Coffee Project New York | East Village — Restaurant in New York

I came for the deconstructed latte but stayed for the ambiance, staff, and excellent coffee.

Known as Project One, the deconstructed latte ($7) is exactly what you think it is - a latte that is broken down into a three-glass flight. The progression goes from espresso to milk (from a local creamery, pasteurized at a lower temperature to resemble the flavor of raw milk while still being perfectly safe to drink) to a beautiful, fully assembled latte. A glass of sparkling water and a wafer accompany these glasses on a wooden tray that is brought to your table by the barista, who explains the flight in detail. The reason for this deconstructed project is to take the time to sip the individual elements of a latte and recognize the flavor layers.

Located in the East Village, Coffee Project New York is the project of Chi Sum Ngai and Kaleena Teoh. Ngai actually trained in Portland before moving to NYC. This coffeeshop serves up everything from espresso, drip, pour-overs, to nitrogen cold brews and even coffee alternatives like hot chocolate and even misugaru (a Korean roasted grain drink). If you don't want a deconstructed latte but like the idea of a flight, they have a nitro flight that is dine-in only. Hungry? They have scones, croissants, Kouign Amann, muffins, and brownies.

Aesthetically, it's warm and inviting with earthy tones and exposed brick. The atmosphere is calm and evokes a sense of community. The baristas are all extremely knowledgeable in the art of coffee-making, and they are so friendly. I am excited to come back and see what new projects are up...

Such an adorable little adventure! I arrived with a friend on a Saturday afternoon, around 1pm. There are only 3 tables & a bar by the window (plus 1 table in the back), so seating is limited. Most people got their drinks to go, but we wanted to try the famous Deconstructed latte ($7) & the Nitro coffee flight ($5).

Ordering was super fast & the cashier was very friendly. We took a seat in the front of the shop (no laptops are allowed in this area) and waited only a few minutes for our order.

An awesome barista brought our coffee & asked if she could explain each one. We listened as she shared her advice on how to drink the deconstructed latte: Start from left to right, beginning with the espresso, then the foamed milk, and finally, the latte itself. The seltzer is the palette cleanser to be consumed at the beginning and end.

It was super tasty and fun to enjoy the coffee in this way.

The nitro flight came with a standard cold brew, and another with cream and sugar. Both were good, but I thought the black cold brew was flat and watery. My friend enjoyed it, though.

Both sets come with a pizzelle (Italian waffle wafer) which is a nice addition.

A note about sugar: The latte flight does not include sugar & the baristas are purists, so they don't offer it to you. Instead, you can ask for some agave syrup if you need it. The nitro flight does come with a small creamer of sugar syrup, but I was told by the barista that I won't need it. I supposed that suggestion could be perceived as off-putting, but it...

After seeing so many pictures of the deconstructed latte of course I had to try it and photograph it for myself! It was definitely an interesting experience and I really enjoyed it. If you don't like coffee or are particularly averse to the bitterness, this probably isn't for you. However, if you are an addict such as myself, it's worth a try. Most things on the menu are pretty pricey so for me personally, I don't think I would make a habit out of coming there. There was a decent variety of desserts and they had some vegan and gluten-free options for those interested in that.

The place itself is really small and there isn't much place to sit. Something that I liked is that most of the tables have a sign basically states that laptops and tablets are not allowed and to enjoy your coffee and the conversation. You don't see a lot of that these days because most coffee shops have become places for people to do their work so it was a...