Claire's Kitchen Cafe — Restaurant in New York

Another little gem in this area. Beautiful atmosphere, friendly staff, good coffee (I only had an iced latte; thus, cannot judge for proper hot coffee) and delicious meal; I had a very good Greek-style omelette. It’s a beautiful corner spot, with lots of sitting options inside (a bench facing the large vitrine, tables and chairs, or another area upstairs) and outside. Great spot for somebody who wants to combine work and… appetite pleasure, as it offers free and fast internet. :-) The day I visited, an early weekend morning, somebody was playing music too loud for that time (the music was enjoyable, the volume was too loud!) and talking loud and non-stop, but any other time I cross, it seems like a quiet and comfortable spot to enjoy a meal and coffee, and always nicely busy. I love that they always have water for doggies outside and the place looks very clean...

The morning shift on 6/6/25 was not the usual vibes. The barista had loud music playing—full of profanity—and got my partner’s order wrong not once, but three times and took way too long. One of the drinks was supposed to be iced but came out hot. When they asked for it to be corrected, he handed over a cup of ice and a cup of hot coffee to fix it ourselves.

We also ordered a sweet treat and were given the wrong item. I’m all for good vibes and music in a café, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of accuracy or professionalism. Please focus more on the orders and customer experience. Acknowledge your guests, a simple hello...

The cafe itself is nice, but my issue is with the lack of transparency in pricing. I ordered pancakes and a latte, and the cashier told me I could choose toppings for the pancakes and syrup for the latte. I chose three toppings and one syrup. There was no screen showing an itemized breakdown of the prices, so when the total came out higher, I assumed automatic gratuity had been added and didn’t question it. Later, when I checked the online receipt, I saw I had been charged extra for the toppings and syrup, something the cashier never mentioned.

Plus the latte was watery and pretty...