Alita Cafe — Restaurant in New York

Extensive review coming in! I'll split this into two sections: Customer and Employee.

DISCLAIMER: I was not paid to write this review and am doing it out of my volition. Also, I am no longer an employee and am writing this because I love the cafe and the staff!

Customer Review: The staff provides incredible service that doesn't feel fake or forced. The pastries are always freshly baked every morning, so it's not being pulled out of a Balthazar box from two months ago. The coffee, expertly roasted by Regalia Coffee, is superb and pairs excellently with the pastries mentioned above. The Alita BEC is an absolute monster of a sandwich, and their newest Focaccia sandwich is fantastic (ask about the new sandwich). A humble cafe with a family atmosphere on a busy street makes for a nice piece of tranquility and home. Seriously, check this place out.

Employee review: I spent nearly two years working for Alita and wouldn't trade it for anything. Alita is blessed to have some of the hardest-working team-members, and the management is very proactive in ensuring their employees are healthy and okay. The team has over three decades of experience in the Food, Specialty Coffee, and Fine Dining service industries, and they are more than willing to share their knowledge with you. My only complaint was with specific customers, but I knew that the staff had my back as I had theirs at the end of the day. This was one of the most fun and rewarding jobs I've had. If you're interested in learning about coffee or making an impact in the community, I highly suggest you speak with the owner, Joseph, about working at Alita.

tl;dr this café is excellent, and you should...

Alita is the coffee shop I always dreamed of having in my neighborhood. The coffees and teas are all incredible, and the amount of care and attention that goes into each drink is immediately noticeable. From the roasting to the brewing, no detail is overlooked, but the presentation remains accessible and unpretentious.

Their wide variety of baked goods are equally as delicious as the drinks. Some of my favorites are the Colombian chorizo and cheddar biscuit, the pan au chocolat, and the banana bread. If you’re looking for something more substantial, they make an incredible bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich that can be made on a fresh biscuit or, my favorite, a butter croissant.

All the drinks and the food served in this charming cafe are delicious, but the real reason to keep coming back is the service. Every member of the staff here is knowledgeable, personable, and friendly. It’s a genuine pleasure to come visit Alita each morning. After experiencing this level of quality and service, I can’t imagine going anywhere else for my...

Out of the 61 coffee shops in Williamsburg I've visited, Alita might just be the very best. High marks across the board: Espresso, Milk Skills, Cold Brew, Matcha, they're all amazing, without being pretentious about their product like other top-tier shops can sometimes be.

If you nerd out about coffee, ask them about their crazy awesome espresso machines from Decent that connect to iPads and show live data of the extraction. Ask them about their roasting since they do it all themselves at the Regalia Roasting Collective, or the creative specialty drinks they're cooking up–they're happy to tell you all about it. Or, if you're just looking for a great cup served up by helpful baristas, you've got that here too.

For whatever you're looking for, drop in to say hi to Alejandro, your new super-friendly neighbor. He's a long-time veteran of great coffee shops around the city who really cares about your experience and the coffee itself, and it...