Edgar’s Cafe

Quite literally the WORST customer service I’ve ever encountered — in New York or otherwise.
I sat down at 6:28 in the evening and ordered a coffee with two friends, who also ordered drinks. By 6:50, the waiter had angrily slammed a check down on the table. By 7, the waiter had come back to the table TWICE to check if we had paid yet (we hadn’t, since we had just sat down and were in the middle of a conversation). After the waiter and the owner came over to ask us for money for the THIRD time, we politely asked if there was a problem, at which point the psychopath of an owner went off on some tirade about us being there for over two hours and not ordering food. Unfortunately for him (and common sense everywhere) we had actually been there for less than 45 minutes, and it was barely dinner time for a 7 year old, let alone 3 grown men. We tried to explain this to him calmly, but the owner was so angry and animated that it was impossible to talk to him, and he proceeded to make a scene in front of the other people in the room. There were only 6 other people… but still.
The total scumbag of an owner also thought it was his place to tell us that didn’t approve of our conversation, and that «business» (I’m not sure what business he was referring to) was not allowed to be conducted… in a café… in, you know, the United States of America, in 2016. As we left he stood in the doorway and scowled at us until we walked all the way down the block.
I almost feel bad knocking a small business like this, but the owner is truly a jerk of the highest order. You just can’t treat customers that way. There are plenty of other cafes in the area… go to one of them, and DO NOT EAT HERE!!!

I have been going to Edgar’s for years. I went to the café on 84^th and lately at 650 Amsterdam. My friend and I usually order coffee or mochacino, occasionally dessert. We go at different times, sometimes late afternoon or toward the late end of an evening – after a show, say. On our last visit – Fri, 6−17 – we didn’t get served for quite a while nor did anyone return to our table to ask us if we needed anything. My friend and I accidentally started to leave without paying and then all hell broke lose. A vile-​tempered old man told me I was never to come back and that in all the years I’d been coming to his establishment he’d disliked me. He accused my friend and me of taking advantage of him and his waitstaff by only ordering coffee or tea and then staying too long to talk. My friend observed that we were about the only people in the café and that we had indeed ordered pasta and dessert in the past. (Besides, no minimum payment is listed on the menu.) I gather this old monster owns the café. If you go better be prepared to call the psychiatric ambulance or the cops. P. S.: I paid and tipped 20%.

The coffee is a little bitter. I think cappuccino or latte would be better choice rather than americano. Tiramisu is too sweet and soggy. The décor is wonderful but I don’t think I will visit again.

Love this place! The people are so nice and the décor is great. There are good salad options and a few options for wine. It’s a good brunch place and a good place fire afternoon coffee. It’s quite and not that crowded.

Pleasant seat by a large open window. Just had some coffee which was nice and they foamed the milk served on the side… Can’t speak for the food. The staff was friendly, but stiff and I have a feeling it has to do with the manager/​owner.

This is a restaurant on the UWS with an Edgar Allan Poe theme. (It used to be located in or near the mansion where he wrote the poem «The Raven,» which most of us read in high school.)
The plus? It’s a nice atmosphere, and people leave you alone and let you have a nice chat with your friends. Acoustics are nice and don’t impede on conversation. I’d describe food as quite mediocre and overpriced. This is basically diner food with better décor. The place also has an insect problem. Lots of flies/​mosquitoes were trying to get into our salads the whole time. Well, maybe they have a point with the Edgar Allen Poe theme.
The deserts, however, are pretty great.
I’m unlike to come back, though. These types of places are a «dime a dozen» on the UWS, so why put up with flies and mediocrity? They also overwork the staff. One dude was basically taking orders, doing kitchen work, grabbing checks, and doing busing. Through no fault of his, it took us forever to get checks and place desert orders. I’m also no fan of labor speed-​up.
When it comes to this place, to quote Poe’s poem: «Quoth the Raven, Never More.»

I give it 2 stars for the lovely waitress who attended to me.
I take away 2 stars for the old, cranky, rude, loud and obnoxious manager/​owner/​resident curmudgeon. He routinely and needlessly berated the staff in full view and earshot of all patrons.
I take away 1 star for the god awful «vegetable» soup. There wasn’t an identifiable vegetable in the mushy/​lumpy broth. The herbs sprinkled on top provided the only flavor.
The place is practically empty and the patrons are senior to say the least, and appeared to be afternoon regulars. I was there at 4pm.
It is cash only. That doesn’t bother me. But even if the food was marginally acceptable, being forced to endure the fits from the manager/​boss left a bad taste in my mouth.

Such a charming little spot on the upper west side! Love the décor and the dessert was top notch!

Nice quaint café on the upper west side. A great feel to the décor and something that any fan of Edgar Allen Poe can appreciate (why the place is named Edgar café). The crowd is mostly geriatric in the afternoons but the iced coffee is worth a try. Nothing too special but the wait staff is very nice and attentive.

