Best coffee shops in the East Village

Opened in 2007, Abraço is a cozy European-inspired cafe that moonlights as a cocktail bar in the evenings. Using beans roasted in-house, the espresso. Always balanced, the rich shot is the closest you’ll get to Italy without checking bags.

Considering Abraço is an espresso bar first and foremost, you can be sure that any espresso-based drinks will impress, but locals know that’s only half the story. The party doesn’t start without a gander at the pastry case, the olive oil cake is a must-order in my book and pairs perfectly with a cappuccino.

The petite outdoor patio is a hit during the summer months, so invite a friend, pick up a slice of olive oil cake and spend time catching up over proper coffee and really good treats.

Good to know Abraço is one of the few East Village cafes that doesn’t offer alternative milk options, only whole milk on offer. A bit unusual, so it’s worth calling out.

A quaint cafe with limited seating, I’d bill this as one of the more interesting coffee shops in the East Village because of one clever menu addition, the deconstructed latte. Served as a tasting flight, the deconstructed latte is presented as three drinks, espresso, milk and the final product (latte).

The latte is delicious, to be sure, but it’s the complete experience that makes this such a fun mid-day stop while exploring the neighborhood. Plus, the heavy aroma of perfectly-roasted beans is intoxicating at this charming East Village cafe, I can’t recommend it enough!

MUD is one of the best coffee shops in the East Village if you’re looking to linger for a bit. The service is casual and relaxed, so you won’t feet rushed. There’s a large outdoor garden (heated in winter) great for parking yourself for a few hours while catching up with friends or getting some work done.

As for the coffee? Satisfyingly smooth, every time. I opt for the drip coffee at this location, although the espresso drinks are excellent as well. If you’re feeling peckish, check out the all-day brunch menu for a handful of tantalizing options.

As you may have guessed, The Lazy Llama Coffee Bar is a llama-themed East Village cafe. Offering coffee, tea and pastries, the pocket-sized cafe is the perfect spot to re-fuel before getting on with your day. While there isn’t much seating available at this East Village coffee shop, you can head across the street to the small shack in the nearby park.

Bonus While you’re in the area, make sure to check out Russ & Daughters and Katz Deli a few blocks away.

Established in 2013, La Cabra offers exceptional pastries and coffee roasted in-house. Originally started in Denmark, the East Village cafe is their first US outpost, a prelude of sorts (they have since opened a location in SoHo as well). Best known for incredible cardamom buns, don’t sleep on the coffee.

La Cabra made a name for itself by specializing in the Nordic approach to coffee, think clean and bright roasts. Fitting, considering the cafe’s motto is “Brighter is Better.” Coffee aside, the Scandinavian decor couldn’t be cozier, lingering is an enjoyable affair (which it why scoring a table is no easy feat).

Charming New York since 1907, stepping into Porto Rico Importing Company is nothing short of intoxicating (the smell!). This tiny East Village coffee shop. From Indonesia to Brazil, expect to find top-notch coffee sold in bulk. Don’t need 5 pounds? That’s fine too, you can order coffee by the cup at checkout.

Extracting espresso is an art, the entire process requires great skill and takes years of practice to perfect. Ninth Street Espresso has been honing those skills for 20+ years.

Some argue this East Village coffee roaster deserves credit for introducing New Yorkers to a new wave of coffee and it’s not hard to see why. When it opened in 2001, nobody was offering manual espresso service in the city, and Ninth Street Espresso wanted to shake things up.

After investing in a traditional Italian espresso machine, they set off on a mission to perfect the art of espresso. Thankfully, they delivered. The cafe originally brewed coffee from other roasters before bringing all operations in-house to better control the end product (and we are all better for it).

Seems like locals can’t get enough, the cafe has expanded to three more outposts in the city since 2001.

I discovered Kona Coffee Roasters innocently enough. Drawn in by a sign advertising the Waikiki Matcha (pineapple puree, milk, coconut cream, matcha), I knew I had to pop in to escape the heat for a bit. Well, it turned out to be one of the most memorable matcha drinks I’ve had in NYC, I was really impressed by the balanced concoction.

So much so, I returned a few days later with my laptop in tow to get some work done. I started the morning with an. Both drinks were great which makes sense, considering the beans are sourced directly from Hawaii. No wonder Kona Coffee Roasters serves some of the best coffee in the East Village.

787 Coffee is one of my favorite coffee shops in the East Village because the coffee is consistently great and the baristas are so friendly. I especially love the cafe’s purpose-driven mission, which is to provide a farm-to-cup coffee experience while supporting the local community.

The coffee is sustainably grown and processed on a farm in Puerto Rico where locals are offered livable wages for the work they do. This the type of business you can feel good supporting, thankfully they also serve some of the best coffee in the East Village! Swing by and see why locals love this spot so much.