By Tracy Zwick
We’re deep into PSL (pumpkin spice latte) season, so it’s a perfect time to talk about coffee and where Upper West Siders get it. This cultural phenomenon was started by Starbucks over 20 years ago, and though the Upper West Side recently lost several Starbucks locations, the result of a corporate restructuring plan, plenty of coffee purveyors remain.
We’ve got chains as well as neighborhood havens where you can fuel up and hunker down with a laptop or a book, or join a friend for a quiet chat. Here’s an overview of where you can get your joe on the UWS, and maybe get a little work done, too.
We start at the southern end of the neighborhood and work our way north on this list. It’s not comprehensive (the neighborhood has an abundance of coffee spots!), and Starbucks is so well known and so ubiquitous that we haven’t included its dozen or so UWS outlets; they’re everywhere. But please add your favorite spots and feedback in the comments.
Capital One Cafe: 1843 Broadway (at West 60th Street)
If you take your coffee with banking services, Capital One Cafe’s a great option and it’s just steps from the Columbus Circle subway station. Discounts on food and beverages apply for the bank customers, and the space was designed with co-working in mind, so bring your laptop. They’ve got free WiFi and plenty of outlets for plugging in your electronics.
Cafe Aroma: 1873 Broadway (between West 61st and 62nd streets)
A family-owned business with three other locations in the city, Cafe Aroma serves hot and cold coffee and other drinks, pastries, bowls, and sandwiches. Located near the Fordham University campus in the West 60s, they offer 15% off for students with ID.
Le Pain Quotidien: Sheep’s Meadow in Central Park near West 69th Street
For coffee in a bucolic setting – or at least as countrified as you’ll find in Manhattan – there’s Le Pain Quotidien, the fast-casual cafe chain serving breakfast, sandwiches, soups, baked goods, and drinks, situated near the middle of Central Park. There are plenty of tables, many of which are outdoor, or you can place a to-go order and find a seat on a park bench, or bring a blanket.
Frame: 305 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 74th and 75th streets) and 2459 Broadway (at West 91st Street)
With a location next to Hummus Place on Amsterdam Avenue and another one steps from Symphony Space, Frame offers coffee and Thai food with a focus on specialty lattes and croffles (a waffle-croissant mashup). Also on the menu are sandwiches and savory items, including a smoked salmon avocado sandwich croffle.
Sote Coffee Roasters: 329 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 75th and 76th streets)
Opened in 2024, this cozy spot has been adopted by Upper West Side Run Club as their hub for post-run coffee, chats, and hangouts. Owned by husband-and-wife Besa Bislimi and Arber Beqiri, both natives of Albania, Sote is focused on fresh, locally-roasted coffee, and community.
Da Capo: 322 Columbus Avenue (between West 75th and 76th streets)
Da Capo fashions itself “an artisanal espresso bar by day, and cocktail bar and restaurant by night” with a “downtown vibe, uptown.” Open for coffee and pastries starting at 9 a.m., De Capo starts offering a full lunch menu around noon, and brunch on weekends.
Züri Coffee: 2218 Broadway (at West 79th Street)
Right at the West 79th Street subway entrance, Züri is an intimate spot with just a few tables but plenty of local fans, and, of course, hot and cold drinks. Yelp reviewers note the “cute, very friendly small space” and the “smooth and refreshing” cold brew.
Maman: 429 Amsterdam Avenue (at West 81st Street)
There are dozens of Mamans, from New York to DC to Florida. They’re recognizable by their signature vintage decor, floral accents, baked goods, and coffee. Salads, soups, sweets, and seasonal drinks (pumpkin pie matcha latte, vanilla honeybutter latte, and spiced caramel apple cider, to name a few) fill out the menu. There are plenty of tables if you’re bringing your laptop, but last time I checked, no WiFi.
Casasalvo: 473 Amsterdam Avenue (at West 83rd Street)
This new-ish espresso bar with two other NYC locations offers the classics – espresso and cappuccino – with optional flavors like pistachio, hazelnut, and truffle. Dokito coffee, from Rome, makes Casasalvo’s private-label blend. Italian dolci, like cornetti (Italian croissants) and cannoli, have become local favorites.
Fellini: 523 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 85th and 86th streets)
With five NYC locations, Fellini promises “la dolce vita” in an Italia-cized setting with ample cafe tables and seating. A “refined” coffee and wine bar, the menu includes coffee, tea, and juices along with sandwiches, pizzas, and dolci.
