New York City has no shortage of coffee shops and we’ve discovered many of them (it’s not very hard work!) — from coziest, to coffee shops that are combined with other businesses, most design-oriented. Today, we are sharing our favorite hidden coffee shops. Among these are range of hidden coffee shops with really represent a wide range of possible experiences in New York City, from under historic churches, in a subway station, and on top of a notable auction house.
We applied strict criteria for these secret spots: 1. The location must primarily function as a coffee shop 2. There must be a dedicated portion of the floor for making and serving coffee and/or food, as well as having seating for guests 3. It cannot be seen from the street. 4. It cannot have a permanent sign on the street denoting its existence. As such, we deliberately did not include places that have a coffee bar inside a retail shop, for example, or a cafe inside a museum.
Greenwich Village Coffee Tour
Uncover more of New York City’s best coffee houses on our upcoming Greenwich Village Cofee Tour and Tasting where you’ll sample an espresso, drip coffee, chocolate-covered coffee beans, and a cappuccino while learning the surprising coffee history of NYC!
1. Voyager Espresso
Underneath 110 William Street in Lower Manhattan, an underground hallway that leads to one of the more underutilized entrances to Fulton Street station is home to Voyager Espresso, a tiny coffee shop that in-the-know New Yorkers love. It is definitely hard to find — you can find it from the particular John Street exit of the subway or by going through a door in the lobby of the building and heading down.
The coffee shop roasts its own beans, serves drinks in flasks and bottles, and has a pretty extensive menu of tasty sandwiches (soft-boiled egg tomato arugula toast, peanut butter honey arugula toast, and avocado toast), breakfast foods, even a ginseng chicken soup.
2. Postcrypt Coffee House at Columbia
St. Paul’s Chapel of Columbia University is home to one of Morningside Heights‘ most unique places to get your caffeine fix. Hidden away in the chapel’s basement is the Postcrypt Coffeehouse, a music venue that has been “folkin’ around since 1964,” according to its website. The unique coffee venue was created by Reverend John Cannon, who was a campus chaplain at Columbia during that time, and a woman named Dotty Janke. A storage room in the basement of the chapel (which is filled with Guastavino tiling) was cleaned out and decorated. Dotty designed and constructed a mosaic bar to serve coffee and other refreshments, and the tables and chairs were found in the restaurant district of the Bowery.
Postcrypt Coffeehouse features a variety of up-and-coming folk and acoustic acts, as well as hot drinks. Postcrypt hosts acoustic acts every Friday and Saturday as well as a monthly open mic night. The venue is often crowded, so get there early if you plan on going to a show! According to the Postcrypt website, “John chose the name for the new hangout from an important work of one of his favorite philosophers, Soren Kierkegaard’s Concluding Unscientific Postscript. John abbreviated the first two words as “C.U.” (also a common abbreviation for Columbia University), and changed the spelling of the third word to Postcrypt to reflect the location of the coffeehouse in the “crypt” of the church.” Much of the original decor still remains. The coffee shop closes for the summer.
3. Swedish Seamans Church Coffee Shop
Tucked in Midtown with a facade of stained glass windows is a church founded for Swedish seamen that has a cozy secret: a hidden coffee shop. The Swedish Seamens Church is a descendant of the floating churches that once dotted the Manhattan waterfront, founded in the heyday of Swedish emigration to the United States. As soon as you enter the church, you will see the library, which is located in a double-height space that shows off the impressive stained glass windows. Wooden bookshelves line the walls and a staircase leads up to a mezzanine-level balcony with metal railings that keeps the space feeling open. Modern light fixtures hang above round tables that are used for studying, meeting, and eating.
The cafe, which is an extension of the library, feels like a home kitchen. Swedish flags hang above the wooden island and cabinets, and homemade Swedish cinnamon buns sit enticingly below a glass cover. The prices are affordable — a packet of Swedish cookies was $3 and coffee was $2 with a refill allowed — and the staff is friendly. You can even get Swedish-brand food products that are hard to get in the States, including jams, cookies, candies, and even peas.
4. Coffee Shop on Top of Sotheby’s
The Sant Ambroeus chain operates a coffee shop atop Sotheby’s Auction House, which opened new redesigned galleries in 2019. This makes visiting Sotheby’s feel like a museum experience rather than a roped-off auction experience.
Sant Ambroeus brings Italian espressos and cappuccinos, along with a menu of pastries, paninis, home-baked rolls, and juices. You can also get beer, wine, and cocktails. There is both indoor and outdoor seating on the wraparound terrace.
5. Norwegian Coffee Shop
Like the Swedish Seaman’s Church, the Norwegian Seaman’s Church, located at 317 E 52nd Street, has its own coffee shop in the back of the sanctuary, and you don’t need to be Norwegian or religious to enjoy it. The cafe serves tea, coffee, and Norwegian waffles, along with soft drinks. The waffle plus tea or coffee combination is $3, with sugar and jam as a topping.
You serve yourself on a fun platter with a built-in spot for your coffee cup, featuring the monogram of the church. Once a month, they serve a buffet lunch featuring Norwegian delicacies. Adding to the coziness, there’s a brick fireplace (non-functional) and a grandfather clock.
6. ProjectFIND Coffeehouse in the Holy Cross Church
This coffeehouse is a bit different from the rest: Project FIND‘s Coffeehouse is a senior center, located in the undercroft of midtown’s Holy Cross Church. It provides breakfast and lunch and coffee free for seniors five days a week and also offers health and wellness activities. Located at 331 West 42nd Street, between 8th and 9th avenues, it also provides a Thursday meal program and a take-away meal program for vulnerable individuals. The coffeehouse offers plenty of volunteer opportunities, which can be found here.
Greenwich Village Coffee Tour
We would have loved to include the hidden coffee shops Underwest Donuts and Kave Espresso, but they have sadly closed. Underwest had a mission to serve donuts and coffee, very specifically, hidden inside a car wash but we were sad to discover it had closed. Kave Espresso in Bushwick, was tucked inside a mall down a very mysterious hallway and lush green courtyard. What other hidden coffee shops have you discovered?
Next, check out 10 of NYC’s coziest coffee shops
