Whynot Coffee

I only got a coffee (it was good!) so this review is primarily about the atmosphere and the space! It is probably the most spacious coffee place I’ve been in the city so far. Pretty quiet (at least towards the back, where I sat) so great for studying, and they play great music — I didn’t have to put on my headphones to focus!

The coffee was solid, but nothing to write home about. But as someone who works in coffee shops, I wont be returning. The wifi is… poor at best. The seats are uncomfortable unless you catch a spot on the couch. And everything is so cramped you can barely move. There is tons of space at this location, but the tables are drilled to the floor for some reason…

The atmosphere is great for individuals that need a comfortable place to work!
Several outlets for your long computer work and Internet is free! The music is fantastic. it’s the place to enjoy a large cup of good coffee in a very cute mug on the lower east side!

Like many other Unilocal reviewers, I love the spacious floor plan, interior design and ambiance. It is a very good space to enjoy a cup of coffee and do work, but because everyone has the same thought, it can get a bit crowded. I choose to come here in the evening when there are less people.
Service: I ordered a latte and the barista gave me a cappuccino. I corrected him and said I ordered a latte, he then said (with an attitude) that they’re the same. I am not a coffee snob but given the fact that the drinks have different names – they are NOT the same. If I wanted to order a cappuccino, I would have said cappuccino.
So here’s a tip – next time you want to order a croissant, just say banana. *rolls eyes

I love the interior and the design of the place. Bright and comfortable for me to work/​study in. I was surprised at how big it was.
While I thought it was cute that the counter was in the center of the room, I was really annoyed that it was so close to the seating area. With people walking around to order and pick up their drinks, it made the space rather tight.
As for my drink, I ordered a mocha — it wasn’t bad but I couldn’t really taste the espresso shot. It tasted good but probably because it just tasted like hot chocolate hahaha.

EH was disappointed. I was looking for a spot to do my work. The internet speed is super slow. the people next to me had to use their own wi-​fi. So if you’re looking for internet, do not come here. I had to leave and went to starbucks to use their wifi.
The place is pretty spacious; however, it is a bit crammed. I didn’t try the coffee but I did not like the banana bread nor the lemonade.
But if you just need a break for a coffee. then it isn’t so bad.

Great coffee spot. A bit out of the way and on an unsuspecting street, this coffee shop makes me wish there was one near me. First, it’s pretty big, but does fill up during the day (Saturday). Seats are mainly individual tables for 1 or 2 (if you have a partner in crime) and some more sitting benches at the back walls. Coffee is strong, even as a latte. Pretty incredible considering I had dull taste buds with a cold. Try their baked goods, only had a croissant but it was tasty.

Amazingly spacious and minimalist coffee shop with wooden benches and tables and 50’s style light fixtures. There is no wall sign for drinks (reminds me of Always Sunny’s blowing the sign bar down) but instead a small paper menu on the counter.
The mugs are beautifully hand painted from Italy especially for Whynot, and the cappuccino was the best I had during this East Coast trip; very smooth and stunningly presented. The atmosphere is very easy going, with blues music in the background.

My friends and I are addicted to coffee and had to get one every day during our four day trip. We tried to get them from local coffee shops instead of generic brands. We were just walking by the neighborhood and was drawn in by the ambience. People were studying and the interior was a chill vibe. We were all really impressed with our drinks. I got an iced soy hazelnut latte which tasted different than most lattes! It was distinct. My friend got a black coffee which he LOVED and he’s not usually a black coffee type of person. If I lived in NY I would come here all the time.

Stopped in on xmas day while waiting for Russ and Daughters. What a great find. Perfect cold brew and a banana loaf that was pure banana. Stellar. A great vibe with great club music going. Wish this was as my neighborhood coffee shop.

always a go-​to for work sessions, either with a buddy or on my own. One of the few coffee places where you feel you are working in a space with other people but the other people don’t get in the way.
pound cakes aren’t a bad mid-​session snack either :)

This is a nice place to have a cuppa and kill some time while waiting for your number to be called at Russ and Daughters.
Our beverages were good, a caffe latte, a cortado and a hot chocolate all made with care from quality ingredients. The brownie was on point. There’s a lot of seating but on a Saturday afternoon, it was at a premium.
I liked the music, which emanated from vintage Ohm A trasmission line speakers (circa 1979) and a tube amplifier, but I suspect the source was digital, because it looked like the turntable wasn’t spinning.
Less desirable was the bathroom, which looked like something from an Eastern European train before the wall came down.

Why Not Coffee
NY Manhattan LES
6pm Sunday 15^th November 2015
Four Stars
This is a big and beautiful space filled by a giant store front window, wooden paneling, and vaulted ceilings with an interesting light features. There is a lot of seating. At least 20 fixed two tables running along the white walls. There is also a couch and some bench and counter seating in the back. The sound system was powerful but downplayed and localized to the center of the shop. They played the new Justin Bieber album in its entirety. As for drink, I had a cappuccino ($ 4 something) to stay. It came in a large deruta ceramic mug with a pretty foam design. The espresso was light tasting because of how much steamed milk was in it. On the plus side, it lasted me a while. There was plenty of caffeine because I am currently feeling its effects.
Next time, I will try one of their house made pastries.