La Farine: 2394 Broadway (between West 87th and 88th streets)
Calling itself a “boutique bakery and wine bar,” La Farine offers more seating than many coffee joints, with outdoor and indoor tables along with an upstairs lounge. Its menu features breads, cakes, cookies, sandwiches, quiche, and soups, along, of course, with hot and cold coffee drinks and teas.
Green Lane Coffee: 204 West 96th Street (between Broadway and Amsterdam avenues)
Founded in 2020 in Brooklyn, Green Lane came to the UWS in 2024. Located right next to the eastbound M96 bus stop, it sells coffee classics (espresso, drip coffee, latte) as well as special drinks like Cold Brew & Yuzu, Strawberry Foam Matcha, and a drink called “Cinnamon Bun on Ice.”
Silver Moon Bakery: 2664 Broadway (between West 101st and 102nd streets)
A beloved neighborhood institution for 25 years, Silver Moon’s longtime owner and baker Judith Norell recently partnered with Buttercup Bake Shop and moved just a few blocks south of the bakery’s original location at West 105th Street and Broadway. Coffees, tea, pastries, sandwiches, soups and breads galore comprise this local jewel’s menu. Outdoor tables only.
Picky Barista: 2680 Broadway (at West 102nd Street); 667 Columbus Avenue (at West 92nd Street); and 245 West 72nd Street (between West End Avenue and Broadway )
Picky Barista, a family-owned cafe and espresso bar, has three UWS locations and one on the UES. The aesthetic is 1920’s-era, and the coffee is by Stumptown. Seating is available and the menu is Balkan-influenced, reflecting the owner, Dragan Bulic’s background. Breakfast dishes are served until 4 p.m.
City Coffee & Bar: 914 Columbus Avenue (at West 105th Street)
“We are the vibe!” is how City Coffee & Bar describes itself on Instagram. This coffee shop by day and nightlife spot after dark offers fresh coffee, a breakfast menu and cafe atmosphere with tables where you can settle in.
Typhoon Cafe: 947 Columbus Ave. (between West 106th and 107th streets)
Typhoon opened about five months ago, just two blocks from Central Park, selling prepared hot and cold Thai coffee drinks along with bags of beans to-go. They’ve also got Thai and Western sweets to pair with your Black Orange (espresso with orange juice), Okinawa (matcha with coconut water), or Typhoon Special (red lime soda with cotton candy).
Hungarian Pastry Shop: 1030 Amsterdam Avenue (at West 111th Street)
This iconic Morningside Heights cafe across the street from the Cathedral of St. John the Divine has been serving coffee and sweets since 1961. Famous for its carrot cake, strudel and Hungarian delicacies, the space has an intellectual, Viennese konditorei vibe. There’s no WiFi, but if you bring a book (or your own hotspot) you won’t be bothered for hours. Plenty of tables are available, and your cup of coffee is bottomless.
Qahwah House: 2869 Broadway (between West 111th and 112th streets)
With two large floors full of tables for quiet working, reading, or conversation, this is a relatively new UWS coffee-scene standout. The upper level features floor-to-ceiling windows making it both spacious and sunlit. Coffees, teas, and Yemeni sweets & snacks make up the menu that draws Columbia students as well as remote workers and neighbors.
Oren’s Coffee: 2882 Broadway (between West 112th and113th streets)
This longtime independent Columbia-area coffee purveyor is instantly recognizable by its red-and-white striped awning. It doesn’t have much seating, but that doesn’t seem to bother the many Oren’s regulars. A limited assortment of baked goods, including croissants, cookies and cinnamon rolls, are also available.
Blue Bottle Coffee: 2901 Broadway (at West 113th Street) and 279 Amsterdam Avenue (at West 73rd Street)
With an uptown location as a retail tenant of Columbia University, Blue Bottle prides itself on its beans and roasting. With tables for working or chatting, and WiFi, it’s suitable for a work-and-sip experience, if you can find a spot to sit. Pastries and viennoiserie from Bouchon Bakery complement the drinks menu.
Hex & Co.: 2911 Broadway (at West 114th Street)
Best known as a boardgame haven, Hex & Co. is also a coffee shop! During the day, when most if not all the tables are free from gamers, you can have an uninterrupted cuppa and conversation. Breakfast, “quick bites,” and of course, drinks are available – including La Colombe coffee, cider, hot chocolate, smoothies, and sodas.
