Box Kite Coffee

Great coffee and chill atmosphere. Definitely a go to place for some quiet time, try the cortado if you’re looking for a flat white-​like drink.

Coffee: 4.5
Food: 2
Atmosphere: Depends on what you’re looking for
This is going to be really long but thorough. Came here to grab a quick and light breakfast. My boyfriend had to repeat our order several times because the music is blasting in this place. Great music but not ideal if you’re trying to study or have a conversation. Seating is also limited but we did not have to wait for a table; most people came in and got their coffees to go.
We ordered a hot coffee and an iced coffee. Both VERY good but not the best I’ve had in the city, so it gets 4.5 stars. We ordered a biscuit with egg, cheese, bacon and avocado and a fruit bowl, both to share. We had lunch plans afterwards so we just needed something small to hold us over as we were ravenous.
They brought our food to our table. It was two biscuits; one like we had ordered and the other with just egg, cheese and bacon. We said we had only ordered one so the guy went to talk to his manager and said the second biscuit hadn’t been charged anyways and we could keep it if we’d like. Generous, we thought, but highly inaccurate because we checked the prices later and we HAD been charged for the extra biscuit. He then brought out our «fruit bowl».
OK so here is goes. The biscuit — dry, tasteless and crumbly, like a bad scone. The bacon — absolutely disgusting and brown. Do you know how hard it is to mess up bacon?! Impossible, I thought, until I came here!
OK now the «fruit bowl» — a kiwi cut up with orange rinds. Seriously?!
Come here for the coffee but STAY AWAY from the food!!!

This is a decent little place, but nothing too out of the ordinary. They have pastries and coffee neither of which are terrible or incredible, but the place is reliable and conveniently located!

Alright, let me start by saying that in Europe we don’t get Americano but long coffee and I actually usually get espresso but it felt strange to an expresso to go so I went for the Americano anyway. It dis taste good and it’s not too expensive (still 4 $ a coffee does hurt, but it may well be NY for you). They lose one star because I could not find any food listing and was hungry and their credit card reader had a defective/​wobbly mini usb so I had to pay cash. As a side note, two people came here, and got a coffee and tea solely to go to the bathroom so I suppose they also famous for that!

They have a few interesting options on their menu in addition to the typical espresso drinks. For example, the 1+1 (espresso, macchiato, + seltzer water and a snack), the spyro tonic, and the unicorn. My friend and I wanted to share the spyro tonic and the unicorn, but unfortunately they were out of cold brew when we visited, and they were unable to make the unicorn for us. We ended up ordering the spyro tonic and a cortado.
The spyro tonic is interesting. I think it is an acquired taste. The tonic water really brings out the bitterness and tang of the espresso. If you don’t drink coffee for the flavor, you may not be able to appreciate this particular drink, but it is a nice, refreshing alternative to a hot (or even iced) espresso drink.
The café is cute, but small. I personally don’t think this café is all that comfortable for studying in. The tables are narrow and the space is cramped. The bar seats aren’t all that great for studying either if you are easily distracted by the movements of the barista behind the bar or the patrons coming in and out. Also, no conversations are ‘private’ in such a small café. Although we weren’t speaking particularly loudly, I think the man sitting at the counter next to us (we were seated at the tiny table along the wall behind the bar stools) was distracted by our conversation and tried to avoid it by first putting in his headphones and then moving further down the bar… which probably didn’t help all that much either. Honestly, I’d recommend taking your coffee to go if it is nice outside.

Delicious coffee in a charming tiny boîte.
A bit uncomfortable if you are ample of girth.
My only criticism is of the owner, who kept distracting the barista as our coffees were being made, trying to retrieve some small items stored under the register.
He also took up seats which were in short supply,
Message to owner: the customer comes first.

Place for study! My fiancé is a coffee person. He can’t stop saying how good the coffee is here. He loves the barista who is meticulous about the coffee making process. It’s more of a passion and art than just coffee.
Love this local coffee shop!!!

