USA
New York
New York has more cafés than any guide can cover. This one focuses on rooms that are quiet enough to think in, with outlets, with seats that fit a long session. Brooklyn shows up more than Manhattan — Manhattan cafés tend to be smaller and busier.
Bushwick
Sey Coffee
Filter-focused, quiet, art-gallery clean. They steam milk reluctantly.
outlets
3
seats
14
noise
2/5
price
$$$
East Village
Three Jewels
Buddhist-inspired café in the East Village. Vegetarian menu.
East Village
Book Club Bar
Coffee and a bookshop by day, wine bar at night. East Village.
outlets
0
seats
20
noise
3/5
price
$$
SoHo
Blue Dove Coffee
Coffee with a plant shop attached. SoHo.
outlets
6
seats
12
noise
2/5
price
$$
NoLita
La Phin
Vietnamese phin coffee in NoLita.
noise
2/5
price
$
East Village
Thayer
Specialty café in the East Village.
Nolita
Happy Bones
A coffee bar, not a coffee shop. Order, drink, leave.
outlets
1
seats
6
noise
3/5
price
$$$
Park Slope
Konditori
A Swedish neighborhood spot with cardamom buns and reliable wifi.
outlets
4
seats
16
noise
3/5
price
$$
Flatiron
Tobys Estate Coffee
An Aussie-rooted shop tucked into a flatiron storefront. Easy to find a table after 11.
outlets
5
seats
22
noise
3/5
price
$$$
Bushwick
Variety Coffee Roasters
A Brooklyn fixture for laptop afternoons. Better at the back tables.
outlets
4
seats
16
noise
3/5
price
$$
Gramercy
Birch Coffee
One of the more lounge-shaped coffee shops in Manhattan. Quiet enough to keep a thought.
outlets
4
seats
20
noise
2/5
price
$$$
West Village
Joe Coffee
A neighborhood institution. Small seating, fast queue, good for one task and out.
outlets
3
seats
12
noise
3/5
price
$$
DUMBO
Brooklyn Roasting Company
The DUMBO flagship is cavernous and reliable. Bring a sweater in summer; the AC is real.
outlets
6
seats
28
noise
3/5
price
$$$
Chelsea
Cafe Grumpy
A working-friendly Chelsea regular. The back room is the one to aim for.
outlets
4
seats
18
noise
2/5
price
$$$
West Village
Bluestone Lane
Loud at brunch. Off-peak it becomes a real spot to write.
outlets
3
seats
14
noise
4/5
price
$$$
Financial District
Black Fox Coffee
A polished FiDi spot with surprisingly good drip. Best mid-morning before the lunch flood.
outlets
5
seats
20
noise
3/5
price
$$$
Upper East Side
Box Kite Coffee
You will not find a quieter coffee in Manhattan. You will also not find a seat at 9am.
outlets
2
seats
8
noise
2/5
price
$$$
Tribeca
La Colombe
The Tribeca flagship is built for laptops. Afternoons get loud; mornings stay slow.
outlets
5
seats
22
noise
3/5
price
$$$
NoMad
Felix Roasting Co.
Beautiful, slow, and expensive. Reasonably suited to one focused session; not for spreading out.
outlets
2
seats
10
noise
2/5
price
$$$$
Gramercy
Cafe Integral
Inside the Freehand Hotel. Quiet weekday mornings; livelier on weekends.
outlets
3
seats
14
noise
3/5
price
$$$
Lower East Side
Round K Coffee
Korean-rooted, intimate, weirder than it looks. Solo work only; not great for a meeting.
outlets
3
seats
12
noise
2/5
price
$$
Park Slope
Hungry Ghost
A Park Slope regular spot with slow Sunday mornings. Power outlets are limited; bring a charged laptop.
outlets
2
seats
10
noise
3/5
price
$$
NoMad
Stumptown at Ace Hotel
Loud at peak hours, perfect off-peak. Plenty of seating if you arrive early.
outlets
6
seats
30
noise
4/5
price
$$$
Williamsburg
Devocion
A converted warehouse in Williamsburg with light from every direction. Tables turn quickly in the morning; afternoons are slow.
outlets
4
seats
18
noise
3/5
price
$$$
Williamsburg
Partners Coffee
Better for working than chatting. The cold brew is on tap and the wifi holds at peak.
outlets
5
seats
16
noise
3/5
price
$$$