Today I'm sharing the most delicious and caffeinated of my end-of-year recaps, where I pick my favourite specialty coffee shops, eateries and bars from among those I visited for the first time in 2024 — in London and on my travels around the world. 

Whenever I visit New York City, specialty coffee shop hopping is always on my agenda. I've been visiting the city's coffee shops for over two decades and it's a pleasure to go both to a coffee shop I've frequented for 21 years and to a whole host of much newer specialty coffee spots on the same trip. NYC's coffee scene has continued to evolve with my own tastes and I always discover new cafes and roasters to check out. My most recent trip was no exception!

Last week, I was back in New York for an epic birthday celebration. We had so many activities planned — of which more to follow soon! — that I didn't have as much time for coffee shop exploration, but with five full days in NYC, I didn't do too badly. We were staying next to Grand Central Station in Midtown East, so I was able to visit a few coffee shops there. And I also enjoyed stopping by some new-to-me specialty coffee spots further downtown, including one that has to have the most unique name ever for a coffee shop. Read on to find out more!

As 2022 draws to a close, it's time for the 12th edition of my annual speciality coffee and food awards, where I share my favourite coffee shops and eateries from among all of those that I visited for the first time this year. Over the past few years, I've tweaked the geographical boundaries of some awards to reflect my travel schedule, which has changed somewhat as a result of COVID.

Earlier this week, I wrote about three of the excellent new-to-me speciality coffee shops I visited in Brooklyn during my recent visit. But I had the opportunity to stop by a fair few coffee spots in Manhattan too. I was staying near Bryant Park, which meant that Midtown coffee shops feature quite prominently on this list. There used to be a real dearth of speciality coffee in this part of town, but there are now dozens of places to get a great cup of coffee. I did find, however, that many of the Midtown coffee shops I visited had a real focus on takeaway and served coffee in disposable cups even if you are drinking in (COVID has been a driver, of course). This isn't that surprising, given the high proportion of tourists and office workers in that part of town, but it is worth noting.

After a two-year absence, I finally returned to New York City earlier this month, for a holiday with my parents. We were originally supposed to go in May 2020, but we all know why that didn't happen. With six days in the city, I had plenty of time to visit some new and new-to-me specialty coffee shops. And three of my favourites were all in Brooklyn. 

Citizens of SoHo (SoHo)
I stumbled upon Aussie coffee shop and brunch spot Citizens of SoHo while I was wandering up Lafayette Street. They have several other 'Citizens of' locations, and the SoHo branch had only been open a few days when I visited. I had already eaten brunch but I was very much in the market for coffee.

I've been writing about coffee since I started this blog in 2007, but it wasn't until the start of the last decade when specialty coffee shop reviews became a more central focus of my posts. In January 2010, I was living in Marylebone and had just taken a new job in King's Cross. Back then, I had to walk 20 minutes on my lunch break to get to the nearest specialty coffee shop, the original Espresso Room. And now...well, the specialty coffee scene in King's Cross, London and many other cities throughout the world has changed dramatically.

Earlier this month, I was back in New York for eight days. I was working and staying in the Financial District for most of the trip, and to the best of my knowledge, I've already explored most of the best speciality coffee options in the neighbourhood (my guide is here). This, combined with what seemed to be a relatively small number of new openings of independent speciality coffee shops since my last visit one year ago, meant I didn't get to visit as many new-to-me coffee shops as I had hoped. There were four or five on my list that I couldn't quite squeeze in this trip, and two more in the East Village (Frisson Espresso and Southern Cross) that have recently closed — alas, Google Maps hadn't yet got the memo!

These are the new-to-me places I did visit (all of which have also been added to my New York speciality coffee guide and map):

Baodega (Flatiron)
After two weeks in Malaysia, where I consumed more than my fair share of dumplings, I couldn't resist visiting a cafe in the Flatiron district that offered both dim sum and speciality coffee. Baodega has an excellent-value set menu at lunch, but as I was looking for something lighter, I went for six soup dumplings instead, which were really good. The coffee is from Kopi Trading Co, and although my cortado was on the long side, it was smooth and well-balanced. As I arrived during the lunch rush, the only seating was at one of the large sharing tables opposite the counter, but this just gave me the opportunity to eye up my neighbours' enviable feasts.



