New York’s Best Espresso

By Oliver Schwaner-Albright

Two recent roundups of New York coffee caught my attention, a guide to West Village cafes and a city-wide top five.

Taste is subjective, but I can’t help but wonder if the writers actually tried the coffee, especially since both pieces praise Roasting Plant’s Javabot, a small-batch roaster attached to pneumatic tubes that shoot beans across the store in a high-speed Habitrail. It’s a spectacle, but it ends with an Egro, a super-automatic machine that’s more Starbucks than Stumptown.

I’ll go ahead add my list to the fray, and submit my five favorite espressos in New York.

A few disclaimers. First, I’m listing only espresso, not press, drip or Clover coffee. Also, I’m naming the blend and roaster because so few New York cafes roast their own beans.

And I’m looking only at cafes, even though some of the city’s best espresso is now found in restaurants. In a future posting I’ll get into the Wandering Goat espresso at Five Leaves, the Blue Bottle program at Gramercy Tavern and the Stumptown at Marlow and Sons, where Duane Sorensen, Stumptown’s founder, has been known to work a shift. It’s a little like coming across a sandlot pickup game and seeing Manny Ramirez at bat.

• Abraço
Yes, it’s small and crowded, but a shot of Counter Culture’s Espresso Afficionado is worth the wait and the squeeze.
(86 East Seventh Street, New York; 212-388-9731)

• Gimme!
One of a handful of New York cafes to roast its own beans, it sneaks some robusta into its Leftist Espresso Blend.
(228 Mott Street, New York; 212-226-4011; 495 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn; 718-388-7771)

• Joe
Arguably the first New York cafe to take coffee seriously, it makes one of the city’s most underappreciated espressos with the Gold blend from Barrington Coffee.
(141 Waverly Place, New York; 212-924-6750; 9 East 13th Street, New York; 212-924-7400; Grand Central Terminal, New York; 212-661-8580)

• Kaffe 1668
The TriBeCa newcomer hit the ground running, pulling beautiful shots of Intelligentsia’s Black Cat.
(275 Greenwich Street, New York; 212-693-3750)

• Ninth Street Espresso
One of the finest espressos you’ll find anywhere, made with Stumptown’s Hair Bender blend.
(700 East Ninth Street, New York; 212-358-9225; 341 East 10th Street, New York; 212-777-3508; 75 Ninth Avenue, in the Chelsea Market; 212-228-2930)

Comments are no longer being accepted.

jean December 18, 2008 · 4:08 pm

Totally agree with the Ninth Street Espresso. Too bad there isn’t anything good on the UES. . . .

Can Misirlioglu December 18, 2008 · 4:14 pm

One cafe in Manhattan that gets overlooked every time is CASA @ Cup Cake Cafe. (9th Ave betw. 40th / 41st) I know the location isn’t necessarily ‘prime,’ but anything they make with their La Colombe Torrefaction beans rival all others in the city. And I can’t think of a location that is more down to earth and relaxing.

don December 18, 2008 · 4:53 pm

Any thoughts on Everyman since they split withNinth Street?

Kenneth Nye December 18, 2008 · 9:27 pm

For the record, Ninth Street Espresso was NYC’s first specialty espresso bar.
Est. 2001

Marcus December 19, 2008 · 2:32 am

I like Kaffe 1668 a lot but I gotta say Southside Coffee’s Black Cat shots are among the best I’ve ever had. Worth a trip!

What’s with service at Ninth Street? It so often makes me think woah grumpy that I tend to just end up at Café Grumpy instead.

For a look at Abraço, which totally captivated every ounce of my gustatory attention, check out this visual rundown of my top cafes in New York.

Janet Clarke Bell December 19, 2008 · 4:04 am

I love Gimme, but I also love Cafe Grumpy. Too bad they didn’t make your list!

