East Village Review: Ninth Street Espresso

This weekend, I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather yet again, and spend my saturday afternoon wandering around downtown. Like many people in need of a morning fix, I found mine near Tompkins Square Park. I had read about Ninth Street Espresso online and went with a few friends to try it out. Ninth Street Espresso has three different locations in New York, and I found myself in the one located at East 10th street between Avenue A and B. It is right across the street from the north end of Tompkins Square Park, which is one of my favorite parks in New York.

Many other bloggers and New York coffee critics rank Ninth Street Espresso as some of the best espresso and coffee places in the city. Normally, these people talk about the location on East 9th street between Avenues C and D, but all locations serve the same drinks. The menu is very limited compared to a place like Grounded in the West Village, where they offer Nutella, Mint, Pumpkin, and all sorts of lattes. Even though the menu is simple, the quality of their drinks makes it seem exceptional. I got a cappuccino, which is normally not on the top of my list, but I certainly was impressed. It was actually the first time I've ever had the baristas make images in the foam, and although it's only appeal is visual, I absolutely loved my leaf (or palm tree?).

This Ninth Street Espresso location was very small, with only a few places to sit. I can't speak for the location on East 9th street, but this one isn't ideal for laptop use or studying. Though the menu is very basic, they do an exceptional job with ordinary drinks. The baristas were jovial, and made images with the foam of my cappuccino, which was enough to win me over. The prices were a little high, but nothing I haven't seen before, especially in New York. I plan on visiting the other location on East 9th street, and also plan to try their Alphabet City blend. This place gets a lot of hype, and while I personally don't think it's the best place I've been to, I would recommend this as an essential destination for New York for coffee. You can look at their menu, and order their Alphabet City blend on their website.

Locations:

East 10th street between Avenue A and B

East 9th street between Avenue C and D

Website: http://www.ninthstreetespresso.com/