Baodega is located at 7 W. 20th Street nr Fifth Ave. Website. Instagram.


Bluestone Lane (Times Square)
I've visited several branches of this Australian speciality coffee mini-chain before, including one in DC, and have found them to be as good a source of proper piccolos as of minimalist, pastel-accented aesthetics. I was therefore pleased when a journalist I was meeting suggested we meet at the Times Square branch, just opposite the New York Times. It's a small coffee bar, with not much seating, but the location is very convenient for Times Square. My piccolo was very good, even if I was too late to stop the barista making it in a disposable cup.

Bluestone Lane is located at 11 Times Square nr Eighth Ave (and various other locations). Website. Twitter. Instagram.


Brooklyn Roasting Company (DUMBO)
I visited the DUMBO branch of this Brooklyn-based roaster mid-way through one of my 'usual' New York runs: over the Manhattan Bridge to Brooklyn and then back over the Brooklyn Bridge. Located on Washington Street — now 'Instagram famous' as a result of the 'between the blocks' shot of the Manhattan Bridge that you can snap — the spacious, cosy cafe was a great spot for a quick breakfast. My cortado was well brewed, and the cheddar-jalapeño scone set me up for the rest of my run.



Brooklyn Roasting Company is located at 45 Washington Street nr Water St (and other locations). Website. Twitter. Instagram.


Felix Roasting Co. (NoMad)
Having seen photos of Felix Roasting Co. online several months ago, I knew that the NoMad cafe with its straight-out-of-a-Wes-Anderson-film interiors would be beautiful. But what about the coffee?


After having a run of cortados that were slightly longer than I usually prefer, I was keen to switch to filter coffee and was pleased to spot an Ethiopian Wush Wush coffee available as a batch-brew filter coffee. I became familiar with Wush Wush in 2017, when I just missed out on trying it at the London Coffee Festival. At Felix, the coffee's sweet honey and blackberry notes came through nicely, and sitting in the elegant, baroque cafe was a very civilised way to spend a coffee break.


Felix Roasting Co. is located at 450 Park Avenue South nr E. 31st St. Website. Instagram.


Gimme! Coffee (Nolita)
I have been to Nolita-based Gimme! Coffee before but it was a long time ago and I never photographed it for my blog. I was pleased to discover that it was just around the corner from my second hotel, and stopped by for a very fine macchiato on my way into the office on Friday morning.


The narrow coffee shop has just a couple of seats at the end of the counter, as well as on the bench outside, but they've managed to squeeze in a shelf with retail coffee beans and coffee kit, and local art adorns the walls. If you're in Nolita, this is a great place for a quick coffee stop.


Gimme! Coffee is located at 228 Mott Street nr Prince St. Website. Twitter. Instagram.


Partners Coffee (West Village)
I've visited Australian roaster Toby's Estate's Williamsburg and Flatiron cafes several times before, but not since the New York arm of the company's rebrand — and rebirth as Partners Coffee — earlier this year. As I was in the West Village on my first afternoon in the city, I decided to visit Partners' Charles Street cafe, in an angular, red-brick building on the corner of Seventh Avenue. I arrived not long before closing and so opted for a macchiato with the Bedford Blend espresso, which was a lovely pick-me-up after my flight from London. Single-origin espressos and pourovers were also available, and Partners' signature brightly coloured bags of retail beans are also on sale.


Partners Coffee is located 44 Charles Street nr 7th Ave. South (and other locations). Website. Twitter.


