Lafayette Espresso Bar & Marketplace

I think this place has good intensions… but I also think that more care could be given to their product.
For their juices, they load them with ice, so you really only end up getting a portion of the cup filled with juice. When I asked to not have the ice (because not everyone likes freezing cold drinks), they told me that they will only fill the cup up partially. That seems really cheap to me. I don’t know any other juice bars that do that.
Also, check out my picture of the gluten free sandwich they gave me (and charged $ 7 for). I appreciate a place that offers gluten free, but come on! It looked like someone had already taken bites out of the bread. I know this happens sometimes with GF bread like Udi’s, but they shouldn’t have served it to a customer.
The bottom line is, they can charge what they want, it’s SoHo, but I’m not going to pay for a half-​assed product.

These guys work hard, the location is great, and the look of the store is perfect for on the go passerby.
I used to go here as it was around my corner. I stopped a year ago because the coffee was watery. Just gave it a shot a year later — coffee is watery.

I’ve stopped in for coffee and it’s been good. Picked up a sandwich today and was very disappointed. It was a vegetarian sandwich on dense, grainy bread but they used the heel of the loaf for one side of the sandwich. A very cheap move that ruined the sandwich. All I could taste was the crust of the bread. I won’t be back.

Popped in to grab a coffee. Friendly service and fun atmosphere — plus the coffee was great.

I have begrudgingly continued to patronize Lafayette coffee. That being said, in the time since my last 1 star review they’ve improved dramatically. Not sure if they changed their beans or process but my intern got me coffee from there twice this week and it’s been totally satisfactory both times. It’s still not amazing, but it’s perfectly good generic coffee that allows me to not have to patronize Starbucks, and for me, is convenient. That coupled with the great staff makes this a solid 3 star establishment. They are still quite expensive though.

A spot for a quick stop offering coffee, four or five fresh juices, and an assortment of sandwiches and salads on the healthy side. It’s tiny (five or six people will create an out-​the-​door line), but you’ll be in and out quickly, and with friendly service. There’s a small ledge and a stool or two on the sidewalk if you want to linger. This shop is a little sister to Oro a few blocks away, and it’s all light and bright where Oro is cool and dark.
As a Seattlelite, I have high expectations for coffee and am well aware that even in New York City it’s easy to suffer constant disappointment on this front. But my iced Americano was brightly flavorful, with none of the flavor dilution so often present in an iced drink. Approved! Just be aware there’s a $ 10 minimum for credit card purchases.

I really love their cappucinos!

I was surprised to read the older, negative reviews for Lafayette as I had such a pleasant and fulfilling experience there this morning on my way to work. This spot has something for you when you are feeling indulgent (I had a delicious flaky croissant with emmental and fresh sliced avocado/​tomato/​organic hard boiled egg with just a hint of chipotle) as well as for one of those extra healthy mornings when you prefer a freshly prepared juice (can’t wait to try the Green Lemonade with spinach, lemon, apple, and ginger). I also had a bitter-​less double espresso in a short glass — no sugar required! So glad I stopped by and I’ll definitely be back. P. S. I personally take a review from someone that compares anything to Starbucks and wants to scream at everyone at 7 AM with a grain of salt.

Very small place, but their lattes are really good, and the employees really sweet. It’s the kind of place you grab something from when you are in the area and in a rush! never a line.
Haven’t tried any of their food, but the pastries looked delicious.

This is a wonderful addition to the neighborhood. I go out of my way in the morning to stop here on my walk to work. The coffee (Counter Culture) is first-​rate, the food’s good, the space is sunny and nicely designed, and — maybe best of all — the folks who work there are genuinely friendly.

Reasonably priced in my opinion. Tiny place, but a good resource for fresh juice with no added crap, and also what seems like some pretty healthy stuff you can’t get elsewhere. The Veggie Veggie sandwich is amazing and a great vegan option. The cookies are delicious, and they sell lots of other cute treats like that Popcorn Indiana popcorn. I also found out the other day that they offer ALMOND MILK for their coffees, which is so hard to find. They don’t advertise it though, I just happened to overhear the guy telling a customer about it.
I am a regular here now. I don’t know why everyone is hating on this place. It’s also super close to where I work which is helpful. The staff is always really nice too. I just wish there wasn’t a $ 10 limit for debit/​credit cards!!!

Cute place but a 2-​time disappointment for me. Sad considering it’s a couple blocks from where I work. Whoever is in charge has a good business sense for ambiance and menu offerings but the execution, at least on the food, is awful — they should seek out a consult from the folks around the corner at the French Culinary Institute.
Enticingly priced sandwiches turn out to be super thin and poorly put together so it’s not even like getting a nice Spanish bocadillo. I’ve had their sopresatta and roast beef options. For the latter, «sauteed peppers» were so undercooked and under-​salted they might as well have been sliced and put straight on the sandwich which, literally, contained only a single thin slice of roast beef. I also ordered the tomato rice «soup» (have had lovely versions elsewhere)… absolute worst! I tasted like an attempt to make risotto using extra-​sugary ketchup instead of broth. I hate wasting money on food but I threw this gloppy, sweet mess out after 3 bites.
As for the pantry goodies they sell (1^st trip), these are also a waste of money. Some of the sweets they sell in Lafayette-​branded packaging look to be purchased in bulk from The Sweet Life on the LES (great shop by the way, if a bit cramped). I also bought a jar of smoked cabbage kimchee once thinking, «what an interesting spin,» only to find the smoke so over-​powering that it was too strong to serve along side anything else.
Could be they have great coffee and pressed juices, but I wouldn’t risk returning.

I couldn’t really figure this place out. I just wanted an espresso and a pastry and it was okay but I could have just walked further to a café Italia since its Nolita area. My friend got the horchata but we agreed just like Mexican food it just doesn’t work on the East Coast. But you’d think the espresso and service would have been good at least. Oh well.

I saw this place a couple of times whilst rolling down Lafayette, like a siren calling to me from the rocks. Unable to stay lashed to the mast any longer, today I wandered in.
Lafayette is a sprightly looking little hole-​in-​the-​wall coffee shop, with espresso, of course, but also fresh orange and vegetable juices and a few salads, sandwiches, and pastries. Affiliated with Oro Bakery & Bar on Broome Street.
I can’t comment on the coffee, though, because they were offering horchata, and I do love a nice horchata now and then. The siren’s call will have to wait for another day.