NYC's Outstanding Coffee AND Pastry Spots

In today’s New York Times, the brilliant Oliver Strand (an F&W contributor) confirmed that New York City is finally taking coffee seriously. And he provided a comprehensive list of places that serve the best espresso and drip coffee. (The online map is fanastically helpful). Well, Strand also has a list that’s even more important to me: places that serve amazing coffee and pastries. “It used to be that hard-core coffee places banished food,” says Strand. “Now they’re taking it back but on their own terms. They’ve designed food that goes with the coffee.”

Here are four great coffee and pastry spots from Strand’s piece:

Abraço Strand calls out this East Village spot out as having some of the city’s best cappuccinos and drip coffees. He also loves its excellent baked goods, including a shortbread cookie with cured olives that’s “a great combination of sweet and salty.” Abraconyc.com

Bakeri In Brooklyn’s Williamsburg 'hood, this tiny spot produces great macchiatos and a tiny brioche loaf with candied orange that’s really amazing. Bakeribrooklyn.com

Bluebird Coffee Shop A night baker from Amy’s Breads comes to this East Village coffee joint after his shift to make the outstanding pastries, including candied ginger molasses cookies with white pepper. Strand recommends it with his favorite drink of the moment, a cortado (a mix of espresso and steamed milk). bluebirdcoffeeshop.com

Stumptown Coffee Roasters – The first Manhattan branch of the famed west coast coffee roasters, this kiosk inside the Ace Hotel on West 29th Street gets pastries from Prime Meats in Brooklyn (F&W featured Prime Meat's sweet and savory food in our February issue). If Strand had to highlight one thing, it would be the caramelized French toast. “It has an amazing sugar crust—you crunch right through the sugar,” he says. stumptowncoffee.com