As I was spending so much time in the Financial District, I also re-visited two of my favourite three coffee spots in the neighbourhood, Black Fox Coffee and Cafe Grumpy (the third being Voyager Espresso). At Black Fox, I had a chocolatey Colombian Los Gigantes filter coffee from Ritual, and bought some fruity Ethiopian beans from Vancouver roaster Lüna, which I've been enjoying at home. As Cafe Grumpy's small, orange-accented coffee shop is often busy in the mornings, I stuck to the batch-brew filter coffee and was really impressed with the single-origin Nicaraguan coffee on offer. As I took my coffee to go in my HuskeeCup, I also got a 50¢ discount.



I had hoped to visit Nobletree's Financial District coffee shop, but in my pre-work rush, I couldn't track it down inside the sprawling Westfield World Trade Center (possibly because according to Yelp, if not their own website, it's closed). Instead, I visited another branch of Gregorys Coffee, close to my hotel on Broad Street nr William. The single-origin batch-brew filter wasn't ready yet, so I enjoyed a well-made cortado in this busy coffee bar. There isn't much seating, so it's best to fire up your reusable cup so that you can enjoy your brew elsewhere.

Finally, I was also able to stop by one of my favourite branches of Irving Farm Coffee Roasters, located on Orchard Street in the Lower East Side. I got an Ethiopian pourover to go in my HuskeeCup, which kept me caffeinated on my walk over the Williamsburg Bridge to Brooklyn.


For 80+ more of my favourite coffee shops in New York, please check out my speciality coffee guide; I've also included below my updated NYC speciality coffee map.

After my conference in DC ended, I took the Amtrak to New York. I spent a couple of days working in my company's Lower Manhattan office and then had a three-day weekend to enjoy the city, taking some tips from my own NYC long weekend guide. I was staying in the Financial District again for the first two nights and I had the chance to visit quite a few coffee shops in the area — some new to me, and others that I included in my 2017 FiDi coffee guide. Then, I moved up to the Lower East Side and my coffee shop visits covered a wider area, although nothing north of Union Square this time. Although it's not exactly breaking news that there is a strong Australian influence on the New York speciality coffee scene, I did find myself visiting more Aussie-style shops than usual this trip; this was entirely coincidental.

Scroll down to find out which coffee spots I discovered (and if you need more NYC speciality coffee guidance, my guide may help),

Brooklyn
Stumptown Coffee Roasters
Portland-based Stumptown is one of my favourite US roasters and their Greenwich Village flagship store has long been one of my favourite New York coffee shops. I found out about their new Brooklyn cafe, located inside the former Cobble Hill firehouse, thanks to Lora of Third Wave Coffee Tours.


I stopped by one morning mid-way through my Manhattan Bridge / Brooklyn Bridge run. The first thing that struck me was how beautiful the coffee shop is. From the stunning, hand-painted La Marzocco Linea PB espresso machine to the sleek dark wood of the coffee bar and panelling, and the verdant front courtyard, every detail has been carefully thought out. I enjoyed perching at the marble high tables opposite the counter but through the arch at the back is another room with more tables and chairs.


The coffee was top notch too. I enjoyed a beautifully made cortado brewed using the Hair Bender espresso, which paired very nicely with a coconut and almond doughnut. If you're heading on to Brooklyn Bridge to walk back to Manhattan, it's just a short jaunt up Court Street to Cadman Plaza.


212b Pacific Street nr Court St, Cobble Hill, and other locations. Website. Twitter. Instagram.

Oslo Coffee Roasters
With two locations in Williamsburg and one on the Upper East Side, Oslo Coffee Roasters has been on my list for some time. And indeed, the roaster has been in operation for 15 years so I'm late to this party. The small Bedford Avenue branch is at the southern end of Williamsburg's main drag, not far from the Williamsburg Bridge. I walked over from the Lower East Side, but if you're heading there by subway, do bear in mind the upcoming disruptions to the L train.


On a Saturday morning, the store was busy and I was lucky to find a spot to sit and read the New York Times while I waited for my coffee. The espresso shots are pulled with skill on the San Marco Leva lever espresso machine, and served with a smile. I ordered a cortado, which was smooth and well-balanced.

