NYC Coffee Rankings
I'm (somewhat of) a coffee snob. There, I said it.
In fact, I love great coffee so much that I am on a quest to visit every coffee shop in New York City that ISN'T a gargantuan national chain and rank their lattes (my favorite coffee drink). Preference is given to bold coffee — when that first sip is like a slap to the face. I also visit places that make coffee but do something else as their primary gig (e.g., a bakery).
So far, as of 3/30/25, I've visited 233 shops. I’ve been working on this project for a while, so I am also re-ranking some places I went to previously but have not been to in a long time — you’re only as good as your last latte, and sometimes the quality of a coffee shop declines over time, just like a restaurant may decline as the years pass.
I rank the lattes on a 1-5 scale. Here's what the scale means:
1. Undrinkable: one or two sips and you have to grimly toss it into the garbage, with great disappointment and contempt — a latte so bad that you are offended at having been served something so awful.
2. Drinkable: Ok, but only if you have no other options (say, if you are stuck at a conference in an obscure city and there are no nearby coffee alternatives).
3. Decent, but nothing that stands out and nothing you would actually seek out.
4. Good (personally, I would not bother with anything below a 4. There’s too much good coffee in the city to settle).
5. Great
Once the coffee receives a ranking of about 4.4 or above, what you've got on your hands is what I call DESTINATION COFFEE: coffee that is so good that you will travel for it. In my case, that could mean, for instance, walking a half hour from the West side of NYC to the East side.
Destination coffee: it's the ever-elusive holy grail.
Here are the GROUND rules (get it?) for the rankings, designed to ensure a standardized, level playing field that gives each latte an equal chance to shine and make their case:
Drink: Latte
Milk: Whole milk
Cane sugar: 1/4 - 1/2 a packet
And here are the judging criteria:
1) The quality of the espresso — we’re looking for a properly extracted espresso that has a balanced taste and is not sour (under-extracted), bitter (over-extracted) or both under- and over-extracted at the same time (aka the dreaded channeling).
2) The quality of the milk, both in terms of the foam (it should look like gloss white paint, silky smooth) and the temperature.
3) Freshness: The beans should taste fresh, not stale.
Please note that I refuse to give any latte a 5 since a perfect score implies the impossibility of finding something better – that there is no room for improvement. But I am optimistic that something better is always possible, hence the 4.9 ceiling to my rankings. Overall I am a tough grader.
Note: Many of the coffee shops I visited have more than one location. The location I list below for each shop is the location that I actually visited. Visit each shop's web site to learn if additional locations are available.
Here we go
4.7
Hutch and Waldo (Upper East Side)
Date visited: 4/12/24
Note: I originally visited Hutch and Waldo on 11/12/21, awarding it a 4.9/5. So it was time for an updated review — it’s still great. The score is a bit lower but only because I’m a tougher grader now. This is still destination coffee — love it!
La Colombe Coffee Roasters (Tribeca)
Date visited: 5/29/23
Note: This was the 100th shop I visited! I planned to visit La Colombe for this milestone and it didn’t disappoint. Destination Coffee my friends, Destination Coffee.
Ole & Steen (Midtown East)
Date visited: 3/3/22
4.6
Felix Roasting Company (Soho)
Date visited: 4/11/24
Note: I originally visited the Nomad location on 3/19/22. So it was time for a new rating. I’m happy to report: still excellent! A lower rating than the original 4.9 only because, as I note above, I’m a tougher grader now. This is still great coffee.
Ninth Street Espresso (East Village/Alphabet City)
Date visited: 5/21/23
Note: Strong and excellent.
Black Brick Coffee (Williamsburg)
Date visited: 5/7/23
Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee (Greenwich Village)
Date visited: 4/16/23
Note: Fantastic.
Stumptown (Greenwich Village)
Date visited: 11/18/21
4.5
Three Legged Cat (East Williamsburg)
Date visited: 1/4/25
Note: Fantastic. Rich, perfect temperature, everything a great latte should be. And, this shop is indeed named after a three legged cat! Click here to learn more about the backstory.
Suited (Financial District)
Date visited: 3/29/24
Note: Stellar.
Culture Espresso (Midtown West)
Date visited: 12/23/23
Café Grumpy (Financial District)
Date visited: 8/27/23
Note: Strong!
Cafe Kitsune (West Village)
Date visited: 5/28/23
Note: Excellent.
Cafe Panino Mucho Giusto (Greenwich Village)
Date visited: 5/28/23
Note: Italian roast.
Porto Rico Importing Co. (Greenwich Village)
Date visited: 4/8/23
The Jolly Goat (Midtown West)
Date visited: 5/22/22
Seven Grams Caffé (Chelsea)
Date visited: 1/10/22
Manhattanville Coffee (Harlem)
Date visited: 12/1/21
Filicori Zecchini (Upper West Side; now called Charlotte Cafe)
Date visited: 10/25/21
The West (Williamsburg)
Date visited: 10/13/21
4.4
Vibrant Coffee (West Village)
Date visited: 8/18/24
Note: Awesome. They don’t roast their own beans but who cares; this was great.
