Taszo Espresso Bar

Taszo is a unique urban coffee shop: great location, great atmosphere, great staff, great coffee. Definitely, a place to hang out.

This is a «chic» espresso/​coffee bar that has opened up in Washington Heights. It’s a good place to debate the effects of gentrification — positive, negative, whether it’s even a useful social science construct — in a small business that is arguably a manifestation of it to some people. Provocative sociological context aside, the coffee/​tea is great, and the pastries, too. Seating is ample with spacing so you don’t have to feel overburdened by an overly chatty neighbor’s rant about someone he/​she met on Tinder/​OkCupid. Overall, I think Taszo is a net positive.

Best latte, cortado, coffee, tea and brunch in Washington Heights, love no computer weekend mornings when the people talk to each other — families, young and old, locals and newbies. Staff are great!

They have macadamia nut milk! First time trying this nut milk and I’m a fan. I had a macadmia nut milk iced latte that was delicious :)
Cool space, unusual hipster vibe for Washington Heights, lots of tables to chat/​study/​work, coffee/​sweets/​beer available.

So I’ve been coming here for over a year now, and have enjoyed the quality espresso and coffee that is hard to find in the neighborhood. I have also been here for wine in the afternoon, which is a great transition is you are sitting working in the morning and then a friend comes and meets you in the afternoon for a glass of wine. the food is solid. Ive had the flat bread pizzas, the omelettes and the eggs Benedict. All food Items so far have been solid, and they even have Dough donuts, which is great.
Here comes the complaint… I know they have the separate laptop space in the back, which is why I made it there at 8:55 on a Sunday morning to write report cards for my job and I find out that even there are only 3 people in the shop, they now have a no laptops before 2:30 pm policy on the weekends. I don’t know if the owner just doesn’t care about money, but seriously? This policy is a bit absurd to start so early on the weekends, and for the staff not to have the leeway to allow a customer to use their laptop while they are still empty?!? I asked the waitress if I could use it until they had more people and that I would leave as soon as she asked me to and she said no. Funny thing is that I’ve never seen Caffe Bene next door so full…
I realize that many laptop workers buy the minimum along the way when they are at a coffee shop, but even a single coffee here and there is more than no one in the shop.
Hopefully they change their policy soon… I think they are too hipster for me now

What is wrong with people? So many complainers about not being able to utilize their laptops blah blah blah. There is signage on the wall AND even right by the front door. People, I get it, you want free wi-​fi but you also want inexpensive food. You know how much these mom and pop shops have to pay in RENT alone? Of course they need a continuous flow of people coming and going and we ALL know the wifi campers who sit for hours and hours on end. Be mindful and courteous so these mom and pop establishments can stay afloat and won’t have to sell out to corporate giants/​chains. God forbid we need another Starbucks.

Love this place! The only legit coffee shop north of Harlem. Laptop free zone in the front, and worker bees have their own space at a long table in the back. Beer on tap makes this a nice low-​key evening option as well. Good music, often somewhere on the soul-​blues spectrum.

I was looking for a place to write and sip coffee and snack on overly priced food while I’m in Washington Heights. Why else would I leave the comforts of my home? I came to this place based on it’s Unilocal reviews. I thought it would be nice to start back coffee shop writing after spending years in my home office aka my bedroom. After I spent more than the minimum I sat at a table thinking OK, perfect spot in Washington Heights! Like, I was excited. So, I took out my laptop, sipped on my cappuccino only to be told AFTER I sat down laptops aren’t allowed in the main seating area. Are you kidding me? I was beyond embarrassed. No sign up said this. I was told to go to the back. The server called it some kind of «community area», which is hipster speak for cheap seats. I felt like Rosa Parks for all of two seconds. No seriously, it was embarrassing. To the servers credit he did help me take my food to the back, but it might be helpful to all to put up a sign that says, «Hey, you laptop toting folks, to the back near the bathroom where you will be forced to listen to a crying newborn and a hipster talk about her sex life».
Now, for my overly priced sandwich and cappuccino I have the pleasure of sitting in the back to watch while real coffee and tea sippers get to eat in the front. The freak outta here with this crap. I might as well stick to Starbucks or hell Duncan Donuts. I don’t need the wifi per se, but I used it to write this review. It’s a nice gentrified spot, but honestly the Mexican café spot offers free wifi without limits as long as I spend money. Put up a sign. Like I get you want people to enjoy your fancy coffee and sandwiches, but give me a break. I also had to spend five minutes of my life listening to the cashier me tell the customer in front of me how he just wrote a TV pilot. Guess what? No one cares. I’ve written 5 and 1 is going to be on HBO. No one cares.
I’m giving this place 2 stars because of your inability to communicate the rules of your fancy shop clearly. The sandwich wasn’t bad, but the cappuccino isn’t better than the Keurig that sits unused on my kitchen counter. Next time I’ll go with my gut and patronize Cafebene, which is right next door, and guess what? They allow laptops all over that place.