328 Bedford Avenue nr S. 2nd St, Williamsburg, and other locations. Website. Twitter. Instagram.


Financial District
Black Fox Coffee (revisit)
Although there were many of new-to-me coffee shops on my FiDi to-do list, I had to return to one of my all-time favourites, Black Fox Coffee. Luckily, it's only a 10-minute walk from my office, in the ground floor of a smart development on Pine Street. I arrived during the pre-work rush but the spacious cafe meant I still found a spot to perch at one of the wooden high tables opposite the counter.


As usual, single-origin coffees were available from an all-star list of North American roasters. I opted for an Ethiopian Guji coffee from Portland-based Heart Roasters, which was available as a 'small-batch brew'. I initially thought the barista meant it was a small-batch roast but it was a batch brew but made in a smaller quantity. The resulting coffee was delicious, with juicy peach and lychee notes. As the weather was indicating that fall had arrived, I thought it was only right to have an apple cider bundt cake for breakfast; an excellent choice. One day, I'll get to Black Fox early enough to try a more substantial breakfast!


70 Pine Street bet. Pearl & William St. Website. Instagram.

Boundless Plains Espresso
Another post-run, pre-work coffee stop was Boundless Plains Espresso, a beautiful, Aussie-style cafe located close to Trinity Church and the 9/11 Memorial. They serve coffee roasted by Parlor Coffee, as well as all-day eats.


After chatting with the friendly barista, I took a seat at the back, where there are several small tables set up. The minimalist décor presented a pleasant contrast with the streets outside, hectic during the morning rush. The coffee itself — my usual cortado — was excellent, and I also took a croissant to go. If you're in the market for something more substantial, there are various sandwiches and all-day eats available.



19 Rector Street nr Washington St. Website. Twitter. Instagram.

Cafe Grumpy (revisit)
I've been to the Financial District branch fo Cafe Grumpy several times now — it helps that the hotel I usually stay in for work is just a couple of doors down Stone Street. I love the décor, which combines white marble with pops of blue and orange, and strong geometric designs. The staff are also usually very friendly, even with there's a long queue.


Although they serve pourover coffees, I was running late for a meeting and so ordered a single-origin Kenyan espresso instead. I like espresso but rarely order it unless I'm convinced it will be brewed well, and that's pretty much a sure thing at Cafe Grumpy. This particular espresso, which I enjoyed in the geometric alcove, was fruity and delicious.


 20 Stone Street nr Broad St. Website. Twitter. Instagram.

Hole in the Wall
My colleagues — knowing my tastes exceptionally well — took me to lunch one day at Aussie eatery Hole in the Wall. The small cafe is very pretty inside but as the sun was shining, we decided to take one of the tables in the courtyard out front. The flat white, served in a cheerful yellow cup, was great. They use coffee from Denver-based roaster NOVO, which I don't think I've tried before.


The all-day menu combines classic brunch dishes with more creative menu items. My friend had the fall salad, which was huge and looked delicious. I went classic with the brekky role: smoked bacon, folded eggs, home fries and kimchi mayo in a brioche bun.


15 Cliff Street bet. John & Fulton St. Website. Instagram.

Proof Coffee Roasters
The tiniest New York coffee shop I visited this trip — and perhaps the tiniest coffee shop I've ever visited in NYC — Proof Coffee Roasters' Nassau street location is based in the heart of the Financial District. It's standing room only inside — and even then, there's only room for two customers plus the barista — but the coffee is excellent. I had a cortado to go, which lasted long enough to get me to the next coffee shop on my list.


65 Nassau Street nr John St. Website. Instagram.

For more Financial District speciality coffee spots, check out my FiDi coffee guide.


Lower East Side
Good Thanks
I discovered this Aussie cafe, which happened to be a few doors down from my Lower East Side hotel, thanks to the Acme & Co Instagram, a regular source of speciality coffee inspiration. I arrived early on Saturday morning and managed to nab the last table — and what a table it was with its beautiful marble surface. The rest of the décor is cosy, and the staff very welcoming. But try as I might, I couldn't stop myself from answering, "good thanks," when the server asked how I was.


