La Cabra — Restaurant in New York

While the coffee, including a $14 long espresso from Thailand, was commendable, the service was notably poor. I seldom write negative reviews, yet I feel compelled to highlight the stark contrast in customer service we experienced. One male staff member was exceptionally polite and knowledgeable, recommending several drinks for our group of four, and rightfully earns five stars for his service. Conversely, a female colleague of his wearing a mask, exhibited unprofessional behavior, rudely asking us to move aside for other customers, showing a lack of consideration for our presence and payment process.As an owner of two specialty coffee shops and a roastery, with hands-on experience behind the bar, I understand the importance of customer service. It was disheartening to remind a staff member that her role encompasses serving people, not just completing transactions. This interaction, coupled with a lack of information about the coffee extraction process and the excessively hot milk in our oat latte, diminished our overall experience.In our profession, where managing space and ensuring efficient service are crucial, being unnecessarily asked to move felt dismissive and contributed to a subpar experience. Excellent coffee needs to be paired with excellent service; without it, customers might as well choose from the plethora of other cafes offering both. Tips are for rewarding good service, and in this instance, it was lacking.

We were asked to move aside both at the cash while we were talking to the cashier, to place our order, and once again at the pickup of our coffees, mind you, there was no seating and we just got 2 espressos in the ceramic cups (one being the $14 Thai one, god forbid I got that in a to go cup, and the other one was a simple Brazil) And an oat latte to go. Obviously the espressos are going to be drank very quickly and we head out just by seeing the composition...

I was so excited to visit the new location of La Cabra! The new branch is more spacious with warm atmosphere, modern interior design and peaceful music. It has an open bar where you can watch their barista brewing coffee with fancy espresso machines and streamlined tap for water.

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＊ Pumpkin Tart A decadent fall dessert with a buttery press-in crust, layers of cranberry jam and pumpkin ganache, and topped with kabocha squash mousse. The mousse was as light and smooth as cappuccino foam. Yet the pumpkin flavor was nearly invisible as it was overpowered by the cranberry compote.

Sadly I tried it again on the next day but the quality of their tart went downhill. The crust became soggy and the bottom was very watery. We reflected the problem to their staff, but the lady just took our plate and threw us a “thanks” bluntly. We had many good tarts from La Cabra (rye tart, strawberry pistachio tart), this was so far the only heartbreaking one…

＊ Strawberry Tart Love at first bite, this seasonal tart is chef kissed. We were lucky to get the last strawberry tart at 1pm on a weekday. The shortcrust pastry base was burst with buttery aroma, extremely crispy and filled with layers of pumpkin seed mazarin and strawberry compote. The top was piped with thick and smooth vanilla mascarpone cream, and nestled with fresh Danish strawberries. Enjoyed every bite and left wanting more.

＊Canele The canele was mediocre. Not the best in town.

＊Hand Brew - Shyira, Rwanda You should def try their pourover coffee as their soho store is dedicated to provide a delightful coffee experience. Shyira is a washed coffee with a hint of floral note and a balanced flavor.

Worth...

Very trendy cafe in soho, originally from Denmark. They just opened about a month ago (La Cabra Bakery in East Village has been in NY for a while). La Cabra is a famous name in the coffee business, and they specialize in lightly roasted coffee, if I’m not mistaken. Their coffee is nice. I tried La Papaya Oak, Ecuador, which is fermented. Tastes really fruity. I liked it. The portion was huge, though. It’s definitely enough for 2. Also, that makes it a bit lighter and slightly more watery for my taste.

One issue is that they roast the beans and ship them from Denmark. I mean, that’s great because you get the same quality, but at the same time, that’s not so great because you won’t always get freshly roasted coffee (especially for buying the coffee beans). Also, it is more expensive this way.

Another thing about this cafe is the relatively bad queue management. I’m sorry to say this because the staff were kinda nice. The menu was hard to find while waiting in the line because it is not found anywhere except on the bar top in front of the cashier, so you will stand there under the pressure of choosing quickly because you don’t want the whole line to wait for you while you brainstorm (which is EXACTLY what makes the line so slow).

Anyway, I took a picture of the filter coffee menu so you get an idea. The other menu is typical, so I leave it for you to discover what they have. They also have some pastries like cardamom bun, so you know what, I suggest you just jump ahead, make up your mind (or take pics), and then get back in the line, which is awkward af but that’s...