Sweetleaf

Not only is their coffee awesome, but they also have amazing cocktails and friendly service that will guide you to the prefect drink! Oysters are delicious and happy hour had great specials, too! They create a chill vibe where you can forget about the craziness! You need to check out this hot spot!

I found myself here after dinner with some friends for drinks.
Primarily a coffeehouse, this Sweetleaf location also serves cocktails in the evenings. Even though it’s on the ground floor of one of the luxury high rises in LIC, it screams hipster. The atmosphere is casual with a mostly brown color scheme; there’s a bar towards the back, and lots of nooks with tables, couches and chairs to sit and relax. They also have board games to play which adds to the coffeehouse feel.
We decided just to get drinks, though they serve food as well. To be honest, I don’t remember the name of the cocktail I had, but it contained earl grey which I could really taste — very smooth. Service was great, all the employees were attentive and super friendly; definitely a place I would return to, possibly to explore their brunch.

Came here after a brunch near by and spotted it on a walk. I actually wish we brunched here instead. The cocktails were so yummy and the staff so welcoming. Next time I’m in LIC I will brunch and cocktail here. Plus is it’s next to the dog park so you can watch adorable puppies while sipping coffee or a cocktails!

I visited here a few times during my stay in LIC.
They a very good Mocha.
I’m interested to try the rocketfuel which is some kind of strong cold brew coffee with maple syrup and something else.
Staff were typically nice.
Only this location has cocktails after 4 or 5 pm.

Everyone living in New York knows a guy who claims he likes purity, bitterness and whatever dark nonsense, meaning, he likes the blackest coffee and the smokiest whiskey, and he goes around laughing at people who take milk and sugar. I want to rub Sweetleaf’s Voodoo Child in their face. Sure I like good beans, but why would you say no to a sweet and creamy concoction that also wakes you up? Coffee is a very adult-​y kind of drink, but the Voodoo Child is for that moment when you want to roam free like a child.
It’s weird to get nostalgic over a drink. But it’s that good. And that expensive, hence the 5 minus 1 star.

They recently added brunch to their menu. Entrees are about $ 12-​$ 14 and are all very small portions and just not that good. For what you get its way over priced. The cocktails are about $ 8 and pretty bland. I’m very disappointed especially since I had high hopes. The waiter was nice but that’s not good enough to make me go back.
This really should get a two start eating but I’m giving it one star for food, one star for the nice waiter we had, and another for ambiance.

I was heading to the coffee shop located near the 7 train station, but I bumped into this location on the way.
Espresso and cocktail? Thats an interesting twist. So its a bar and a coffee shop? I guess thats the direction coffee shops are going now.
I couldn’t see the menu so well, or know what to really order, so i just got a regular coffee. But this coffee shop, was very antique. It is excellent for study, and has good views also. Wifi is available.
If there was a clearer menu in the midst of the antiqueness for coffee, I would’ve given this place another star, and ordered something more unique. I can’t attack them if I had poor vision (which I don’t), but better visuals would be appreciated.

Truly the absolute worst coffee I’ve ever had. I’ve tried this place several times and they tend to pick the worst, most acidic beans on the market. I’m not exaggerating.
The atmosphere is fantastic, awesome couches, nice big windows.
Their coffee is so consistently poor that I’m starting to think most of the reviews of this place are fake. The only reason this place survives is because it is surrounded by high rise buildings and the neighborhood needs a coffeeshop.

Sweet leaf is definitely the best bar in the area. Quality cocktails that always leave you astounded along with amazing service. The bar tenders are some of the best I’ve dealt with in nyc and the value is amazing for what you get. Amazing. Wonderful. Love this place.

So I’m leaving this place with a smile on my face. I found this place on Unilocal.Was looking for a café that closed late with free wifi. I needed to finish my home work and had no wifi. Anyway I get there and it’s a straight bar with a nice chill scene. So I ask for tea and they said that the café closed at seven. I didn’t know what to do cause tea def helps me calm down and focus. Anywho the manager, Vince, said its super easy to make and the bartender, Jonathan, made it for me. They were SUPER nice and honestly even if I didn’t get tea I would STILL write this review. I’m always blown away by GREAT customer service. I honestly walked in there looking like a bum (tights, hoodie, sneakers) but I wasn’t treated like I didn’t belong. I found my new spot. Honestly I’m so happy I came here!!! Keep up the great work guys! (I’m bad at names so I hope I got it right)

Service was demanding and their way of offering brunch was completely inadequate for the layout of the restaurant. We got served burnt espresso with a side of a rude attitude. Will not be going back.

I want to move to the LIC waterfront and get coffee from here every day. I had a perfect mocha made with bitter dark chocolate and an orange poppyseed loaf cake that had crisp sugary caramelization on the crust. YUM! The interior is very hip with cozy nooks to cuddle. I saw they have a bin of board games to play too. My ideal coffeehouse.

The ideal coffee shop is one that is rigorous and hipstery enough to give you a coffee house vibe, but not so much so that it is pretentious or unwelcoming.
Sweetleaf nails it. Their staff are friendly folk, their drinks accurate, fast, and delicious, and their food is better than the average pastries that most coffee bars put out as an afterthought.
This has become a welcome respite from long days at work, and it’s a great place to have in the neighborhood. And they have booze!

