Where To Grab A Cup For International Coffee Day

Summary

Podcast Summary: Where To Grab A Cup For International Coffee Day

Podcast: All Of It (WNYC)
Host: Alison Stewart
Guest: Melissa McCart (Eater Editor)
Air Date: October 1, 2025

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Overview

In celebration of International Coffee Day, host Alison Stewart and guest Melissa McCart (Eater editor) explore the rich and varied coffee culture of New York City. They discuss what makes a coffee shop stand out, highlight top picks for unique local cafés, and take calls and texts from passionate listeners sharing their favorite spots. The episode becomes a vibrant map of NYC’s best and most interesting java joints, emphasizing community, atmosphere, and innovation.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Makes a Great Coffee Shop?

[01:16] Melissa McCart:

• Quality of beans and roasting style is key (light, Italian, etc.).
• The sense of community a shop creates is equally important:
  “Is there a sense of community in the coffee shop?... Are there a lot of events at the coffee shop? And I think that’s becoming a bigger and bigger thing at all different coffee shops across the city.” – Melissa McCart [01:16]
• Social media presence, events, and atmosphere are significant considerations.

2. The Importance of Vibe and Atmosphere

[02:17] Alison Stewart & Melissa McCart:

• Atmosphere often carries nostalgia or provides a “third place” away from home and work.
  “Coffee is something that has a nostalgia element to it, even though it’s so modern now... we want some kind of atmosphere that accomplishes companies that rather than just a grab and go.” – Melissa McCart [02:17]
• For New Yorkers with small apartments, cafes provide essential public spaces.

3. Unique Coffee Shop Recommendations from Listeners

• Dayglo Night Glo (Brooklyn):
  • Brews and roasts coffee in-house, fosters community, and even has a “brewery cat.”
    “They also have a great brewery cat box that was rescued by my friend Emma.” – Luca (caller) [03:51]
  • Specialty drinks like “codoro” (black sesame cold drink) and playful approaches to beer.
• Yemeni Coffee Shops (e.g., Haraz Coffee House):
  • Spiced coffee rituals (jibani) draw parallels to chai and are gaining popularity.
    “They’re coffee, but they’re made with spices so they taste like chai. And they pack a punch, let me tell you. And it’s really a nice ritual to watch them make it even.” – Gio (caller) [04:35–05:03]

4. Melissa’s Top NYC Coffee Picks

• Best Overall:
  • Say (Brooklyn): Impeccable, balanced coffee and careful roasting in-house.
    “It feels balanced...an absolute crowd pleaser and very consistent.” – Melissa McCart [06:01]
• Kawa House (multiple locations):
  • Popular late-night hangout, offers desserts like pistachio milk cake, caters to a young crowd looking for non-alcoholic social options.
• The Clubhouse (near Yankee Stadium):
  • Focuses on youth job training, uses Devoción coffee, positive baristas.
    “It’s a job training way of helping young people build skills ...excited about coffee and want to talk about it.” – Melissa McCart [07:29–08:00]
• Abraco (East Village):
  • Small, intimate vibe, known for olive oil cake, vinyl music, and a no-laptop policy that encourages conversation.
    “Abrazzo’s, it’s like magic...But it might have something also to do with the backdrop, which is he often plays vinyl from start to finish.” – Melissa McCart [15:25]
• La Cabra:
  • Renowned for cardamom buns and pastries as much as for coffee.
    “I like to go there to say I’m getting a coffee, but I actually am going there to get a pastry.” – Melissa McCart [18:31]
• Maru Coffee (Williamsburg):
  • LA import with a minimalist aesthetic, reflecting trend of west coast brands testing the NYC market.