As we were in Aussie territory, I figured I might get away with ordering a piccolo but I was asked to choose between cortado and macchiato. I went for the former, and it was fantastic, which very good latte art. I discovered later that the coffee was roasted by Proud Mary, a roaster I visited in Melbourne and which has recently opened up a cafe in Portland, Oregon. The dark blue Acme cups were rather gorgeous too.


I could have eaten most of the dishes on the breakfast/brunch menu, but ended up opting for the smashed avocado toast — and what a fine avo toast specimen it was too!


131 Orchard Street nr Rivington St. Website. Instagram.


West Village
Merriweather
I'm beginning to feel like a broken record, but Merriweather, in the West Village, is another Aussie-inspired coffee shop. The inspiration is specific in this case: the cafe is named for a beach in the founder's hometown. With its cheerful pops of green, from the espresso machine to the neon sign on the wall, it was a lovely place to sit on a sunny afternoon.


The coffee came from two US roasters — Counter Culture and Tandem from Portland, Maine. I had a Guatemalan Bella Vista coffee brewed as a pourover, which had lovely blackberry and honey notes. There was a laid-back vibe on the Friday afternoon I visited and had I not already eaten lunch, I'd have found much to enjoy on the all-day food menu.


428 Hudson Street nr Leroy St. Website. Instagram.


East Village
The Lazy Llama
I was sad to hear when Bluebird Coffee Shop on East 1st Street closed its doors a year or two ago. I liked the petite but perfectly formed cafe so much that its macchiato was even my social media avatar for a long time. Like a phoenix — or a camelid, at any rate — rising from the ashes, however, The Lazy Llama has filled the Bluebird-shaped void. There's still very little room inside the cosy coffee shop — there are three small tables (now adorned with llama-themed cushions), and a few more seats at the window and outside.


There were single-origin coffees from several roasters available, as espresso and hand-brewed filter coffee. I had an Ethiopian Duromina roasted by Stumptown and brewed as a pourover, which had peach and vanilla flavour notes. The coffee was really good — and after my recent trip to Peru, I'll admit that the llamas were also a draw.


72 E. 1st Street nr First Ave. Facebook. Instagram.

Saltwater Coffee
I came close to visiting Saltwater in April when I ate at Motorino, the pizzeria right next door, but didn't quite have time. I couldn't let the Australian coffee shop evade me a second time, and stopped by for a cortado on Saturday afternoon. A big part of the appeal was the chance to try some coffee from The Little Marionette, the Sydney-based roaster I loved so much during my visit last year.


The coffee didn't disappoint — the latte art was impressive on my cortado and the coffee well-balanced and smooth. And yes, that is another example of Acme's classy dark blue crockery. There's plenty of foliage in the small, slim coffee shop too, and a few seating options, including the small tables by the window and the bench out on the pavement.


345 E. 12th Street bet 2nd & 1st Ave. Website. Instagram.

For more New York speciality coffee recommendations, please see my guide; I've also included below an updated version of my New York speciality coffee map:

From secret speakeasies and SoHo shops, to magnificent museums and Brooklyn Bridge, New York City is as good at alliteration as bucket-list items. Since I fell in love with the city during the sweltering summer of 1995, I’ve returned once or twice a year. These trips tend to be about four or five days including travel time, but it’s possible to pack a lot in even on short visits. You might not make it to all the major sights and museums, but you’ve got to save something for next time, right?


Following on from the long weekend in London guide I compiled last summer, I’ve put together an itinerary for a four-day weekend in New York. This assumes arrival on a Thursday afternoon and departure on Sunday evening but you can mix things up to suit your own plans. On the agenda are some of my favourite things to do and see, and places to eat, drink, shop and drink coffee. Scroll to the end for even more recommendations, some practical information and a Google Map of each featured place. I hope you find this guide useful — please let me know in the comments if you have any questions or suggestions. You can find all of my NYC-related blog posts here.


THURSDAY