Picky Barista — Restaurant in New York

It’s been a while (read never) since I’ve visited a sleepy coffee shop and actually approached by a condescending barista asking if I “need anything” since apparently I can’t sit for 10 min without ordering something?

So, Dear Picky Barista, I’m not sure what’s the coffee shop culture here but it certainly differs from others in NYC. I must ask, why is the staff (that one lady) so unpleasant? Was it my “The Arabs” book that so offended her? I ended up getting your dry, days old banana bread, which, really would be better served to the rodents outside but I guess policy is policy and I did want to sit somewhere while I typed this. I think you should amend your “no outside food”to include “we’re not your friendly neighbourhood coffee shop - don’t sit here unless you buy something “ At least the customer would be warned. To be fair I’ve been here on a few other occasions and my suggestion? Just stick to coffee? It’s…decent enough. And perhaps a staff refresher on how to be...

Good coffee. Quiet atmosphere. Wifi is great here. Pastries always look super yum.

Addendum: I went here on a Sunday to get some work done after doing the same a few times during the week. There were signs for "no computer zone" / "let's talk to each other" and of course I didn't notice until I got my coffee and sat down to work. I went out alone with the intention of doing work on my computer. Let's face it, most people in New York City are not talking to strangers in 2025 in a meaningful way. If your goal is crowd control on weekends, just let it be known that you have a 1-2 hour stay policy during high-volume days. Not everyone is out to be social on the weekends unfortunately. It's off-putting to hide behind a facade of collectivism and community building when that's doesn't feel like the true intention of it. Maybe it's not that deep but TLDR it's not an ideal place for trying to get work done on the weekends. Great spot during the...

I go to this place every week and I must say that it is one of the cutest places that I've ever been to in the city. The food is great, and the people working there are always the sweetest. I'm so glad that I was able to find such a cute cafe to go to before work. But this past week when I went in, I couldn't help but notice how the batista seemed a bit stressed- she is always the sweetest but there were so many people and she was the only one working there at the time. I only hope that more people start working there soon since it's such a cute place!! With how popular it's becoming i wish the batistas the best of luck!!! Thank you for the delicious pastries in the morning, you always make my day with your kind...