Dayglow — Restaurant in New York

Let’s be honest, it’s hard to find a decent cup in NYC. That is unless a decent cup, for you, consists of over roasted and bitter coffee. Dayglow is a welcome alternative to the standard NY cafe. It offers a large variety of single origin coffees from washed to natural. Most of the coffees are sourced from notable international roasters. It excels in offering over half a dozen different pour over options as well as myriad drink concoctions. I had a simple natural Colombian pour-over that was smooth and citrusy.

The design of the space is minimalist with abundant natural light. The coffee preparation area is modern and minimalist. No bulky espresso machines on the counter, just spouts. They even have pour-over machines. I suppose it provides a more consistent cup than relying on the mood of the barista.

Speaking of which, the service is classic Brooklyn hipster vibes. Dismissive and aloof. There is a fabricated air of retro cool, rooted in insecurity and in a deep seated desire to stand out as an individual by fitting into a “counter-culture” that has ironically become mainstream. This Brooklyn retro “cool” seeps out of all corners of the cafe. Eye rolls are accompanied by pallid complexions accented with american-traditional tattoos, an Alanís Morissette 90’s playlist drones loudly in the “background”, and there are bags of coffee that are boxed to look like VHS tapes. Retro cool...

At first I wasn’t sure whether I was walking into a coffee shop or a Casper showroom. The calm blue and white decor plus the beautiful skylight makes you feel like walking into a cloud.

It was not very crowded and the barista gave me a few minutes to scan the menu. I appreciate that he did not rush me on my first time here. I was skeptical about the HAM & CHEESE CROISSANT because it was stored in a dingy drawer but the first bite convinced me it was fresh. Though not warmed up, it had good texture.

The WARHOL LATTE was sweeter than I expected, but I did not hate it. The combination of cinnamon and citrus was a pleasant surprise and complemented the espresso well. Maybe the coffee flavor in my coffee drink could have been stronger. This tasted more like a hot milkshake than a coffee drink. I enjoyed it nevertheless.

Dayglow’s on the pricier side for coffee, but you’re paying for the innovation. Few places do what they do. I will come back here next time I’m feeling...

DAYGLOW IS AMAZING. Holy beejebus this place is great. INCREDIBLY well created coffee drinks, and I got to meet the guy who comes up with a lot of the recipes. My favorite is the Totoro, which is distilled coffee (I don't know what that means), coconut cream/milk, two types of raw honey, charcoal, and black sesame. It's so good. I have gone to hundreds of coffee shops here in NYC and this is easily top 5. There's an associated bar in the same space called Niteglo and guess what? They do alcoholic versions of a lot of their drinks, usually more than just "we took this and added vodka". They are individual creations and made in love. A cool thing about that though is that they can make you the non alcoholic versions all night, if you ask nicely. They even close at 11. And even though they are renting out a place owned by their famous competitor, Sey coffee, I think that they are...