Join the sea of laptops! If you need a place to work, this is a decent choice. The minimalist décor is chic and the artwork is hip (I guess…). Plus, plenty of outlets (though spotty wifi). Major drawback if you’re planning to camp there for the day is the smelly, porta-​potty-​esque bathroom.
Charming china and decent drinks/​snacks. I wouldn’t recommend this place for a coffee date /​work meeting though because the tables are bolted, crammed way too close together, and not very comfy (unless you’re able to snag seats on the one couch).

This is one of my new favorite spots. Somehow I always seem to end up here on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Not really sure why.
It’s a big space, with tables bolted to the floor, so they don’t ever teeter! The cold brew on offer is excellent, and the internet reliable. As with almost *every* café these days, it turns into a makeshift office where everyone is clickity click on their keyboards. Darn freelancers!
Definitely a great spot, easy to get to from 2^nd Ave F train (first ave exit). There’s also lots of shopping on Orchard & ludlow too, so plenty to do.

This place is the bomb. It’s quiet, wooden seats are pretty comfy, large interior, unique atmosphere, good cold brew (it’s the only thing i tried), and great music. I think I got more done here than in my office.
Wifi can be a bit spotty. I think i’ve had to reconnect maybe three times during the 2.5 hours I was here.
I think one down side is that the tables are VERY close together — they are like, bolted to the floors so you can’t even move them.
Overall a great find. It’s beautiful to sit at one of the tables with the full glass doors fully open on a gorgeous fall day.

This is a review for dirty chai I ordered.
I had an iced dirty chai. Unfortunately the espresso, syrup and chai flavor played all separately and it became to a point that the syrup was interrupting other flavor.
The ambience was nice, and it seems to have very good baked good (smelled really good), but my drink was a disappointment.

I came here on a Saturday around 5pm to read and do a bit of work. This is a solid spot to bring your computer or book to get some work done. There are a ton of tables and even a big leather couch to post up on. They play really good music too (chill, good beats that don’t distract you from your work).
I’d recommend coming here to grab a coffee and sit to chat or get work done.
COFFEE SHOP OVERVIEW:
–Large, spacious, high ceilings, open doors in the front, so it’s nice and breezy.
–Overhead dim lighting.
–Bar in the middle to order snacks and cofee.
–Wooden floors and tables.
–They have a station set up for music with a turntable and mix instruments.
–Large pieces of art on the wall.
Great spot in the LES to come with your lap top! Or just for a coffee :)

It’s listed as an art space with coffee and wine, but they no longer serve wine so if you’re headed here for that, plenty of options in the area of course.
This is a gorgeous space that has quickly become a destination for those working and playing on their laptops (me included). The front window entrance from side walls to ceiling can open directly onto the street which gives it a marvelous welcoming vibe.
Strengths: it’s an adorable contemporary space with nice art and a central coffee and pastries island, high ceiling, good acoustics to keep down the noise. Close to Houston and the 2^nd Ave. subway, lots of places to grab food and libations, etc. The cups and saucers are almost all from the Biordi Company, a brand out of San Francisco. Pricey cups and saucers, these. Surprised, but what beautiful presentation it makes for.
Weaknesses: the coffee is so-​so. Never understand why business owners invest thousands of dollars in a super high-​end espresso machine then have it run by people in a hurry to see how fast they can pour an average tasting latte. If you’re looking for a spectacular espresso, not here in my three visits. Because there are so many people often hanging out the wireless can run a bit slow. At the moment I’m writing this I can count over 20 devices in use.
Still, overall, it’s a nice space I’ll likely return to because there are great individual work areas and it’s relatively quiet in spite of the crowd. Love this place. They kick up the coffee quality with baristas that can nail it and they’ll get over-​run with business.

This winter has been cold and brutal, and though March is starting to moderate slightly… though I saw snow flurries on my commute to work this morning… a quick warm — me –up while waiting for a brunch reservation was welcomed. By some miracle, the beau and I were blessed with a *mere* 45 minute wait for a Sunday afternoon chicken & waffles fest at Sweet Chick, and we both figured a cuppa tea and a cuppa coffee would help to pass the time.
We strolled around the block to Whynot Coffee, a long, gorgeous, and bright coffeehouse. At first, the length of the café made me think it’d be easy for us to find seating. Along the sides of the establishment were long benches with two seater tables, with a seat for another person just across. Well… every single table was filled up… with computer users… leaving many empty seats, yet we had no real reason to sit at them without feeling completely awkward by sitting with a computing stranger. Heh. Luckily, there are also curved wooden benches in the rear, so we made our home there. I ordered for us at the «coffee island», and the mugs we were served with were gorgeous, handmade in Italy just for Whynot. An ornate mug certainly added to my experience here.
The beau ordered the Americano, and though not a coffee fan, I appreciated its richness. He really enjoyed it, touting it to be one of the better Americanos he’s had in quite some time. Their chai was excellent as well! The foam lasted all of the way to the bottom of the mug, and the chai itself came from an excellent blend, lightly sweet but with obvious notes of cardamom and anise.
I would definitely come back if in this neighborhood, whether I need a cup to go or am just passing the time waiting for a reservation elsewhere. Maybe I’ll even bring my laptop just to fit in with my cohorts. Heheh.