A Coffee Tour: Our Favorite Coffee Shops 

A cup of joe, java, brew, cuppa… No matter what you decide to call it, coffee has become the lifeblood of people worldwide. 

Here at Craft Coffee Spot, we can’t imagine starting our day without a caffeine kick. If you also need a dose of black gold to get you through the day, you’ve come to the right place.

We collaborated with Foods of NY Tours to explain how coffee culture in NYC changed over time, and we’ll reveal the best coffee shops in the city, so you can get high-quality caffeine every day.

Coffee in New York

Coffee is the fuel that keeps NYC running. Dependency on caffeine takes on a whole other level when you live in NYC. Just imagine commuting and moving through hordes of pedestrian traffic without a jolt of caffeine. 

Did you know that New York City is where coffee drinking in America started? Let’s go back to the mid-1600s. While all the other (English) colonies were drinking tea, New Yorkers (Dutch) were drinking coffee. 

By the time the Erie Canal opened in 1825, New York City, especially lower Manhattan, was the biggest center of coffee roasting in the US. 

Here are some facts about coffee that show how deeply rooted coffee culture is in NYC:

  • The first espresso machine imported from Italy can be found in Caffe Reggio in Greenwich Village.
  • Howard Schultz, who’s credited for turning Starbucks into a global brand, was from Brooklyn.
  • New Yorkers drink 6.7 times more coffee than any other city in the US. 
  • Over 40% of New Yorkers have at least one cup of coffee a day.
  • New York has more coffee shops than any other city in the US — 3,389 to be exact.

While New Yorkers have migrated taverns to small cafes over time, their love of coffee is constant. Other cities may steal the coffee thunder, but after a while, it’s always back to New York and its coffee culture.

Evolving Coffee Culture in New York City

We talked about how ingrained coffee culture is in New York. It goes as far back as the first New York settlers.

So, it’s no wonder that the two most famous sitcoms based in NYC — Friends and Seinfeld — were largely set in coffee shops. These shows used coffee shops as central meeting places, where the main characters drank copious amounts of caffeine.

A simple cup of coffee was a standard order for many New Yorkers, as well as these TV show characters. But would they crave the same coffee drink today? Probably not.

Coffee culture in New York is anything but static. It’s constantly evolving as coffee lovers are on the lookout for the perfect brew.

New York has seen several coffee waves so far, with the current trend being third-wave coffee. Third-wave coffee is all about high quality. This means sourcing single-origin beans that are usually lightly roasted to bring out the coffee’s distinctive flavors. Let’s discover where you can get this high-quality coffee.

Third Wave Coffee Shops in New York City

Caffe Reggio

Caffe Reggio is the grand dame of Greenwich Village coffee shops. It was first opened in 1927 by Domenico Parisi, an Italian immigrant. This was the first coffee shop in the US to serve cappuccino. 

Caffe Reggio will wow you with Italian furnishings and a 1902 chrome and bronze espresso machine. The shipping of the machine from Italy cost the owner $1,000. Nowadays, this is considered the oldest espresso machine in NYC.  

This coffee shop is located in the heart of Greenwich Village — 19 MacDougal Street, New York, NY 10012. Don’t miss it on your Heart & Soul of Greenwich Village food tour.

Meow Parlour

Meow Parlour is NYC’s first cat cafe. Here you can get your caffeine and kitty fix. The cafe was inspired by an Asian kitten and caffeine trend. This unique cafe experience is located at 46 Hester St. New York, NY 10002, and it’s the perfect stop after your Flavors of Chinatown food tour.

You can spend an afternoon getting your caffeine pick-me-up and enjoy playing with furry friends while you eat cat-shaped macaroons.

D’Amico Coffee Roasters

D’Amico Coffee Roasters will give you a glimpse into New York coffee history. This Brooklyn coffee shop was established in 1948 by Italian immigrants. It was one of the first roast-to-order places in Brooklyn. Since its opening, it’s been an obligatory coffee shop when in the neighborhood.

They have a range of coffee options — choose between classics such as an Americano, an espresso, or one of their different roasts. You can find D’Amico Coffee Roasters 56 Nelson St #2, Brooklyn, NY 11231, when you go on your The Best of Brooklyn food tour.

Intelligentsia Coffee Highline Coffeebar

Intelligentsia coffee shop stands out due to their coffee plus phenomenal views. They source and roast only specialty coffee, which means you’ll get a world-class cup of brew.

This coffee shop stands out not only because of its coffee but also because of its breathtakingly beautiful outdoor seating area. They successfully created a coffee oasis in the middle of a concrete jungle with local art, string lights, and copious greenery.

Find them at High Line Hotel 180 10th Ave at W 20th street, when you go on the Chelsea Market and the Highline tour.

Caffe Palermo

Since it opened in 1973, Caffe Palermo has been a Little Italy institution. It’s been voted the best cannoli in NYC, so you can get some mouth-watering treats with your coffee.

It has a minimalistic interior that especially wows at night, thanks to the outdoor string lights. 

There’s no better way to spend your time in Little Italy than by visiting this coffee shop. Find them at 148 Mulberry, Little Italy, New York, NY 10013 after your Nolita & Little Italy secrets tour.

Big Mouth Coffee Roasters

Big Mouth takes specialty coffee seriously. So much so that this coffee shop roasts its own coffee beans and offers a roster of top-quality third-wave coffee.  

Big Mouth sources single-origin and microlot coffees, and they highlight information on the growing regions, conditions, and processing methods behind each roast. One of their goals is to make specialty coffee more accessible while offering excellent flavors and service.

You can stop Big Mouth at 387 Main St, Beacon, NY 12508, when you are on the Hudson Valley Food & Farm Tour.