Caffe Bene

Disclaimer: I’m one who tampers her expectations when patronizing coffee shop chains (think: Starbucks, ThinkCoffee), which might explain why I found my experience at Caffe Bene to be satisfactory!
I visited this particular branch on a Wednesday evening around 6PM and there was ample seating space. The space is large by East Village standards, which makes it a reliable spot to grab a table and get some work done. Wi-​fi is provided, a bathroom is available and I spotted two outlets for those with laptops.
Drinks wise, I ordered a skimmed latte, which was just alright. You could definitely get better lattes elsewhere in E. Village but I’m guessing that most come here for its space and wi-​fi.
They have a selection of baked pastries, buns and sandwiches, which I did not have the opportunity to try. Based on my past experiences at other Caffe Bene branches, their food offerings aren’t mind-​blowing, but decently tasty.
On the whole, this Caffe Bene’s comparatively larger store space sets itself apart from other cramped East Village coffee shops, and I would return to it if I’m ever looking to get some work done!

This was my first time in any Caffe Bene. First of all, the name is really clever. Second of all, I’ve seen many of these pop up over the city, and they all seem really cute, so I’ve always wanted to go. I was surprised they had such a large selection of items – from pastries to food to even alcoholic drinks. This particular location had a stand off to the side full of pastry and candy options. A lot of the pastries were Asian-​influenced. I got a red bean bun that was pretty decent for a non-​Asian bakery.
The drink I bought was a small iced green tea latte. It was pretty disappointing. I’m a big fan of matcha, so I was disappointed when I saw the matcha they use isn’t even green. It was more yellow/​tan-​looking. There was almost no taste of matcha in the drink when I received it.
Having said that, I don’t think I’ll be ordering that again, but I’d love to come back to try other drinks, food, and desserts.

I came by this location even though there’s another location closer to my apartment because this one has baked goods. Even at late night there was still a good variety of items left. I picked up the Sweet Donut and Sausage Pizza, both classic Korean bakery items. I was worried that they would be stale because it was late in the day but they were still quite fresh.
I’m not a big fan of sweet bean paste in pastries, so I wanted to find out whether the Sweet Donut had it or not. When I asked one of the cashiers what was inside the Sweet Donut, she couldn’t even figure out what the donut even was. She asked her manager, who told me there was nothing inside of it. It turned out it did have red bean, which isn’t a big deal but the employees should really know enough about their products to be able to tell me what’s in them.
The space is very clean and well-​kept, and it’s a lot more roomy than most cafes in the neighborhood. Aside from the baked goods shelf, there were fridges with pastries and bottled drinks. They also have a full café menu, including savory and sweet «toasts» (big square bread w/​toppings like Cheese or Strawberries and Ice Cream).

Horribly managed establishment. Saw a bunch of Caffebene’s pop up in NYC lately and wanted to give the chain a shot. Cashier was rude and unaware of the lunch special. Ordered a teriyaki chicken sandwich and coffee. Received the coffee and waited 15 minutes only to find out that they forgot to make my sandwich.
Will revisit to see if they’ve figured themselves out.

Awesome addition to the neighborhood. Top notch coffee/​espresso, plenty of seating, great natural light, and most importantly — reliable wifi — makes this one of my go to co-​working spots in the area.
I am a big fan of Drop Off Service across the street and was surprised to see this place have such a wide variety of craft brew (and wine on tap) — with their current happy hour specials, I’d rather have my pint (s) over here.
For this reason, I usually plan my co-​working to start with a coffee and pastry and end with some happy hour craft beer! Can ya blame me?

This corner Caffe Bene is bright and inviting, with a lot of product near the entrance and friendly staffers working the space.

This is a wonderful coffee shop — I really liked their selection of beer and snacks. Caffe bene has amazing green tea drinks and really good coffee. If you haven’t already, try the nitro coffee on tap!

