Sono Caffeine

Caffeine has all of the makings of a great little coffee house. Old building, open space, quirky décor, downtown vibe, lots of cozy seating, an impressive serving counter, live music some nights and an amazing assortment of delicious coffees, teas and sweets.
But the service is AWFUL. Indifferent employees who don’t know any better. I’ve se

Not the best:
Coffee
Croissants
Stack me up next to your average coffee snob hipster & I wouldn’t qualify. However, I’ve had amazing coffee (see my reviews) & this place wouldn’t even make my «In desperation» list.
But the interior/​décor/​music/​vibe is great.
Fresh unsweetened ice teas are really good as are the organic oatmeal bars by the register that some company makes & they sell.
Parking sux in SoNo.

Caffeine is one of the reasons I love Norwalk… it has so much character, and as soon as you walk in you feel at home, or in Portland, OR. They claim to have the best chai, and I’d believe it… their chai latte’s are the best I’ve had and on occasion they’ll run out! I actually came down here one time I was working from home and tried a panini. It wasn’t the best I’ve had but the chai made up for it as well as the ambiance. It was great to just hang out on the couch and get my work done without feeling any pressure to buy something else after spending nearly 5 hours there. I’d love to come down an evening they have an open mic or jazz night.
I also ordered a pound of their house blend beans which for a coffee snob like me, rotates in nicely with my other beans. Medium roast and good flavor with low acidity. They don’t have the best pastries (I’d head over to SoNo baking company for those) but the ambiance and chai latte’s always have me coming back for more!

I’m glad to see that Caffeine is still holding down the fort in SoNo. I remember coming here in high school, 10+ years ago for coffee when my sister worked as a barista. Since then, not a whole lot has changed about the café — I stop in every so often when I’m visiting friends in Norwalk. The ambiance is arguably the best part — an charmingly eclectic, shabby-​chic mishmosh of interesting furniture and décor items, which (bonus points) are all for sale. When I was 16, I lusted after a chair shaped like a giant high heeled shoe. Leopard print. I’m not proud of what that says about me.
This café is quite pricey for what it is — however Chocopologie has probably blown ‘em out of the water with high prices for mediocre fare in SoNo. I appreciate that Caffeine features live music from local singer/​songwriters, a nice range of espresso drinks and smoothies, and a fairly extensive dessert menu. It’s nothing terribly unique as far as cafes go, but a decent spot for a latte and a chat with friends.