5. Listener Call-Ins & Community Picks (Selected Highlights)

• Meow Parlor (Lower East Side): Coffee + cats, a unique draw for animal lovers.
• La Lanterna de Vittorio (East Village):
  • Traditional Italian vibes, jazz bar in the basement, customizable drinks.
• Think Coffee:
  • Focuses on ethical sourcing and community activism.
    “They go the extra mile to actually care for their workers and build, you know, broken buildings up again.” – Ingville (caller) [09:45]
• Variety Coffee:
  • Local chain with support for small businesses.
• TM Ward Coffee and Nut Roasters (Newark):
  • 150-year-old NJ spot offering specialty roasts.
• Ninth Street Espresso:
  • Fair trade sourcing, arts support, rotating gallery shows.
• Welcome Home (Bed-Stuy):
  • Known for hospitality, pastries, and minimal laptops.
    “Their Cinnabons...one of the best...just fantastic. I love it.” – Christina (caller) [21:03]

6. Changing Tastes and Expanding Offerings

[13:13] Melissa McCart:

• Shops are increasingly experimenting with drink flavors, inspired by trends in bubble tea and non-alcoholic beverages.
• There’s room for unique and authentic blends (mango, elderflower, etc.)—not just novelty.
• The laptop-free vs. work-friendly divide is real; some shops cultivate conversation, others embrace studying and work.

7. Coffee Is More Than the Beverage

• For many, it’s about ritual, community, and place. Some visit for coffee-quality, others for atmosphere, people, or even just the company of their pets.
• Pastries and food menus are increasingly influential in drawing crowds.
• “Lines are worth it if they’re fast, and waiting can have a sense of possibility.” – Melissa McCart on big lines at cafes [19:01]

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Notable Quotes

• “Coffee is something that has a nostalgia element to it, even though it’s so modern now.” – Melissa McCart [02:17]
• “For students, coffee shops are a place to study out of home. Some distractions to interrupt monotony, unlike libraries and obviously caffeine. Good seating is essential.” – Listener text [08:14]
• “I think recommending coffee shops is like recommending books. There’s so many different types of experiences that people want and so many different types of flavors.” – Melissa McCart [10:42]
• “I don’t particularly like their coffee, but I walk there with my dog several times a week just for the atmosphere. Sometimes it’s about the atmosphere.” – Listener text [19:32]

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Key Timestamps

• [00:09] – Show intro and the context of International Coffee Day
• [01:16] – Melissa McCart on what makes a shop stand out
• [03:25, 04:35, 08:49, 09:45, 10:12, 15:25, 21:02] – Selected listener call-ins and texts recommending favorite shops
• [06:01, 07:29, 08:00, 12:16, 15:25, 18:31] – Melissa McCart’s top recommendations and insights
• [13:13] – On creative drink flavors and trends
• [19:01] – The value (and agony) of waiting in line at popular coffee shops

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Tone & Style

The conversation is inviting, curious, and deeply appreciative of NYC’s diversity of taste and experience. Humor, nostalgia, and a pinch of caffeine-fueled excitement drive the hour, as listeners and guests make clear: coffee in New York is never just a drink—it’s a culture, a connection, a comfort, and an adventure.

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Summary prepared for those seeking a flavorful tour of New York’s distinctive coffee scene—no cup required.

Transcript

[A]

You are listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Today is International Coffee Day, a day to celebrate the caffeinated engine that keeps this city running. It's fitting that in a city like New York, coffee shops reflect global influences. There are Japanese coffee shops, Danish coffee shops, Yemeni, Italian. Whatever kind of coffee experience you're looking for, you can find it. Joining me now to discuss some of the best and unique coffee shops in New York is eater editor Melissa McCart. She recently assembled a list called the Best Coffee shops in New York City, according to Eater editors. Hey, Melissa, welcome back.

[B]

Thanks so much for having me, Alison.

[A]

Listeners, we want to hear from you. Do you have a favorite spot to get coffee in the city? We are particularly looking for places that have something unique or interesting about them. What is your favorite unique New York City coffee shop? Our Phone number is 2124-3396-9221-2433. W, N Y C With so many coffee shops across the city, what makes a coffee shop stand out to you? Melissa?

[B]

I think it has to do with two things. One is where they're getting their beans and how they're roasting them. So that's just sort of like what is the quality of the coffee and what style are they roasting it in? Is it light, is it like, or Italian, etc. And then, and I think this is a big one, is there a sense of community in the coffee shop? And if that's something that I want, I'm going to be focused on what's their social media like? What is it like in the shop? Are there a lot of events at the coffee shop? And I think that's becoming a bigger and bigger thing at all different coffee shops across the city.

