I recently met up with Steve Rhinehart (the guy behind the Counter Talk blog) to explore a few cafes that have popped up this year in Midtown Manhattan, an area that used to be a coffee dead-zone. There’s still a lot of room for improvement as these cafes become more established, but things are looking up! Check out the shops we visited below, and stay tuned for follow up posts in the future!

Little Collins

We visited Little Collins because it’s one of the first shops to use the new Mod Bar espresso and pour-over system. Unfortunately the espresso side was out of commission, but you can see the pour over here (left, built into the counter). Little Collins serves coffee roasted by Counter Culture, and everything on the menu looked great, especially the sandwiches.

Little Collins Address:

667 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022

Map:

View FRSHGRND – Global Cafe Guide in a larger map

Ninth Street Espresso – Midtown

This new Ninth Street Espresso is located in the Lombardy Hotel, off the main lobby, with its own separate street entrance. I enjoyed my macchiato and conversation with the baristas at the counter. Guests at the Lombardy Hotel receive a complimentary drink & pastry every day of their stay – nice perk!

Ninth Street Espresso Midtown – Address:
Lombardy Hotel Lobby, 109 East 56th Street

Maps:

View FRSHGRND – Global Cafe Guide in a larger map

Bluestone Lane

Bluestone Lane has two locations in New York, one in Midtown and one in the Financial District, both serving excellent Sightglass coffee as well as guest roasters. I had a well prepared shot of guest espresso roasted by George Howell, though the date on the hopper suggested the beans were two weeks old. Still better than a lot of coffee out there, and not a bad tasting shot. I also love the interior space, it’s almost enough to forget for a moment that you’re in the basement of a Midtown office building.

Bluestone Lane Address:

805 3rd Avenue Atrium (go left and down to the basement)
New York, NY 10017
M-F 7:30am – 5pm

Map:

View FRSHGRND – Global Cafe Guide in a larger map

Pennylane

This is a cafe I’ve been waiting to open for a while! Pennylane’s interior is clean and minimalist, with a long bar that has a couple chairs, and a big communal dining table in the front. Located a block away from the UN building, the smartly dressed crowd inside looks the part. Pennylane serves Stumptown coffee for now, but will soon offer additional options. I loved the interior space, I’ll definitely be back to write more & share more photos.