OK, technically it was a Twitter mailbag… as the question came via a tweet… Anyway!
Can we talk about how hard it is to find a cup of coffee in the East Village before 6 am? Any recommendations for 24-hour spots?
Well, many of the coffee places (whatever you might like — 9th Street Espresso, Mud, The Bean, Think, Everyman, Third Rail, B Cup, Ost, etc., etc.) tend to open at 7 a.m. and beyond.
So. Quickly. Rays's Candy Store, Gem Spa, Sunny & Annie's…
How about it? (Unacceptable answers include 7-Eleven and "Make it at home your self lazyass.") We know that people don't seem to be too opinionated about coffee and coffee shops, right? Don't be too shy!
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Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader mailbag: Places to eat that have that old East Village vibe (45 comments)
Reader mailbag: What do I do about my new neighbors who smoke pot all the time? (52 comments)
Not sure if it's out of your way but Gourmet Deli on the southeast corner of Allen and Stanton is open 24 hrs and they serve coffee. Despite being a store/bodega, they have a counter and stools by the entrance where you can sit to drink it.
ReplyDeleteI usually hit dunkin donuts on Houston for take out or ihop on 14th if I'm gonna sit down, their coffee is usually fresh cause they move so much...I avoid deli coffee at all costs, too many times I gotten coffee that tastes burnt and bitter like it's been sitting from the previous day.
ReplyDeleteMoonstruck Diner on 2nd Ave and 5th street. Oh, and they have an espresso bar in addition to the standard diner endless cup of coffee...
ReplyDeleteVeselka
ReplyDeleteAny bodega will do... especially if they brew Cafe Bustelo. Tasty
ReplyDeleteCoffee carts.
ReplyDeleteIt's weird to me how so few coffee places are open early. I guess it has to do with how few do baking on premises. When I was young, I worked at a small town coffee shop and bakery and we'd open at 5AM. It probably has a lot to do with the demo that most of these places serve I suppose.
ReplyDeleteAny remaining Puerto Rican or Dominican rice&beans joint. I'll suggest Cibao on Clinton and Rivington. Ask for the spanish coffee. It used to be 24 hours, but i think it still opens by 6.
ReplyDeleteOh, the long closed real Alias across the street (not the overpriced place that kept it's name) had the best coffee ever, for 50 cents.
Open Pantry on 2nd btwn 11th & 12th: http://www.openpantrynyc.com...they are always open by 6:00 am.
ReplyDeleteIf you do Sunny & Annie's, might as well have them make you up a P.H.O. Real sandwich for lunch, too, because oh my god.
ReplyDeleteO I C. Someone can recommend Dunkin' Donuts, but not 7-Eleven?
ReplyDeleteQuestion for Abrod - which bodegas in the neighborhood brew Café Bustelo?? I would like to know so I can go!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a coffee drinker (could never get into the taste...), but I can tell you that Juicy Lucy juice bar on A between 5th/6th serves up Bustelo. Not shilling for them (although those Rio Bowls are addictive), I'm just a way too frequent visitor there who has their menu memorized. They're not open til 7:30 or so, though.
DeleteDun-kin Donuts coffe is not potable - I like to call it walnut water as its mostly water and milk.
ReplyDeleteVesulka - what are their hrs? (someone should open a place like the ol' Kiev or 103 Second - these were all night good coffee-espresso if you need)
Veselka. 24 hours and very good for diner coffee. Always fresh.
ReplyDelete- East Villager
I would say the "24x7" Empire Biscuit but as everyone around here knows they close down at the drop of a hat-- -and by that I don't mean The Hat on Ludlow, which is supposedly closing down soon. I guess when Empire said they would be open 24 hours, they didn't mean 24 hours in a row. So get your coffee anywhere else, the bodegas are usually good, or a local coffee cart, cheap and fast.
ReplyDelete7A is open 24 hrs although the best thing about their coffee is the bottomless cup if you're at their tables. Not so sure about take-away.
ReplyDeleteLES Coffee Shop at 442 East 14th (just off Ave A, between A and First Ave). Open 24/7.
ReplyDeleteThis really is not about coffee.
ReplyDelete103!!!
Wow, have not thought about that place in a very long time. I worked there one summer in high school.
Yes, 103 Second Ave. Their coffee was pretty good, but their home fries were legend in my estimation and memory.
ReplyDeleteI think it's funny that it's so hard to get a good cup of coffee early in the East Village or anywhere in NYC. That is such a New York thing. In LA, SF, Seattle, or Portland, people are up and out riding their bikes or on their way to work by 6 a.m. I remember when I saw that the original Stumptown in the Ace Hotel here was opening at 6 a.m. like the Portland versions--that was a shock. I just can't get over an espresso place like Abraco not opening until 8 during the week and 9 on weekends.
ReplyDeleteUm, hello? Ray's Candy Store.
ReplyDeleteI just can't condone LES Coffee Shop because of its blinking rooftop sign - a blight on the block.
ReplyDelete"I think it's funny that it's so hard to get a good cup of coffee early in the East Village or anywhere in NYC. That is such a New York thing." Yes, it is true that the rest of the country adjusts their hours to meet business hours in NY. Virtually everyone I know on the west coast is at work by 7:30. Further proof that NY is the center of the universe.
ReplyDeleteVeselka! (I think they have a $2 coffee and muffin special at 6am or so.) Nice enough coffee and their baked goods (all homemade) are under appreciated.
ReplyDeleteOh yes: another vote for 103 2nd Avenue!
ReplyDeleteThe first and last thing I ordered there was the eggs scrambled green…they had the best jukebox evar!