The Best Coffee Shops in the West Village

The Best Coffee Shops in New York City’s West Village

In New York City, coffee shops are both your living room and your office. Living in a few hundred square feet causes you to think of spaces a little differently, and it’s always a welcome change up to find a spot to settle in to and switch up your scenery. Wether for a remote work day or a quick meeting, coffee shops have become a go-to for those of us who don’t yet want to commit to forking over a chunk of change for gorgeous co-working spaces around the city.

The mark of a good coffee shop in my mind is one that has actual seating, solid food offerings, and a rotating crowd. These three stand out, dotted around the village.

1 | The Elk

The Elk is one of my favorite spots in the city. A million of their breakfast nibbles are around the $10 mark, and they have all of the good coffee basics covered. Now that the weather is warming up, I’m extra appreciative of the little sliver of outdoor seating and those gorgeous open windows that peak out onto Charles Street for perfect people watching. The Elk is also a woman-owned small business, so not only are you supporting a great local establishment, but you’re also cheering on a female entrepreneur.

2 | Merriweather Coffee + Kitchen

Again, big open windows look out over Hudson, one of my absolute favorite streets to stroll down on a village summer day. Right across the street, you’ll see the Equinox crowd pouring out after yoga classes, so there’s a steady stream of people getting their caffeine fix here all day. This Australian joint has strong food offerings as well as any milk alternative a gal could hope for (oat, soy, almond…all now becoming staples at other places, you’ve been able to get these here forever!)

3 | Bluestone Lane

It’s almost unfair to call Bluestone Lane a coffee shop, rather, it’s another Australian import that just does the chic, casual combo of nibbles and coffee extremely well. Becoming something of a New York institution, this now “mini-chain” across the city is the perfect place to tuck into in the West Village or the few of it’s other locations that are adjacent to big draws like the Met. Almost all of its locations have seating, and absolutely all of its locations have some iteration of that perfectly smooshy egg and avo toast combo that is the perfect sidecar to your latte.