[A]

You know, one of my personal favorites to go down to is Cornwall Coffee House in Sinfai. And it's in this old bank. And they kept all the architecture. It's part of the charm. Like you have to go up like to the desk where the teller would be when you order your coffee there. Why is this sounds crazy, but why is the vibe important in a coffee shop?

[B]

I feel like coffee is something that has a nostalgia element to it, even though it's so modern now. And it's something that we think of as like a moment of downtime or private time or time to recharge. And so I think we want some kind of atmosphere that accomplishes companies that rather than just a grab and go.

[A]

Scenario, it's also, I think it's sort of A third place for a lot of people, especially in New York, where apartments are small. You need to go somewhere else.

[B]

Absolutely. Okay. So my offices are also in Fidi, and I haven't been to your coffee shop. And now I can't wait to go there because I've been going to Black Fox or Suited, but now I'm, I'm going to follow your lead.

[A]

I'm talking to eater editor Melissa McCart. We're talking about the best coffee shops in New York City. We are taking your suggestions for unique coffee shops. 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. You can call in and join us on air or you can text to us at that number as well. 212-433-9692. Let's talk to Luca, who's calling in from Brooklyn. Hey, Luca, thanks for calling in. You're on the air.

[C]

Hey, thanks for taking the call. The spot I wanted to talk about is a spot in my neighborhood called Dayglo Night Glo. And I just thought it. Yeah, I love that spot. I think it's super cool. Like, you get a lot of, you know, bar coffee shops, but it's cool that they brew coffee in house and roast coffee in house and. Yeah. And they also have a great brewery cat box that was rescued by my friend Emma.

[A]

Shouts out, oh, what do you get when you go?

[C]

They have. Well, usually I'll just like, I'm a drip coffee kid, so maybe a pour over if I feel like it. But I also, they have like a cool. On the coffee side, they have like a cool pre batch, like cold drink. They call it codoro. It's like black sesame. And then on the beer side they have, they do checks out on like milk pours, which is like a glass of like just like really fine beer foam that you can like drink in like one shot, like for fun. It's really cool.

[A]

That sounds great. Thanks. You're calling in. Let's go to Gio in Brooklyn. Hey, Gio, thanks for calling, all of it. What do you want to recommend?

[D]

Hello.

[E]

Nice to talk to all of you. I've been going to the Yemeni coffee shops that are around town. There's one on spring street and 6th Avenue. They're coffee, but they're made with spices so they taste like chai. And they pack a punch, let me tell you. And it's really a nice ritual to watch them make it even.

[A]

Oh, tell me about the making of it. What does that look like?

[E]

Well, first of all, it's unless you get like an ice one. It's piping hot and I love hot coffee, but you really have to wait a while to drink it. And they put all their little spices in it. The one I love is called a jubani, and they're really, really great. I think it's called Oahu roots or something like that. I could look it up. And they're becoming very popular. They're popular in Bay Ridge and now I see some in Brooklyn Heights. They're really great coffee shops. I wish I had the name offhand.

[A]

Well, you know what?

[E]

They're Yemeni cafes.

[A]

Someone on our team will find out the name and we'll shout it out. We appreciate your call, Melissa. Let's get to your list. Your vote for best coffee shop overall in the city is say, in Brooklyn.

[B]

Absolutely. I think they make a beautiful cup of coffee. It feels balanced. They're doing their own roasting. It's just one of those places that is an absolute crowd pleaser and very consistent. But I do agree that there is this rise of Yemeni coffee shops.

[D]

And.

[B]

Part of the reason that they're becoming so popular too is with young people. Like we have Kawa House, which is all over the city. They're open late. It's a decentering of. Of alcohol where, you know, maybe in the early 2000s, young people would be going out for a drink like this. Basically appeals to a wide audience that might want to go for coffee at 10 o' clock at night and have a, you know, a pistachio milk cake or some Dubai chocolate or something like that.

