The very best coffee shops in NYC

Roasted in Long Island City and brewed fresh at several locations daily, Birch’s coffee ranges from bright light roasts to chocolatey dark beans. Its smooth cold brew is especially popular among iced coffee addicts. Like to read with your joe? The cafe’s Flatiron location features an extensive lending library.

Coastal California vibes abound at this chilled-out Lower East Side café, replete with a blond-wood bar and pops of aqua neon. The stools-only, outlet-free spot doesn’t have a stay-awhile vibe, but the Mexican iced mocha on draft is alone worth a pop-in. Spiced with chili flakes and cinnamon, Counter Culture black coffee is topped with sweetened condensed milk, and capped with Mexican chocolate and fresh mint.

Taking its name from a fashion term popular during the Japanese jazz age, this 11-seat coffeehouse specializes in East-meets-West fare. During the day, the East Village spot serves siphon brews made with varying blends. When the sun sets, sidle up to the wooden counter for Far East beers and sake cocktails.

Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/Bex Walton

Rock-star barista Sam Penix—whose iconic knuckle-tat riff on "I Love NY" replaces the heart with an espresso cup—is behind this industrial East Village coffeeshop. Penix places a premium on high-quality ingredients and offers a range of serious brew methods, including espresso, pour-overs and the AeroPress.

This international coffee shop and espresso bar draws on Spanish, Italian and Middle Eastern traditions. Snacks like olive-oil cake, cured-olive cookies and pain perdu with sweet ricotta are offered alongside iced and hot espresso drinks.

Portland, Oregon's artisan coffee company boasts two NYC locations, serving espresso-based drinks as well as French-press and cold-brew coffees. Pastries are supplied by top-notch vendors like the Breslin, the Doughnut Plant, Ovenly, Lafayette and Milk Bar.

At this coffeeshop–corner-store hybrid, find homemade jams and locally made candles while you wait for your morning cup of Parlor coffee in the sustainably minded space.

Founded in Chicago in 1995, Intelligentsia is one of the country’s oldest and most respected coffee chains. Serving seasonal Direct Trade coffees, the company brews beans with a variety of methods, from single-cup V60 pour-overs to siphon brews. Located inside the stylish lobby of the High Line Hotel, its to-go coffees are perfectly suited for a stroll along the nearby elevated park.

This midtown coffee shop serves espresso-based drinks using Intelligentsia beans, along with breakfast and lunch menus that include items like house-made meusli, and a truffled egg-salad sandwich and a killer chocolate chip cookie.

Surfing and slang aren’t the only things Australians do better than New Yorkers; they know how to make a killer cup o’ joe. Down Under’s renowned coffee culture has proliferated in the past five years, and no shop eases you into that flat-white phenomenon quite like Bluestone Lane. The charming café chain—which cooks weekend brunch at certain locations—sources Brazilian and Colombian beans for its drip and cold brew and roasts them in its Dumbo shop.