRAINS:
Prince St.
Broadway-Lafayette
Spring St.



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This is not a coffee shop. (The food is delicious.) But I bring people from out of town here just for the coffee. Since this is doctored-up, sweetened coffee, I don't know how good it would be black..but as it's served here..delicious.

NY Mag review of Hampton Chutney
Citysearch review of Hampton Chutney

Manhattan - West Village (NYU area)

THINK COFFEE
Coffee Served: Fair trade, organic and shade-grown...

248 Mercer Street, at 3rd St.
TRAINS:
Bleecker
Broadway-Lafayette
8th St. - NYU
W. 4th St.


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NY Mag review of Think Coffee
Citysearch review of Think Coffee

I've been here once. I had an americano. Not my favorite coffee. But really not bad at all/pretty good. (I didn't add cream to my americano..but I think I may not have quite finished it.) For now, it's the best I've found in this area and quite decent.

They also have teas, pastries, soups, sandwiches, salads..
The shop itself is much larger than it looks (or at least--than it looked to me) from the outside.

Think Coffee has tables and stools and couches where people seem to settle in for quite a while. Probably a good place to work or study if you like a lot of background noise--and if you manage to get a decent spot before it fills up. (For better or for worse, this is near NYU, and that's reflected in the crowd here.)

Manhattan - Midtown East

MANHATTAN ESPRESSO CAFE
Coffee Served: Illy

144 E. 49th St., between Lexington and 3rd Avenues
TRAINS:
51st/Lex
53rd/Lex

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I just stumbled upon this place recently, and I love it...adorable girls behind the counter. I always order a cappuccino, and it's always delicious (on the wet side, but skim, and I don't ask for it dry, either). They also have great paninis during the day (by late afternoon, usually gone..) and a nice selection of pastries, cookies, etc. A little more expensive than Starbucks, but so much better--coffee, sandwiches/pastries, and atmosphere.
Even though it's a very small shop, it has a bar and stools along one wall that feel comfortable rather than claustrophobic, and it's a great place to sit and read if you don't want to hurry back to the office.

Citysearch review of Manhattan Espresso Cafe

RIEU CAFE
Coffee Served: Illy

550 Madison Avenue, between 55th and 56th Streets
TRAINS:
5th Ave/53rd


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This is an Illy coffee cart within the Sony Atrium. I believe they're open Mon-Sat..have to double-check..


Citysearch listing for Rieu Cafe

JUAN VALDEZ CAFE
Coffee Served: Colombian Coffee / Cafe de Colombia

245 Park Avenue at 46th Street
TRAINS:

Grand Central - 42nd St.


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Good, solid coffee...This location doesn't have a warm atmosphere at all, but it's very clean with lots of life. I haven't been here yet when it's been crowded. And when the weather is decent, there are tables to sit out on the terrace (office building, midtown cement terrace) outside--and I don' t know of any other outdoor seating anywhere nearby.

NY Mag review of 57th St. location

Manhattan - Upper East Side

VIA QUADRONNO
Coffee Served: ??

25 E. 73rd, between Madison and 5th Ave.
TRAINS:
77th St.



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Very expensive...but very good. I've never eaten here, but it's a beautiful cafe, and they serve sandwiches, etc..

NY Mag review of Via Quadronno
Citysearch review of Via Quadronno


SICAFFE
Coffee Served: Sicaffé


964 Lexington Ave. at 70th St.
TRAINS:
68th St.


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I was led to this shop by convincing raves about it on yelp, etc., and went up to check it out. I tried their house brew--it was lighter than I'd expected but very good--smooth, no after-taste, not at all acidic.

Sicaffé does sell some sandwiches and pastries. I ordered a sandwich that came saran-wrapped, and the jolt back to the days of eating saran-wrapped deli meat sandwiches was...surprising. And not totally unpleasant. But next time I go, I think I'll try a pastry or just stick to the coffee.

They have a comfortable seating area at the front of the shop, with small round tables and comfortable chairs, as well as a bar with stools that looks out over the street.

NY Mag review of Sicaffé
Citysearch listing of Sicaffé

Brooklyn - North Park Slope

GORILLA COFFEE
Coffee Served: Gorilla Coffee

97 5th Avenue, at Park Place
TRAINS:
Bergen
7th Ave.
Union St.
Atlantic/Pacific


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I was very surprised to find excellent coffee that's roasted right in Brooklyn. Gorilla Coffee comes from an independently owned and operated micro-roastery. All of it is free trade and organic. And it's pretty good. (They also serve free-trade teas.) This is all culled from their website--which also says that their coffee is available wholesale to select stores and food shops. I haven't come across any other places that serve Gorilla coffee yet, but I'm looking into it and hope to add any NYC buyers to the list.

The coffee shop isn't very big, and there's often a line out the door--but it moves very quickly. There are tables set up with Park Slope's version of hipsters working on their laptops. (I'm 99% sure they have wireless..but I'm double-checking...)

You can also buy (very fresh!) Gorilla Coffee whole bean or ground at the shop.

NY Mag review of Gorilla Coffee
Citysearch review of Gorilla Coffee