Rhythm Zero (Greenpoint, Brooklyn)
Date visited: 8/10/24
Note: Awesome.
Everyman Espresso (Park Slope, Brooklyn)
Date visited: 6/3/23
Clever Blend (Park Slope, Brooklyn)
Date visited: 6/3/23
Sweetleaf Coffee Roasters (Long Island City, Queens)
Date visited: 5/6/23
Note: On the stronger side — we like that.
Madman Espresso (West Village)
Date visited: 4/30/23
Note: This was a tough one to rank. Incredible BUT the latte
needed to be a bit hotter. Had the temperature been ideal,
this would have ranked much higher. Still, this is destination coffee —
it was that good.
Merriweather Coffee & Kitchen (West Village)
Date visited: 4/8/23
Note: The Aussies know their coffee!
Black Fox (Midtown East)
Date visited: 3/3/22
Inès (Midtown West)
Date visited: 2/4/22
Hungry Betty Cafe (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 1/7/22
Note: Sadly, now permanently closed.
787 (Gramercy Park)
Date visited: 12/9/21
The Chipped Cup (Harlem)
Date visited: 11/23/21
Devoción Coffee (Flatiron District)
Date visited: 10/8/21
4.3
Loveless (Bushwick, Brooklyn)
Date visited: 3/29/25
Note: I’ve got all the love for Loveless! This was really good. Go here if you’re in Brooklyn.
Odd Fox Coffee (Greenpoint, Brooklyn)
Date visited: 8/10/24
Note: Really good.
Ludlow Coffee Supply (Lower East Side)
Date visited: 6/2/24
Note: Excellent — bold!
11th Street Cafe (West Village)
Date visited: 3/10/24
Little Collins (Midtown East)
Date visited: 1/27/24
Note: Very good.
Cosmic Cat Cafe (East Village)
Date visited: 1/20/24
Note: Excellent. On the stronger side (Sweetleaf Beans). No actual cats there.
Sey (Bushwick, Brooklyn)
Date visited: 11/26/23
Think Coffee (Tribeca)
Date visited: 5/29/23
Note: Solid.
Gotham Coffee Roasters (Flatiron)
Date visited: 1/18/23
I Like It Black (Harlem)
Date visited: 1/5/22
Yours Truly Coffee (Nolita)
Date visited: 10/19/21
4.2
Dayglow (Bushwick, Brooklyn)
Date visited: 3/29/25
Note: Really good! Milk texture was not perfect BUT this latte tasted fantastic — rich, and a nice chocholate-y flavor. This is one of the best places I’ve been to in a while. Definitely go here if you are in this area of town. No sleep till Brooklyn!
Deploy Coffee (Soho)
Date visited: 3/21/25
Note: My latte had a very nice, earthy taste so definitely come here if you like that. The latte art — a heart — was excellent as well. Overall, visit this shop if you’re in the area.
Kaffe Landskap (Tribeca North)
Date visited: 12/29/23
Note: Very good, though just a little short of Destination Coffee status. But definitely a go-to if you live/work in or near this area of town.
Ad hoc Collective (West Village)
Date visited: 4/16/23
Drip Coffee Makers (Brooklyn Heights, inside of the Clark Street Subway Station)
Date visited: 3/19/23
OCAFE (West Village)
Date visited: 2/12/23
El Condor (West Village)
Date visited: 2/12/23
Note 1: The shop was playing U2’s Tryin’ to Throw Your Arms Around the World as I waited for my order. I promise, I did not let this color my judgment! It’s a great song, though, even if it did not make my Top 25.
Note 2: Now closed!
Rex (Midtown West)
Date visited: 12/27/22
Blank Street (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 4/12/22
Note: I know, I know, I know. BUT, I had a good latte there.
Ground Central (Midtown)
Date visited 3/7/22
MUD (East Village)
Date visited: 12/2/21
4.1
Kobrick Coffee (West Village)
Date visited: 3/8/25
Note: I originally visited Kobrick on 10/22/22, awarding it a lofty 4.7/5. It was time for a re-ranking. My latte this time was still good, with nice latte art, but the temperature was a little too high and I could not justify a higher ranking; the latte was just not as good this time around compared to last time. I still think you should make a stop at Kobrick as it’s still a go-to, and I think it may have just been an “off day” for the barista. They have an excellent reputation.
Abraço (East Village)
Date visited: 3/14/25.
Note: I originally visited this shop on 11/17/21, awarding it a 4.3 score. It was time for a re-ranking, and this time the score is a still solid 4.1/5. While the music was too loud at 10:15 AM, the foam was nice, the latte art was nice, and the taste was bold. It’s a neighborhood staple, and I think it’s worth a visit, especially during the week, as it gets real busy on the weekend.
Blue Brown Cafe (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
Date visited: 2/8/25
Note: Quite good! The only thing preventing an even higher score was that it wasn’t my favorite-tasting bean, but definitely check this place out if you’re in the area; it’s worth it. I also appreciated the very nice latte art — rosetta!
