6 best places for latte art in NYC

The cafe culture in New York City is unlike any other I’ve experienced on my travels.

Stop for morning coffee in SoHo, after lunch off Broadway in mid-town Manhattan, and the last one in Brooklyn. Nothing’s off limit in NYC when it comes to how you like your favorite beverage.

Discussing the variety of bean, size of beverage and type of milk you want is old school. In this post, I’m taking you to 5 of the best places for latte art in New York City.

If you’re looking for excellent coffee that also doubles into a work of art, make sure to bookmark these places.

6 best places for latte art in NYC

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1. Remi Flower & Coffee

Enjoy your morning (or afternoon) coffee at the delightful Remi Flower & Coffee.

Located on 2nd Avenue in mid-town Manhattan, this florist and coffee shop is a beautiful way to start your morning.

Surrounded by colorful blooms and foliage, the menu serves standard coffee and hot drinks as well as specialty beverages. Some of these include the rose latte, butterfly pea latte and a dirty chai.

Lavender pretty

After much deliberation, I chose the lavender latte. In truth, I was a little reluctant to try it, as these types of coffee drinks rarely exist in Italy.

Upon collecting my order, my eyes widened in awe at the sight ahead. Presented in a beautiful ceramic mug that perfectly complimented the coffee was my lavender latte.

I was also surprised by the coffee’s large size. For almost $6 (including tax), I was happy to receive a size that justified the high cost.

Despite the high prices (it is New York City after all), I would definitely recommend, and return, to Remi Flower & Coffee. The coffee was delicious, well made and it was a good size for the price.

Though I didn’t eat anything, the patisserie also looked really good. Because of this, Remi Flower & Coffee would also easily work as a top breakfast spot in NYC.

There are 2 locations of Remi Flower & Coffee, both of which are around 5 minutes’ walk from the other. The smaller branch is located at 906 2nd Avenue, while the larger one is further uptown.

The closest metro station to reach both branches is 5th Avenue - 53 Street.

Remi Flower & Coffee, 906, 2nd Avenue
Remi 43 Flower & Coffee, 810 2nd Avenue

2. Frisson Espresso

A short walk from the electric madness that is Times Square is a small coffee shop gem called Frisson Espresso.

I arrived on a weekday afternoon, a time when there were few patrons and plenty of free tables. The patrons that were there, were quietly working on their laptops and soaking up the tranquil surroundings.

Latte art near me

With no one waiting in line, I ordered a decaf latte from the very friendly barista. Making a special request for latte art, he happily responded with ‘I’ll surprise you!’

After a few minutes, my order was ready. Waiting at the counter was a beautifully made latte with a swan expertly swirled on top.

The cost — given the location in Manhattan — was reasonable too. I paid $4.50 (€4.35/ £3.76) for my coffee, which was also generous in size. Like Remi Flower and Coffee, Frisson Espresso also serves mouth-watering pastries plus healthy breakfast bowls too.

Because of the excellent coffee, the price, service and the location, Frisson Espresso is absolutely worth bookmarking. For me, it ranks as one of the best places for latte art in New York City.

There are 2 branches of Frisson Espresso to visit in New York City. I visited the one on 47th Street, but there’s also a slightly bigger one on 44th Street.

The closest metro stations are 49th Street and 50th Street for the first branch. For the 44th Street branch, Times Square – 42nd Street is the nearest station.

Frisson Espresso, 326 W 47th Street
Frisson Espresso 44, 405 W 44th Street

Map: New York City

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3. Bibble & Sip

There’s nothing immediately eye catching when you find yourself standing outside Bibble & Sip.

From the outside, its simple façade gives no indication that it’s any different from the many cafes in the city.

But, step inside and you’ll see why Bibble & Sip attracts hungry and thirsty patrons to its premises.

The counter immediately grabs your attention with its selection of cute and mouth-watering desserts. However, I was there to try the drinks at one of the best places for latte art in New York City.

I settled on a lavender latte (again) and waited for my order. Bibble & Sip has a fantastic long menu, but this also makes it harder to know what to order. And, with prices being on the higher side in NYC, you want to get your order right the first time.

To give you an idea, small drinks at Bibble & Sip range from $3.75 (€3.63/ £3.13) to $5.50 (€5.32/ £4.59). Large drinks start from $4.25 (€4.11/ £3.55) to $7.00 (€6.77/ £5.85). All the prices listed are without tax.

Tastier the first-time round

When my name was called out, I was delighted to collect my lavender latte with a llama design on top. Almost too cute to drink, I took an obligatory photo before getting stuck in.

If I’m being completely honest, I much preferred the lavender latte at Remi Flower and Coffee. There was more flavor to the coffee, and there was the additional taste of real lavender.

I wouldn’t likely order the same drink again, but admittedly, the latte art at Bibble & Sip is very good.

If I do return again, it’ll be to try the range of handmade patisserie.

The nearest metro station to reach Bibble & Sip is 50th Street.

Bibble & Sip, 253 W 51st Street

4. Sawada Coffee

Take a beloved Chicago brand, add a Japanese twist and bring it to the trendiest part of New York City.

The NYC branch of Sawada Coffee is located in the same building as another Chicago native, Au Cheval.