I highly recommend Caffe Bene — it’s a great addition to Alphabet City. I love that they are open late (I think until midnight?) and also serve wine and delicious desserts. It seems like a pretty popular place whenever I stop by or walk by the shop.
The only issue is that I ordered the chocolate cake and didn’t realize it was vegan until I got the receipt (it was not noted that it was vegan in the display case). Luckily, the manager was very accommodating and said if I didn’t like the vegan cake I can swap it out for something different. They should definitely note if something is vegan or not!
I would recommend coming here vs. B Cup Café on 13^th and B.

Love coming here on my way to work for a coffee and a pastry. Unlike some of the other coffee shops in the EV, there is zero pretension here: just good coffee and food and a chill atmosphere for working/​studying. I also started coming by after work to try their great beer & wine selection.
Would highly recommend if you are in the area!

Excellent addition to the neighborhood. I stop by at least twice a week to knock out some work and the staff is always friendly/​attentive. Aside from the great coffee, they have a thoughtful beer selection that rivals most bars and have BOGO drafts till 8 everyday. I’ve only eaten here a couple times but they make a solid BEC. Keep it up!

I love this Café B! Super friendly staff in the AM for my morning coffee and delicious desserts after work. I’m surprised at some of the other reviews for this café… I frequent many of the coffee places in EV/​LES and this one is cute, clean and great atmosphere. I live a block away and perfect for to run to before the train to work. Enjoy!

If you are in the mood to go to a generic korean starbucks copycat chain that absolutely excels at serving you a dizzying variety of poorly prepared substances, café bene is for you! This place has it all: burnt coffee, factory made dessert products, sports bar beer selection, gleaming flourescent lights. I have never been to a more confused and soulless establishment in my life. I mean, at one point i actually found myself in front of the store comtemplating the fact that i just received a free sample of mexican empanadas served by a korean coffee shop that for some reason has an italian name.

Had a red eye and two hours later I’m falling asleep. I wanted it to be able to finish a final project. This should not happen and clearly tells me that the coffee and/​or espresso shot were super weak.
It almost cost me almost $ 6 if I didn’t point out that on the menu, it clearly says shots are $ 1.50 to add on other coffee drinks instead of charging full price of an espresso shot. So be very vigilant about this. Instead I paid over $ 4 and given a hot coffee with no lid.
If I am paying this much for coffee and it’s too weak and very self service, then it is not worth my take out experience. I have given this new local place a shot and I was not impressed. Back to ost café and Starbucks any day.
People may be willing to pay high for such self service if they stay there and hang out. I am not. I wish them success but please make coffee strong for the evening crowd and provide higher level of customer service. Please say «thank you» but that’s a missing word in today’s society. There is a lot of competition and In the coffee category, you are not cutting it. I may stop by for the cakes and non-​coffee items if I must.

Nitro brewed coffee is amazing; try it out. Also, amazing service and great vibes! Definitely recommend this spot if you’re roaming around the area.

There aren’t many places in the city where you can have a latte, waffle, a delicious sandwich (avocado & portobello are my favorites) and a fresh craft brew or wine on tap all under the same roof. That’s what appeals to me the most about this place. You can go there at any time of the day and be served well with the insane amount of sweet and savory options they have. The interior is cozy but well lit so you can station yourself on the benches or sit comfortably by the tv to watch a game. They’ve generously been giving out free beer and baked goods for the past few days!

The coffee is terrible. Super weak. Also bummed about the chain stores taking over the block with this and ⁷⁄₁₁ down the street. I guess if you need a place to work it will do. If you want a decent cup a coffee go elsewhere.

I’ve been a huge fan of Caffe Bene in other locations around NYC and I’m so happy to find one open near my house! This café is clean and beautiful, filled with light, and the service is on point. The internet is fast and (this matters if you’re parked in one spot working fo a while) the chairs are super comfortable: P I’m enjoying my vanilla soy latte now as I type this and am looking forward to trying the strawberry whipped cream waffle. My hubby and I will definitely come back often!