Perk Kafe

Perfect café to chill out. It’s rare to find a quiet coffee spot like this one. Got myself a nice cup of honey almond latte and did a crossword.

Best coffee in the Carnegie Hill area! We used to go to the one in Murray Hill, and are so glad they opened a new location here

Start your day with a little Stumptown. (But don’t go hog wild with two lattes like I did.)
For those who don’t know, this is the second Perk to open in NYC. There’s light seating. It’s bright and full of pastries, good for a bleary-​eyed coffee dates. Wish they stocked savory bites, though. You can only eat so many Dough donuts.
Credit accepted. Wish they had a loyalty program[1] but the fact that they’re one of the few neighborhood coffee shops open at 7am guarantees I’ll be back.
Welcoming staff (shout out to Kevin!) and plenty of coffee options make Perk a worthy destination.
[1] They might, and I might not’ve noticed.

Best coffee in the neighborhood. Way better than that blue bottle crap; way WAY better than Starbucks; WAY WAY WAY better than Dunkin Donuts. Overall amazing coffee, atmosphere, baristas, etc. Always clean and always somewhere to sit. Free wifi.

Coffee is excellent, and the people are always friendly. I’m so glad they’re in the neighborhood!

Great lattes and cappucinos!
We only just found this place once they removed the fencing from the construction. Now it is a regular spot to hit.
Very cute inside, and still pretty quiet, though we usually grab ours to go.

My experience in Perk improves all the time. The hours in the morning are more accommodating to early risers. The employees are friendly. The WiFi works fast. And naturally the coffee and food are fresh and delicious.
Great addition to the community. They have survived horrible subway construction mess thus far. The sidewalk in front is wide and new. It’s much easier to get here for coffee than in the past.
Highly recommend. :0)

It’s a nice, cozy, café next to that travesty we call the second-​ave-​subway-​in-​the-​works. Excellent atmosphere with its coffee, pastries, and wifi. Definitely check it out if you’re in the area looking for a nice café to work in

I love this place! It’s one of Yorktown’s hidden gems. The coffee is great (Stumptown), they have doughnuts from Dough, and there is enough sitting area to comfortably work. Plus, they are constantly playing amazing music.

I live in the neighborhood and I didn’t know Perk existed. Now, I do believe they are relatively new but my ignorance is mostly due to the terrible 2^nd avenue subway construction. Unfortunately Perk is blocked by an awful blur of orange and yellow hard hats. I’ve been here twice, once for a regular iced latte (which I was not very impressed by based solely on the quality and taste of their espresso) and the second time I decided on their honey almond latte.
«What is it?» I ask the half-​interested barista/​cashier.
«Espresso, honey, and almond milk» he responds and so I go for it because it sounds delicious AND I’m not much of a cow-​milk drinker nowadays so almond milk sounds perfect.
Once he begins my drink I realize that I failed to ask for it iced. I quickly ask him for an iced version instead. He hesitates to say «OK.» I mean, I know it’s annoying to switch things up but the café was essentially empty, with the exception of two people glued to their laptops, so there wasn’t the pressure of a long line. He eventually says «no problem» but after I’m apologetic and ask him if it was ok.
The latte was darn good.
Better than their lattes with cow milk.
The honey gives it a little more sweetness than I’m accustomed to but it was comforting to know that it’s a natural sweetener and works REALLY well with the almond milk.
I really want to love this café because I’m a coffee lover and wanted nothing more than a cool café in my neighborhood to get some work done while sipping away. But I don’t see this café being more than a stop & go place for me. What coffee do they brew? Stumptown. Which makes for good espresso but I’m not a fan of Stumptown «house» drip.

stumptown coffee
Need I say more

It took me a bit to find the café because of the construction and the scaffolding going on. But when I stepped in, it’s so clean and bright that I makes me feel giddy inside. I despise dark, romantic coffee shops. I got a honey almond latte which was an obvious, common sense and delicious combo, like why didn’t I think of that when I’m making my own lattes at home?

It’s unfortunate about all the construction and scaffolding that detracts from how cute a café this is. The service was exceptional — the barista really could not have been nicer — and the coffee was good too. Also fulfilled a donut craving here. Great place to sit and do work or read — the music wasn’t distracting at all. I do wish they didn’t only pull double espressos, as sometimes I just need a teeny afternoon boost on top of my morning joe. But all in all I had a great experience here.

I live right next to Perk and I’m there all the time. At perk the baristas are always friendly and the coffee is delicious. I’ve tried a wide range of drinks from Perk, but I love grabbing a macchiato when I have time to sit down and enjoy it. Whether you’re looking for a hot cup of joe, a thirst quenching cold brew, or a well crafted espresso drink, Perk is the place to get it!

I WANT TO YELL FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOPS.
I FINALLY FOUND THE PERFECT CAFE (in the Upper East Side/​Carnegie Hill neighborhood).
I am constantly on the lookout for a coffee spot with free wifi, seats, and an outlet. I found it!
And it’s a gem– definitely a neighborhood secret.
And on top of that, they have good coffee, Dough donuts, lovely pastries, and not much foot traffic.
I love working from Perk.
PS– This is pre-​2^nd Avenue train. It might not be as easy to find a seat once the train opens.

The coffee is good, service is fast and friendly, and there are about 15 seats available for doing some computer work or reading. There is a ton of construction hiding this place so look for the McDonald’s on the west side of 2^nd ave between 96^th and 97^th.

I cannot describe how excited I am about discovering Perk Kafe. The only bad thing I can say is that they apparently opened up about 2 months ago, and I’ve only just discovered them today. The coffee is so. damn. good. AND like a block from where I live. There are two other places I can name on the UES that have really good coffee (Moulin au Café — which is pretty far– and DTUT) and Perk is better than both of them!!! Tried a cappuccino and a macchiato (a real one — no caramel crap) and they were both divine.
I would compare the quality of their beans (Stumptown) and their process (aka expertise and care) to Birch and the actual Stumptown shop (near the Flatiron). In other words, they are on it. It’s like a magical coffee fairy came to the Upper (Upper) East Side, realized that we are a barren, coffee-​deprived land, took pity on us, and rewarded us with some of the best coffee in the city. NEVER LEAVE US PERK! WE NEED YOU!
TLDR: Stoked about having awesome coffee in Yorkville/​SpaHa. Will cry if Perk ever leaves.

A new Perk Kafe in the Upper East Side! Great coffee, I love the Honey Almond Latte they make. Besides the usual espresso drinks, they also have a strong matcha latte and some special tea lattes (ask the barista for which ones they have). There’s a display with a variety of croissants, cookies and Dough doughnuts as well.
I like coming here to get some reading done. It’s usually not crowded at all and relatively quiet inside the café. But there is some construction going on outside. I also see a lot of people coming with their laptops. Free wifi, customer bathroom, comfortable seating, sometimes I forget exactly how long I stay at the café.
I definitely recommend anyone who needs a good study spot to come here, even though it is a bit out of the way.
They also take CUPS! Use 18RS4 for $ 10 off your first plan!

Great coffee, with great gluten free snacks.
Both of which exceeded my expectations tenfold.

Real coffee! No DD or Mermaid brands in here. They brew stumptown coffee and as far as I can tell with the limited exposure I’ve had to this shop (one visit) it’s quality brew. My iced espresso is on point and does not need sugar.
Try a croissant or pastry, they have a few in a small display. There isn’t much else to eat in here, yet. I’m glad there is something unique on this block which also features a Capitol one, McDs, DD, and subway all next door to each other!