Hole in the Wall Coffee

A NYC hidden gem! Note this place is a buy and go type of coffee shop. There’s maybe about 6×5 feet of space for people to stand inside the shop. But hey don’t let that stop you from going! The coffee is good here the staff is nice and thy are quick! They also have some pastries, sandwiches and soups available for purchase! But I go for the coffee.

NOT ACTUALLY A HOLE IN THE WALL type atmosphere, it’s actually located downstairs inside a midtown building, but hole in the wall meaning just a place to pick up without seating
They brew Novo coffee and even sell Blue Sky bakery muffins along with Dough doughnuts
—cold brew: SOLID, served up by some Aussie baristas, and I hear australia knows its coffee
—chocolate chip and almond cookie: never had this combo! Pretty solid cookie
If I worked nearby I could see myself coming more often

This is hands down my go-​to place for my cappuccino fix… Nice temperature, silky smooth and with a nice «bite» The beans from NOVO are great. Warning for there are no seating, and yes, it is inside of a building on the ground floor. But if you’re one that doesn’t want to settle with the norm, pretty sure you’ll love the aroma and taste here.

What a cute name but what a dumpy spot! I’ve passed by this place a few times with its cute chalkboard sign out front directing people inside. I know space is whatever you can get in this city, so I lauded the savvy of making lemonade out of coffee beans and stopped in. This place is really just a coffee bar for the people that work in this office building. Nothing special. No great menu. Not the friendliest staff. Pardon me for not taking the name at its word.

Seriously great staff! Funny and friendly. They have yummy lattes (the doughnuts and cookies are delish as well)! My coworkers and I make it a point to stroll in here for afternoon coffee breaks quite often, if not every day. Thanks, Barry and staff! :)

Greta coffee, sandwiches, pastries, and service. The staff is super friendly.

Hi I just came back here one year later and I have to tell everyone on Unilocal that I still love it. I was parked outside in a van with a man and I wanted to get coffee so I pulled out my phone and checked coffee places on Unilocal.I clicked on the closest one and it was Hole in the Wall. I told the man in the van to wait one second and then I came running in. Everything still looks great and both of the people working were so nice to me even though I looked like shit. Thank you Hole in the Wall for being the best coffee shop I go to once a year.
I ordered a small coffee.

Friendly staff, good coffee, doughnuts from Dough, what else could you ask for? Ok maybe a place to sit. This place is tiny and hidden so takeout only. But it’s your best option in the area.

Really good coffee and service my favorite in NYC can’t wait for them to open their other locations.

Got a chocolate chip banana bread as I had something caffeinated earlier. Nice flavors, not sure if they make it there (I doubt it since it is such a small place) but brand is really good. Really nice people here. Will go back for a Flat White or a cappuccino.

Since moving to New York 7 months ago, I’ve ventured into more coffee shops than I can count from the Upper West Side to Prospect Heights and have concluded (for the most part) that the better the coffee, the unfriendlier the staff. Not here though — the baristas at Hole in the Wall serve up smiles with some great iced coffee. Perhaps it’s because the shop is hidden away in an office building and doesn’t fill up with an impatient crowd of customers off the street in the morning, or maybe these are just plain old nice baristas!
Skip the snobby Midtown coffee shops and see for yourself :)

Thank you Unilocalers for the directions. Never would have found it without your help.
Grabbed a latte. It was consistent with a lot of the reviews in that the flavor was slightly sour.
But staff was super nice. Two ladies running it were friendly. And they knew their regulars. Very small town, quaint feel to the place.

I had a decaf capp — thick crema with excellent flavor. The doughnuts were really good, if you pick the right flavor. I went a little out of my comfort zone and opted for the hibiscus doughnut, which while incredibly pretty and very intriguing and creative, was WAY too sweet. Much sweeter than the delicious chocolate covered doughnut my boyfriend ordered. The doughnuts are top notch, so there’s no need to get a complex flavor. Just get a regular flavor and enjoy the quality.
The shop is in an office building, around the corner from the lobby.

Great staff serving great brews from espresso to drop to regular brew.
The tricky thing is that they’re hidden inside the building lobby. Just walk on right ahead into the building!

