The NYC Café People Visit Just For The Cookies, And We See Why

When Sharon Kazes, coffee industry veteran, first arrived in the United States from Europe, it was difficult to find a coffee shop that also served up delicious baked treats. High-quality coffee places offered lackluster pastries, and high-end bakeries had burnt, subpar coffee. To address the issue, Kazes opened the first Seven Grams Caffé in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. The shop set out to deliver carefully made treats alongside meticulously brewed cups of coffee. The brand's popularity helped the business expand, and Seven Grams now boasts two more stores.

Coffee beans are carefully selected and roasted, and cookies are made by hand. While other baked items are sold — like banana bread and scones — the cookies have found a committed fan base. "The best cookies in the world," commented a fan on Instagram. The different types of cookies at Seven Grams have garnered a devout following, and flavors can sell out fast. Chocolate chip, peanut butter chocolate chip, and matcha white chocolate cookies are fan favorites, and the vegan and gluten-free cookies are tempting customers of all dietary preferences. In an unmarked taste test, samplers have difficulty pinpointing which cookie is vegan and which one is not.

Seven Gram's hand-crafted, baked fresh-to-order cookies strike the perfect balance of texture and flavor, offering gooey middles and a crunchy, toothy exterior that can satiate even the most stubborn sweet tooth. "These are the best cookies in NYC," declared a fan on Instagram. The vegan tahini and olive oil dark chocolate chip cookie has become something of a cult favorite, and the recipe was released after a year of trial and error. Instead of using eggs and butter to make the cookie, oil and tahini create a chewy, tasty texture that is sweetened by vegan chocolate sent from California. Seasonal flavors and special releases like an umami-packed cookie made with white miso, white chocolate, and walnuts, and treats like salted caramel and London Fog cookies keep customers intrigued and coming back for more.

For those who don't live in the NYC area, Seven Grams ships nationwide, so you can try a chocolate chip protein cookie or gluten-free option to make your own sampling decisions. If you can't decide which flavor to try, a $119 gift box offers 18 of the shop's classic, peanut butter, and matcha chocolate chip cookies. The cookies can be kept airtight for up to one week (if you can manage to stop yourself from eating them) and can be warmed in a few minutes for that just-out-of-the-oven gooeyness.