Who’s got the beans? Do you have the beans? I need the beans.
You got a bean guy?
Okay, Jitters! Have a decaf, we got you!
We’ve put together a list of the top spots in the neighborhood to get the best coffee, espresso, and beans. A chorus of cafés, flavors, personalities, and noises awaits you.
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Muffins Café
222 Columbus Avenue between 70th and 71st streets
themuffinscafe.com
Muffins Cafe double-shot latte with regular milk in a small cup
The land of Theodore Dixon — the Navy veteran known to many as the Mayor of Muffins Café, who passed away last month at 100. Dixon is immortalized with his name and now-historic “keep love alive” motto on the wooden bench outside, where he was known to sit, greet children, and watch dogs while their owners went inside.
With beautiful orchestral music playing in the background, we sat with Biba Naouai — published author (Speaking Tunisian: A Love Story with Recipes) and co-owner of Muffins — in her cozy, old–New York–style café, complete with tile floors, ’80s-era epoxy tables, and a devout following of locals who call this spot home.
We ordered Biba’s favorite: a double-shot latte with regular milk in a small cup ($5.00). Strong and smooth, not acidic like some of the bougie coffee joints out there. “I’m sorry, that’s top-secret information,” said Biba — truth-in-comedy style — about where they source their coffee and espresso beans, but she shared that it’s the same supplier they’ve used since the shop opened in 1993.
Biba’s father was a composer, and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree; you get a Lincoln Center vibe from the music while the proprietor is a maestro at making caffeinated beverages.
Love is still alive at Muffins.
ALSO READ: Best Bagels on the Upper West Side
Solid State Coffee
104 West 71st Between Columbus and Broadway
solidstatecoffee.com
Cortado at Solid State
It’s not uncommon to find lines out the door at Solid State, and they’ve got plenty of seating — room for 30+ — in the back, which can feel a bit like a ski lodge when it’s busy and everyone’s hunkered down. The outdoor area in the summer is a sweet spot too, with a neighboring tree hanging over the barrier. It’s not too shabby in the winter either, especially if you’re layered up with something hot to drink.
Born on the Upper West Side in 2020, Solid State has the beans — and you can buy them by the bag.
::Jitters starts doing a mad dash towards Solid State::
We ordered the cortado ($4.75), a Spanish espresso drink made with equal parts espresso and warm, steamed milk, “cutting” the espresso’s acidity for a balanced, strong-yet-smooth flavor. Solid State is currently using its 8-Track house blend in their cortado; they told us they’re known to change up the beans from time to time — including where they source them — which means an ever-changing, high-quality variety.
Samad’s Gourmet
2686 Broadway between West 111th and 112th
instagram.com/samadsgourmet
Small house blend outside Samad’s on the bench
Behold! Beans in big wooden barrels, galore!
They don’t make ’em like Samad’s anymore. Opened in 1971 by Youssef Samad, the Lebanese-inflected specialty store is a neighborhood gem, along with the two benches out front that get so much action they’ve been replaced multiple times over the years. Legend has it that incoming NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani used to sit here and snack on candy as a young man, in his pre-coffee (and Starbucks boycott) days.
While Samad’s sources its beans from several locations around the globe, one provider we know of is Gillies Coffee Company — the oldest continuously operating coffee roaster in America. Established in New York City in 1840 by Wright Gillies, the brand is known for its long history and survival through major American events, including the Civil War and the Great Depression.
::Jitters books it to Samad’s, where an intervention is waiting for him::
I sat down with famed courtroom sketch artist and Upper West Sider Jane Rosenberg at Samad’s back in 2022. A longtime Samad’s regular, she’s the kind of neighborhood fixture people greet by name as she sits outside with her husband. We wanted Jitters to hear an important message Rosenberg shared during a follow-up interview for this post.
“Decaf if it’s warm outside: iced decaf with half and half. Otherwise, hot decaf with half and half,” Rosenberg said of her Samad’s order.
“Long ago…when I was in my 20’s I was very addicted to caffeine. I had to have 2 giant mugs of coffee or else I’d get a terrible headache. I don’t like anything to have control over me. I had to break the habit. It’s been only decaf since then…. maybe a half century ago!!!”
::Jitters realizes the error of his ways and begins his road to recovery::
Jane Rosenberg’s signed Samad’s artwork
Thanks, Jane! Our small house-blend black coffee was $2.99. They’ve got the beans.
ALSO READ: The Top Five Slice Shops on the Upper West Side
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Chaotic Good
200 West 84th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam
chaoticgoodcafe.com
Pour over at Chaotic Good
The land where I’d meet Robin Hood for a pour-over ($7) before we work to put the Sheriff of Nottingham six feet under.