Ariston Flowers and Cafe (Union Square)
Date visited: 1/12/25
Note: This was a nice surprise, since places that have split loyalties (in this case, loyalty to flowers AND to coffee) are often not great, in my experience; this is not unexpected since a devotion to doing one thing well — coffee — makes for a better product. But my latte here was really solid. This goes to show that who the barista is really matters. Speaking of devotion, this place uses Devocion beans. Get it?
Purple Waves (Manhattan Valley)
Date visited: 11/3/24
Outro (Union Square area)
Date visited: 10/27/24
Note: Very good. Would have scored even higher if it was a touch hotter. Counter Culture beans.
Artbean Coffee Roasters (Chinatown)
Date visited: 10/19/24
King’s Street Coffee (Midtown)
Date visited: 9/25/24
Elsewhere Espresso (East Village)
Date visited: 7/4/24
Note: Solid — would be a go-to if I lived in this area of NYC.
Chalait (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 2/2/24
La Cabra (East Village)
Date visited: 5/21/23
The Monkey Cup (Harlem)
Date visited: 5/20/23
The Elk (West Village)
Date visited: 4/30/23
Prince Coffee House (Bronx)
Date visited: 1/7/23
Zibetto Espresso Bar (Midtown)
Date visited: 12/27/22
Kuro Kuma (Morningside Heights)
Date visited: 11/26/22
Gumption Coffee (Flatiron District)
Date visited: 9/21/22
Artisan Cafe (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 8/25/22
Demitasse Coffee & Tea (Manhattan Valley)
Date visited: 7/24/22
Solid State (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 4/1/22
Oslo (Upper East Side)
Date visited: 11/19/21
Joe Coffee (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 3/7/25
Note: I originally visited Joe on 10/22/21and awarded it a 4.1/5, the same score it gets on my more recent visit. Great to see the consistency. Recommended.
Variety Coffee Roasters (Chelsea)
Date visited: 10/15/21
Manjul (Soho)
Date visited: 3/16/25
Note: This was a good latte. It was on the milder side, which prevented a higher score, but again, I was happy with this drink.
The Oma,Shop (Harlem)
Date visited: 3/6/25
Note: A pleasant surprise, considering this place does not focus solely on coffee, which I have found is generally not a good thing for the quality of a latte. But, talking with the barista for just a minute told me she really knew her stuff; she said she had practiced a lot on latte art at the previous cafe she worked at. This was a very good latte, with a nice subtle taste, and, yes, nice latte art (tulip). The good taste lasted throughout the cup, and I would go back here if I lived in this area. If you find yourself in Harlem, give this place a try.
dae day (Midtown East)
Date visited: 1/28/25
Note: Quite good. The only reason it doesn’t rank higher for me is that these weren’t my favorite-tasting beans. But you may rank this much higher. Definitely a place for repeat visits. And it’s getting a lot of buzz these days (get it)?
Lattente (Williamsburg)
Date visited: 7/27/24
Buddies (Williamsburg)
Date visited: 7/27/24
Interlude Coffee & Tea (Tribeca)
Date visited: 5/18/24
Note: The first place I’ve found in NYC that uses George Howell beans.
Cafe Blériot (Upper East Side)
Date visited: 3/30/24
Eat Pretty (Upper East Side)
Date visited: 3/30/24
Bird & Branch (Hell’s Kitchen)
Date visited: 3/28/24
For Five Coffee Roasters (Times Square)
Date visited: 3/28/24
Oren’s Coffee (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 3/27/24
Terremoto Coffee (Chelsea)
Date visited: 3/23/24
The Coppola Cafe (Greenwich Village)
Date visited: 3/10/24
Zelma’s Caffe (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 2/1/24
City Cakes (Chelsea)
Date visited: 10/7/23
Note: PERMANENTLY CLOSED.
Cafe Bilboquet (Midtown East)
Date visited: 6/29/23
Breads Bakery (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 4/20/23
Kinship Coffee Roasters (Astoria)
Date visited: 4/9/23
Astoria Coffee (Astoria)
Date visited: 4/2/23 — Now CLOSED.
Note: Nice and hot, with excellent foam.
Poetica Coffee (Lower Manhattan)
Date visited: 2/18/23
Gasoline Alley Coffee (NoHo)
Date visited: 1/8/23
Gertrude (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 12/31/22.
NOTE: Permanently closed.
Café Integral (Nolita)
Date visited: 3/26/22
Peaky Barista (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 10/20/21
3.9
Cafe d’Avignon (Essex Street Market, Lower East Side)
Date visited: 3/29/25
Note: Excellent milk steaming and nice latte art. Really decent, just misses a 4/5. If you’re in Essex Street Market, go here. Stumptown beans.
Urban Backyard (Nolita)
Date visited: 3/21/25
Note: A quite decent latte. The latte art (rosetta) was there but it was also hard to appreciate. That’s because it was difficult to see the rosetta, considering it occupied only a very small portion of the surface.
