New York runs on coffee — barely drinkable office swill, fast coffee from carts and bodegas, utility lattes from mega-chains like Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts, and the actual good stuff from local roasters and beloved cafés.
The latter is what really feeds our addiction, and at $5 a cup, drains our bank accounts.
Keep scrolling to check out some of Manhattan's most beloved coffee institutions, the places New Yorkers go to get their fix and even spend an entire Sunday afternoon.
Stumptown
From Portland, Oregon, Stumptown is the OG craft coffee shop. It sources the best beans in the world straight from farmers and roasts them with the utmost care and precision. All of its baristas must graduate from a 12-week intensive training program.
There are two locations in New York, one in Greenwich Village and one in The Ace Hotel. The former was once the home of the Eighth Street Bookshop, a haunt of Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. At the brew bar you can have your coffee made with a Chemex, AeroPress, and other gadgets.
Abraço
This tiny coffee bar is inspired by similar stalls in Spain and Italy. There's a windowsill bar and a slim table and bench out front where you can quickly down your espresso and polish off a slice of proprietress Elizabeth Quijada's famous olive oil cake.
Quijada opened Abraço with her husband, Jamie, in 2007. With tight quarters and a loyal East Village clientele, it's a convivial little shoebox with music thumping at all hours. The couple roasts their own beans and are known for interesting blends such as Lil' Jeffy, which has notes of chocolate, strawberry, and "cigar box wood and papa's pipe tobacco."
Blue Bottle Coffee
With seven locations in New York, California's Blue Bottle coffee shop has this writer's favorite iced coffee. Its New Orlean's style cold brew is made with chicory and a touch of cane sugar for a supremely decadent yet mellow flavor.
They're also known for their pour-over coffee and a commitment to only using beans less than 48 hours out of the roaster. At the flagship NYC shop in Chelsea, single origin coffee selections change seasonally and public cuppings held every Saturday are open to the public.
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