Au Breve Espresso

SHUTTERED 2014
This place had no sandwiches left @ 12:30 yet THEY were the ones to give ME an attitude. I really hate to bring down the star-​rating during their glowing start, but service wavering from nonchalant to rude reinforced the stuffy coffee shop stereotype that keeps away non-​drinkers like me. The drinks did look well-​executed, and the al fresco dining filled with young women was a nice touch, but the mushy passion fruit macaron completely fell apart upon contact, and the oatmeal raisin cookie was just not good. Fortunately the total was only $ 2.60 after their Scoutmob deal (didn’t ask to stack the Unilocal checkin deal nor their NYU discount which would’ve raised it to 70% total ’cause they already seemed so annoyed by my mere existence).
Dup of

Try their hot chocolate. They use Taza, organic, stone-​ground Mexican chocolate. It gives their hot chocolate a great chocolate flavor that’s not too sweet.

Nice coffe shop, although the prices seem unreasonably, perhaps unjustifiably, high. I’ve gotten to the point where I sincerely believe that coffee is just coffee and bad coffee predominates. The coffee here is nothing spectacular. Seriously, I’ve had absolutely delicious coffee, including espresso, at delis around the city. Coffee is just coffee, people. Stop being pretentious about it. I give this shop 3 stars because it is not horrible. It’s actually a nice shop, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Their flatwhite was good, but it was nothing to write home about. Wish the seating area was a bit larger. They give 10% discount to students though, so make use of it!

This is a beautiful space, and they’ve turned me on to Dallas bros. coffee. I thought our drinks were well made, with good latte art. If you’re looking for a place to sit down, this is not it, but for a correctly pulled shot I’d stop by here any day.

Clean spot, cool staff. The dude john (i believe the manager) is super awesome. All great baristas up in here.
The bathroom is pretty clean too, but reserved for customers (how public restrooms stay clean!)
Comfy layout for this small café. There’s 2 bars with stools u can sit on. They also have outdoor seating! They sell macaroons and other small treats. Prices are fair at this café too. Coffee so far hasn’t been burnt or watered down here. Their espresso drinks are on point too! Quick, friendly service is always received at Aubreve.
If u want a great coffee, and you are in this area, come to this spot! You won’t be let down! I refer my friends here all the time!

The coffee here is great, especially the iced coffee. It’s very potent.
I love that they change their chalk signboard every once in a while!

I imagine that if I were in Scandinavia, this is what all coffee shops there would look like. It had really high ceilings and a cool, stark, and minimal aesthetic. The available seating isn’t exactly comfortable since they consisted of high metal stools, so I’m not sure i wanna sit here all day, but it’s great for people watching as you sip your espresso before you run off to your next destination.

Phenomenal Mexican hot chocolate. Boutique brand shit w quality. Good service. Uncomfortable chairs and weak wifi but all in all I will be back.

We walked right passed it the first time looking for it, I never thought it will be in the same building next to cooper union. It is a cute café with limited seats right by the window. There were not as many customers around 2−3ish. I ordered a cup of latte and my friend had a flat white, and the barista was very nice and explained what a flat white was. We did the Unilocal check in and got 10% off, all came out to be $ 7 something, awesome! The latte art were cute, and great coffee, definitely will stop by next time for another cup!

Beautiful (but very small) space right next to Cooper Union and a block away from St. Mark’s. There are huge floor to ceiling windows that allows patrons to see incoming traffic from Bowery.
It’s not a place you can go to with a book and laptop (you can, if you’d like but it’s a very tiny space so you’ll find taking up 2 – 3 people’s worth of space) but it’s perfect for those days you don’t want to walk over to the crowded Starbucks by the Astor Pl. train station.
It’s a very modern and clean space, surprisingly. I actually expected grunge and graffiti’ed walls, since it’s in Noho/​East Village, but it’s a super clean café with simple white and black décor and countertops.

Though it is a beautiful and sort of discreet spot, it’s not my favorite cup of coffee. I ordered a flat white and I thought it was just that-​flat with no complexities not excitement. It is a great spot for alone time with big windows where your mind can wander off. I also ordered a chocolate hazelnut banana on a brioche and the brioche was so dry it sort of killed it.