Caffe Vita (Lower East Side)
Date visited: 3/14/25
Note: Very bold coffee — I like it! The music was too loud at 9:45 AM for this Gen X-er, but they were nice behind the counter. About the latte: As I mentioned, this is a bold cup, and I would definitely go back here; you should try this shop if you like bold. But, despite decent latte art, the milk was slightly too hot and the foam had too many visible bubbles, which prevented a higher ranking. But if they hit the sweet spot with the steamed milk, then we would really be talking.
The Dozy Coffee (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
Date visited: 2/8/25
Note: Bold Columbian coffee! If you like bold coffee, you’ll like this latte. However, I must say that the thumping music at 11:30 AM on a Saturday was not appreciated; I’m there for the latte, not the club! But I didn’t let the music cloud my observations or affect my score. Gotta stay objective my friends!
Romeo & Juliet Columbian Coffee (Hell’s Kitchen)
Date visited: 6/8/24
Note: Not bad.
Green Lane Coffee (Upper East Side)
Date visited: 4/12/24
PlantShed 87th St. (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 3/17/24
Note: Not bad at all; just misses a 4.0/5
Madam Bonté (Upper East Side)
Date visited: 2/15/24
Marathon Coffee (Chelsea)
Date visited: 2/14/24
Note: Strong.
Kuppi Coffee Company (East Village)
Date visited: 1/20/24
Le Reveil Coffee (Upper East Side)
Date visited: 1/13/24
Stone Street Café (Lower Manhattan)
Date visited: 12/16/23
Balancero (Astoria)
Date visited: 4/9/23
Ground Support (Soho)
Date visited: 1/8/23
Claire’s Kitchen Café (Harlem)
Date visited: 11/6/22
Maman (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 3/10/22
Partners (Midtown West)
Date visited: 10/28/21
Birch (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 10/10/21
3.8
SOTE Coffee Roasters (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 1/14/25
Note: This is a new place on the UWS, open for only a couple of months. Not a bad latte, but it didn’t particularly stand out to me.
Alita Cafe (East Williamsburg)
Date visited: 1/4/25
Note: Not bad, with a subtle flavor that tasted good, but the drink needed to be much hotter. One of the key things I have learned during my latte journey is that the correct temperature of the milk is absolutely crucial. Otherwise, the latte will likely fail, and sometimes fail spectacularly.
Dear Coffee (Upper East Side)
Date visited: 10/17/24
Note: Good, but it’s just not my favorite bean. If you like the beans they use, you may like this a lot more.
Kona Coffee Roasters (East Village)
Date visited: 7/26/24
WatchHouse (Midtown)
Date visited: 5/29/24
Patisserie Chanson (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 3/19/24
Koré Coffee (Chinatown)
Date visited: 2/11/24
Note: Counter Culture beans
Ralph’s Coffee (Upper East Side)
Date visited: 2/2/24
Note: The gall to charge $7.50 ($8.17 with tax) for this latte! It wasn’t bad, but, like Ralph Lauren’s other merchandise, this is way overpriced for what you get.
% Arabica (30 Rock)
Date visited: 1/27/24
Note: This place gets good reviews from those in the know, but I just don’t like the beans they use. If you do, you’ll rate this higher.
Down Under Coffee (Columbus Circle/Turnstyle Underground Market)
Date visited: 12/27/23
Note: Decent, but I wouldn’t travel for it. But if you’re in the area, it’s worth a try.
Third Rail Coffee (Greenwich Village)
Date visited: 7/1/23
Note: Not bad but too mild to receive a higher ranking.
Double Dutch Espresso (Harlem)
Date visited: 5/20/23
Mighty Oak Roasters (Astoria, Queens)
Date visited: 4/9/23
Under Pressure (Astoria, Queens)
Date visited: 4/2/23
Plowshares (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 11/8/21
Date visited: 11/7/21
Fillup Coffee (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 11/6/21
3.7
ARVACI Coffee (Midtown)
Date visited: 3/27/25
Note: Quite decent, and on the bolder side. Too many visible bubbles in the foam, though. Fix the milk texture and this would rank a bit higher.
La Farine Pâtisserie et Café (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 12/30/24
Note: Really not bad, but the latte needed to be hotter, and the espresso part of the latte needed to be bolder.
Laughing Man (Tribeca)
Date visited: 11/1/24
Note: The first sip was bold and amazing — initially I was thinking around a 4.5 (!). But the latte deteriorated as I drank more, perhaps because it was a bit too hot. So this latte snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. A bit of a tragedy.
Masseria Caffè and Bakery (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 3/15/24
Do Not Feed Alligators (West Village)
Date visited: 8/12/23
Note: I’m not sure what beans this establishment uses, but I just didn’t like them. If the beans they use are to your taste, then this place would rate much higher.
Sip + Co (Midtown)
Date visited: 5/22/23
Sojourner Coffee (Harlem)
Date visited: 5/20/23
Black Star Bakery (Long Island City, Queens)
Date visited: 5/6/23
Zabar’s (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 4/19/23
Note: In hindsight, with a lot more latte drinking under my belt, I overrated this one. A re-rating is definitely in order. Stay tuned.
