For most New Yorkers, coffee is a quintessential part of the day to provide the perfect amount of caffeine to stay on par with the constant buzz of the city. With unique blends crafted from around the world highlighting different notes and aromas, coffee is one of the best drinks that allows for endless possibilities, including flavors and sweetness levels. Whether you're looking for a local roaster or a specially curated blend, searching for espresso, lattes or even coffee cocktails, here are the best coffee shops in NYC.
See also: The 10 Best Bakeries in NYC
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Multiple locations / Website
Devoción's mission is to provide the freshest coffee imaginable by shortening the time between roast and brew, and they make that happen as quickly as ten days. Starting in more than 1,000 local farms in Colombia, the beans pass through a dry mill in Bogotá before being flown to Brooklyn and roasted and brewed right in the borough. Their locations sell wholesale coffee to partner cafes across New York City, and packs of roasted blends in various grinds are also available for purchase on their website. Be sure to try their “Toro,” which features notes of cacao, vanilla, cherry and almond.
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482 6th Ave. / 212.229.2233 / Website
This Brazilian coffee shop located in the West Village is known for its mesh of Scandinavian design and Latin warmth. Serving Brazilian staples like Pão de Quiejo and other delicacies like coconut yogurt bowls and croissants, good coffee is always accompanied by yummy snacks. From lattes to pour-overs, this shop strives for quality and consistency, working with the best ingredients and supporting local vendors and farms. Everything here is made with love and precision, making it a stand-out spot that feels like a second home.
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149 Elizabeth St. / Website
A coffee’s quality begins on a farm, and this Brooklyn facility is proud to share their exceptional coffees of a rare character. In addition to working with the coffee prior to the harvest, they source their coffee from four of Nicaragua’s finest regions known for characteristic depth and balance. Other than Nicaraguan roasts and espresso, the coffee shop also boasts coffee blends, including floral and chocolate tones. Café Integral now offers a subscription service where you can get their coffee blends mailed directly to your door on a weekly, biweekly or monthly basis.
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81 East 7th St. / Website
For 17 years, Abraço has served the East Village with South American coffee in a cozy neighborhood spot on East 7th St. Named after the Portuguese word for “hug,” owners Liz Quijada and Jamie McCormick have kept a pretty stable but superficial menu. They only serve organic whole milk, half-and-half and whipped cream, while sweetener options are limited to evaporated cane sugar. Their homemade pastries change from day to day, but their famous olive oil cake and cured olive cookies are Abraço staples.
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In a field of Starbucks and Le Pain Quotidien, Little Collins’s midtown locations offer a homey feel among the hustle and bustle of New York City. The Australian-run coffee shop utilizes beans from the lauded North Carolina roaster Counter Culture, serving coffee blends with coffee from around the world. They also offer an array of foods, including an avocado smash, a schnitzel sandwich, and their signature “Green Eggs N’ Damn!” This little spot is far from a little flavor and can guarantee a cozy and friendly atmosphere, all while creating a sense of a new home.
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Multiple locations / Website
Coffee is for the common man, but espresso is for the everyman. From traditional espresso drinks and pour-overs, all their coffee comes from Black & White Coffee, the North Carolina roaster. The laid-back cafe vibe provides all the aesthetic a coffee can crave when sipping on a selected serving of buzzy but beautifully basked beans. With a couple of tables outside the small shop, the drinks will surely keep you warm on those cooler days, embodying a true hug in a mug.
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18 Grattan St. / 347.871.1611 / Website
SEY (“yes” spelled backward) Coffee explores a beautiful spectrum of flavors and aromatics, letting the coffee truly speak for itself. With blends from Burundi, Ecuador, and Colombia, you can learn more about your coffee from harvest to brew on SEY’s website. Their subscription program brings the shop’s hallmark sustainable blends to your home. Roasting operations are held in the back of the café, an ode to founders Tobin Polk and Lance Schnorenberg’s start on the fourth floor of a Bushwick building. Yes, SEY is the place for a clean and sustainable cup of coffee.
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Multiple locations / Website
Class is back in session, and this time, we are brewing coffee at the first Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Premier Training Campus in New York. From deconstructed lattes to specialty pour-overs and more, Coffee Project specializes in the coffee experience as much as the coffee itself. With award-winning owners and baristas, get ready for extreme latte art and gluten-free baked goods. Not only is the coffee experience incredibly fun, but Coffee Project’s brews come from small cooperatives and farms that pay their employees a livable wage, and they often partner with local bakeries for their accompanying pastries and baked goods. Sign up for public, private, professional or enthusiast coffee classes for any skill level or circumstance to hone your brewing abilities.
