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

Manhattan - Midtown, near Rockefeller

ING DIRECT CAFE
Coffee Served: Peet's Coffee

45 E. 49th Street, between Madison and Park Avenues
TRAINS:
51st
Lex/53rd
( 47/50 Rockefeller)



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Consistently good coffee at prices Lower than Starbucks and very nice, friendly staff. (I haven't figured out why they seem to always be in a good mood..maybe they are compensated at banker-levels for barista work.) You can put money on a swipe card and get one free drink for every four puchased. And if you want to wear orange on Fridays, your drink is free. (Also, since this is a bank - no tipping..so that means it's cheaper for some of us and that for others of us, no guilt is involved where it otherwise would be.)
Small seating area by the window (very much an in-and-out place, not a place you'd want to sit and chat with friends) and computers at the back where you can check your bank account..or your email. I believe there's a 30-minute limit. But if you're in midtown and need to check something online - this is the place!

They also sell Peet's coffee (whole bean or ground) by the pound.

NY Mag review of ING Direct Café

Manhattan - Lower East Side

ROOTS & VINES
Coffee served: Batdorf & Bronson, Dancing Goats blend - but changing soon..

409 Grand Street, at Clinton
TRAINS:
Essex/Delancey
East Broadway


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I was first tipped off to this coffee shop by an New York Magazine article from 2006 on iced coffee which contained the exciting (for me) revelation that they served Batdorf & Bronson coffee.

They are one of only two places that I know in NYC that serve Batdorf & Bronson coffee (Dancing Goats blend). But due to high shipping costs (all the way from Oly, WA), after a long search and lots of tastings to try to find a replacement that wouldn't be a step down, they are switching--most likely to one roasted in Queens that I thought they called "Dallas"... since I haven't found it online, I'm doubting that I heard the name right...but will update when they finally do make the switch.

On Citysearch, this coffee shop is listed as Full City Coffee (its former name). On NY Mag, it is listed under the name Fruits & Vines (not sure if this is a real former name or just a case of someone hearing the name wrong...The shop definitely says "Roots & Vines" on it).

You can purchase Batdorf & Bronson coffee here until they use up their last few bags and make the switch to another coffee. (Sniff..)

They also have wi-fi, stools at a small bar that looks out on the street, and lots of two-person tables. (Not so good for lounging, but looks like a good place to work.) I read a few complaints on yelp that the atmosphere was all wrong, etc., etc...it was basic, I wouldn't give it a "cutest coffee shop ever" award, but I had no problem with it..

NY Mag review of Fruits & Vines
Citysearch review of Full City Coffee

Brooklyn - DUMBO

RETREAT
Coffee served: Batdorf & Bronson

147 Front Street, between Pearl & Jay Streets
TRAINS:
York Street
High Street


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Coffee is downstairs. Upstairs is a nice seating area and a bar...books, board games, places at bar looking out over the street, and couches...checkers and chess too, I think? (The last time I was there, they were still getting the upstairs set up.) A nice place to sit and hang out for a while...unless there's a lot of activity in the bar portion. (Ex. a noisy birthday party for 3 year-olds with a clown theme and drunk parents.)

They will also sell you ground coffee or whole beans (as long as they have enough in stock at the time).

NYC guide for coffee snobs

Generally speaking, the coffee in NYC is pretty awful.

Growing up in Olympia, WA, I was used to Batdorf & Bronson, Tully's and yes, Starbucks (as one among many regional coffee chains), as well as scores of independent coffee shops and espresso stands every few blocks.

When I moved to NYC, I found that there were considered to be three main options for coffee: 1) Starbucks 2) Dunkin' Donuts 3) deli. And I didn't like the three options...

Now that I've lived in the city for three years, I have gradually found that there are, in fact, places here where you can enjoy good coffee: two spots that I know of that serve Batdorf (from Olympia), numerous spots that serve Illy coffee, Italian (and maybe French..) cafes that serve good espresso (because, well, they often cling to standards that other nyers don't, perhaps?), a few Dominican places....the list goes on....But when you're new to NYC or you're just visiting--it's hard to know where to go..and for someone that is as much of a coffee snob as an addict..the lack of information can cause your life to crawl to a slow (and yes, pathetic) halt.

(Full disclosure: within my first few months in NYC, I once paid $$ for a latte at Starbucks--it was, as it had often been previously--lukewarm and totally lacking in foam..I had myself a cry.)

My goal with this blog is to list places I have discovered that serve great coffee and to add to the list as I discover more. If you're a fellow coffee snob reading and you have a good place to share--whether it be a small independent shop in Queens, a university cafeteria, or the restaurant of a hotel or a museum--please let me know, so I can add it to the list!

Compared to most NYers, I may seem like a coffee connoisseur. But within the world of coffee connoisseurs, I am far from a connoisseur. I am picky, finicky...(I was once a barista and knew how to make good foam, to adjust the grind, to steam the milk fresh, not to let the shot sit out...). I have since forgotten most of this and have probably become more tolerant of mediocre coffee.

Comments as to your opinion of and experiences of the various coffee shops listed (and especially of specific drinks and baristas) are welcome and encouraged--it will make this blog that much more useful to all of us.

It seems most logical/helpful to post by neighborhood, so that's how I'll try to organize the listings, rather than confusing the labels with types of coffee. I'll have to think of another way to include a way to search by coffee served.

Tally-ho..