3.6
St. George Coffee (Greenwich Village)
Date visited: 3/23/24
Note: They only use oat milk! Considering oat milk is not my favorite, this ranks lower than it otherwise might. If you’re ok with oat milk, you may very well rank this shop higher.
Now or Never Coffee (Soho)
Date visited: 12/29/23
Note: Ok, but don’t bother since there is much better in this area.
Matto Espresso (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 8/27/22
Bourke Street Bakery (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 12/29/21
3.5
Daily Provisions (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 3/19/25
Note: This is a reranking, as it had been over two years since I visited. While the original visit on 9/2/22 resulted in a lofty 4.4 — it was great — the most recent visit was not as favorable. The latte was ok, with the taste deteriorating a bit over the course of the cup. The latte art attempt was not bad but the barista said they were still learning in that regard. Overall, a 3.5 is not a bad score, and it’s fine to have the latte with the food. Speaking of which, the food is good — in fact, the crispy potatoes were absolutely killer, with a huge portion size, too.
Black Press Coffee (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 3/2/25
Note: I originally visited Black Press on 10/23/21 and awarded it a 4.7/5 — I remember having had something great. But it was time for a re-ranking after a few years — I want you to know how cafes are doing right at this moment — and unfortunately, disappointingly, my latte tasted a bit stale/bitter, and it just wasn’t up to snuff. This place uses Parlor beans. If you’re on the UWS, I’d still give this place a chance; hopefully the cafe was just having an off day.
Qahwah House (West Village)
Date visited: 7/20/24
Note: Like Moka & Co (see below), this place specializes in Yemeni coffee, so I tried the classic Mufawar coffee. Very good BUT, as with Moka & Co, the coffee was just way too hot at first. I’ve discovered that I really like Yemeni coffee; the initial temperature just needs to be better!
Moka & Co (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 7/12/24
Note: This shop specializes in Yemeni coffee, so I ranked their Mufawar coffee, which is a specialty blend with cardamom and cream. It was quite good BUT way too hot to drink at first, hence only a 3.5.
Frame (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 11/5/23
St. Jardim (West Village)
Date visited: 2/12/23
Black Lab Cafe (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 11/29/22
Note 1: I originally visited this shop on 4/22/22 and gave it a 4.5. My most recent visit was not as favorable, hence this new ranking. AKA: You’re only as good as your last latte.
Note 2: Now permanently closed.
Flowers on the Park (Upper West Side; yes, they serve coffee)
Date visited: 9/5/22
Note: I originally visited this shop on 3/6/22 and gave it a 4.4. Similar to my experience with Black Lab Cafe (see above), my most recent visit was not as favorable, hence this new ranking. Once again I need to emphasize: You’re only as good as your last latte.
About Coffee (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 12/17/21
3.4
Kilogram Cafe (Chelsea)
Date visited: 3/27/25.
Note: A little too hot. Overall just meh.
Hamilton Underground (Harlem/Hamilton Heights)
Date visited: 3/6/25.
Note: This would have been a pretty decent latte, but the temperature was too high so it was hard to focus on the taste for most of the drink. If the temperature was right, this would have ranked higher.
Blue Bottle Coffee (Upper West Side)
Second visit: 2/20/25.
Note: Having visited Blue Bottle way back when on 10/26/21, it was time for a re-rate. The original visit saw this cafe get a fantastic 4.5. But this time the latte was just ok. The milk was not steamed properly — I saw large bubbles, the latte art was an unsurprising meh, and the temperature was too hot. And, the extraction was not great — the latte was a little bitter. Blue Bottle has bold coffee, which I love, and that is why it gets a 3.4 here, rather than a lower score, as the boldness of the coffee can mitigate, at least somewhat, the aforementioned flaws. This may simply be a case where the barista was having a bad day, or is not as good as other baristas they have, so I wouldn’t give up on this place at all.
Hidden Grounds (Near Astor Place)
Date visited: 10/27/24
Note: Not bad, but the coffee flavor was very subtle, so that knocks the score down. They roast their own beans. But, go to Outro instead, which is very nearby.
Patis Bakery (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 5/9/24
Split Eights (Financial District)
Date visited: 3/29/24
Note: Parlor beans.
Blue Marble (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 2/11/23
Note: This is primarily an ice cream shop but they do advertise their coffee. My latte wasn’t bad, but it was just too mild to receive a higher ranking.
Perk (Upper East Side)
Date visited: 2/3/23
East One (Chelsea)
Date visited: 10/20/22
3.2
Butler (Williamsburg)
Date visited: 5/27/24
Note: Overrated.
3.1
The Fancy Kook (Upper East Side)
Date visited: 10/26/24
Note: They give you a shot of orange juice with a latte — it goes well with it, they said — and a cookie too! Charming and I love it! The coffee was just ok, though. They couldn’t tell me what bean it was though, and whatever the bean was, it was not my favorite, though you may like it better.
