20 Best Coffee Shops In NYC, Ranked

New Yorkers need their coffee. After all, how do you think the city that never sleeps stays awake? The world's favorite caffeinated beverage has come a long way from its origins; in fact, coffee was historically chewed in Africa, where the bean originated, instead of drunk.

Coffee first made its way to New York in the 1600s and was typically roasted in private homes until the invention (by a New Yorker, of course) of a roaster large enough to accommodate bigger batches. A century later, there was a Coffee District in lower Manhattan where beans were imported, processed, and roasted. Although sky-high rents have pushed roasteries to the outer boroughs, the coffee obsession remains. Nowadays, New Yorkers consume more coffee than any other city in the country.

Coffee shops can now be found throughout the city, serving traditional espresso drinks alongside just about any beverage you can imagine. Here is our list of the best coffee shops in New York City.

While Yafa Café might seem far to some, Manhattanites still make the trek out to Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood to try one of the only traditional Yemeni-style cafes in the city. What makes Yemen's coffee so special is that the beans are traditionally dry-processed because of the country's arid climate, which gives a cup of Yemeni coffee a unique, complex flavor profile.

Owner Hakim Sulaimani grew up in Sunset Park, and he sources coffee from the region near his ancestral homeland of Yafa, which is the café's namesake. Although a pour-over of Yemeni coffee at Yafa will set you back $7, it helps support the coffee trade in the country, which has suffered because of the ongoing civil war there. While you're there, be sure to try a tasty Yemeni delicacy like the fried chicken sandwich seasoned with Yemeni Hawaij spice or the za'atar avocado toast.

For a unique coffee experience that looks great on Instagram, head to Hi-Collar in Manhattan's East Village. Each cup of coffee at this Japanese-style café is made individually, and it's up to you whether you want it made using the traditional pour-over method, an Aeropress, or by siphon, a unique coffee brewing method that looks more like a chemistry set than a coffee maker.

For the serious coffee snobs, you can drop $18 on a cup of Hana coffee, which is sourced on the Hawaiian island of Maui and is prized for its "approachable flavor profile," according to Hi-Collar's website. And if you end up there at night, you can order from an impressive list of Japanese sakes available when the café turns into a bar in the evening hours. Hi Collar also serves Japanese-style fare like katsu sandwiches and mentai pasta with creamy cod roe sauce.

Black Fox Coffee, which opened its first shop in Manhattan in 2016, is dedicated to providing New Yorkers with the European café experience, which is all about coffee breaks and conversation. And a coffee break is exactly what we need in New York, especially in Manhattan's Financial District and in Midtown, which is where Black Fox's three outposts are located.

Black Fox sources its beans from farms and roasteries around the world, and these cups of joy are served in stylish European-style digs with wooden espresso bars and chic light fixtures. If you like what you taste at the café, you can join the Black Fox coffee club, where you have a different bag of coffee from some of the world's top roasters sent to your home every month. Looking for a little nosh while you sip on your latte? Try the ham and cheese croissant or the yogurt parfait.

Rose Petal Milk Tea, anyone? How about a Coconut Ube Latte with Boba? These are just a couple of the creative concoctions on offer at Grace Street, a coffee shop in Manhattan's Koreatown that is locally famous for its unique, aesthetically and palate-pleasing products.

If you're dropping by Grace Street for a coffee, a matcha latte, or a boba milk tea, be sure to try the Basque Burnt Cheesecake, which is heated up until the outside layer forms a caramelized crust and leaves the interior fluffy and rich, and is available in three flavors: chocolate, matcha, and "O.G." plain. There are some other Intstagrammable must-tries like the Milk Tea Boba Toast with blueberries and ice cream or the Mochi Waffle with fruit and whipped cream. Grace Street is certainly not your average coffee shop, which is why it claimed this spot on our list.

If you haven't heard, Australia has been on its coffee game for years now. Espresso drinks are ubiquitous in the land down under, and, lucky for us, one of the finest coffee shops from  Australia has set up shop in New York City.

