Midtown Coffee Shops – TOP 5

In need of a caffeine fix between tourist sites in Midtown, NYC? Discover the BEST Midtown coffee shops that offer quality coffee, delicious baked goods, and a welcoming atmosphere!

NYC has such a large number of noteworthy coffee shops that it made the most sense to break my usual TOP 5 post into separate posts by neighborhood. Today I'm focusing on the Midtown area.

Midtown is where you will not only find many tourist attractions like the base of Central Park, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, the High Line, Chelsea Market, and the Empire State Building, but is also where many businesses have their offices. This creates a fun vibe of locals grabbing coffee on a quick work break and tourists finding their caffeine fix to keep their energy up.

There is no short supply of Midtown coffee shops and it was hard to narrow it down to my TOP 5. When researching and ranking each Midtown coffee shop I look not only for quality coffee and bites but also a nice atmosphere, good service, and space to sit and work. WiFi is always a plus on the ranking scale.

Continuing reading best coffee shops in Midtown or save it for later!

The BEST Midtown Coffee Shops

1. Culture Espresso

One of the best Midtown coffee shops for sweet treats and pastries

Culture Espresso is a Midtown coffee shop that really prides itself on providing a quality coffee experience from the beans they source to the method the coffee is prepared. They partner with different roasters that align with their principles and quality standards. One roaster is featured at a time. 

I was particularly impressed by their pastry selection. Culture goes out of their way to source baked goods from the best of the best. Croissants are from Ceci Cela, which happens to be on my list of the 5 BEST croissants in NYC. You will also find handmade pop tarts, scones, artisan donuts and more from Blue Sky Bakery, Ovenly, Dough Doughnuts, Corner Café, and Magpies. All top places.  

Culture Espresso is also known for their signature chocolate chip and oatmeal cranberry cookies which are made in-house daily. Out of all the coffee shops in Midtown Culture Espresso offers one of the most impressive baked goods selection. You need to go early because they sell through these scrumptious treats quickly.

There are three locations in Midtown all fairly close to each other. WiFi is provided and there is seating and counter space, but it’s limited.

My favorite location with the most space and best feel with floor to ceiling windows is on 72 W 38th Street. The location at 247 W 36th Street has some seating but feels more confined with its narrow layout and darker lighting. The 307 W 38th Street also has seating but feels a bit sterile and empty. 

I highly recommend staying simple with your order because the coffee really is awesome. The traditional Americano is one of the best I’ve had in the states. 

2. Paper - Made Hotel

One of the best coffee shops in Midtown to work or study

Paper is one of the best Midtown coffee shops for those looking to stay a while and work. Located inside Made hotel the atmosphere is cozy and chill. The décor is simple with Bohemian touches. Warm woods mixed with large windows give a distinct natural and sleek feel. There is WiFi and plenty of space to spread out…perfect for work or study days.

Paper Coffee offers beans from Brooklyn’s Devocion Roasters along with other rotating roasters. Loose leaf tea by Rishi is available alongside top notch pastries and other snack items like granola bowls, avocado toast, and breakfast sandwiches. If they aren’t sold out, try the black sesame kouign amann.

Finding a coffee shop with not only WiFi but comfortable space and solid coffee is rare in the city. This would absolutely become a regular spot of mine if I lived in NYC.

See my other NYC posts including:

3 day NYC itinerary

BEST TIME TO VISIT NYC | IDEAL SEASONS & MONTHS

BEST CROISSANTS NYC – TOP 5 | 2020

BEST BAKERIES IN NYC – TOP 5

3. Stumptown - Ace Hotel

One of the best coffee shops in Midtown for nitro cold brew

A stones throw from Paper is another solid Midtown coffee shop located inside a boutique hotel. This is Stumptown’s first NYC outpost and opened in 2009. It’s connected to the ultra-hip Ace hotel in a beautiful turn of the century building. The common lounge area serves for working space for both patrons of the hotel and Stumptown. You will find plenty of locals and tourists typing away on their laptops in the dimly lit living room feel type space. The WiFi is also strong and free…a rarity in this area.

Portland based Stumptown has quite the reputation when it comes to quality coffee. The cold brew and nitro cold brew has a cult like following…myself included. Most of their coffee beans are direct trade and there are also organic options. Pastries are primarily from Ovenly and Roberta’s. Artisan donuts are from DU’s. Grab a colorful donut with your nitro cold brew and start the day right at one of the best Midtown coffee shops.

4. Birch

One of the best midtown coffee shops for a hipster vibe

Birch is a popular NYC coffee chain that roasts its beans in Long Island City. There are several locations throughout NYC including three in Midtown. Two are just a few blocks from each other closer to the heart of Midtown while the third is further south at the very edge of Midtown near 14^th street.  

