Rough Draft Bar & Books — Restaurant in City of Kingston

Rough draft is a book shop, coffee shop, and bar housed in one of the most historic buildings in Kingston. It is a place with respect of Kingston’s past while having a real pulse on Kingston’s present and hope for its future.

The staff are incredible! They are knowledgeable, kind, and efficient.

If you visit, I recommend you try one of the monthly coffee or tea specialties named after books. Each year I look forward to the “June Austin” (a lavender and vanilla latte), and the “sex drugs and coconuts” that generally returns in August. If none of these appeal to you, then I recommend the cold brew, the hot chocolate, and the mocha. I also recommend you try one of the pastries from the case that they source from Kingston bread and bar; my favorite being the salted chocolate chip cookies.

The tap list is always exciting to look at as they do curate a fantastic selection of local craft beers and ciders.

This place is excellent for everyone! They often have story time on Sundays for children. They have a schedule of events that always surprises me with its range from trivia nights, to author book signings, to meeting your public representatives. There’s bound to be something that interests you. They also encourage you to come to work with your lap tops or notebooks.

The seating here allows it to be friendly to all size groups. There’s bar seating along the windows if you’re cruising solo, smaller tables of you have 2-4 people, one bigger table or a lounge area nestled around a coffee table for larger groups.

I always recommend this place to friends visiting from out of state as I feel like this is a great place to see what Kingston is really like.

Edit: I recommend bringing your own reusable to-go cup! They have always been environmentally conscious, and as part of that consciousness they do charge extra if you require a paper cup. This isn’t a problem if you intend to stay to drink your coffee there! However if you’re taking to-go, best bring...

Sometimes when I go out I appreciate being made to feel bad for my orders: "You're an adult, why can't you help yourself?” “You don't belong here, and you certainly don't deserve these goods.” “You should have stayed home with your mother and spared us this burden, the ordeal of your existence." It is a reminder that the weather affects each of us differently.

But this is not the kind of service you can ever expect from Rough Draft Bar & Books. They are always delighted to help, and just as fascinated and enthused by the whole affair as I am.

When it is my turn in line, I carefully approach the counter, still squinting at the ever-changing menu on the wall—not because it’s unclear (it’s actually masterfully arranged), but because I want to do the right thing, and because I am the kind of person who cannot help but express his curiosity and deliberation. This same curiosity slides back to me from across the counter: "What will this mysterious person order? And where does he come from?"

As I continue running simulations of potential orders, I am politely studied by the cashier, whose pondering and anticipation soon spread throughout and take hold of the entire room. Everyone waits, wondering, “Will he get it right?"

I quietly ask if I may have the drink that best complements my being during that particular outing. I receive a “Yes” in response—a warm, gentle, delighted yes, which almost blooms into a restrained fist pump. I pop off. I feel like an Olympic pole vaulter who has just reached record heights, running victorious laps around the space as even my competitors, inspired by my achievement, rejoice and cheer me on.

The crowd dies down and we all return to our private lives. I find a seat among my new, anonymous friends, scoot into position, and take the well-earned, celebratory first sip of my...

Our recent weekend adventure was spent in Kingston, NY. I’ve been following a bunch of places on Instagram so we decided to do an overnight and try to do as much as we could. First stop was Rough Draft. First of all … the name is BRILLIANT! As a writer and book lover, I was squealing over this play on words! It’s this beautiful bookstore with cozy places to sit and relax and also a coffee shop/bar nestled into the original Kingston Academy building built in 1774 (that is, if I read the landmark sign out front correctly). Exposed beams in the ceiling, old brick and stone on the walls … so simply done but so rich in history and beauty. We walked in not knowing what to expect and there was a long line at the counter. We were quickly greeted by a barista/bartender asking if anyone wanted snacks, drip coffee, or beer to step out of line so we grabbed a couple bar stools and placed our order. The beer was local and delicious and we just sat and chatted, taking in all the bustling around us. It was so neat to sit next to people drinking coffee, espresso and lattes, beers and bond over books! I love this concept! We finished our beer, walked around the bookstore and headed to the next stop. When we return to Kingston, this will be my first stop again when we can stay longer! Highly recommend...