Upright Coffee (Greenpoint)
Date visited: 6/1/24
Note: The latte was too hot and would have scored higher otherwise.
Züri-Coffee (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 3/9/24
Forever Coffee (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 8/27/22
2.9
Cafe Cotton Bean (Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn)
Date visited: 11/2/24
Note: This place uses Parlor beans.
White Noise Coffee Co. (Hell’s Kitchen)
Date visited: 6/8/24
Note: Not my favorite bean. You may like it better.
The Lost Draft (Soho)
Date visited: 5/11/24
Note: Ho-hum.
Sammy L Coffee (East Village)
Date visited: 3/5/24
2.8
Dear Mama (Manhatanville)
Date visited: 11/16/24
Note: I originally visited this place on 11/26/22 and gave it a 4.0/5. But this visit was not as favorable, though, admittedly, I probably overrated this shop the first time. You’ve heard me say it before: you’re only as good as your last latte — case closed.
2.7
Moncheri Coffee Shop (Lower East Side)
Date visited: 1/18/23
2.5
Artly: The Barista Bot (MUJI Hudson Yards)
Date visited: 3/12/25
Note: Where do I even begin. I guess I should get right to it: Artly is a “barista bot.” This robot made my latte — it pulled the espresso shots, it steamed the milk, and it even poured decent latte art. It also asked for a tip (for me that was a hard no; I only tip human baristas). I guess Artly is some kind of feat of technology, but the latte was truly mediocre. The temperature was a little too hot, good taste did not last through the whole cup, and overall this drink tasted stale. Is this worth waiting 10 minutes for? No. Watch the robot work on someone else’s drink ahead of you, and then go off to the nearby Blue Bottle, and then to Magnolia — their medium banana pudding was only a dollar more than the latte and you can’t go wrong with it. Bottom line: Pay for quality from human baristas, not robots.
Cafe Ambrosia New York (Chelsea)
Date visited: 1/18/25
Note: The first sip was excellent, but then I found that the latte was way too hot, which doomed it; it’s impossible to appreciate the taste when all your tongue and brain can sense and think is, “Wow, this is too hot.” I’ve come to believe that for lattes that are too hot, the first sip can still be good since you’re getting a lot of foam in that first sip, which masks the high temperature. The first sip can also be good if the espresso was extracted properly, even if the milk steaming went awry.
Caffè Lavazza (Eataly/Flatiron District)
Date visited: 4/5/24
Julien Boulangerie (Upper East Side)
Date visited: 1/13/24
Note: I think this place is better known for its pastries, which looked great. But the coffee was not up to par.
Vineapple Cafe (Brooklyn Heights)
Date visited: 3/19/23
Note: Disappointing. The latte needed to be a touch hotter too.
2.4
Bluestone Lane (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 3/5/25
Note: I originally visited this shop on 9/3/22 and awarded it a 4/5. It was time for a re-ranking, and the latte, this time, missed the mark. To be honest, I always thought I had probably over-ranked Bluestone originally. The problem on my recent visit was that the taste deteriorated after getting through the foam, and the last 1/3 of the cup was not enjoyable. The temperature was good, though. The bottom line is that there is much better in NYC.
Coffee Project New York (West 19th Street)
Date visited: 2/18/25.
Note: This is a re-ranking. Once again Coffee Project disappoints. This time I went to their West 19th street location, vs. the original visit at their East Village location. The latte art was beautiful and the milk was steamed correctly with a perfect temperature. But the drink had a bitter/stale taste. Coffee Project New York is well regarded — I even took an excellent espresso workshop with this company — but I have not had a good experience with, now, two of their locations.
Original note (visited 8/20/22; received a 2.5): Coffee Project NY usually receives good reviews. But my latte missed the mark at their East Village location. Despite good foam, the drink was not hot enough — a cardinal sin — and overall just didn’t cut it. Disappointing.
Irving Farm (Upper West Side)
Second visit: 2/19/25
Note: I originally visited this place on 10/12/21, when it earned a 4/5. Unfortunately, my latte missed the mark this time. Everything started out great, but then the taste deteriorated, likely because the milk was steamed too hot. There was no latte art either. I do think the barista may simply not have been as good as some of the other ones they have. Nonetheless, this was disappointing.
Drip Drop Cafe (Soho)
Date visited: 11/23/24
Note: I’ve come to the conclusion that places that offer more than one or two sizes for a latte are trouble. This place had 4 sizes! 8- ounce, 12-ounce, 16-ounce and 20-ounce, with 2, 2, 3, or 4 shots, respectively. Ridiculous. I got the 12-ounce. This latte was not great, though drinkable. Temperature-wise, it was not hot enough.
Copper Mug Coffee (Williamsburg)
Date visited: 5/27/24
Note: Overrated. The latte started off sour, though it then got a little better. But, overall, a disappointment.
Whistle & Fizz (Noho)
Date visited: 5/11/24
Note: This latte was a bit too hot, and by the time the temperature went down so that it was more drinkable, the taste had deteriorated.
