Cafe Amrita

Excellent choice to sit by the park enjoying a drink and the calm atmosphere. Great happy hour specials and snacks

I would give this establishment no stars however that isn’t an option.
Food: The salads are pretty good and since I live close by I always stop by for a quick salad with that said the service negates the decent food.
Service: As I stated earlier the salads are pretty good, however the service sucks. Because I live near this restaurant I always stop by to get a chicken salad. Although I always do that I must admit that the Indian lady that is the cashier is pretty intimidating for me. There’s never been a time where I felt like ok she’s just having a bad day. She’s pretty much rudely consistent and she always seems to be angry. I don’t know if she despises her job but her energy has always been off and everyone that says so in other comments are pretty accurate in their reviews. Although she isn’t friendly and makes me feel as if I am asking for free food I would still go and order despite the bs service. Today however took the cake and because of her I will no longer be ordering from that establishment.
Today’s Incident: So a friend and I decided to stop and get a salad so i suggested this place being that it is close to my home. Once there the Indian lady (of course) took our orders. My friend stated that she didn’t want feta cheese in her salad and the lady spoke to her nasty, so we of course ignored her unfriendly tone. (We were the only people that were ordering) I got my salad first so we assumed that my friend would get her salad second because no one else was ordering and the place was pretty empty. However, my friend wanted to ask the Indian lady if that was her salad that was on the counter, but the lady was too busy on the phone, about 10 minutes talking and ignoring my friend as she tried to get her attention to ask if it was her salad. Since she paid us no mind I decided to check if the salads was hers because after all it was in a plastic bowl and lid so as soon as I went to make sure the salad was my friends, the Indian cashier yelled at me and told me that it wasn’t her salad. This didn’t sit well with my friend who decided to tell her she was being rude and her tone wasn’t necessary. She brushed her off and tried to engage in an argument with her. I tried diffusing the situation as I am a non confrontational person but I just couldn’t believe how nasty, rude, and obnoxious the Indian cashier was being. Because she kept telling my friend «I wasn’t talking to you» and «get out of here» I stepped in and politely stated to her that in all honesty her tone was off towards me and she was rude. She also dismissed me and was very nasty, I just couldn’t believe what
I was witnessing. I’m a restaurant junkie so I know first hand how you much a nice gesture or great service means. All she had to do was be humble and apologize for the grand fiasco she was putting on which might I add was highly embarrassing.
Conclusion: After all was said and done, I did speak to the manager about her behavior and how unnecessary it was. I told him I always felt intimidated by her because of how rude she is EVERY TIME I come in that restaurant. He basically brushed me off and said that her work ethics were the reason they keep her. So is she the only person with great work ethics? Does having decent work ethics outweigh how you treat others, and customer service? When you are the front of a restaurant whether the host or cashier your presentation and how you treat others means EVERYTHING. Who wants to walk in a place where you aren’t even greeted but treated as if you are asking for a handout? Because the manager didn’t respond the way any normal establishment would showed me that there are many reasons why this lady in the front feels that she can treat others poorly and get away with it. Yes restaurants are busy but this restaurant doesn’t get as busy as many other restaurants I’ve been to which had good customer service. And to be quiet honest I’ve never been here when it was super busy so what was her excuse then. This lady basically exemplifies the text book version of how not to be a negative person. If the root of this establishment is flawed with negativity then I am definitely not investing my money. I can honestly say that after today I now know what it feels like to be in the twilight zone.

When the nephew takes over its a chaos. Went for lunch and my salad was given to someone else and it was not good, they did not have enough people to cater to the people arriving. The avocado was hard.
Please change to your old ways. They charge like a restaurant with waiters so please treat us with respect and hire more staff for lunch on a weekday.