Adorable café, and a must for literature fans. According to their website, Edgar’s Café originated on the former site of the Brennen Mansion, where Poe resided while authoring «The Raven.» I think that was the original site of the café was around 84^th St, but you can stop by here, especially on a cold day, for a coffee and dessert, or enjoy their salads, to get into the spirit of things. Not as packed as Café Lalo. Cash only.

This is my go-​to breakfast place when doing my laundry next door. The staff is friendly and they don’t rush you. Food is pretty good for a reasonable price. The only drawback is they only take cash.

Great little café to relax with a cappuchino. I went for the first time with a friend and the only difficulty was selecting from the wide selection of desserts. They all looked yummy. I finally chose the lemon cake and i tried ti savour each bite so it would last longer. I shall return again and again.

A very charming hidden gem! It would be cooler if it were the original location, but the décor makes up for it. The ceiling is just phenomenal and it’s Gothic/​Victorian without being Halloweeny or off-​putting. I had an Edgar Allan Poe omelette, which was just fine and reasonably priced for Manhattan. I love me some Edgar Allan Poe, so this restaurant is like a dream (or maybe nightmare, as Poe might prefer). The waitress was very nice, so I don’t know why people are giving such low ratings.

I used to like this place but it’s overpriced and the staff is awful… AWFUL!
$ 6 for a coffee! My god! Does it have gold in it? No! Is it the best coffee in the world? Absolutely not! Is it just a rip off? You are sure it is. I ordered a decaf americano (yes, decaf, not even coffee) and they charged me $ 6. Unbelievable. When I asked the waitress why she told me that it was because that’s the price.
The two stars are because they have a peach tart that is great and the cakes are good.
The brunch and food is horrible. I asked for an omelette that it was supposed to come with tomatoes and pepper. Where were they? I guess in the grocery store.
This place sucks!

I’ve been here several times now for lunch because my husband is a fan of the ravioli with pesto and grilled chicken. It’s probably the best option. I’ve tried half a dozen things including the pasta with vodka sauce, the quiche, a couple of salads and the tuna sandwich. All of these dishes were mediocre and overpriced. The vodka sauce was really more like a light tomato. The salad that comes with their quiche and sandwiches always looks wilted and the house dressing is always separated by the time it gets to you, so you end up with mostly oil. I gave up on trying anything else on the menu and now we both order the same pasta. There’s one server at lunch who is always smiling and efficient, so the service has been fine to us, though the food is sometimes a little slow.
However, this evening we thought we’d come out for a cake and coffee and a game of chess. The server took our order and we started to set up our portable chess game when he said we weren’t allowed to play because his boss wouldn’t allow it. There were only two tables occupied in the whole restaurant — one had asked for the check right as we ordered; the others were clearly wrapping up their meal. It was after 9pm — not like they would be expecting a giant rush before midnight, and I’ve been in the neighborhood 9 years and have never seen this place full. Maybe their attitude has something to do with it. We left. I won’t be back.

Only 2.5stars? I don’t get it.
I came here for brunch on saturday and i loved it.
Very delicious french toast and very reasonable pricing as well!
For the dessert, make sure you get a tiramisu. It’s pretty big so i think 2 or 3 people can share one.
It’s super soft and very creamy. Coffee was also very good too!
Definitely coming back here! :)

First time here and can’t wait to come back. I had Poe’s Sandwich. So delicious. It’s such a cute and quaint atmosphere.

My friends and I came out of a show at Symphony Space, not quite ready to go home but not quite in the mood for a drink. None of us frequent the UWS so often so I was tasked with finding a café on Unilocal that was open late.
After hurrying around in the cold for a while we finally came across Edgar’s Café, which was exactly what we were looking for! A great place to have a conversation with friends, and an even better place to find a dessert for everyone. (Seriously, there are so many cake options that you wonder how they have them all available simultaneously.)
I went with a lemon raspberry cake (because that flavor combination is always top notch). It was a little too sweet for me, but paired nicely with my black coffee.
I think the prices are a bit too steep, especially for a hot tea (pun intended). But a good late night option when you’re not looking to drink.

I will never step foot in this restaurant. It was the worst customer service experience I ever had. I ordered a tea. I did not like it and asked if I could get something else instead. I thought that wouldn’t be a problem since every other restaurant I’ve ever been to, including Starbucks, would just go get something else.
Nope! Not here. The waitress kept saying she couldn’t do it. Finally she brought over the boss/​owner/​manager who might be the rudest person I’ve ever met. He started yelling at me and asked what was he supposed to do, just throw it away and lose money? I didn’t realize a bag of tea was the same price as a brick of gold. I have never been yelled at like that by a man. I told him that he was being rude and he basically told me to leave.
I’m upset and I wouldn’t recommend anyone to ever go in here. I don’t want any other woman to feel disrespected just like I was.
I’m unhappy to see that other people had bad customer service experiences, but at least I wasn’t the only one.

A ok folks!!!
So we got there around 8:30 p.m. Down time!
Bummer that they DO NOT accept credit cards!
The salads are really good and the portion size is rather large. So you could possibly share a dish if your stomach is small.
We also had a pear tart for desert. It was just ok. Nothing about it really stands out but I would have it again if I found myself there again.