Hamilton's Bar & Kitchen — Restaurant in New York

TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! If you'd like to be treated with respect, avoid this place or go on a day when the pale, tatted, male barista isn't there. I went in there and sat down for no more than 10 minutes when that man (the same man who I purchased a pastry from at the same bakery two days prior) came up to me and asked if I had purchased anything. I said no I hadn't yet and he said I needed to leave and that they don't allow people to be there doing work if they don't purchase at least one thing... Ummm, ok. This man literally ASSUMED I had no plans to purchase anything. Mind you, when I was there a couple days prior, I sat there and worked on my computer for a good 3 hours without purchasing anything and at the tail end of my stay there, I bought a pastry and even enjoyed some trivia with the sweet female barista. I didn't know I had to purchase something immediately to be allowed to stay. Clearly that's not a real policy being that my experience only days prior was completely different- but the man insisted that it was. I told him there should be a sign on their doors stating that you had to buy something within 10 minutes or less to stay. He said that was the owner's policy... Horrible, horrible, horrible. Way to lose a customer. Had he at least waited to see if I had purchased something OR at least said, our policy is x,y,z for future reference, but you can stay this time, I wouldn't be writing this post. Instead he decided to embarrass me and say "you can't stay if you don't buy something." Which was my intention once I had settled in and set my computer up, etc. had he not pulled that kind of stunt. So much for a "neighborhood" coffee shop. I just moved back to my neighborhood in Harlem and this was a rude welcome back. This bakery wasn't here when I moved for grad school several years ago and perhaps it was better that way. Remember this, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."- Take a page out of Maya Angelou's book...

Having only been open for a week or so, this café seems to be running pretty smoothly! The seating area is huge, open, and furnished in a way that makes getting around easy. Ambiance-wise, there are vintage brass chandeliers, chalkboard walls, a comfy couch and set of wingback chairs, and the milk/straw/cutlery station is a vintage range oven (I mean, come on) Imagine a Pinterest board labeled, "cute, not corny, not ironic, indie/southern comfort-food café". I'll just let that settle in. Revel in that. Literally, the only thing to keep me from thinking it's the "after" shot from Fixer-Upper is shiplap, a fireplace, and 7,000 children running around.

The menu is amazing. The food is homey and comforting, with stuff I wouldn't expect in this neighborhood, like real homemade whipped cream, and pastries actually made in-store.

The owner is like the pastry chef mother no one has, but totally needed. You can tell she took time selecting everything from the decor, to her menu, to the actual humans with souls and senses of humor who work behind the counter. Each time I've gone in, the employees are far more levelheaded than I've seen at a new business, and much more approachable than at any chain bakery/café.

All in all, amazing. It feels wrong that a place this great is literally outside my apartment, like it got lost on its way somewhere else where all is right with the world, and food is made with real ingredients with a two-syllable max. Food that could have been made with the ingredients their pastry chef mother had in their icebox and was left on the windowsill to cool (not what happens, I'm trying to convey an image here.) But I'm not complaining. This is awesome. I'm looking forward to this place sticking around and becoming a regular spot for everyone in the...

I had a really disappointing experience here recently. I tried to walk in for brunch, excited to try the place out and support the business, but was stopped at the door by an employee named Jorge simply because I had an iced coffee in my hand that I had purchased elsewhere.

I was planning to sit down, order food, and be a paying customer — but instead I was told I couldn’t come in unless I threw away my coffee. That kind of treatment makes absolutely no sense. I understand if someone brings in a full meal or something disruptive, but a single iced coffee? That’s not a reason to turn away a customer.

The way Jorge handled it came across as unnecessarily rude and unwelcoming. There are far better ways to approach people if you have a policy — assuming there even is one — but frankly, policing someone’s beverage choice at the door is just bad hospitality.

I ended up taking my business elsewhere, and I don’t plan on returning. If this is how they treat potential customers, I’d rather spend my money at a place that understands how to treat people with basic courtesy and...