Wooden décor and dim lighting greet you upon entering the coffee shop. There are a few tables for coffee patrons to enjoy or some stools to the side if the tables are all occupied.

While I’d never tried Sawada Coffee on my previous visits to Chicago, I was encouraged by its enticing menu. However, you should know that the New York City branch only serves drinks and not food.

Anyway, I’d come to try one of the best places for latte art in New York City, or so I’d heard. After all, Sawada Coffee takes its name from its owner, Hiroshi Sawada, a world-renowned barista and latte art master.

Unusual coffee names

Living in Italy, specialty coffees don’t really exist. In summer, we have a ‘crema caffe’, which is almost a mix between a frappe and an ice cream. In bigger cities like Milan, you’re likely to find some places serving specialty coffee drinks, but not like this.

That said, when scanning the menu at Sawada Coffee, I was grateful that the barista explained the drinks. Its two signature drinks are the Military Latte and the Black Camo Latte.

The Military Latte consists of espresso, vanilla, milk, cocoa powder and matcha. Sawada Coffee uses its own blend of matcha green tea imported from Japan. Rich, creamy and very green, it’s a popular choice at Sawada Coffee.

The other latte, which I chose, is the Black Camo Latte. It contains similar ingredients to the Military Latte, apart from the green tea matcha. Instead, this drink has houjicha. A roasted dark matcha tea, it has chocolate tones and a distinct aroma.

Is Sawada Coffee NYC worth visiting

Reluctantly taking my first sip, I was pleasantly surprised — and relieved — that I liked the Black Camo Latte. While the latte art wasn’t really anything to write home about, the delicious taste made up for it.

However, for an eye-watering $8.25 (6.75 including tax) (€7.98/ £6.90), I won’t likely be returning to Sawada Coffee. The only other time I’d paid a similar price for a specialty hot drink was at Elan Cafe in London. And, I’ve never returned there either.

At the time of visiting, Sawada Coffee NYC is only open from Friday to Sunday, 8am to 4pm. Probably a good idea given the small space that it shares with Au Cheval.

The nearest metro station is Canal Street.

Sawada Coffee, 33 Cortlandt Alley

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5. Sweet Moment

Amid the hectic streets of New York City’s Chinatown is one place serving up the cutest drink designs.

Sweet Moment is a cafe serving coffee and tea drinks, along with a range of delicious sandwiches and desserts. Sitting alongside rows of Chinese food markets, it’s easy to miss this cute cafe in New York City.

I arrived on a weekday morning, which was a great time to visit given there were few people around.

Despite this post being about the best latte art in New York City, the menu’s so appealing, I chose something else.

The ‘creamart choco’ drink consists of a milk tea or coffee base with a topping of chocolate cream. A barista then completes the drink by adding the cutest bear art design on top.

The chocolate cream part might sound heavy, but on the contrary, it was anything but. The drink is served cold, so too are the other specialty drinks. However, despite visiting New York in the fall, it didn’t leave me wanting a hot drink after.

A regular coffee

If the sound of a creamart choco doesn’t float your boat, Sweet Moment also serves up regular coffees.

Ask for a standard cappuccino or latte, which the baristas will most likely finish off with some latte art.

Other items to consider trying include the range of Bingsoo, as well as the delectable range of waffle pairings. Bingsoo (or Bingsu) is a popular Korean dessert consisting of shaved ice and sweet toppings like red beans.

Sweet Memory have their own tempting range of bingsoo, offering tempting concoctions like matcha and cheesecake and choco oreo.

The nearest metro stations to reach Sweet Memory are Grand Street and Canal Street.

Sweet Memory, 106 Mott St

6. Grace Street Coffee & Desserts

Within the area known as Koreatown, is a cafe and dessert place that has accumulated a loyal following.

Named after its street address, Grace Street Coffee & Desserts serves up an assortment of delicious desserts and specialty beverages.

Patrons tend to visit to try its Basque Burnt Cheesecake, shaved snow desserts and the milk teas.

However, as tempting as the shaved snow desserts looked, the late November temperatures outside called for something warmer.

Pretty as a flower

My order at Grace Street Coffee & Desserts was a small (hot) rose petal milk tea. If, like me, you’ve never ordered one before, there’s a hot and cold version of the milk tea.

Given the temperature outside was a howling 1°C, I only had eyes for the hot version. Essentially, the drink consists of a base of Assam black tea which has a subtle rose flavor.

Slightly disappointed

When my drink arrived, two things immediately stood out. For one, the tea was served in a paper cup. I found this a little misleading given that on the menu, the tea was served in a ceramic one. Secondly, my rose petal milk tea was missing an essential feature: rose petals.

Again, the menu had advertised this differently to what I’d received. Above all, the tea was nice and easy to drink, though I couldn’t taste much of the rose flavor. The latte art was a standard design, but at least it was as advertised.

I would likely return again to Grace Street Coffee & Desserts, but only to try one of the desserts.

The closest metro station to get here is 34 St – Herald Square.

Grace Street Coffee & Desserts, 17 W 32nd Street

What do you think of this list of the best places for latte art in New York City? Which place would you most like to try? Let me know in the comments below.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that I’ve recommended. Thank you for your support.

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