% Arabica New York Nolita — Restaurant in New York

We visited the original Arabica % in Kyoto before it expanded. Since then we have been to many Arabica % locations in various cities and countries. So we were very excited to see there was one in New York during our recent visit.

We went to the Nolita location twice - the first time we went the barista was extremely friendly. I asked for a latte but with less milk (more of a cappuccino) and she happily made that for us and even asked up to where I wanted her to fill the cup to make sure it was what we wanted.

Went back two days later and while the same barista was there, it was a different employee who took our order. I asked the same thing and he said no - told me it was 6oz or 8oz and could not do anything else. What exactly is so difficult about not filling the cup all the way? He said he would make a short latte… when we got them they were basically lattes filled to the top so he obviously just said that to make us pay and stop asking questions.

We noticed he was not even the one who made our coffees. We basically paid 12$ (almost 18 with our exchange rate) for 2 cups of hot cup of milk. While I don’t wanna say the location in general has bad service because the other employees were really nice, our interaction with this employee made us decide to go elsewhere for coffee for the rest...

I don’t recommend any one to come to this branch. Very rude & un-professional customer service. I came in driving long distance because i am a big fan of % Spanish latte which i tried in different locations and never have been disappointed. First thing this location didn’t have most of the simple ingredients any coffee shop would have available, such as regular milk or decaf coffee. I had to go with what ever they had available, i placed my order then waited for almost 30 min just in-front of the barista watching her to start making my order. Noticed people came after me have already took their orders. I asked her how long till i get my order? she asked what’s my order, she noticed it wasn’t even in the queue. The cashier said without even looking at me we called your name maybe someone else took your order. I got really mad & asked him if he can just cancel my order because i don’t want to waste another 30 min, he said without any apology ok you’ll see it go back into your account. This store employees is a bad...

Lululemon mixed with blue bottle lighting and wework interior aesthetic. An aspiring Apple Store of coffee shops. Some casual conversations in here, but a bit of a quiet, proper, curated ambiance. Feels like a scene from the movie “Her” with people in their own zones. Not quite the hang-out coffee spot the yopros may be looking for after Saturday brunch, but a cool place to exist in nonetheless. Solid floor to ceiling wall of natural lighting. If you want drip coffee, they have a $6 pourover with Chemex option (South American blend, or single origin Colombia). I went with the single origin: light body, floral, hibiscus flavor mixed with strawberry, long finish, high acidity. Overall a great drip coffee. The bag of beans (and brand) are a bit formal, though! Highly minimialist almost to a vice of the extent of “these are our corporate guidelines.” Additional amenities: Drip coffee score: 4.5/5. Everything else score: 4/5. Overall...