Any Australian coffee snobs out there will
appreciate this place! It’s coffee served Aussie-​style.
Minimalist, which is to be expected with name «Hole in the Wall», but that’s part of its endearing charm. The owner seems like a cool guy from Perth, Australia, who obviously understands the difference in coffee culture between US and Australia.
Really good coffee, just a tad tricky to find. It’s located in lobby of a building, entrance is on 37^th despite address being on 5^th.

Excellent service! The doughnut is amazing! The best and favorite doughnut in NYC. My favorite is chocolate doughnut.
The hibiscus was great taste as well. I just love their chocolate donuts. I have a simple old fashion taste.

Yeah, so Dough Donuts, Australian-​style flat whites served by an actual Australian dude, ridiculously awesome staff, and a sharp, peppery tasting espresso all make this spot a stone cold 5 star coffee shop.
What boggles my mind is that people actually work in the office building that this coffee shop is hidden inside and that they can just wander downstairs and drink this stuff any time they like.
As for finding the spot just go into 420 5^th Ave. Don’t make the mistake (like I did) of even attempting to look for it on the street or side street or whatever, just walk into the 420 5^th ave office building and you will find it in the lobby off to the side.
Today I got glazed and passionfruit cocoa nib dough donuts (which were both awesome) and a quad. The espresso here is strong and it is of a much darker roast than you might find at a Stumptown or Blue Bottle. In this way the espresso itself may have a more wide appeal because it inches more toward the tannic Starbucks style. However, make no mistake, the stuff pulled here is of an extremely high quality.
This place is hands down one of the best spots for coffee in the area, for something at all comparable you have to go 20 blocks uptown and 2 avenues over to Little Collins (which is wayyyyyy more crowded because no one knows about Hole in the Wall). Also, Dough donuts.
So yeah, a pretty sweet place. I am sure someday someone will come along and try to drag this place down from 5 stars but in my heart Hole in the Wall will always be perfect.

I was having breakfast at a diner nearby when Unilocal suggested this coffee shop to me. I’m a sucker for quality coffee, and midtown is a Starbucks haven, so I decided to seek it out.
Thanks to the tips, I was able to find Hole in the Wall easily after entering from 38^th Street. It was bigger than I had thought, with a nice, clean front.
I grabbed a cappuccino, which was perfectly hot, frothy, and not bitter at all. I usually despise cappuccinos because I always end up with what tastes like burnt foam. After finding out their doughnuts came from Dough (which I have yet to visit!), I decided to ask the cashier if he had tried any and if so, which was his favorite. He laughed, and answered he had tried all four, and recommended the hibiscus. I’m sure they’re all awesome. The doughnut is iced with a pretty deep pink icing, only slightly sweetened by the hibiscus. It was airy and fried just enough, so that I didn’t even feel guilty about eating the whole thing.
I was able to pay with my card in this little nook, they have the Square. The staff was cheery, but not overly perky. I will return! I will even pass another independent coffee shop (sorry, Culture Espresso) that’s a whole avenue closer to my job just for Hole in the Wall!

Triangle Tuesdays!
Post team lunch meant a quick stop to the coffee shop. I had completely forgotten about Hole in the Wall since my first visit and luckily a coworker spotted their tiny half fold sign on Fifth.
To actually find the café, go through the 38^th st entrance of 420 5^th Ave, make a right once inside and you’ll see the tiny shop on the north wall. Once you arrive, everything is pretty explanatory.
The staff is amazing and so nice. Melissa and barista John chatted me up while I struggled over their Triangle Tuesday puzzle (solve it for a free coffee!). They ended up giving me a pity coffee because I spent long while attempting to solve it and they were such good sports.
The coffee itself was pretty decent. It was a little more sour than I’ve had at other places and I would’ve liked a little bit more milk, but it was a refreshing cup nonetheless.
I would come back as they have a decent loyalty program and their pastries are discounted after a certain time! It’s hard to locate, but it’s well worth the hunt.

Super friendly staff, very cute owner and, most importantly, amazing coffee!
This newly opened place makes coming to work a bit easier — the whole lobby now smells delicious. They have some pastries as well, but seem to be too pricey, so is their coffee, but for coffee it is worth it.