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231 East 9th St. / 212.777.7018 / Website
Coffee shop during the day, sake bar at night. With a variety of beans and brewing methods available, Hi-Collar serves good coffee, Japanese pastries and sandwiches and overall a great experience. Specializing in siphon coffee and a Kissaten menu, Hi-Collar is exceeding all expectations when it comes to elegance, flavor and ambiance. Go for the classic Colw Brew coffee, or try something new like the unique Batsuni Hot Coffee or their Coffee Jelly served with whipped cream for a decadent dessert.
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From what has become a morning routine for many of putting on a pot of coffee, Felix Roasting Co. is elevating the normal by pulling out all the stops. This eclectic team comes together to push the boundaries through guiding pillars of design, hospitality and product harmony. With exemplary blends, like their Rwanda Women’s Cooperative Natural representing female specialty coffee producers, each blend is made with passion and a driving backstory. Head over for a shot of espresso served in a wine glass with tonic water. Open for take-out, they also boast a heater and blanket-filled outdoor seating space, and Felix is always stocked with house-made non-dairy milks and proprietary syrups.
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Have you ever heard of making your custom coffee blend? At Porto Rico Importing Co., the possibilities are endless. With three locations across Downtown Manhattan, they mainly sell coffee beans for brewing but also serve some of their own coffee. Owned and operated by the Longo family for three generations since 1907, they have been roasting coffee daily and sell exclusive rare and exotic blends, like the Colombian Black Lime Black Honey blend or the Colombian Huila Pacamara blend. Whether you grab a cup of their drip or linger with a latte, make sure to pair it with a homemade Rugelach. Don't forget to snag some bags of roasted beans and chocolate candy on your way out.
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Multiple locations / Website
For a place with Variety in their title, they do not miss the mark when it comes to options on one-of-a-kind brews and blends. This Brooklyn-based roasting company provides wholesale to a multitude of smaller NYC coffee shops in addition to its coffee shop locations in the Upper East Side, Greenpoint, Williamsburg, and its flagship Bushwick stores. In addition, Leo's baked goods are available on site and pair perfectly with Variety's coffee. Variety has joined other roasters and coffee shops to implement a subscription program with weekly or monthly purchases, meaning you can now get your favorite coffee shipped directly to your home.
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This Oregon-based chain has three locations in New York City where popular coffee and Supermoon pastries creators welcome loyal customers. By partnering with producers, celebrating our people and sustaining our planet, these roasters are bringing in the best coffee in the best ways using Direct Trade to ensure the best quality. Besides their incredible impact on national and international communities through providing meals and supporting university students studying agriculture, they offer several organic coffee choices from classics like Holler Mountain and French Roast, to unique Single Origins. If you simply cannot decide, try the Roaster’s pick to get a little sample of the savory and sweetness this shop has to offer.
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For a common Spanish phrase translating to “the goat,” this place is one of the greatest of all time when it comes to sourcing and roasting coffee. Growing out of a small town, this business uses its’ lack of external influence as a drive to forge an honest and tasty approach to crafting valued and quality items. The focus on using raw materials straight from the origin is translated into each brew or bag, such as their roast “La Familia,” which is a soft and fruit-forward washed Pacas lot in collaboration with the Sagastume family in Honduras. Whether you are looking for the perfect artisanal gift for a coffee connoisseur, or simply just want to expand your palette, this coffee company cares about its caffeine.
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From international coffee blends to unique espressos and cold brew bags, Birch Coffee has a coffee for everyone. Jeremy and Paul, what some may call the Birch Guys, started the business over ten years ago and live by the mission to “serve our customers every need, every time, knowing every moment counts.” Besides their classic Birch blend, customers love Emma’s espresso, the Black Magic blend and even the strong Bully blend. Do not forget to grab some iconic Birch merch to show off their incredible business and spread their message throughout every community.
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Multiple locations / Website
Delicious sandwiches, excellent pastries and, you guessed it; superb coffee awaits at Maman, the gorgeous cafe with locations all over NYC. Maman is known for its comforting cuisine, delicious homemade seasonal syrups and rustic decor that makes you want to slow down your busy day. We love indulging in seasonal fare, such as a pumpkin pie croissant cube, spiced apple crumb cake and the signature pumpkin pie latte or papa's pecan pie latte. Trust us, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu.
“Don’t talk to me unless I’ve had my coffee,” is what most people say in the morning, but these coffee shops and sellers are making sure every morning begins the right way. With inspirational messages and aspirations to connect with local communities throughout the world, coffee is the drink that truly blends all of us, no matter how far.
Photography by: Mint Images / Getty Images