Strolling in the streets of New York on a sunny and breezy (somewhat cool) afternoon after a spending sometime in the morningside park of Manhattan (it is also close to Central Park), I wanted some coffee, the little café (I never noticed the name is Indian) looked warm and I and my friend went inside. Though it is not highly decorated but it serves the purpose. Once inside the café you will find lots of people working on their Apple laptops. We opted for Quesadilla, café latte and iced tea. Food was good no complaints about it. Though the lady at the counter seemed a bit not welcoming.
Café is not the only place but I think it has regular customers there, so they do not care about being polite. It serves beers as well, so if you are like me, just walking around then I would recommend a place with better ambience but if you are searching for good quesadillas around this place then go for it !!

I like the food and atmosphere of this place but the lady who works the cashier is always so rude.

This is a no frills neighborhood hangout that I absolutely love. I normally come in every weekend for brunch… if you aren’t getting the belgian waffle, you’re doing it wrong (although the pancakes are equally as delicious). I love this spot for happy hour as well. The lunch and dinner food is not the best food you’ll ever eat, but it’s cheap and gets the job done.

Appalling service. Having to wait five minutes for the barrista to come out of the restroom is annoying but then for her to walk past you when you try engaging with her to serve someone who’s come in after you is appalling.

Simple, clean, friendly, inexpensive, cosy. The soups are quite good. The sandwiches are solid and are of good quality. The quiche is very, very good. The fact that a side salad is provided with every sandwich is commendable. Reasonable beer/​drinks selection and price. I’ve been going there weekly since they opened and have never been disappointed.

I have been coming here for a long time and never realized the bad reviews it gets, I’m baffled!!! I absolutely love the staff ! the woman at the register most times is a really sweet nice kind woman, she is by far my favourite worker here! She’s quick and efficient if she’s not whistling Dixie the whole time you try doing 4 jobs at once… People whom have never served the public in a restaurant or café environment have no idea the stress, pressure and responsibility that woman is having to deal with. that said, the coffee is delicious the sizes are huge for the prices, the food is delicious my favourites being the quesadilla and the tuna salad the portions are big, you won’t find portions this big for these prices anywhere in the 5 boroughs… The only thing that bothers me about this place is the self righteous, rude and entitled clientele! Columbia elitists Midwestern transplants abound they camp at tables and the bar for hours with one coffee or drink, I’ve gotten into more than a few arguments with rude obnoxious patrons cuz I’m a New York Jewish girl that won’t take their Ish… take the negative reviews with a grain of salt

Best Belgian Waffle with fresh fruit & fresh whipped cream, EVER.
I went here with a friend a few weeks ago and I still am thinking about these darn Belgium Waffles.
This little café doesn’t look like much, but it has a cool, hipster vibe.
I think you have to be a regular to get a smile from the cashier and it isn’t the least expensive place in the world, but it is tasty. I suggest you go there with a friend after a nice walk in the park (either Morningside Park or Central Park). It is a great place to indulge in food that is not processed and share a fun moment with some good company.
I can’t wait to go back and try another yummy dish.

I have been meaning to check out Amrita for a couple years, and I finally ventured down there (from Columbia) a couple weeks ago. Spent the afternoon studying in the café on a sunny Sunday afternoon. It’s clear that Amrita is a neighborhood hangout — lots of regulars who knew each other and the barista/​bartender. I love that Amrita is both a coffeeshop and bar. After a couple hours of work, I finished off the afternoon with a glass of sangria — $ 6 and delicious! Coffee was good. Sandwich (mozzarella, pesto, tomato) was decent, but their salads look better. A good place to study if you don’t mind activity around you and music (the barista was playing non-​stop Justin Timberlake when I was there — no complaints.) I’ll definitely be back!

Honestly, they have some good sandwiches. The place seems like a neighborhood bar/​café that everyone goes to on weekends for brunch.
I stop by here to get coffee on my way to the subway station. Coffee tastes okay.
They also give you a card, if you collect a number of stamps each time you drop by, the last one is on them.
I think the place is cute.
However! the lady at the register seems very unhappy about her job!!! She is NOT NICE.
She never smiles, never says thank you, and most of all, she threw money on bar table a few times instead of handing it to me!!!
She was like that even before new Starbucks opened up next door. I wanted to say something to her, but my time is way too precious than to deal with such a service.
I’ll only go here for a quick stop for coffee on the go only when the Starbucks next door is too busy.