What is it about rainy days that makes one want to sit down with a nice cup of coffee? My friend and I ran into Au Breve Espresso as refuge from the rain/​flood and, by absolute luck, stumbled upon a hidden gem. The place was completely empty mid-​afternoon on a Friday so service was really fast and efficient.
I ordered a beautiful cappuccino and my friend ordered a muffin (which was also rather tasty) and an iced coffee which he agreed was better than others he tried. The cappuccino had a cool little design and was absolutely delicious. Also, there was a 10% discount for students (not just for Cooper!) which was an added bonus. Overall, I loved it. There was not a lot of room for sitting, but since it was pretty empty it wasn’t a problem.

Near Cooper Sq, a brand young coffee shop is taking the competition bravely in this neighborhood. Less than 0.1mile, La Colombe Torrefaction and Starbucks are sort of landmarks here. I didn’t read the guide mindfully and missed the recommendation of pourover. I’d like to try next time, though I’ve appreciated its latte. No sharp, solid and strong taste, but everything just goes well. The décor is modern and neat with light music. I made a right choice luckily for this rainy afternoon. There is no need to have heavy taste to stress myself in the bad weather further.

They’re serious about their espresso. For a solid espresso near my old apartment in Noho, it was a great way to start my mornings on my way to work. Baristas care about their product. And there is virtually no line! Win!
Note, there are no seats here. You can enjoy your espresso outside on a counter, but for the most part it is a coffee stall in the EV.

Good
Open late
happy hour for espresso (5−8pm, $ 1.50)
Not so good
Closed Saturdays (100% Kosher)
I feel bad it took me so long to get around to checking this place out. I erroneously assumed they were closed every weekend but turns out its just Saturdays (for Jewish Sabbath).
So please, check this place out! They’re open quite late (8pm) so other than Ost (café/​wine bar) and Fresco/​Van Leuwen (café/​ice cream) they’re the only choice in East Village for good espresso after 6 or 7.
‘Spro heads
Beans: Dallis Bros NY Espresso blend (same company 9^th St uses), some days ok, some days very good
Gear: Marzocco Linea
Palate cleanser: usually water without asking, but not sparkling
Damage: $ 2.50, what it should always be!
Seating: not a lot, but no one lingers in the morning and there’s awesome people watching here near Cooper Union & Astor Pl.

Possibly one of the best coffees I had during my time in New York. It helps that this bright and airy café isn’t overly busy, which means the barista has the time to take care when preparing your favourite caffeinated hit. My macchiato was beautifully extracted and the milk perfectly steamed.
Enjoy your coffee at one of the window seats — perfect for people watching.

Stopped in for a cappuccino and also got an education. This coffee nerd was dominated by the barista. I love to talk coffee, so this was a treat. Rating reflects the service as much as the coffee, of which I thought the cold press was better than the cappuccino.

Very good quality stuff! Nice place to sit in and people watch through the glass windows… or sit on the outside benches on those beautiful summer days! Great Food and BEST latte in new york city. The espresso is strong and keeps me focused for hours. You won’t be disappointed at my new fav coffee spot!!!

Usually I get suspicious of coffee/​tea establishments located inside university buildings (I’m looking at you, Faye’s @ The Square), but this time I’m pleasantly surprised.
Tucked inside the «new» Cooper Union building is Au Breve Espresso. It’s quite small so you might miss it, but you’ll be glad you didn’t. Okay, yeah, they serve fair trade beans, organic, etc. etc. but I don’t care much for that. What I do care for is great service, delicious coffee, and knowledgable baristas. Check, check, and check. They serve coffee in a variety of different ways (AeroPress, Chemex, etc.) and hey they look like they really know their coffee. Baristas are nice as well — no snooty or inattentive service.
I tried the Cappuccino, which was excellent — velvety smooth and packs a punch. Sick latte art, as well.
All in all, looks like I found another local coffee place to hit up more often. Only thing is there isn’t a lot of seating, so I guess I’m still on the look out for more coffee shops in the EV!

What a great opportunity for my one thousand, one hundred and eleventh review!
A very very nice addition to the East Village espresso options, this spot recently opened in the no longer new Cooper Union building. What I liked about it was the barrista ran one shot through the machine and tasted it, then adjusted dials and grind before making my shot. That’s a sure sign of a serious barrista. I’ve seen some do this two or three times.
They use Brooklyn Roasting Coffee which I thought was quite good. I’ll definitely stop in again.
One small complaint, there are only a few bar stools so seating is limited.