Coffee from @boxkites will make you a morning person. The Arty farty wallpapers are super hipsters and the atmosphere very cozy, the baristas are all cool and funny and smart, take your flat white to stay and talk about your awful boss at the office or how you are still looking for a new flat or flatmate or both. Take it to go and enjoy and walk in Tompkins square park, breezy, squirrels and birds walking with you and it’s Snow White 2.0 that your coffee will make you feel like. Ask for a fidelity card, they will give it to you, after 12 cups bought you get one free.

This spot is a café during the day and full-​fledged restaurant after 6 PM. The chocolate fudge cookie was superb.

BLUF: Sweet coffee shop.
Grabbed a cup of coffee at box kite coffee while waiting for a table at Raku. Didn’t try their menu but did try their unicorn. «The unicorn» is a cold brew blend with half n half, bourbon aged maple syrup, smoked sea salt, and cocoa powder all shaken and strained. Although this might seem like the Appletini of coffee, I decided, why the heck not.
The drink was extremely refreshing and surprisingly not too sweet. The only down side was the powder on top would jump down my throat and threaten to choke me every time I sipped the drink. Felt like a mandated cinnamon challenge.
All in all, pleasant drink and a fun atmosphere. Would return.

I LOVE ME a GREAT LATTE! and they know how to pull one. (to me starbucks is crap in a cup).
it is great to see that there are more and more mom and pop coffee shops back in nyc. it reminds me of the days before starshmucks came and killed them off. Its a small place with a chill vibe. didnt expect it but they had a bathroom, and it was clean and very appreciated.
I hope people get a clue an come and see what really good JAVA IS.
i have yet to try the food but am looking forward to it in the future.

I came here earlier this month and my experience here is still vivid in my memory as if I went yesterday. It was not because it was positive. It was the day after new years so maybe that had something to do with it, but I was perplexed at how unprofessional they were…
I came here with a good friend and we were looking for somewhere warm to sit and enjoy some coffee & conversation. When we walked in, there were 2 baristas there, one of which was talking to another girl by the counter. My friend and I stood there in front of them and they did not even acknowledge us. In fact, they continued their conversation with the girl and ignored us, so I timed them. We stood there for close to 15 minutes before they finally said «what would you like?» well… damn I was going to give you business you could have at least said «hello»? Excuse me for coming in during your awesome conversation!
Anyhow, we order and crammed into the corners of their tables. Every single chair I tested was wobbly — it takes 3 minutes to get a screw to fix this! At this point I was so annoyed, but we had no where to go until our dinner reservation because everything was closed that afternoon.
While my friend and I sat in the corner I was observing to see if they said anything to the other customers who came in… and NOPE. Barely any hellos or «I’ll be right with you». It’s quite likely they did not want to be there… but no need to pretend that you don’t have 6 customers waiting in line!
The coffee? It was okay, but after that experience, all I could taste was bitter.
The croissant I had was also hard, it did not taste fresh.
I hate to rage on a business, but this was unacceptable since I’m paying for it. It’s not like it’s cheap!

When we arrived, a guy was using two laptops on a table. However, he was cool and moved so we could sit.
Turns out he was the owner. He was remarkably frank, saying how they lose money because St Marks is about food for drunk people and coffee is not like the taco shop next door that cleans up.
So go help these guys. Drink their delicious coffee whether you are sober, sleepy, or inebriated.

Stop in here & sidle up to the bar. You’re in for a treat. This shop offers delicious third wave goodness & they’re open late too.
I first discovered these guys when I had a stint of jury duty downtown. At the time they had a shop called RBC. To my mind they were the best in manhattan, and it’s not often that I toss around words like *best*. Although I could never get a firm dial on what RBC meant, rumor had it the acronym stood for Regional Barrista Champion. That can be translated roughly as the olympic gold medal coffee-​making gymnastics. Sadly RBC shuttered some time ago.
So with that kind of pedigree, you can be darn excited to stop into box kite. They’re also multi-​roasters, meaning they’re not singularly loyal to one, but rather offer a multitude of different ones. That’s great for us the coffee snobs.
Today I’m sipping my cold brew and typing away frantically. It’s delicious and fuels my Unilocal turpitude. ’nuff said!