Giuseppe Santarelli December 20, 2008 · 9:19 am

Glad to read your coffee blog, being from italy you know how we are obsessed with cappuccino and espresso.Whenever I misse my “real” espresso or cappuccino I ve to go at “tarallucci & Vino” on 18th st between Broadway and 5th ave.I think is the best espresso and cappuccino in NY.The two owners worked several years for an italian coffee brand and know very well how to master the coffe machine and anything related .give it a try.

Giuseppe Santarelli

Diana December 20, 2008 · 11:56 am

I agree with Can, Torrefazione is certainly worth mentioning for their great blends.

:)

Susan December 22, 2008 · 8:21 pm

Joe – absolutely agree. I haven’t had the chance to visit your other suggestions, but I’ve become a Joe addict since they opened on 23rd & 9th and GCT – two places I am almost every day.

rich December 24, 2008 · 9:49 am

If someone is compariing La Colombe espresso to the five just mentioned in this article, gotta think those people haven’t tried any of those five. It’s the old bringing a knife to a gun party analogy…

Steve January 7, 2009 · 3:05 pm

There is a little cafe in Long Island City called ‘Sweet Leaf’ that I’ve been frequenting.

They serve delicious Stumptown coffee, have some very talented baristas, and are right by the 7 train. Check ’em out if you’re over there.

Rich January 8, 2009 · 12:45 pm

If we are talking about some cafe’s outside of NYC, try Ridgewood Coffee Company, Bergen county, nj.They carry Black Cat espresso from Intelligentsia. They also do single origin coffee’s (intelligentsia, Novo and Ecco) on a Clover.

inna January 13, 2009 · 1:43 pm

Did you try coffee at 1668 Kaffe at West Broadway (Tribeca)? It’s good even though it’s too strong for my taste. The place itself is very nice also.

Rich – Sweetleaf January 27, 2009 · 9:16 pm

I’m not much of a blogger but my wife showed me this link and said “they mentioned you guys in a times blog” so curiosity got the best of me. I find Oliver’s article awesome and I’m blown away on how you guys keep each other informed on what’s happening with the coffee scene around nyc. It’s really starting to hit it’s stride, where we can now find a great shot in a lot places (even Queens!).
At sweetleaf we started with the leftist and changed a couple of months ago to Hairbender after I got to visit Stumptown’s coffee house in Seattle. I came back called and them and the got the great news that Duane had just moved to brooklyn and was opening a roastery in Red Hook. He came by with some samples and I was hooked.
Thanks Steve for the mention! Appreciate it!
I think I may have to give this blogging thing a look.

Steve February 18, 2009 · 4:12 pm

Try Zibetto on Sixth Ave betwen 56th and 57th for GREAT espresso and a very Italian experience.

Peter October 27, 2009 · 2:54 pm

Thank you for the post.
I have not tried espresso at any of the places mentioned, but I noticed that in looking for new suggestions regarding good espresso in New York, I don’t often see listed the cafes that I know to offer the Europe-style (so I think at least) non-bitter, sometimes flavorful espresso, which is the kind that I have liked most. One of the articles that you are responding to mentions Saint Ambroes (there are two). I do like that cafe. An Italian friend told me about La Buon Italia, in Chelsea Market, whose coffee when I went to try it I liked as well. From what I remember Via Quaddronno had at least pretty good espresso too, according to my taste. I should also mention that Brooklyn has at least a few cafes located in and seemingly largely catering to traditional Italian neighborhoods, which offer good coffee. I am familiar with Sorrento on 18th Ave. and 78th Street, Il Colloseo a half block North, and Bella Lounge near 71st (it seems to have been closed recently, though I am not certain of this). There may be many others that I have not gone to that I may like, and of course, the five listed here may be very good by my estimation as well.

Perkins January 5, 2010 · 5:16 pm

Joe, with Barrington Coffee was the best! Guess what?! Not any more. For some reason they decided to change the coffee. Whatever they are using now, it is horrible. Why would somebody change something they became famous for? It is a puzzle to me. Anyway, now I have to look for some other place, or just make it at home.