Gotan (Tribeca)
Date visited: 2/11/24
Note: Counter Culture beans.
2.3
Café-Flor (Chelsea)
Date visited: 2/24/24
Caffe Aronne (West Village)
Date visited: 4/8/23
2.2
Amano (West Village)
Date visited: 8/18/24
Note: Started off quite decent but the taste deteriorated quickly.
Urbana Cafe and Gallery (Chelsea)
Date visited: 2/24/24
Note: My latte was just too hot to receive a better score.
2.1
Kona Coffee Roasters (Chelsea)
Date visited: 2/18/25
Note: Another disappointing re-rank. I originally visited their East Village location on 7/26/24, when the latte earned a 3.8. This time was not so good. The latte was made too quickly. The foam was not great — you could see larger bubbles — hence the latte art was not great. Further, this drink tasted stale/bitter once I got into the cup. Not good.
Rosetta (Lincoln Square)
Date visited: 5/22/24
Note: The problem was that this wasn’t really a latte. Rather, it was like drinking a cup of milk, with a tiny bit of coffee thrown in for fun. Perhaps that’s because this place is mainly a bakery and so are not coffee experts — but I’ve been to other bakeries with good coffee. So stick to the food here and get your coffee somewhere else.
Brewlita (Nolita)
Date visited: 5/18/24
Casa Salvo (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 5/14/24
Note: This newly-opened place does not serve lattes (which are perhaps more of an American thing rather than an authentic Italian offering?) so I judged a cappuccino instead (Italian roast). Unfortunately, while I liked the authenticity of the place, my drink missed the mark, including being too hot — why?!?
2.0
Orwashers (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 8/29/24
Note: I hesitated to rank Orwashers since it is mainly a bakery that does not specialize in coffee. But when I saw them advertising that they now use beans from Jack’s Stir Brew (one of my favorite spots), well, I had to try a latte. It was not good — at all. Go here for the food, not the coffee.
10000 Coffee (Midtown West)
Date visited: 12/23/23
St Kilda Coffee (Chelsea)
Date visited: 7/1/23
Note: My latte was too hot. In my experience, when the temperature of a latte misses the mark, it’s because the drink is not hot enough. So it was unusual to experience the opposite problem here.
Mille-feuille (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 4/1/23
Note: I guess it really was April Fools’ day because this latte was a joke. Not good.
Saltwater Coffee (East Village)
Date visited: 8/20/22
Note: My latte was made too quickly, with poor foam. That contributed to a drink that just didn’t taste good enough. Disappointing.
1.9
Telegraphe Cafe (Chelsea)
Date visited: 6/21/24
Note: This place seems to be more about the food than the coffee. Perhaps that’s why my latte was not very good.
The Lazy Llama Coffee Bar (Bowery-ish)
Date visited: 6/2/24
Note: Slight sour milk taste and, overall, my latte tasted mainly like milk and not enough like coffee. Will go back another time to try their Turkish coffee, which may be better than their standard latte.
Modern Bread & Bagel (Upper West Side)
Date visited: 4/29/24
Note: Go for the bagels, not the coffee.
1.7
Mast Market (Upper West Side)The Ivy
Date visited: 4/18/23
Note: Not good.
1.5
Amara (East Village)
Date visited: 3/1/25
Note: After getting through the foam, the drink deteriorated rapidly and was undrinkable at the end. Tasted stale/bitter.
Thayer (East Village/Alphabet City)
Date visited: 2/15/25
Note: My latte tasted stale, likely because the beans had been sitting around for too long. It’s disappointing because this place uses beans from Irving, which is a good roaster and coffee shop. Another issue: While I am a huge book lover, I think the split attention/divided loyalty between books and coffee at this place may be the issue — again, you want places that have a laser focus on the coffee.
The Ivy (Greenwich Village)
Date visited: 11/23/24
Note: Avoid
Parliament (Central Park West)
Date visited: 10/29/22
Note: Scalding hot, and the foam didn’t look right. Should have given it a zero. The coffee truth hurts.
1.4
Pause Cafe (Lower East Side)
Date visited: 2/15/25
Note: Really bad. The latte tasted stale, so I think the beans this place used must have been sitting around for a long time. But this cafe seemed to be more about the food than the coffee, so again it’s a question of divided loyalty/split attention/not enough attention: The best places focus squarely on the coffee.
Sip Coffee (Chelsea)
Date visited: 1/18/25
Note: I did not have high hopes for a shop that relies on Jitters, “a first-generation robotic barista” (your eyes are rolling as much as mine are, I’m sure), to make pour-over coffee. Those low expectations were warranted: While they make the lattes by hand, my latte did not taste good. I think it was more bitter than sour. Maybe there was some channeling going on (an uneven extraction where the espresso is both under- and over-extracted at the same time). Avoid this place — unless you like robots I guess?
Conwell Coffee Hall (Financial District)
Date visited: 5/25/24
Note: Apparently this place is all the rage on Instagram. But, the argument here is of an inverse correlation between popularity on Instagram and the quality of the coffee. Go for the ambience, not the coffee.