While living in East Village for four weeks, I tried out several local coffee spots. This one quickly reached the top of my list by my second visit, and the next time I’m New York I’ll go back no matter where I’m staying.
This little neighborhood spot is just what it should be: Small and comfortable with a unique flavor. You’ll know after the first visit whether or not it suits your vibe; if it does, you’ll feel like part of the family after a couple afternoons there. The staff are personable and very chill. Tip: Make friends with them, and they’ll probably spontaneously give you free drink and food samples.
I enjoyed working here several afternoons. The Internet is fast enough and reliable enough for video calls with no issues. I only noticed only one power outlet and it’s at the most crowded place in the café, but there are many seats near it (at the bar and at a two-​seat table) so it doesn’t tend to be a problem.
The coffee is very good. Expect to spend $ 4-​$ 5, and expect both the drink and your productivity to be more than worth it.

I usually go to cafes for the atmosphere rather than the coffee, but I have to say of all the places I’ve been, this is probably the best. I used to come here a lot, like twice a week, because I lived right next door. They’re very consistent with the coffee, they measure out the espresso and even weigh it on a scale. If you’re staying, they’ll give it to you in a glass/​cup, which is always a nice touch.
I’ve only had food here once, but it was delicious. They also carry Dough donuts!
The baristas are friendly and social. If you stick around long enough you will probably see the owner, who is also super social and will strike up a conversation with you.
*Wifi is available, but does get spotty.
*Restroom is very clean!

It is amazing to watch the well crafted dishes that come out of such a tiny kitchen. My boyfriend and I came here for the tasting menu. In a tiny space the chef managed to create a wonderful several course menu. We sat at the counter and watched the one chef cook all the courses himself.
Each dish was beautifully presented and also had excellent flavors to match. The courses included a variety of ingredients such as morels, foie gras, surprisingly tender chicken, and lamb.
The service was friendly and the waiter provided excellent wine and beer recommendations.

Man, I need to catch up on my reviews. feel like I’m writing a couple everyday but still am way behind. Either I’m eating/​drinking out way too much here in NYC, or I’m not as diligent as I thought…
Box Kite’s coffee is as good as any other specialty coffeehouse, which is to say it’s at least 4-​stars good. Having said that, I just wasn’t feeling the «vibe» of this place. It’s tiny, few bar stools and high chairs to the side and couple tables & chairs and another set of 4 high chairs facing out to the street in front. So it should be cozy and relaxing, especially those seats facing the street. But for some reason I got this industrial, non-​cozy feel sitting there. Not sure why.
Anyway the barista was pretty skillful but not necessarily pleasant — more business than unpleasant — coffee was good, and place had cute furnishings. Probably 4 stars décor, 3 stars service, and definitely 4-to-4.5 stars coffee. But like I said, coffeehouse is as much about the vibe and for some reason I didn’t have it here. Others may feel differently.

The muses are strong with this one. Box Kite Coffee called to me in my sleep one weekday morning to walk 20minutes to a coffee shop I’d never been to before to enjoy a 7am coffee, when all my other local options lamely only opened at 8am. Why should gyms be the only ones serving the morning muses that wake us before 6am?!
We were invited to stay for a while by sitting at the bar to enjoy our coffee with any other locals that happened to drop in. The fiction-​writer-​in-​residence also happened to be entertaining his morning muses there, but found himself talking with us and the coffee shop owner at the bar instead… and suddenly, this city that seems so anonymous and cold became friendly and warm, as if there would be a place where people might actually know your name, and remember it. Oh yeah, the coffee is great too… and I’m in love with all of the café designer’s choices to create the atmosphere that pleases the muses. :)

I bookmarked this place after reading about it in the NY Times. I finally visited it after I walked by their sign that said they serve Ritual coffee. I love Ritual coffee roasters from San Francisco so I had to step inside. Originally I was just going to get coffee to go but then I saw their food menu and I decided to sit down for some brunch. I had a cortado and the potato gratin, served warm with grilled asparagus and a sunny egg. The coffee was delicious and so was the food! It’s impressive actually since the kitchen is so tiny. They even host tasting dinners. I’m definitely coming back for more!