It’s a cute little place, but what had happened was…
A friend of mine came up to my hood, WH, so I could prep her on an upcoming interview she had with my company and we needed a nice place to sit/​eat/​have coffee. I was excited to take her to Taszo bc as I said earlier, it is a cute little place!
We put our stuff down at a table, which included a laptop, and went to go order something at the front (no waitstaff) when all of a sudden a gentleman (probably the owner?) said to us we had to sit in the back… and it was a bit rude. Well that was a bad first impression for her. He said the front area was for fun or something silly to that extent, but what kind of place would be fun with such stringent rules… in the middle of the day (lunch) and in the middle of the week? Last time I came that rule was for after 5p, which is understandable. I got that point, Taszo wanted to be a lounge. But what is this place? A bar? A lounge? It says Expresso Bar? Get it together. We were going to chat over coffee, lunch (which is pricey, btw) use her laptop AND talk. Perhaps change it to if you’re going to sit by yourself, sit in the back so that the tables can accommodate two or more people? Wouldn’t that make more sense?
We walked out of line (and noticed a couple of other people did too), out the door to Cafebenne literally right next door. Laptops, conversation, food, coffee… basic coffee shop that is not confusing (nor rude.)
FYI, there is another cute place called Company that is around Edgecomb/​159^th. I think it’s only open on the weekends but the owners are very welcoming.
All in all, I have it only 2 Stars because 2 stars is «Meh, I’ve had better experience» which I have at other more humble and accommodating places with a clear understanding of who they are.

Taszo is conveniently located. But their staff, specifically the young, slim, short Latino cashier can be rude and tactless.
It’s easy to get off the 1 at 157^th and walk in expecting to a coffee, a bite, or a seat to meet a friend or do some work on your computer.
However, the service is slow, mediocre and sometimes rude. Putting in your order and getting that cup of coffee may take several minutes, food looks good but is underwhelming and overpriced, and seating for computer use is limited toward the back (unfortunately, near the bathroom, which sometimes gives off an odor).
What’s worse: some staff can be nice and pleasant, but it’s hard to overlook those that are rude. A regular young, slim, short Latino cashier there seems pleasant enough to the boys (particularly the ones he knows/​likes, smiles at/​hugs), but tactless when it comes remedying the all-​too-​common miscommunications between the front-​end and the kitchen.
Try it. But there are better place, i.e., the Chipped Cup.

I’ve been a regular here since moving to the neighborhood a few months ago. Since I work from home, I’ve been coming to Taszo literally every day, whether to sit at the bar with my laptop for an hour or to grab a table and freewrite for a little bit. It’s expensive compared to Café Benne right next door, but I appreciate that they separate the computer section from the social/​reading section. (Also, the wonderful Chipped Cup is more of a jaunt.)
Today, I had been there for about an hour working discreetly at a tucked-​away table when I was told that if they got any busier they’d ask me to «clear my table» — AKA leave. (P.S., there were other single folks at tables who hadn’t purchased full-​on meals. They were dudes. Maybe that made a difference?) I’ve lived in major metros with packed out coffeeshops and have never been asked to leave — especially as a regular.
Won’t be coming back.