Originating as a term from Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), “Chaotic Good” defines character personalities: “Chaotic” means a disregard for rules and authority, while “Good” represents a selfless desire to help others. Free-spirited rebels with a conscience include Robin Hood, Zorro, and the mightily unconventional Pippi Longstocking, while Star Wars’ Han Solo is one of the most debated Chaotic Good outcast characters in history — because he does shoot first at Greedo in the original 1977 film, killing the bounty hunter. This was changed in the 1997 Special Edition and subsequent versions, but the first cut goes the deepest, brothers and sisters. And bet your ass if Solo walked into this 84th Street café, we’d let him pull up a chair — Chewbacca too. Love the wooks.
Amidst wooden shelves stocked with board games like The Resistance (2009 and 2012 versions), Gloomhaven, and Cash ’n’ Guns, Terracotta Walls by Ash Leone played on the PA system as we took the back-corner table resting on a blue-tile floor. Our black pour-over was prepared with Rare Breed brand Cat Magic whole beans, sourced from Central and South America, with a syrupy-sweet flavor and notes of dried berries and port wine. Chaotic Good continuously rotates its beans from around the world, and we trusted our barista to point us in the right direction.
Game on.
Fellini Coffee
523 Amsterdam Avenue between 85th and 86th streets
fellinicoffee.com
La Dolce Vita at Fellini’s
From posh leather seats with a velvet-back bench, wood paneling, chandeliers, and a vintage-style tile floor, to the music filling the room, Fellini’s had us stargazing the moment we walked through the door. The playlist moved from Steely Dan’s 1972 hit Only a Fool Would Say That to Mazzy Star’s 1990 anthem Be My Angel, setting the scene with classic Fellini energy — iconic, cinematic, and just a touch unpredictable.
Fellini beans are an Italian-style medium roast espresso blend, produced by their exclusive micro-roaster. With robusta (20% Indian beans) and arabica (40% Brazilian, 20% Papua New Guinea, and 20% Colombian), these beans splash hints of vanilla and spices. Served on a round marble table, I noticed the message printed on the inside of the cup beneath the foam: “Legends only.”
I ordered the small Dolce Vita ($6), a sweet and creamy latte with crème caramel that felt Oscar-worthy — much like the film of the same name, nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director in 1961. Fellini’s seizes the moment, with an aesthetic and atmosphere that encapsulates the director’s ability to transport viewers to another world, almost like a dream. This is one of those moments where you wake up wishing you could slip back into it the next time you close your eyes.
ALSO Read: The Best Restaurants on the Upper West Side
Metro Diner
2641 Broadway and West 100th Street
metrodiner.nyc
Small coffee at Metro Diner
Buckle up.
We wanted a 24-hour coffee option for this list, but the pickings are slim. Our July 2024 review of the Upper West Side’s biggest food voids called out the total lack of 24-hour diners as our #1 miss. So, we wound up inside 7-Eleven to cobble something together.
A coupon on the 7-Eleven app proclaimed a $2 medium coffee, so we asked the staffer behind the counter how to make an iced coffee. We grabbed a plastic cup from the back, filled it with ice from the soda machine, then approached a contraption the employee told us to hit the macchiato button on. What arrived was 90% milk. Confused, already having paid, we tossed our straw on the counter and stormed out.
No sleep till coffee! I prowled West 100th with a mental “license to ill,” infuriated… until I spotted Metro Diner, where the Beastie Boys performed their first-ever show in the wooden space upstairs, aka The Grimm Den of the Beastie Boys, part of the Grimm Building. Mike D, aka Michael Diamond, who grew up on the UWS, I met in 2011 at a party at the Jane Hotel. Metro Diner may no longer be 24 hours, but I’ll take a cup of joe with their friendly staff over some sorry 7-Eleven brew any day. And yes, License to Ill is a play on James Bond’s license to kill — a license to be wild and crazy.
Mike D and Bobby P at the Jane Hotel
Once I posted up at the counter inside Metro, a calm came over me. In just minutes, a hot cup of coffee was in front of me, and I could imagine the Beasties cutting their teeth upstairs in the early days. The Beastie Boys Book goes deeper if you want the full story.
We skipped 24-hour coffee spots this time — nobody seemed worthy. Still, we’re holding out for the return of a true 24-hour diner, and Metro Diner’s staff alone makes it worth the visit.
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Tropical Sensation
953 Amsterdam Avenue between West 106th and 107th streets
tropical107.com
Large ice coffee from Tropical Sensation, inside Upper West Skates
Chris Vidal, owner of Upper West Skates, treats his shop like a clubhouse. Skaters pour in from all over — sometimes after a session at the Andy Kessler Skatepark in Riverside Park, dour after busting a bearing in need of replacement, or maybe just to shoot the breeze and see who else is in the house. Vidal is known to bring in food and beverages, especially for the kids. On one of our recent visits, he asked what coffee we wanted. “Where are you going?” I asked. He said he was paying, but I’d be the one picking it all up — at Tropical Sensation.
