It's on 1 of my list. Each entry below is what I wrote about it there, with my verdict on that list, the fullest first.
- SubwayL to 1 Av, 9 min
- Address700 E 9th St, New York & 341 E 10th St, New York
- From my guide, updated September 2026.
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.