Astor Plate brings Mud Coffee back to Astor Place. There was always a Mud Coffee truck located next to the Astor Place subway station. They know how to make a good cup of coffee! They also sell food including avocado toast and there's outdoor seating.

Astor Plate, East 8th Street and Cooper Square.

Joe is my favorite cafe in New York City. They get top grades for quality and consistency as well as atmosphere and friendliness of the staff. I don't often go to the Chelsea location but I've been there at least a handful of times and it's always been excellent. They only have about ten seats there. I often get coffee there when I go to the High Line Park or the galleries in Chelsea. If you love coffee like I do, then Joe is the place to go!

Joe Coffee Company, 405 West 23rd Street near Ninth Avenue

Update - At the moment, the bookstore/café is closed. It seems hopeful that they will reopen when the pandemic slows down.

I regularly visit the Housing Works Bookstore Café. They sell secondhand books which are donated by people who care! "Housing Works is a healing community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Our mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain our efforts." So by shopping and donating to Housing Works you are also giving to those in need! I often find books to buy there and it certainly feels good doing so!

Housing Works Bookstore Café, 126 Crosby Street.

Rapha is a bicycle for the serious cyclist. They have very cool bikes and biking gear. It's also on the pricey side. I'm not a cyclist, but you don't need to be a cyclist to visit the Rapha store in Soho. I found it my accident.

Cyclists bring their bicycles into the shop and hang them on a rack while shopping, watching bicycle races and ordering something to drink. They have a very good café latté and they have a few seats indoors and a really nice outdoor seating area. It is often difficult to find a seat in a cafe in this city. I've always found one at Rapha. Open daily from 8am.

Rapha - 159 Prince Street near West Broadway

Good News - The Bryant Park location of Joe Coffee is open. And what a beautiful place to sit down and have a coffee as I did recently. Updated 8 February 2021

Joe is perhaps my most favorite café in New York City. They have about a dozen locations around the city. I mention this location in Bryant Park as I love this park and they have the best coffee in the area. You can sit in the park and enjoy the free wifi with a great café latte.

Joe Coffee Company, 55 West 40th Street near Sixth Avenue

Devoción is a very cool café in Williamsburg. Yes, the coffee is really good. But the thing you will notice even before you order is that the look and feel of the space is like being in a rain forest. Great coffee and great atmosphere.

You will also notice when entering that they roast their beans right there! I haven’t been to their other 3 locations in the city. Not yet. It could be a little tricky getting a seat here.

Devoción - 69 Grand Street near Wythe Street

Cafe Grumpy stands out as one of my favorite cafes in New York City. The cafe latte is fabulous and the team are always friendly. They are located in Grand Central Terminal on the east side with an entrance on Lexington as well as in Grand Central. They have a few other locations in the city which I haven’t tried yet. Being a regular at a particular cafe is great as they get to know you and they know in advance what I’ll order!

Cafe Grumpy 89 East 42nd Street

So I'm a huge fan of Joe Cafe. They have about a dozen locations around the city. It is independently owned and operated. The coffee is consistently very good and the staff are always friendly. This location in the West Village is small and it's often difficult to get a seat indoors or outdoors. But if you're in the neighborhood and want a good coffee you'll find it here.

Joe Cafe - 141 Waverly Place between Sixth Avenue and Christopher Street

Stumptown coffee is perhaps the recognized name in coffee for people who have a strong appreciation for a good cup of coffee. This location is in the very hip Ace Hotel. There are a few stools in the cafe or there is also a big open space in the hotel lobby designed for seating with laptops and you can drink your coffee there. Very cool atmosphere and oh the coffee is very good too,

Stumptown Coffee Roasters - 18 West 29th Street between Fifth Avenue and Broadway.