The family-owned Dominican restaurant, which opened in 2008, has a framed cup of coffee behind the counter. They call their shot and — boom — home run. Tropical Sensation gets their Cuban-style beans from a New Jersey vendor, Montesino Espresso. Cuban coffee, or café cubano, is a strong, sweet espresso-style drink made from dark-roasted beans, famous for its unique frothy, caramel-like foam called espuma or espumita, created by whipping the first few drops of strong espresso with sugar.
Our large black iced coffee ($4.99) was aces. Maybe I’ll see you at your shop’s fourth anniversary party, Chris. You keep showing those kids the way.
Plowshares Coffee Roasters
2730 Broadway between West 104th and 105th
plowsharescoffee.com
Small house blend at Plowshares
Established in 2006, Plowshares opened its first café on the Upper West Side in 2014 and began roasting beans daily in Harlem, where they opened their second shop and roastery in early 2019. With a devout following, lines can form quickly in the cozy space. They hit the trifecta: coffee, espresso, and whole beans you can buy and take on the road.
On our last visit, luck was on our side. While others waited for specialty brews, we opted for their small house blend coffee ($4.25), which was placed in front of us almost instantly. We snapped a quick pic and walked over to the Broadway median to enjoy it.
In a nature vs. nurture moment, sipping from the paper cup had me shedding my wool knit hat and unbuttoning my Victorinox peacoat. Soul and spirit warmed, I was ready to tango with the elements again. It’s all in the gear.
Edgar’s Café
650 Amsterdam Avenue between West 91st and 92nd streets
edgarscafe.com
Small coffee at Edgar’s Cafe
This is where laptops go to die. Edgar’s Café warns you with a “no laptops” sign outside, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg: owner Joseph DiBenedetto was once compared to the Soup Nazi by The New York Post. That infamous Seinfeld character, of course, was based on a real person — one we’ve covered in our Seinfeld Locations on the Upper West Side.
Following that 2021 exposé, we met DiBenedetto — aka Bennie — at Edgar’s to talk through the drama and found nothing more than a sharp, thoughtful business owner who prefers less technology and more human connection. In some ways, Bennie recalls Dorian Thornley of Westsider Rare and Used Books: a so-called curmudgeon to some, but to us, a classic New York City personality. We wish there were more like them.
Bennie delivered in a way only Bennie could on our first visit. We spotted him immediately, seated at a back table, surveying the room. We, meanwhile, had much longer hair back then and were bundled up for winter. When we asked the waitstaff if Bennie might be open to chatting coffee, they offered to bring us over — but Bennie wasn’t having it. He shooed us right out of Edgar’s. We wore it like a badge of honor.
The following day, we called Edgar’s Café — the Edgar Allan Poe–inspired café and restaurant — and spoke with the man himself. This time, he invited us back. When we asked for a coffee recommendation, or what he drinks when he needs caffeine, Bennie replied, “If you want a coffee recommendation, you should go to 104th Street.” We took it as a nod to Plowshares. I love a good back-and-forth.
We told Bennie we could handle our own order and asked for a menu, but he put a $3 coffee in for us anyway — much to our delight. We sipped while taking in the Poe paintings, figurines, and delightfully eccentric décor.
Some people might see walking into Edgar’s like entering The Cask of Amontillado; we see it as stepping into Eldorado — a rare, old-world refuge where coffee, conversation, and character still matter.
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Sote Coffee Roasters
329 Amsterdam Avenue between West 75th and 76th Streets
sotecoffeeroasters.com
Drip coffee at Sote
“Don’t spill.”
“Don’t spill” is a mantra at my parents’ house. I have a history — especially when I’m living in the moment — of spilling. Usually from excitement, or a good prost, even though I’m not German. A proper German prost is when a drop of your drink spills into someone else’s glass, a jovial, we’re-all-in-this-together kind of reverie.
Sote was the last stop I made while finalizing this list, and wouldn’t you know it — I spilled their drip coffee ($3.50). Right onto the wooden table, and into the turtle-fur hat I was wearing that day. I burst out laughing and texted my pops to ask if I had permission to tell the “Don’t spill” story. Request granted.
Spill or no spill, Sote is worthy of the closer. Loved by locals and coffee enthusiasts alike for its warm glow, wooden hues, and reliably good brews, it already feels stitched into the neighborhood. During our visit, we met co-owner Besa Bislimi, part of the husband-and-wife duo behind Sote with Arber Beqiri. Both are originally from Albania, and they opened the café in October 2024.
Sote’s already emerged as a go-to for Upper West Siders and beyond — a homey spot filled with plants and an easy, welcoming energy. When we shared the spill story, Bislimi offered to top off our coffee. A genuinely kind gesture. We declined and rolled with it — honoring tradition felt right. But the offer said everything.
Thank you, Besa.
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