nyc coffee shops

10 Unique Coffee Shops For An Experiential Sip In NYC

Jessica FestaDiscover NYC, Explore Brooklyn, Food & Drink, Manhattan, Queens

Last Updated on December 7, 2023 by Jessica Festa

By Jessie Festa. This guide to coffee shops in NYC contains affiliate links to trusted partners!

There are plenty of NYC coffee shops serving up high-quality java; however, for those wanting a truly experiential sip you’ll need to do a bit more digging.

Luckily, we did the research for you.

Hey, we’re definitely not complaining about having to drink so much coffee.

And you’ll want to hop on the caffeine train too once you start exploring the following unique NYC coffee shops!

Need help capturing the best of NYC — with you in the photos? Book one of our Private Photo Journeys, a walking tour that includes photos of your group to keep. Or get a styled, custom shoot that tells your unique story through an NYC Influencer Shoot or Professional New York City Shoot. Email [email protected] with inquiries.

1. Upstate Stock

2 Berry St / Williamsburg, Brooklyn

One of the most unique coffee shops in NYC is Upstate Stock!

Along with selling affordable 100% American-made accessories — mainly crafted in New York — their coffee drinks are both amazing and creative.

Purchase one of their notebooks made with 100% Rainforest Alliance-certified paper and order a “Camp Fire Latte.”

The drink is laced with smoked maple syrup and pairs perfectly with a locally-made sticky bun or maple donut.

Another option: the curative Coconut Matcha Latte. Yum!

2. Mellow Yellow

1729 1st Avenue / Yorkville, Manhattan

This chill cafe serves up strong coffee and good vibes (literally; it’s a major part of their brand!). The bright yellow interior uplifts while the art-adorned walls inspire.

Their Turkish coffee pairs deliciously with Moroccan dishes like shakshuka (shown below), and pita za’atar and tabouleh.

Wi-Fi and a big front window make it the perfect place to spend an afternoon.

It’s definitely one of the coffee shops in Manhattan worth visiting!

3. The Chocolate Room

51 5th Avenue (Park Slope, Brooklyn) & 269 Court Street (Cobble Hill, Brooklyn)

Two of life’s greatest pleasures come together at this decadent cafe, where chocolate is infused in everything from the coffee to the cakes to the booze.

It’s a cozy space full of marble tables, atop which your server can bring you a Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout, chocolate fondue, chocolate port, mochaccino and more.

Our pick:

The “Cafe Torino” blending dark hot chocolate with an espresso shot and finished with a foam top.

For conscious drinkers, the Chocolate Room uses Brooklyn Roasting Company’s Fair Trade Certified, organic and locally-roasted beans.

4. Fine & Raw

70 Scott Street / Bushwick, Brooklyn

This chocolate factory crafts raw and half-raw treats made at 140-degrees or cooler, all in an open factory that makes it easy to see the process.

By doing this, the chocolate retains its terroir so you can actually taste where it comes from and the process is fascinating to watch.

We recommend pairing a lucuma-laced bar with their mocha for a fabulous afternoon treat.

Fine & Raw coffee shop in Brooklyn NYC
Sipping a mocha at Fine & Raw Chocolate. Photo via Jessie Festa.

5. Koneko Cat Café

26 Clinton Street / Lower East Side, Manhattan

The main goal of Koneko, a Japanese-inspired cat cafe, is to help at-risk cats find their forever homes.

Along with getting to play with and potentially adopt adorable cats, you can also enjoy Stumptown coffee — as well as Japanese-style pastries, beer, wine, sake, and tea.

Since opening in 2016, they’ve helped hundreds of cats get adopted, so you can feel good ordering a beverage at this wonderful establishment.

6. Slate Cafe Nomad

121 Madison Avenue / NoMad, Manhattan + 941 2nd Avenue / Midtown, Manhattan

If you’re looking for Instagrammable cafes in NYC that are also delicious, you can’t miss Slate Cafe Nomad (formerly Blank Slate), a cafe with stunning interiors and satisfying coffee and food.

For java drinks, they serve everything from cortados to Vietnamese coffee to mochas and beyond — and with every type of milk you could ask for. They also have fun sweetener flavorings like vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, and rose.

