Conwell Coffee & Cocktail Hall — Restaurant in New York

More negatives than positives. This is a beautiful cafe. It’s wonderful that they kept the art deco style and original things from when this place was a bank back 100 years ago or so. It’s like walking into New York City of the past. They’ve even leaned into the old charm in the decor, furnishings, and music. It’s a very pleasant atmosphere, very spacious and relaxing with chairs and tables, but also couches where you can get extra comfy.

Service was a whole opposite issue, unfortunately. As there’s no table service, you have to order at the window, take a number, and set it on your table so the food runner can find you, which I didn’t mind. However, they didn’t have any kind of decaf coffee to serve, which was very odd for a place calling itself a coffee hall. I guess they’d just run out of all types of decaf coffees. However, the ball kept rolling down hill from there. The food runner brought part of our order to the table, and took about another 10 minutes or so to serve the rest, which was just 4 drinks and a few pastries; the place wasn’t even very busy. He said there was shift change, and so certain things had just got forgotten or lost, which already says a lot about the level of service and organization. At one point I got up to see if I could just get the rest of the order as the 2 coffees sitting on the table were getting cold as we waited for everyone to get their stuff.

Most coffee places these days have baristas that’ll make pretty designs in the cappuccino foam. Not this place. In fact, it looked like they had tried, and just failed with all three lattes/cappuccinos.

The pastries were decent, but the best was the chocolate chip cookie. The monkey bread was very small, and a bit dry; not very exciting. We had also ordered the kouign amann. As someone who spends/has spent a lot of time in the area of France where this pastry comes from, their kouign amann really wasn’t up to par. Don’t get me wrong, it was decent, but very dry, and not that delicious decadence we were expecting. Typically, kouign amann is extremely sticky, extremely buttery, very sugary. The total opposite of dry.

Another unfortunate part was the restroom. For this large coffee hall/brunch café, there was only one tiny bathroom. Luckily, the place wasn’t very busy, so it wasn’t a problem. However, when and if this place starts to pick up and get busier, I don’t know how they are going to manage with that one little tiny bathroom.

Overall, I would consider going back a second time, although I would not jump at the opportunity. There was nothing very special about this place outside of the decor. It’s possible it was just an off day, so it would be interesting to go back, and see if service at least is better because at the end of the day, what really sets a restaurant apart is food and service, and that’s strangely where they really...

Conwell Coffee Hall is a true hidden gem in FiDi—so hidden that even Google Maps won’t list it if you search for coffee. Slip through the discreet Hanover Street side entrance (via the fastest revolving door you’ll ever encounter) and you’re transported into a soaring Art Deco temple of marble columns, intricate metalwork, and an almost cinematic sense of power and elegance.

The towering mural is the showstopper—a sprawling, almost apocalyptic panorama that feels part history, part fever dream. At its center, a skyscraper rises like a temple to industry, surrounded by chaos: white-collar men trapped in an elevator, laborers straining over massive pumps, engineers dashing and shouting, architects on the roof pointing toward lightning strikes and engulfing flames. You catch glimpses of X-rays, chemical experiments, and workers forging steel in fire. It’s a collision of invention, ambition, and destruction—perhaps a nod to Nikola Tesla, electromagnetic waves, and the precarious march of progress. Every figure wears a different expression—determination, awe, panic—like snapshots of humanity in crisis.

A small plaque reading Life and Trust – Oct 23, 1929 hangs quietly in the back, a quiet but chilling reminder of the stock market crash and the fragility of grandeur.

Despite the long line and the atmosphere’s formal air, service is swift, with table delivery through vintage teller windows adding a bit of theatrical flourish. The croissant looked divine but tasted dense and lacked the shattering flake of a great pastry. The cortado, crowned with neat latte art, was smooth but unremarkable—its bitterness may turn away casual coffee drinkers.

Still, Conwell Coffee Hall is unforgettable—not just a café, but a character-rich stage set where every detail whispers of a lost New York, both...

So, yesterday I decided to check out Conwell Coffee Hall. At first, I was just hunting for a quick coffee and maybe a bite to eat—nothing fancy, right? Well, let me tell you… this place completely flipped the script on me.

You walk up these grand stairs (yes, you feel important already), and suddenly you’re in this massive upper hall that feels like it belongs in a movie scene. The space is huge, with these floor-to-ceiling windows draped in super sophisticated curtains. And then—bam!—there’s this stunning mural splashed across the wall, full of bold, beautiful colors. It’s like stepping into an art gallery that happens to serve breakfast.

Now, onto the food—because priorities! I ordered JG’s Breakfast (highly recommend if you’re into a good classic done right), and yes, I had to try the French toast. Spoiler alert: it was insanely good. Soft, flavorful, with just the right amount of sweetness. Basically, the kind of breakfast that makes you wonder why you don’t do this more often.

If you’re planning a catch-up with friends and feel like leveling up your usual coffee hangout, this is the spot. Getting there’s easy—hop on the red line (2/3 train) to Wall Street, and it’s a quick three-minute walk. Oh, and they serve cocktails. Yes, cocktails at a coffee hall. So if you’re in the mood for a little something-something in the afternoon, they’ve got you covered.

Conwell Coffee Hall is where art, good food, and chill vibes meet. Definitely worth the...