Originally from Sydney, Bourke Street Bakery opened its first location in NoMad in 2019 to great fanfare with a line around the block. Its stellar success prompted the opening of three more locations in Manhattan and one in Jersey City. Order a Flat White, which is like a latte but with less foam and is a common espresso drink in Australia. While you're getting your caffeine fix, be sure to order one of the sweets like the Ooey Gooey Chocolate Cake or a banana bread slice, which are made in-house and have helped catapult Bourke Street Bakery to this spot on our list.

Step into the Sweetleaf café and roastery in Brooklyn's up-and-coming Greenpoint neighborhood, and you'll be hit by the tantalizing aroma of freshly ground beans that drives coffee lovers mad. Every cup of coffee at Sweetleaf is a masterpiece, and the trained baristas are there to make your coffee dreams come true, which is why it is featured at this spot on our list.

Try one of Sweetleaf's signature drinks like the Voodoo Child, which is cold brew mixed with condensed milk and sweet cream, or the Rocket Fuel, which is made with maple syrup and chicory. What makes chicory coffee unique is that it contains no caffeine but adds a sweet flavor that perfectly complements the slight natural bitterness of coffee. Apart from the Greenpoint location, there are three cafés in Long Island City and Queens that sport rustic, comfortable interiors that will make you want to sit around and sip coffee all day long.

Variety Coffee has always been ahead of the game. The first shop opened on Graham Avenue in Williamsburg in 2008, right as the neighborhood was taking off — and Variety has taken off with it. There are now six locations in NYC and a roastery in the industrial section of East Williamsburg that is by appointment only.

Although Variety has expanded across the city, it has stayed true to its hip Williamsburg roots. The interiors of the cafés all sport old-timey signage and cozy, modern interiors where you can bring your laptop and get some work done while you sip on a latte or a freshly brewed cup of coffee. The beans at Variety are sourced seasonally, making a fresher-tasting cup of coffee, which you'll notice when you take your first sip; it's one of the many reasons why Variety Coffee made its way onto our list. 

The creator of Baked, the beloved bakery and coffee shop in Red Hook, recently opened Ciao, Gloria, a café in the Prospect Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn that serves coffee and modern fare with an Italian twist, making one of our favorite coffee shops in the borough. Owner Renato Poliafito opened Ciao, Gloria just six months before the pandemic hit, but with the support of the local community, it powered through to be one of the area's most beloved cafés.

And it's easy to see why. Sunshine flows through the massive windows at Ciao, Gloria and lights up the espresso bar, where traditional espresso drinks are served alongside hot mugs of matcha and turmeric golden milk lattes. You can also nosh on baked goods like tricolor bars and coffee cake, or if you're really hungry, try the PEC breakfast sandwich, which comes with crispy prosciutto, provolone cheese, and Calabrese aioli.

After it outgrew its original namesake location, Ninth Street grew to have locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn that deliver some of the best espresso drinks in the city, which is why it's made it to no. 3 on our list. Ninth Street changed the game when it opened in Alphabet City in 2001, when it became one of the first coffee shops in New York to offer manual espresso coffee as its primary offering.

Ninth Street is for coffee purists; it only serves a pared-down menu of drip, iced, and espresso drinks. And vegans, be warned: Ninth Street does not use milk alternatives. The original location on East 9th Street boasts a warm, airy interior that invites locals to sit around and smell the coffee. And while you're there, we recommend you try the Maple Shortbread Cookie, which is buttery, flaky, and baked in-house.

Alita Café may be a newcomer to New York's famously competitive coffee scene, but it's stood out as one of the most consistently delicious cups of coffee that the city has to offer, which is why we've ranked it No. 1 on our list. One of the café's co-founders, Paolo Maliksi, also co-owns Regalia Roasting company, which is a roasting collective that gives small coffee companies the opportunity to roast their own beans without having to deal with the cost of buying a coffee roaster.

Apart from its socially-conscious philosophy, Alita has an impeccable vibe, which reflects the owners' mission to foster community in the East Williamsburg neighborhood where Alita is located. It also serves homemade baked goods that will knock your socks off. Try the Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Muffin, the Maple Syrup Pistachio Pecan Granola, or our favorite: the Colombian Chorizo & Cheddar Biscuit. Rest assured: You can't go wrong at Alita.