Common Address (Lincoln Square)
Date visited: 5/24/24
Note: Sour. Avoid.
1.3
Nerd be cool (Cobble Hill, Brooklyn)
Date visited: 11/2/24
Note: Alas, my 200th coffee shop was a disappointment. I did not like the taste — my latte reminded me of the one I had, on the same day, at Octavia (see below). They use Devoción beans so there is no excuse for making a poor latte.
1.2
Octavia (Cobble Hill, Brooklyn)
Date visited: 11/2/24
Note: No good. The latte had a bad taste, maybe a bit sour. Partners beans so there is no excuse for this not to be good.
Cositas Cafe (Upper East Side)
Date visited: 10/26/24
Note: My latte was not hot enough, and it was more like drinking milk rather than coffee. Avoid.
Afficionado Coffee Roasters (Hell’s Kitchen)
Date visited: 5/29/24
Note: Once again, this was a latte that tasted like sour milk. It may be that, for some reason, the beans they use cause a latte to taste like sour milk, rather than there being something wrong with the milk from the start. Avoid.
Fellini Coffee (Soho)
Date visited: 5/18/24
Note: A little too hot, and it tasted like there was something wrong with the milk, though it’s possible I just did not like the beans. This has been the theme of a couple of other places I’ve been to recently.
Sawada Coffee (Tribeca; located in Au Cheval)
Date visited: 2/18/23
Note: A sour latte means a very low ranking.
1.1
Tiny Dancer Coffee (Downtown entrance to West 50th Street Subway Station (1 line))
Date visited: 2/21/25
Note: This place, nestled in the subway station, uses its own beans, but my latte was bad. Large bubbles marred the latte art (I think that was supposed to be a rosetta) so the milk steaming went awry. Overall, the latte tasted like sour milk. No good.
Kosmic Community Anti Bar (East Village/Alphabet City)
Date visited: 2/15/25
Note: I tried to cut this place some slack considering they do not use dairy milk (only oat, almond or coconut milk) and I really don’t like those non-dairy milks. But, the latte I had was just terrible, well beyond the fact that it was made with oat milk. Not only did the latte taste atrocious, but the foam was not right — large, visible bubbles are an indicator that the milk steaming did not go well. One of the problems is that this place serves not only coffee but non-alcoholic drinks too, and this split loyalty — or is it divided attention? — can mean trouble, in my experience. Maybe you’ll like this place a bit better if you like non-dairy milk, but otherwise, I’d avoid the lattes here.
Sipsteria: Espresso & Wine Bar (Morningside Heights)
Date visited: 11/16/24
Note: Atrocious. One of the things I’ve learned on my coffee travels is that places that are coffee by day and bar by night are pretty bad. A singleminded focus on coffee is what you should be looking for, if destination coffee is what you want.
Winfield Street Coffee (Upper East Side/2nd Avenue — inside subway station at 72nd Street)
Date visited: 10/17/24
Note: Sour taste. No good.
Paper Coffee (Midtown — on first floor of MADE Hotel)
Date visited: 9/25/24
Note: Let’s give it an “AA”: Atrocious and Avoid. Bleh.
:3 Coffee (Flatiron)
Date visited: 6/21/24
Note: Terrible. Don’t go.
Panther Coffee (Soho)
Date visited: 4/11/24
Note: I don’t know if it was the beans that I didn’t like, or if the milk had a problem with it, or both. Regardless, I just couldn’t drink this thing. Avoid.
1.0
Common Good Harlem (Harlem)
Date visited: 3/6/25
Note: This started out promising when I saw that this place uses La Columbe beans. But the latte was atrocious: bitter, bad foam, way too hot. Undrinkable.
The Coffee Inn (Upper East Side)
Date visited: 10/26/24
Note: When your reaction to the first sip is BLEH! then you know you’re in trouble. The foam wasn’t right, which makes sense since the latte was too hot. I almost gave this a 0, but since my scale is 1-5, I’ll stick with a 1. A tragedy.
Cafe Aroma (Lincoln Square)
Date visited: 5/22/24
Note: Atrocious. AKA: Undrinkable. Now Coppa Nomad has company.
Coppa Nomad (Nomad)
Date visited: 4/5/24
Note: There was something wrong with the milk, or the beans, or both — undrinkable. This place has the “honor” of being my lowest ranking ever.
Special situations
Lê Phin (East Village) — Unrated
Date visited: 7/4/24
Note: This place is known for its Vietnamese coffee and is highly regarded. So, when in Rome, I mean, Vietnam, you go for that, rather than for a standard latte made with beans you could find at other places. So I drank a standard Vietnamese coffee (not a latte) instead, and it was just not to my liking; I’m more into lattes than coffee per se. But if you like coffee, you may very well like this brew (which, as is typical for Vietnamese coffee, has condensed milk in it). So I thought it was unfair to give this shop a poor rating since what I had is very different from a latte and I prefer lattes to straight coffee. Hence an “unrated” verdict from your favorite rater. But go visit this shop and see what you think…
