Devoción — Restaurant in New York

Let’s be honest, I had high hopes for Devoción. A fair trade pipeline that guarantees freshness from Colombian farms direct to your cup! But does freshness matter in the face of a medium to medium-dark roast profile?

Maybe I went to the wrong storefront. I went to the downtown Brooklyn Livingston St location. Entering the space it felt like Starbucks more fashionable and and slightly more exotic younger brother who had done a summer abroad program in Colombia. They did offer a couple of pour-overs. I had the Nasa We’sx Indigenous (double fermentation). Unfortunately the flavor profile tended more towards the roasting qualities themselves rather than the qualities of the coffee fruit. This was particularly notable while hot. Most of the interesting notes were buried under the heavier roast flavor and slightly bitter aftertaste. However, there were some light citrus and acidic notes that came out as the coffee cooled, which was a pleasant surprise! Overall, I’d say that this pour over was on par with a basic drip coffee from a Juan Valdez chain store in Colombia. This isn’t all that bad for NYC but is a bit of a shame considering that this is specialty coffee (not the lower grade that is sent to most chains) that goes through so much effort to be sourced, processed, and brought quickly to NYC to be roasted.

Overall, if you aren’t into lighter roasted coffees and lean more towards the roast notes, then you may enjoy this place. Is this place better than a Starbucks? To be sure! Did it earn my devoción? No.

I’d give this place a 3.5/5. But since google doesn’t give us half stars I guess I’ll have to round up to 4. To give you some context, average in NYC would be 2.5 for most “specialty” shops and a 2 for Starbucks and...

This coffee shop is cash-free. This means that anyone who isn't middle class and doesn't have a credit card or a bank account will be, literally, turned away and not served. Think about that. #classism #gentrification

This policy is a great way to ensure clientele is, given how race and class intersect, largely white and socio-economically privileged, and does so in a historically black neighborhood being overtaken by luxury apartment towers. This establishment is thus actively participating in gentrification. It might look avant garde but the classism it's reinforcing is the opposite of avant garde: it's constructively racist.

Smart patrons will echo this criticism and encourage management to change their cashless policy. Accepting cash means this store might actually have a chance to truly be a real gathering point in a diverse community and welcome people who are not just the economically privileged but all of us. Being progressive and hip in 2019 means having an economic position that doesn't reinforce and perpetuate oppressive classism or racism. This coffee shop is currently failing the racism and classism litmus test.

I encourage you guys to do better. It's as simple as...

The atmosphere of this cafe creates such a chill and productive environment! I came in to get a little work done and try the coffee. I got the Rosemary Agave Latte (Hot) and my girlfriend got the Iced Latte (both with pistachio milk). We also tried the Guava Croissant!

The Rosemary Agave coffee had a strong and unique flavor profile. I would recommend it to anyone who likes to explore specialty coffees! I will note that they don't have flavors or syrups for their drinks (vanilla, caramel, etc.). They do however have a simple sugar and honey syrup that can be added to drinks after they are received.

The croissant was very good! Very flakey with fruit filling that perfectly executed the balance of sweet and tart that guava is known for.

The best part of our dine-in experience was the setting! The yellow tiles, center plant island, and the warm lighting created a very comfortable yet productive environment. I would come back again just to get some work done!

Overall it was a wonderful, cozy experience! The presentation of both our drinks/pastry as well as the subtle warm decor made the cafe one...