5 Cozy Cafes to Get Alone-Time in Manhattan
Sometimes a solo cafe experience is necessary - maybe you’re working on your New Year’s goal to read more, maybe it’s well past lunch and you need a bite, or perhaps you simply cannot deal with talking to another person. Whatever the reason, here are 5 cozy spots in Manhattan where you can sip a coffee, enjoy a quick meal, and dig into a pastry by yourself.
Buvette
Charming All-Day French Bistro in the West Village
About: Everything in this restaurant is petite, but well thought out. The bistro is filled with rustic design elements - linen sacks of bread lay on the marble bar, painted China plates dot the brick walls and antique mirrors reflect the silver tin ceiling. The menus look like little cards and are split into categories of small plates. Dishes are simple but well executed – it’s a perfect spot to indulge in a croque monsieur, or a buttery tartine drizzled in honey.
How to do it right: Buvette is walk-in only; if you come on a weekend, prepare to wait. While you can get dinner, breakfast is the best time to eat here. Get the steamed eggs – luxurious scrambled eggs on a slab of buttery toast, served with an array of accoutrements. The house-squeezed juices are an unexpectedly pleasant surprise and not to be missed. If you have room, skip the patisseries and opt for the perfectly balanced mousse au chocolat instead. This is not a place to get work done or read - this is where you go if you want to enjoy a meal alone. With lovely bar seating and several cozy nooks, it’s perfect for lingering solo diners .
The Hungarian Pastry Shop
Upper West Side Cafe, Beloved by Generations of Students and Writers
About: The Hungarian Pastry Shop has been a staple of the Upper West Side since the 60’s. The narrow room is cramped, with small wooden tables almost touching each other, but the red paneling, dim lighting from tulip lamps and hand-written menu boards impart a warm and cozy vibe. This is a welcoming spot for all – students, writers, local families with small children, artists and elderly couples have been flocking here for years (check out the wall across the pastry counter to see books that were partially written in the café). You can get classic Eastern European pastries and coffees here, but the café’s history and established community are equally important.
How to do it right: On a weekend, there can be a line. Once you get in, order at the front and then try to squeeze yourself into a free seat. The pastries vary here, but the carrot cake, lemon coconut slice, chocolate cakes and napoleon are solid. The strudels are a fan favorite, but you can get more buttery and flakier versions nearby (see Poseidon). Cut the sweetness with a specialty Viennese, Russian or Hungarian coffee and settle in. This is a great spot for anyone, but is perfect for solo reading, writing and people watching – note that there is no wi-fi.
El Condor
All-Day Coffee Shop and Bar in West Village
About: El Condor is a high-end coffee shop with house-roasted coffees, lovely pastries and well-executed plates. You can come to El Condor any time of day – start your day with a quick coffee, sit down for lunch at noon, finish some work in the afternoon, and unwind with a glass of wine at night. The aesthetic is stylish and feels like a hotel lounge.
How to do it right: Order at the front and find a seat – they will bring your order to you, and you can even open a tab. The breakfast sandwich is fantastic, with feta cheese and pickled mustard seeds as a pleasant surprise. Anything with fruit preserves is also a must (try the mandarin / yuzu preserve). You can’t leave without trying the pastries – get the cacio & pepe scone and buttery alfajores. Seating is limited (the space takes only ~18 people), but flexible sofa seating in the back and front can accommodate solo diners if tables are full. Unlike many cafes in NYC, El Condor embraces laptops and has free wi-fi.
Devoción
Laptop-Friendly Quality Cafe Near Union Square
About: After gaining a following at its original location in Williamsburg, Devoción opened its second café close to Union Square. The Manhattan location carries the same high-quality coffees and short pastry menu. This café will satisfy coffee snobs, with beans roasted on-site. High cielings, dark wood, warm leather sofas and rugs, give Devoción a moody aesthetic. This is a popular spot to get work done – content creators can be spotted editing videos, students caffeinate while studying for the MCAT, and casual meetings take place on the sofas.
How to do it right: Devoción is spacious but is often packed, so prepare to wait before finding a seat. The café embraces café work culture – there is free wi-fi, and outlets to charge your laptop. This is a great spot to read, people watch, or get work done. Stick to the coffee and skip the pastries – instead, make a solo day of it and pick up a bite to eat at the nearby Union Square farmer’s market before settling in.
Ad Hoc Collective Coffee + Shoppe
Cozy, Underground Cafe in West Village
About: Ad hoc is an underground West Village coffee shop, serving up a surprisingly long list of speciality coffees, bites and small plates. The space is small, but vintage sofas, wooden cabinets and dim lighting make it feel like a cozy living room. The staff are casual and laid-back, but can have a rude, “cool kid” attitude that may rub you the wrong way.
How to do it right: There is limited seating, so you may have trouble finding a spot at peak hours. Ad hoc also has a no-laptop policy, so keep that in mind if you plan to get work done. The coffees are excellent – the cappuccino is among the best in NYC and the specialty flavors are not overly sweet (the cardamom honey is a favorite). Food can be a hit or a miss. Baristas scramble eggs and toast bread while pouring your coffee in the “kitchen” behind the register. Some of the dishes are great (the avocado toast is solid), while others rely too heavily on packaged items (the biscotti seems to come out of a wrapper). This is not a spot for more groups bigger than ~2 people. Overall, it’s a great spot to sip stellar coffee and chill out in a cozy West Village nook.