Walked in l, and then walked right out! …talk about horrible customer service. I was waiting for over five minutes for someone to at least greet me or asked me what I wanted butnothing at all. The lady just saw me there and didn’t even bother to acknowledge me just standing there. I mean even if she was busy she could’ve said «Hi, I’ll be right with you» but she didn’t!!!
I walked right out after 10 min of just waiting there… horrible!!! never again wasting my time.

Sadly, I feel like the quality of the staff here is steadily declining, but the product is still good and I can’t beat the convenience. I will say that I’ve been adding the Chipped Cup into my rotation because of it. Anyway, I had the feta omelette and it was delicious, plus so big that I couldn’t even finish it. I definitely recommend it!
Update ²⁄₂₀₁₆: The staff is nice again so I’m going back to 5 stars. Also, they now have Dough doughnuts. YAAAAAAS. Also, I’m obsessed with the ham and cheese croissants.

OMG the best’s breakfast. Sandwich ever.
This place is awesome my sandwich contained eggs pickled jalapeños pickled onions and arugula need I say more.

After living in the area for some time, I decided to give this spot a try.
Taszo’s interior is beautiful. Workspace is okay, good lighting, not too loud, but the wifi sucks. They hand out expired access codes –_​-​, leading me to connect to Planet Fitness’ wifi which was going in and out.
Customer service wasn’t that great. The young man taking our order seemed to have had a rough morning (he was rude). The hot chocolate was subpar — it tasted like hot milk with a sprinkle of cocoa. My boyfriends cappuccino wasn’t made with love. The eggs Benedict was pretty okay but not anything crazy.
Overall, I wouldn’t fall into the hype of having another hip coffee shop in the neighborhood. Such a disappointment.

Very cute coffee shop in Washington Heights. I only had a green tea, which is impossible to mess up, but my friend had one of their sandwiches and said it was very good. I was surprised that a sandwich was over $ 10 though. Didn’t expect that in this neighborhood.

Taszo. I really like you and so do all the other white/​Asian/​hipster/​musician/​Columbia Med students living in Washington Heights. I wish I could keep you a secret, but I think the secret’s out.
This place is HOPPING, especially early afternoons. The space isn’t large, but you can always finagle a seat. They also now have beer, which I’m not sure how recent of an addition it is, since I haven’t been here for a few months. Anyways, they’ve also extended their food menu, which is also another reason why so many people come here.
They are also very accommodating for my strange requests (can I have a cup of steamed milk?) so that earns extra brownie points.
Not the best place to do some serious studying since they have music blasting at all times, but I’ve been able to do some (admittedly half-​hearted) LSAT studying in this coffee shop. Also, LOVE the huge floor to wall windows in the front – brings in GREAT sunlight.

14.50 for a cup of
Chili and an Americano!!!
If you’re going to chart more than 10 $ for a cup of chili then it had better come in a bowl, not a paper cup and there should be a side of bread or something
This place is cozy but absurdly over priced for its location. Skip it! Hit the chain coffee shop next door.

Great to have this spot in the neighborhood. Nothing better than being able to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee in a real local coffee shop. All laptop usage is confined to the back, so even though all tables are full sometimes you never need to wait forever until one opens up.
They have a small brunch menu with some tasty options. Personal mainstay is the Haitem Bagel (toasted of course). Was it down with a ginger peach Ice Tea or a Latte. Can’t go wrong!

Meh, not the greatest place to go if you need to work on your laptop. They are super strict about laptop usage in the main area of the shop, instead there is one long communal table in the back you can use and one bar with 4 stools. I would understand if this rule was in effect during busy business hours, but during off peak hours when most of the coffee shop is empty. there really is no reason why you can’t use your laptop in the front.
The selection of food is very limited, and the same is with drinks. I ordered a panini that came out really cold… The staff is also not the friendliest, there are no smiles and happy faces that greet you when you walk in the door.
They also blast their music pretty loud which can be distracting if you’re trying to read or have headphones on.
The internet usage is limited to 120 minutes and require a special password given to you by the cashier.
In my opinion, the Caffebene next door is much better!