[A]

Okay. Kawa is the name of the coffee, and there's one on Spring street called Haraz Coffee House. So I hope that answers the question from anybody. If you'd like to tell us about your favorite or the most you. The most. The most unique coffee shop you'll find. Our numbers 212-433-969-2212 433W. My guest is Eater Editor Melissa McCart. You named on this the Clubhouse. It's right around the corner from Yankee Stadium.

[B]

So exciting. Yes. And it's. It's a job training way of helping young people build skills. They're using Devocian Coffee, which is a terrific coffee brand with multiple locations around the city. But just pairing it up with sort of advocating for youth and giving people skills in the Bronx close to Yankee Stadium, it's a real crowd pleaser.

[A]

All right, that's. It sounds so great, but how's the coffee?

[B]

The coffee's excellent and you know, it's. You can have a conversation with the person making it because they're so excited. They're just like a very positive attitude and they're excited about coffee and want to talk about it.

[A]

This text says I love Meow Parlor at 43 Essex street on the Lower east side. Kiddies and coffee, two of my obsessions. We also got a text that said, for students, coffee shops are a place to study out of home. Some distractions to interrupt monotony, unlike libraries and obviously caffeine, Good seating is essential. And coffee shops got me through grad school. St. George only uses oat milk. Good for us and for the environment, and it has a great vibe. Let's talk to Francie, who's calling from Nassau. Hi, Francie, thanks for calling, all of it.

[F]

Thank you for getting my call. Yeah, I want to give a shout out to La Lanterna de Vittorio. It's a little lovely coffee shop in the east village on MacDougall. They have amazing coffee, amazing cappuccinos, and you could tell them they could make it however you like. They also have food, you know, nice pizza from the, you know, the oven.

[D]

The.

[G]

I forgot.

[D]

I'm sorry.

[F]

I'm a little excited. They have a nice jazz bar which has a little fireplace in the basement so you can have your nice wine, coffee, espresso, whatever you like. Listen to jazz. It's a really nice place.

[A]

Thanks so much for calling in. I believe this is Ingville, who's calling from the East Village. Hi, how are you?

[D]

Hello. Good. Happy to be on the air. And my shout out goes to Think Coffee. The whole company that simply says on their Instagram page that coffee, good coffee, that does good. So they go the extra mile to actually care for their workers and build, you know, broken buildings up again.

[G]

And.

[D]

And of course, the coffee is good organic, but. But the whole place, the whole coffee company has that extra caring vibe. So I give them my business and my time.

[A]

Thanks.

[B]

I love that.

[A]

Yeah, it's interesting. You know, there are some local chains that are in the area. Variety Coffee, I think, things like that. How did you think about local chains when you were putting together this list?

[B]

We looked at. We looked at how they were interacting with the community. So Variety Coffee, for example, also helps small businesses grow. And that was something that was really important to us. And we like Triple decker diner. So, you know, I feel like it's a very egalitarian cup of coffee if you're. Especially if you're a drip kind of person. So that's one geographic diversity you know, a coffee. This. This is. May sound a little ridiculous, but I do feel like recommending coffee shops is like recommending books. There's so many different types of experiences that people want and so many different types of flavors. Where I feel like maybe five or six years ago, people were very into this light rose, like a Danish style, where now I think that people's tastes are diversifying and there are so many different options that people want. In addition to that, people want to try a lot of the pastries like. So, for example, I might want to go to LA Cabra and have a cardamom bun.

[A]

This text says TM Ward Coffee and Nut Roasters in Newark. I know it's New Jersey, but they're over 150 years old and a treasure. I make a pilgrimage once a month from my home. Beans and a fresh cup of their wow blend. All right, next on your list is Maru, which is in Williamsburg but is originally from la. Does it feel like an LA coffee shop?

[B]

It's brand new. It feels like there are a bunch of places from LA that are trying out the New York market. So DayGlo is another place from LA that is an. Was an import to Brooklyn. And then on Broome street, we have Sasquatch Coffee, which has a huge line in la, and it was totally under the radar in New York. So I'm. I'm curious as to why that's happening. And it's a story in the works why LA coffee shops are trying the New York market.