Pair your beverage with a beautifully-plated avocado toast topped with chili honey or opt for something heartier, like their Breakfast Bowl featuring warm farro, kale, wild mushrooms, squash, cheese, avocado, and sunny side up egg with pepita cilantro drizzle. Yum!

7. Pasticceria Rocco

243 Bleecker Street (West Village, Manhattan) & 9402 4th Avenue (Bay Ridge, Brooklyn)

Serving the neighborhood since 1974 — and still in the same family— Pasticceria Rocco is where you go when you’re craving traditional Italian pastries and cookies the size of your head.

We love sitting in their naturally lit atrium sipping one of their crazy flavored lattes, with options like Red Velvet, Vanilla Cupcake, and Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie.

They’re pretty darn good at their latte art too, as seen below!

Pasticceria Rocco coffee shop in NYC
Coffee and cannoli at Pasticceria Rocco. Photo via Jessie Festa.

8. Coffee Project

239 E 5th Street / East Village, Manhattan

This is where you dip into java heaven through the “Deconstructed Latte”:

A shot of espresso, milk and a latte, each in a separate glass.

By having your latte like this, you’re able to better taste the unique flavors of each ingredient. And don’t think the milk is anything to skip over; it’s from Battenkill Valley Creamery and pasteurized at a low temperature to preserve the natural flavors.

The vibe is chill with lots of wood tables and natural light, and the “Nitro Flight” is worth making another trip for.

9. Variety Coffee Roasters

Multiple locations throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan

For a classic coffee experience in a clean and welcoming atmosphere, head to Variety Coffee Roasters. It’s one of the coolest cafes in NYC!

The brand opened their doors in Williamsburg in 2008, and thanks to their dedication to quality, have expanded to have multiple locations across Brooklyn and Manhattan.

You’ll feel their passion in every sip, as you enjoy a menu reflective of the various coffee regions and their distinct seasons.

Beans are sourced from places known for producing incredible coffee — like Mexico, Guatemala, and Ethiopia — and they roast their coffee beans in-house in Brooklyn, allowing your java drink to taste extra fresh.

10. Doughnut Plant

Various locations across Manhattan, Brooklyn & Queens

Doughnut Plant is so much more than just a coffee shop.

First of all, you absolutely must get one of their square doughnuts filled with housemade jams and creams — like the Peanut Butter & Jam featuring their own homemade peanut butter and their own homemade strawberry jam.

If you’d prefer something classic, they’ve also got cake doughnuts — as well as yeast doughnuts, sourdough doughnuts, doughseeds doughnuts, vegan doughnuts, gluten-free doughnuts, and a rotating menu of special limited-edition seasonal doughnuts.

For those craving a cuppa joe, they put just as much passion into their coffee as they do their fried dough. In fact, they make their own coffee that is fresh roasted in small batches. Have a cup in shop and then buy a bag to take home!

Best Food & Coffee Tours In NYC

Looking to immerse yourself in local NYC coffee culture? The following food and drink tours can help. Each focuses on or includes visits to at least one New York coffee shop.

📸 NYC Photo Journey – which can weave in a local NYC coffee stop upon request

😍 Private NYC Photoshoot – which can include taking photos in New York coffee shops

Private Coffee Tour in New York City with Friendly Local Guide

🥘 Private New York City Food Tour of East Village & Greenwich Village

😋 Greenwich Village Private Food Walking Tour

➡️ Click here for a full list of New York City coffee and food tours.

Are there any unique NYC coffee shops we missed?

Need help capturing the best of NYC — with you in the photos? Book one of our Private Photo Journeys, a walking tour that includes photos of your group to keep. Or get a styled, custom shoot that tells your unique story through an NYC Influencer Shoot or Professional New York City Shoot. Email [email protected] with inquiries.

*Featured image via Free-Photos/Pixabay

About the Author

Jessica Festa

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Jessie Festa is a native New Yorker who enjoys sharing the best of her home city with others. This love of NYC led to her becoming a licensed tour guide and starting NYC Photo Journeys, a photo experience company. Her byline has appeared in USA Today, CNN, Thrillist, and Time Out New York, and she has been a tour guide for BBC Travel's New York episode twice. Additionally, she runs a solo female travel blog, Jessie on a Journey, as well as a sustainable tourism magazine called Epicure & Culture.