So i kind of love/​hate this place. The atmosphere is good and the coffee is probably the best you’ll find within a 10 block radius. The scones are yummy and creative and the service is generally quick.
The only reason they lose stars is the staff. No one ever seems to smile or make me feel welcome. Sometimes i find myself going to Canelles (who’s coffee is not nearly as good) just for the simple pleasure of feeling welcomed.
Just today i helped the barista out by bringing her all the empty milk thermoses at the service bar and she didnt even give me a thank you, despite the fact i waited for her to hand back all the milks.
Pros: coffee, food, ambiance
Cons: unfriendly/​unwelcoming staff, comes off as pretentious because of staff

Delicious iced coffee! Their little donut holes were also so buttery and full of everything yummy that just melts on your tongue! They have various baked goods that they make fresh everyday. It was my first time there, so I am not sure if their daily baked good change on a daily basis.
Overall, I was very satisfied with my cup of joe and the little bite sized donut treat. The interior was also very comforting, with old time charm and high ceilings with tables scattered about and board games that you can play while you enjoy your food/​coffee. I will have to come back to try some of the bites here as well!

Being one of the few coffee shops in Hunter’s Point, I come to this Sweetleaf location on a fairly regular basis. Locals, including myself, frequent the coffeehouse for its Stumptown coffee (one can only have DD so often) and assorted pastries. Located right along Center Blvd with its spectacular skyline views, a trip to and from the café is usually a treat for both the eyes and the taste buds.
I typically don’t deviate from regular coffee, but the drink menu offers your run-​of-​the-​mill coffeehouse staples — lattes, macchiatos, espressos, etc. And true to form of most chic NY coffeehouses, there are several other inventive concoctions like The Rocket Fuel or The Voodoo Chill. I’ve indulged myself in The Voodoo before, and if you’re a fan of sweet drinks, you’ll enjoy this Vietnamese coffee sweetened with condensed milk. While The Voodoo is great, for the sake of my teeth and waistline, I’ll continue to stick to the regular coffee.
Prices overall can be a bit steep given the size of the drinks. Be warned, a «medium» here is NOT a medium/​grande at DD or Starbucks. But given the higher quality of the coffee, it’s somewhat justified.
On to my one grievance… Most of the reviewers on Unilocal love Sweetleaf’s boho hipster vibe. And while it would be fitting in Williamsburg or the Lower East Side, it’s completely inconsistent with the clientele. The customer base you find at Sweetleaf is the perfect microcosm of the residents in Hunters Point — yuppie upstart families pushing around strollers (why are there so many strollers?). Honestly, nothing against the patrons, I just think that vibe at Sweetleaf is cooler than it needs to be.
At the end of the day, I know I’ll continue to come back again and again for the coffee. Just make mine to go, please.

This sweetleaf is great to go grab a few drinks or some coffee. The décor is on point. & the bartenders are always nice. What I don’t like is that they barely have any pastries at all. They do have 2 kinds. Carrot cake & brownies. The carrot cake is to die for. Its soo delicious. The «voodoo child» drink is delicious too. I’ll defiantly be coming back here to try the alcoholic beverages.

I just moved in the neighborhood and I found Sweetleaf the perfect coffee spot around the corner.
Coffee is good, all kind (ice, normal, latte, espresso), and the selection of treats and baked goods is pretty nice. My fav is the lemon poppy muffin. There are vegan options and each morning they had discounted bags with ¾ baked goods from the day before.
The atmosphere is relaxing and happy, with good music as soundtrack. Lots of people work here during the day on couches, tall tables, and shared dining areas.
Remember there is a minimum of $ 5 to charge you credit card. Other than that visit this place! Or the other location outside Vernon Blvd subway stop.

BEWARE of the bartender here – he will charge you for drinks you never receive!
I will never be returning to this place again! I think the concept of coffee and cocktails bar is interesting but the bartender Saturday night was the rudest I’ve encountered in my 5 years of living in NYC.
Not only did he not bring me the 2^nd drink I ordered but when the bill came charged us for the 2^nd drink I never had! When we told him that I never received my 2^nd drink, he started arguing with my friend and I that I did receive it and that we needed to pay. I’ve never been accused of something so strongly! My friend and I have no problem paying for what we received but his accusatory tone and blatant lying was horrendous. On top of that, the entire night we were there, he was socializing with his friends who were visiting the bar and the women who worked the cash register, which is probably why I never received my 2^nd drink.
My friend and I left the bar feeling shocked and completely disrespected.
(To save anyone this horrible experience, walk out the door when the bartender is a man with shoulder length hair, big frame glasses, and tan colored skin.)

Incredible coffee in a trendy setting with a sort of steampunk vibe. The bean beverages here are incredible from a simple Americano to the more unique cocktails like the rocket fuel and voodoo child. The voodoo child is an incredibly sweet iced Vietnamese coffee made with condensed milk, perfect for slowly sipping on a hot day. The Americano was simple perfection as well though a bit small in the default size. Prices are a bit on the high side for the sizes, but the taste is worth it. The inside is great with moody wood panels, but can feel dark and depressing on a warm sunny day.