Sipsteria: 1264 Amsterdam Avenue (between West 122nd and 123rd streets), and 774 Amsterdam Avenue (at West 98th Street)
A coffee shop by day and wine bar by night, Sipsteria is locally owned, and has engaged with the community, inviting run clubs, for example, to meet there. Jazz nights have included student musicians from Manhattan School of Music, and the menu of morning pastries has included cinnamon buns, pistachio croissants, and a gluten-free blueberry financier.
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No seating – but terrific pastries and breads at Epices Bakery on 70th Street.
Does Epices use the same coffee as Muffins? Same owner, and Muffins coffee aint good.
never knew there’s almost as many coffee shops as there are CVS’s
No Plowshares?!
one of my faves -plowshares a really nice place with books
I would add chaotic good on 84th to this list. Fantastic original drinks and a wonderful atmosphere (and it’s also a board game cafe)
Plowshares on Broadway between 104th and 105th, part of small upper Manhattan chain. They roast their own coffee! Nice vibe, great baristas.
Nice roundup. But you missed what seems to be about 20 new places that opened extremely recently along Broadway between 90th & 96th. It’s gotta be one of the most caffeinated stretches in town now. (Yes, it’s not actually 20. But it’s a crazy lot of ’em.)
Love MOKA on this stretch. No “regular” coffee, but fabulous Middle Eastern brews.
There is no outdoor seating at Farine.
Don’t like Farine as the owner decided to ghost me for my video job interview. No response afterward.
Whether the weather is nice they put out a few tables and chairs in front.
Zelma’s Caffe at 101/Broadway is also a nice coffee place.
Best Latte I’ve had in the neighborhood is at Zelmas – there is something about that place. It’s extremely cozy and the owners are super friendly.
I had been loving the pumpkin pie latte at super nice on 108th until they were shut down by the health department.
You left out Joes on Columbus. Coffee is pretty good, but the attitude of the servers not so much.
If you are talking about the Joe Coffee on Columbus and 85th, there is a group of baristas there that have to be among the friendliest, most genuine, hospitable and helpful baristas anywhere!
Joe’s is everywhere and it’s Danny Meyer, a way over-rated restaurant mogul.
Danny Meyer doesn’t own Joe, he owns Daily Provisions.
He owns part of it. He did not found it, so that’s unlike Daily Provisions.
Your comment is incorrect! Joe Coffee is not Danny Meyer. Jonathan Rubinstein is the founder and CEO of Joe Coffee, which he opened in 2003 as a single coffee shop in the West Village. Jonathan founded the company with his sister, Gabrielle Rubinstein. and he continues to lead the company. Yes, Joe Coffee has expanded over the years, but is not “everywhere.”
According to Perplexity dot AI, Danny Meyer most certainly owns an interest in Joe Coffee. Albeit he did not found it.
Joe Coffee is everywhere south of 96th street in Manhattan, and I’m sure there are more than a few in Brooklyn.
The fact that Danny Meyer’s Hospitality Group invested in Joe Coffee hasn’t changed the fundamental nature of Joe. It’s still a relatively small family-owned operation headed by the original founder. It bothers you that the investment enabled Joe Coffee to open more locations? I think there are three in Brooklyn.
Jerry,
You’re splitting hairs.
The problem remains Joe’s coffee isn’t that good. Nor are the pastries.
I’m not splitting hairs. I’ve been a regular at the Joe Coffee on Columbus & 85th since soon after it opened more than 15 years ago.
Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) invested in Joe Coffee ~eight years ago but nothing changed at the Joe on Columbus & 85th (or any of the others that I know) following that! USHG’s investment was a strategic alliance aimed at helping Joe Coffee company expand its business to more locations. I’m not sure what that has to do with anything we’ve been parrying about. The baristas at Joe Coffee are friendly, knowledgeable and efficient…and the coffee, especially the espresso–contrary to your mischaracterization–is excellent. But hey, I’m very, very happy for you not to come–that means a shorter line and a slightly easier time scoring a seat for me.
Just a few steps north of Sipsteria on Amsterdam is Max Soha. They open at 9:00 and function as a restaurant but also as just a coffee place.
I second Max Soha. Terrific espresso coffee, not just coffee-flavored hot milk like many others.
Epices had the BEST cherry danish I’ve had in my life!!!