[A]

Day Club Coffee is interesting because they offer like sort of combinations like mango, dark chocolate, passion fruit or forest berries, elderflower, vanilla. Is this unique for the sake of being unique, or is it unique as a way to get you in the door?

[B]

I think that this is something that we're seeing with bubble tea and cheese tea with the hay tea parlors. I think it's something that people want to try, and it's not necessarily a novelty or a trend or something like rainbow bagels. I think it's here to stay. And in addition, we know that people's drinking alcohol is going down.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

And I think that this gives people an opportunity to try different flavors that aren't necessarily synthetic flavors, but blends, for example. And, you know, if you go to a coffee cupping or something like that, it's. It's almost like a. Like a Spinal Tap or Best in show parody, where you get, you know, flavors of blueberry and chocolate and baseball mitt. But, you know, you really do taste different flavors in different kinds of roasts. And beans.

[A]

My guest is eater editor Melissa McCart. We're talking about the best coffee shops in New York and we are taking your suggestions for a unique coffee shop that you like. A really unique one. Our number is 212-433-969-2212 4332. WNYC. Let me read a couple of texts. This says, don't let the name the little pie company in Hell's Kitchen fool you. Their 40 years of satisfying New Yorkers and tourists starts with perfectly roasted coffee, regular and decaf, memorable cappuccino, latte, espresso, two different kinds of hot chocolate, Americano, single or double macchiato. The list is incomplete. And add a dessert and you will be hooked. This one says, oh, this, this could be for me. This may be surprising. I love coffee at the donut pub on 14th Street. I like their coffee. I love that so much too. I like their coffee very much. The atmosphere is great. You can easily strike up a conversation with a tourist or a longtime local at their classic long counter with a tat seats and of course, the donuts.

[B]

So there's a diner in the back. Oh, yes, I love that.

[A]

Let's talk about a couple more things on your list before we run out of time. Let's talk about Abraco. It's in the East Village. What's going on in Abraco?

[B]

I love this coffee shop so much. It used to be tiny, tiny, tiny walk up from Jamie McCormick. He's since expanded and it's at 81 East 7th Street. So Abrazzo's, it's like magic. But it might have something also to do with the backdrop, which is he often plays vinyl from start to finish. There are some really incredible Italian past, even their simple olive oil cake. The olive oil is delicious in it. But to me, I think Abraso is the best coffee in the East Village. And it's sort of like a cool kid place. You can't play, you can't be on your laptop or anything like that. It's a place for real conversation.

[A]

I was going to ask you about that. Where do you stand on laptops and coffee shops?

[B]

I know sometimes it's necessary and for those places that are big enough, I think it's, it's great. I, I don't love, you know, being at home or all the time when I'm working at home, but I do like knowing which coffee shops are laptop free so that we can have conversations and, you know, meet new people even. Another place that I really like is I Feel like Vietnamese coffee is on the up and up around the city with places like Larry's Cafe. He has one in Williamsburg and one in Park Slope. And there's something about having a Vietnamese coffee delivered to your table and watching it brew with the contraption on top of your glass that feels really calming in the way that going to a tea parlor can be calming.

[A]

Oh, that's kind of interesting. Here's some more texts. We're getting a lot of texts in. This says, grand Cafe Gelateria on Hempstead Avenue in Lynbrook. Best cappuccino on Long Island. That's from Steve. This says on a fall day, an espresso with sambuca at Cafe Reggio on MacDougall feels so good. This says, loved Cafe Reggio in Greenwich Village. Old Italian vibe. We got another text that says mighty oak roasters and Astorio is divine. And you can buy their coffee in bulk. That is sustainable and fabulous. This one says Charlotte, says Cafe upper west side, 95th and Broadway. Terrific coffee. Wonderful neighborhood coffee shop. Does it matter if it's a neighborhood coffee shop, Melissa, or.

[B]

No, I think it's in that it's in the eye of the sipper. If it matters to them, yes. I mean, I have to say, like, I used to be a die hard bodega coffee drinker because I was a little fussy with what I like to eat and I wanted to be a holdout of continuing to drink cheap coffee. And then I just couldn't take it anymore and I became a coffee shop connoisseur. So I think it just depends on what your going for.