Same problems with understaffing in the past. I raised my rating to three stars because the espresso (Danesi) is really excellent.
But with new competition by Starbucks a few doors down, they had better step up their service game. I stood in line forever, and after I ordered my simple double espresso, she proceeded to TAKE TWO MORE ORDERS before making mine. I don’t come here more often because I usually don’t have time to waste.

Feels like a cat lady’s basement. Cluttered and unkept with an odd seating configuration. Strange crowd — soccer gents, who watch the game on big TVs overhead. I’d expect the hybrid bar/​coffee shop would appeal to a more hipster crowd. The coffee and breakfast food was definitely good, but the atmosphere needs some work.

Friendly staff and nice atmosphere. Close to the park with a small outdoor space very enjoyable when the sun is back in the city
The quality of the coffee is good and I recommend the Brunch there, prices are pretty decent and waiting time is ok .
Sandwiches are ok, but I especially love the bagels there
Nice place to when you are passing by the area

It takes time to adopt this place … Morning, afternoon & evening don’t offer a unique & standardized emotion. Café Amerita fits for all … :-) salad, tea, beer, cookies, wrap or quiche on your own or with your friends … large Sport TV screens, good music (loud after 9pm) … friendly people & wonderful neighbors ! I like it for what it is … a good and well located non expensive café.

*Closer to 3.5 stars*
I like to come here for a casual lunch, no-​frills brunch, or quick and easy dinner. The pesto chicken sandwich is quite tasty, especially with mozzarella cheese, and I’m a fan of the chipotle mayo chicken sandwich and caesar salad as well. At brunch or breakfast, the sausage egg and cheese on a whole wheat bagel is surprisingly good and large enough to share if neither you nor your dining partner has a big early appetite.
As other reviewers mentioned, the woman who works the front counter is typically unpleasant, making you feel like your very presence is a bother to her. Although the other workers around her are busily and cheerily working, she is unfortunately the face of the business, and sadly her expression is usually sour. Their level of service would be more important if there were literally any comparable competition in the area, but there is a dearth of casual café eateries around (that serve alcohol!) If one opened up, maybe they would feel more obliged to serve smiles with their sandwiches. Until then.

It wouldn’t take much for this place to be good, but they don’t seem to care.
I can’t recommend the coffee or the food. The only saving grace is the location.
If they had any competition within a five or six block radius, they’d go out of business. Given the development in the neighborhood, I think it’s quite likely they will.

This was my go-​to happy hour spot when I worked around the corner. Mostly functioning as a café, they also have a full bar with the usual selections of domestic beer on tap.
They also have the usual café fare here; sandwiches, great coffee, and some baked goods. My favorites are the chipotle chicken sandwich and the avocado salad with chicken. They’ve also got some of the best guacamole in the area, something that always surprised me considering the plethora of Mexican joints in the neighborhood.
Nothing about this place screams excellence, the service is slow and they are often out of some menu items they offer. But the friendly staff, cozy atmosphere and free wi-​fi make up for it.

I had an unpleasant experience here. I ordered a mushroom quiche and salad for takeout. While eating the quiche, I noticed it tasted funny. I took a closer look and there were spots of white mold along the top of the quiche. I called to speak to the manager who initially said it was just pieces of cheese. But white fuzz is not cheese.
Also, people are not joking when they say the service here is horrendous. The female cashier who was taking orders, had no idea what she was doing. There were three people in line when I got there and there were ten people in line by the time I left. The only ray of light was the male barista who was extremely friendly and attentive.
Nevertheless, I will not be returning here.

This café is just another example of what this neighborhood is becoming.
They have great food for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Their coffee is great and they have delicious pastries. You seriously have to try the almond croissant here!
Their weekend brunch menu is small, but every meal is wonderful. The only downside is they use microwavable bacon, but they make up for it with delicious drinks. (I love their Bloody Mary)
they are a perfect trifecta, coffee shop, a solid food place, and of course a sports bar! How could you go wrong.
I love this place and so will you!