My favorite of the three is located at 21 E 27th Street. There is plenty of space here and I love the nook to the side with a long table surrounded by bookshelves giving it a library feel.

The other two locations, 56 7th Ave and 432 3rd Ave, are smaller and better for grab and go, though there are a few seats if you're lucky enough to snag one. There's no WiFi at any of the locations so prepare accordingly.

Birch Coffee not only has quality coffee but also does a wonderful job at sourcing delicious treats from some of the best bakeries in NYC. You'll find gluten free items, artisan donuts, and homemade pop tarts. If you enjoyed your brew, grab a bag of their coffee beans to take home with you!

5. Seven Grams Caffe

One of the best midtown coffee shops for unique drinks...like the nitro oat milk latte

Believe it or not Seven Grams Caffe was an accidental find! It was not on my long list of Midtown coffee shops to try and I just happened to walk by it in between coffee research stops.

The sign mentioning Oatly oat milk nitro draft lattes is what brought me in. I blame La Colombe Coffee Roasters for my addiction to the hard to find nitro draft lattes. These are a special treat as I typically try to stay away from dairy. When I discovered Revival Coffee in Chicago serving this special drink with Oatly oat milk I was blown away! A much less sinful treat.

I could not walk by without further investigation. I popped in and was greeted with a minimal and clean design. Light woods and floor to ceiling windows flood the space with natural light. I’m loving it so far! The space is filled with a young professionals crowd on their laptops and meeting with others. The baristas were extremely friendly and you could tell they were proud of their Midtown coffee shop.

The nitro oat milk latte did not disappoint. I would probably walk here every day in warm weather for this drink alone. 

Seven Grams Caffe's moto is to combine their two great passions; premium coffee and artisan baked goods. The founders were tired of quality coffee shops always outsourcing their pastry and food items and awesome bakeries offering subpar coffee. Seven Grams Caffe decided it was time to create a place where you can find both!

The pastry selection is made in-house daily from scratch. Some of the most popular items are the extra-virgin olive oil cake, peanut butter cookie, banana bread, and financier.

They also offer solid vegan treats including tahini chocolate chip cookies. These cookies are so thick and gooey you would never know they were vegan. These all pair extremely well with Seven Grams Italian style coffee.

I will also mention that their serveware is adorable and the little details like warming your cup before pouring your drink show the true passion Seven Grams Caffe has for offering a perfect experience.

Seven Grams Caffe has two Midtown coffee shops and one in Lower Manhattan. 275 7th Avenue in Chelsea and 76 Madison Avenue in Flatiron are the two Midtown locations. My favorite location with the best atmosphere is the Flatiron location.

HONORABLE MENTION: Little Collins

Little Collins deserves a mention because their coffee truly is worthy of a stop. They don’t make the top 5 because the space is extremely small and definitely makes for a grab and go coffee or a quick stop for an espresso.

They also have an awesome avocado toast and banana bread topped with ricotta, berries, honey, and almond brittle. If you can come at a very random time when the line isn’t out the door or jam packed with people, this would be a perfect spot for coffee and a bite. The main location is at 667 Lexington Avenue. Little Collins has a second outpost at a small food hall called Urban Space a few blocks down at 570 Lexington Avenue.

HONORABLE MENTION: Bluestone Lane

I just love Bluestone Lane…even if it is becoming a popular chain with 38 locations and growing in several states. There's just something about the blue and white décor, unique qualities of each location, and expertly crafted espresso drinks and food items.

The avocado smash toast is one of my favorites alongside their gluten free banana bread with whipped ricotta and berries. I’m also a fan of their granola, rainbow bowl, and salmon brioche.

Bluestone gets an honorable mention for their midtown coffee shops because all but one of these locations (see in bold below) are pretty small and more of grab and go type spots. They also get a negative mark for having WiFi that almost never works…which I’m starting to think is on purpose. 

Bluestone Lane currenlty has eight Midtown coffee shops and cafes. The one by Bryant Park at 1114 6th Avenue and 11 Times Square are great for people watching. 

The newest location in the up and coming Hudson Yards area, located by the High Line, is stunning. 

Their UES location does make my list of best Upper East Side coffee shops. This Bluestone Lane makes for a perfect brunch spot.

HONORABLE MENTION: Blue Bottle Coffee

Very similar to Bluestone Lane, Blue Bottle Coffee gets an honorable mention for the best Midtown coffee shops. The five Blue Bottle Midtown coffee shops are all very small and good for to-go orders. 

See my other coffee shop posts!

Have a favorite Midtown coffee shop to add to the list? Let me know in the comments below!