Epices is excellent. Can’t go wrong in there.
You can thank the long time owner of Soutine for that. Muffins bought her shop, she was retiring, circa 2013, then ruined everything, then tried vegan, and finally went back to actual Soutine recipes and attention to details.
I’m curious about Blank Street. Anyone have a review?
You’re better off at Mickey D’s
Meh
Glad my favorite, for coffee not pastries, is NOT listed, it’s already crowded enough.
Sorry, not Slate. Solid State. Their names are so similar.
The best! Great staff, great food, great coffee.
My money is on Slate.
Ha, same! Strange list, but not mad certain spots weren’t listed because the lines are long enough.
Chaotic Good?
Not sure how you can leave out so many prominent coffee shops on Columbus Ave.–Joe Coffee, About Coffee and Birch Coffee!
I’m a fan of About. Great espresso, great drip coffee, and friendly people.
Maybe because Joe and Birch are chains?
Also Solid State and Black Press!!
The WSR seems to be avoiding big chains. Also the coffee at Joe isn’t especially good.
I wouldn’t call Joe Coffee a big chain. It is a NYC-based enterprise started by two locals at a single location in the West Village. Today, there are ~20 locations in NYC, but several of them are small outposts with little or no seating (such as Pulitzer Hall and Dodge Hall at Columbia, or a location just outside track 105 on the lower level of Grand Central). The Joe Coffee location on Columbus Ave. & 85th is among the most popular Joe Coffee cafes out of all of them. I’m not sure the basis for your comment that Joe Coffee isn’t especially good. Joe Coffee roasts its own beans in its roastery in Long Island City and the quality of its espresso as well as specialty blends (such as La Familia Guarnizo from Columbia) are top-notch.
Danny Meyer owns a good bit of Joe Coffee.
It’s not like the sadly shrunken Oren’s, where a guy named Oren really does own it.
The family that owns Joe Coffee still owns it and runs it! An investment by Danny Meyer’s group hasn’t changed that. Not sure why it bothers you.
This list is missing the two best spots: Plowshares (105th/Broadway) and Charlotte Cafe (95th/Broadway)
Plowshares — yes!
We LOVE Charlotte Cafe! And so does our handsome dog Boomer.
So many small businesses not listed instead of large national chains… LPQ? Maman? Blue Bottle? A large capital one bank???
Plowshares and Chaotic Good were mentioned as misses in other comments, but also missing Solid State, Artisan, Black Press, Plant Shed, Moka & Co, Sensuous Bean and even the UWS classic French Roast
Publishing selective lists that pretend to be comprehensive always seems like an advertising gimmick to me.
I miss Box Kite on West 72nd St. Their coffee was spectacular.
Box Kite was a gem, definitely ahead of the curve by UWS coffee standards. Might’ve been too cool for us — I’ll never forget the time my wife and I stopped in after the Macy’s parade on Thanksgiving and the barista was absolutely blasting heavy metal, it was like a Hallmark movie with a Deftones soundtrack.
My family loves Charlotte cafe corner of 95th & Broadway 😊
Charlotte on 95th across from the subway is a really great one. It’s always mobbed because the brewed coffee is amazing and the owners and staff are terrific. It is very mom and pop in the middle of an expansion. Despite the big crowds it draws, it is run beautifully and feels like an old school European cafe inside.
Another great somewhat new option is Slate Cafe on 74th by the Ansonia. Full menu, great coffee, tea, and non-caffeinated options, plus lots of seating. (Best chocolate chip cookie I’ve had in my life).
Maman doesn’t allow laptops. Just fyi
That is one thing on their favor.
It’s called Sheep Meadow, not Sheep’s Meadow.
Great article for the caffeine-addicted among us — especially the title.
Another entry: Tarallucci e Vino, at 82nd & Columbus, is more of a full-service restaurant, but it’s a wonderful place for a mid-morning cappuccino and excellent Italian pastry. The small tables in the window are the best for people-watching.
Agreed! (But it’s 83rd and Columbus)
Yep, you are perfectly correct. (But who’s counting?)
Zuri is one of the few places on the UWS serving Viennese coffee. That’s what make it special. Lots of great UWS cafés not mentioned here. That’s OK. IYKYK.
Picky Barista is my local. Great coffee and really nice staff. A nice mix of customers from young kids, singletons, young families, to old geezers like me!
