The Chipped Cup — Restaurant in New York

An undiscovered gem for me! Wow! I'm really impressed with the simplicity and the size of this place. Walked in, found people clicking away on laptops and sipping variations of coffee! Ok, I know there're hundreds of coffee places each of them being the anti-Starbucks (I actually have a complete different view of Starbucks now) showing off their uniqueness in different ways, but in my neighborhood, this place is truly refreshing and unique! There is nothing else like it! I love it. I found a place to get coffee, sit and write my blog and my reviews!

This place works on so many levels- it's close to me (4 blocks), it's has really good inexpensive coffee (not sure it they make it on premises or outsource), a customer service card (get it chipped 10 times you got a free coffee coming your way) and they have a cool raw back yard space! It's a nice to sit out and sip something warm on those crisp fall days which we seem to be in the midst of.

The Chipped Cup states on the business card, coffee and victuals, wasn't sure what victuals meant, till I looked it up. It's a noun: food or provisions, typically as prepared for consumption. Hmm. I didn't see food anyone eating food, but I miss things sometimes.

I've passed the place several times without even peaking in. Well again, an unplanned saturday exploring your surroundings can uncover gems like these! After finishing up at Harlem Public, we saw the sign and decided to descend the stairs down to and get some coffee. I had the drip cup- large- she some choco-covered coffee beans and the espresso- double shot, but it was more like a double espresso. All for 8 bucks. Don't worry, no cash, they have Square so you can swipe away with your debit card.

We sat in the yard talking relationships, the state of men and women and how we were going to finish up this unplanned day.

We left after the last chocolate covered coffee bean was gone and she declared, "now it's time for me to go the bathroom!". Lol, well I'm sure by the connotation you know why we had to leave.

4 cups here- 1 for the simplicity, the wifi, the backyard and most importantly the coffee. I will be back so I can get my card stamped 10 times (which debatably seems to be too many times before a freebie) minus 1 for the odd location and stairs (you could easily miss this place and some people may have problems with the stairs). **One potential problem is that the wi-fi can be spotty and problematic to use! I would be inclined to take away a cup for that, but I won't. It's a gem and it's in my neighborhood!...

I’ve been coming to the chipped cup around once a month for a while now. Not often enough to say I’m really a regular, but frequently enough to notice when things change in the shop. The biggest change I’ve noticed since my last visit a couple of months ago would probably be the staff. Not just the complete turn over of employees, except for the guy in the beanie, but the quality of service they deliver. Don’t get me wrong, the products are fine (aside from some of the toasts that are inconsistent and absolutely unacceptable on their bad days). It’s not something I can’t find elsewhere. However, the environment was the sole reason I made an effort to keep coming back. The “kindness” of the recent hires compared to when I visited a month or even two months ago doesn’t seem genuine or real. Which is great if you’re a corporate money hungry business, but that’s not what I’ve felt The Chipped Cup ever wanted to be perceived as. It’s literally a basement cafe with a back alley they call a “garden” that the COMMUNITY is reliant on. I LOVE that kind of environment. Except this new prim and smiley staff just doesn’t reflect or match that energy. The previous staff was raw and honest and had the best attitude and brightened my day. It made me feel like I was going to my friend’s house to spill some tea. It felt very inclusive. Not to mention, everyone now seems really exhausted and on edge. I’ve worked in customer service before and this just reminds me of all of the times management started disregarding the feelings and opinions of the ones actually doing most of the work. Unsure when things exactly changed, but it’s definitely a noticeable shift. I probably won’t be returning. I’m sorry...

Gentrification at its finest. Everyone behind the counter was white. Nearly all the customers were also white. You step in and you’re no longer in Harlem/Washington Heights; you’re in the UES. This is your typical overpriced, white, hipster, and gentrifying coffee shop.

This place is way too expensive. I ordered a large latte which was at $5.75 but they charge a whole dollar extra for oat milk. My order totaled to $7.35 for a measly, sub-mediocre latte. See receipt.

About the drinks themselves…I wanted to order a cappuccino, but they said they steam everything the same…What? So they don’t know how to make lattes vs. cappuccinos vs. macchiatos etc.? This is not a cafe. Cafes know how to make different drinks. The misleading thing is that the menu has all these drinks on there, but they steam everything the same? The drink wasn’t remarkable.

When my order was ready, I asked for cinnamon, but that’s something they sprinkle on for you—the cinnamon isn’t something you can add. Odd. The barista gave me one shake of cinnamon. How stingy, especially for the absurd prices they charge. I’d asked for more and the barista seemed upset that I had. The person at the register was nice and had a cheerful attitude, though.

The only thing this place has going for itself is the outdoor seating, which is an utter shame because it literally seeps into people’s lives. All the outdoor seating is just a couple of feet away from people’s windows. I bet most of these folks aren’t customers here. They have an insensitive Polite Notice (see picture) implying that “Karens” and “Kevins” will hackle them about noise, but the Karens and Kevins are likely at the coffee shop.😐

All in all, I regret...