19 Best Coffee Shops in NYC the Locals Love

To be honest, I fell in love with café culture in Australia: living in Melbourne showed me just how good coffee can be, and how seriously excellent baristas take their craft.

To my extreme pleasure, there’s been an influx of Australian-run coffee shops in NYC in the last few years.

And nationalities aside, it’s encouraged all cafes to up their game in coffee, food, and ambiance.

Although you can find a Starbucks on almost any corner in Manhattan—luckily, still less frequent in most of Brooklyn—skip the chains and tuck into one of the NYC coffee shops that the locals love to frequent!

Below are my 16 best coffee shops in NYC for when I need an early-morning caffeine jolt, a sunny window seat to read a book, a spot to catch up with a friend, or simply a place with a killer playlist and decent wifi.

Although the vibe and offerings differ at each, one thing is guaranteed: excellent coffee, made by baristas who know what they’re doing.

1. Two Hands – Little Italy

Named after Heath Ledger’s break-out film, this NoLita café is owned by a couple of Sydneysiders.

I think they do the best avocado toast in the city, and you can indulge Aussie peculiarities like a Tim-Tam Slam or a perfectly spread layer of Vegemite on your toast here.

Two Hands also functions as an art gallery, with rotating prints on the walls and regular private opening parties. It’s one of the coolest and best cafes in NYC.

2. La Colombe – Tribeca, SoH0, Wall Street, N0H0

There are two things that I love most about La Colombe.

In the summer, they have lattes and iced coffee on draft—they’ll combine both to do a coffee version of a Black and Tan, which is to die for.

And in the winter—aka cappuccino season!—the selection of colorfully designed porcelain mugs and plates always brightens my morning coffee and croissant.

3. In Common NYC Cafe

EDITOR CAROLINE’S ADDITION

This Coffee shop near the Javitz Center and new Hudson Yards area is my favorite cafe in New York.

In Common NYC Cafe was my morning coffee stop on my way to the IMM conference in NYC and it was the first place I took Craig and the girls when they joined me a few days’ later.

They balance out proper Aussie coffee with soul food you’ll find on most menus on the beach cafes in Australia. Their breakfast and lunch menu takes the simple, yet delicious, approach with locally sourced and seasonal produce. I can…