PB has brought a truly wonderful vibe to the block; it’s even made the sidewalk prettier, with its colorful tables and chairs, plus a nicely tended tree pit featuring sculptural artwork.
Avoid Sipsteria. I once walked in there to get a coffee and noticed a bag of grocery store baguettes on the counter and they were reselling them as ‘Parisian bagettes’ after taking them out of the packaging.
Hi Tracy, thanks for the reporting. If I may suggest, please add Joe Coffee to your list since they treat their staff and customers really well.
No Edgars Cafe? They have outlived all the rest because they are the best.
Not a coffee shop but the best damn hard-to-find cafe con leche (made with that yummy condensed milk!) in the city: Malecon, Amsterdam, 97th-98th.
Mille-feuille Bakery Cafe next to the Hotel Belleclaire on 77th and Broadway. Exceptional coffee and French-style pastries. Seating inside and outside.
Plowshares! Why did you pass over them? They aren’t big or flashy –they have the original smaller shop at 2730 Broadway (104/105) and a large space at Amsterdam & 125. Anthony, the owner, roasts their own coffee and they are excellent. Great coffee and coffee beans, and fabulous pastries. They have been in the neighborhood since 2008. Please support our local and small businesses.
How you could have omitted Cafe Charlotte, longtime neighborhood gem on Bway at 95th???
omitted two faves – Zelmas bway/101
Plowshares bway 105
We all love coffee, but how about not serving everything in single use cups? This is especially annoying since folks tend to sit at these places for hours. Single use cups create a lot of trash and often times litter. For those who love take out, note it is perfectly legal to bring your own reusable coffee cup.
Love, love, love Cafesalvo on Amsterdam and 83-82. Best coffee and pastries……it’s a hole in the wall….seating outside but who cares. Very friendly staff and when they have the sandwiches….can’t be beat!
About Coffee on 81st and Columbus is great
Fillup on Broadway & 92nd & Birch on Columbus on 96th also very good!!
It’s a great list with many places that are new to me, and the additions in the comments are much appreciated!
Don’t forget the newly opened La Bomboniera, 82nd St., between Bway & Amsterdam. Laptops permitted. Cafe & Wine Bar, tasty pastries & sandwiches.
82nd and Amsterdam now has just about 3 of 4 corners covered with coffee shops. Chalait, on the NE, Variety, on the SE, and Bomboniera, which is also a wine bar, one door down the NW, from Peacefood towards Broadway.
Love this list and the reminder that there are so many sweet options on the UWS for coffee and more. Thanks for the review.
No mention of Moka &?? This is a huge oversight. Moka& offers Yemeni style coffee drinks and amazing sweets. Better than most of these other places.
How is Fillup Coffee on Bway between 92nd and 93rd not on this list!! Some of the most unique and delicious coffees out there.
Don’t forget the newly opened La Bomboniera at 203 West 82nd St. Friendly staff, delicious Italian coffee and pastries. Open early and all day.
https://www.instagram.com/labombonieranyc/?hl=en
The kudzu-like increase in “artisan” coffee shops on the UWS (and elsewhere in the City) is, in some ways, a sad testament to the “empty storefront syndrome” that has plagued the City for almost a decade now (long before the pandemic, which only made it worse).
That is, almost the only things that can fill those bricks-and-mortar storefronts are SERVICES – like coffee, nails salons, spas, etc. – since they are the only things one cannot get on the Internet (which has become the main reason for all the empty storefronts; the “rapacious landlord” aspect is now a distant second).
Still, I suppose something (even lots of one thing) is better than nothing, and it is good to see the storefronts being filled – even if that means a mail salon and artisan coffee shop on almost every block.
One does wonder, however, how ALL of these coffee shops are able to survive when there are SO many.
Two kosher choices belong on the list: Le Lis Cafe is in the lobby of the Arthouse Hotel, W. 77 street between Amsterdam and Broadway, and Patis, 676 Amsterdam at 93 St.
My fave is Black Press Coffee on Columbus between 72 and 73. And also the fairly new Variety Coffee Roasters on Amsterdam at 82. Mast Market at Columbus and 77 is excellent as well.
So many great ones to choose from.
Plowshares coffee is on Broadway between 104 and 105 streets – a lovely, small coffee venue.
Don’t leave out Delices Maccaroons.
Delicious coffee – the best variety of croissants and pastries and has now added scones