[A]

You say head to La Cabra if you want coffee and something else. What else are we talking about?

[B]

Oh, my gosh, their cardamom buns. I mean, so many of their things are just really beautiful. And I like to go there to say I'm getting a coffee, but I actually am going there to get a pastry. So their coffee is very, very good. But. But their pastries are extra excellent.

[A]

As someone who probably has to deal with the quote, the big dumb line. Is there a place that you can think of that has a big dumb line in front of it that's worth the wait?

[B]

You know, I feel like I. I don't know. I feel like you can take the Fifth.

[A]

It's okay.

[B]

Yeah, I. I don't. I think lines are generally worth it if they're. If they're fast. I. And I feel like waiting in lines can be fun if it's the middle of a workday. No, absolutely. So lines are always worth it because it feels like it has a sense of possibility, as weird as that may sound.

[A]

That sounds so. It was so diplomatic mud. East ninth street and East Village old school. This text says. Love this segment. Ninth Street Espresso in the East Village, Gowanus and Long Island City independently owned fair trade sourcing compostable bags and support community and the arts with rotating shores every three weeks in the East Village dedicated to serving the best coffee focused on quality. Here's another hot take. It says, I just moved to a small town in Jersey, and while there are a bunch of diners and coffee chains, there's only one independent coffee shop with a cute vibe. I don't particularly like their coffee, but I walk there with my dog several times a week just for the atmosphere. Sometimes it's about the atmosphere.

[B]

It really is. I think so, too. And, you know, I feel like when I think back to, you know, 20 years ago or something like that, or even sometimes in my neighborhood in Jersey City, like, I might not get the best pour of coffee, but I love the people and I can buy some beans for home and they're very good. So it isn't. It isn't always about, like, is it the perfect cup of coffee? It's, you know, is this pleasing in a way that feels like it's a great start to the day or a good pick me up in the middle of the afternoon?

[A]

Let's talk to Christina, who's calling in from Manhattan. Hi, Christina, you are on the air. Where do you like to go for your coffee?

[G]

You could possibly want to eat.

[A]

Oh, she's got her microphone. She's got her radio up. Christina, you're on the air. Let's try it again.

[D]

Hi, did you hear me?

[A]

There you go. Yeah, you're on the air.

[D]

Oh, hi. Sorry.

[G]

I want to give a shout out to welcome Home, which is in Bets Dye. Your coffee is delicious. But as was mentioned before, it's also about the ambiance, how it's called welcome home for a reason, because they really are welcoming to you and their pastries are just beyond anything you've ever tasted, from croissants to sandwiches to their Cinnabons, which I believe one of the best cinnamons in New York. And it's a fabulous little place. Minimal laptops for sure. And it's just fantastic. I love it.

[A]

Thanks so much. This text says big mouth coffee roasters and beacon. Very friendly. And they roast right there with this big steampunk machine. As we finish up, high collar in the East Village. It's a Japanese caf and they specialize in siphon coffee. What does that mean?

[B]

It's very, it's, it's, it's a very slow brewing coffee that, that creates like it sort of extracts flavor from the beans in a way that's sort of gentle and pure. And it's also just watching a siphon machine sort of usually in the window is just it, it just feels very like Victorian on some level. I also feel like if you peruse TikTok, there's going to be more Japanese style coffee around the city. It's very popular say in Taiwan for example, and I think that there's going to be more demand for it. And High Collar has been around all this time and has some really nice dim sum ish, small savory snacks.

[A]

My guest has been Melissa McCarth from Eater. We're talking about some great places to grab coffee in the city. You should check out the listing. It's on Eater as well. Melissa, thank you so much for being our guest.

[B]

Thank you so much for having me. I enjoy being on the show so much.

[A]

And listeners, if you wanted to get a name of one of those places, we have transcripts that'll go up in the next couple of days. You can find out the names of a new place where you can go and find your own coffee. There's more, all of it on the way after the news. It's a silver liner notes we're talking about Coldplay.

[H]

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