The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

I used to like this place. It always has plenty of seats and outlets. I especially liked the booth and couches at the back. Their bathroom is clean, which is a plus.
However, I would never came back unless I want to find a quite place and read some books. They claimed to have «free wifi», but it actually NEVER worked. Apparently they have this issue since 2014 and don’t even bother to fix it. The employees here are lazy and have no work ethic whatsoever. It always takes forever to make your drink. tables are always dirty with piles of crumbs. Sometimes the barista walks around the table but never actually clean them. I am always wondering if they just come around and check if people are taking outside food here.
Today I walked in after several months, expecting the wifi is working. But sadly it is not. I got a latte and it was around noon in a work day so literally I was the only one in line. Ofc it took the barista forever to make my drinks. He was on his phone the whole time while I was waiting and I had to stare at him for minutes for him to put his phone away and to make my drink.
As I sit down and trying to do my work, I found out the internet is not working. So I went to cashier girl and kindly asked her if they are using a new internet since the old one is never worked. And she told me in a very impatient way that if it is not working means there’s no internet.
Anyways now I understand why this place is always half-​empty.
Since I have to be waiting for people here pretty often, a question for the UES people: do you have suggestions for any other places I can sit and study for a couple of hours with good coffee/​tea?

Their ice blended drinks are bland and taste watered down. I’m not sure if there is any caffeine in this large iced coffee. Also the wi-​fi sucks so much it’s almost unusable. It’s a nice place to meet someone and chat. There is space to sit. But a poor option for solo laptop time.

Even though not long ago I told myself that I would never set foot in a CBTL again I decided to take a chance because I was in the mood for a bucket of brew and the store was very quiet whereas the SB on the next block is always packed.
My large Brew tasted fine but no more could be said for it, the flavour was neither good nor unpleasant it was just sort of coffee flavored.
The staff members were friendly and helpful but the seating area feels rundown and dingey, it’s clear that they are going for a retro lived in feel but truthfully it’s just worn out furniture and chipped paint.
In terms of their offerings there is little between CBTL and SB but that isn’t really saying much.

Easily the worst coffee I’ve had in NYC. Had the light roast and it was old, overly bitter, and needed serious help. The cashier seemed to know very little about the coffee experience or the products he was selling. Terrible.

Poor service slow and rude! I ordered just regular ice coffee. I had to wait 10 minutes for the staff to chat. They completely forgot and started blaming me for not reminding them. Will never step foot into another coffee bean again. I should have crossed the street to Starbucks.

Extremely rude service, the cashier actually shooed me away before I finished ordering and there was no line behind me. Then the barista forgot to make my drink order so after waiting 15 minutes I got a refund and left. With the amount of coffee shops on the UES, I would definitely skip this one.

Extremely terrible service. Waited 20 minutes for two regular hot coffees. The barista making them apparently didn’t know he had to make them. The cashier was extremely rude and when asked for an extra side of cream cheese they said it was in the back, never got me one. Once my boyfriend had asked for it they came back and threw it at him and said next time they were charging us. Also served us half filled coffee. Terrible service!

good coffee, awful service, spotty internet. this place has tons of seating though, with a quiet room in the back.

Very friendly, very efficient staff dished up a solid peppermint hot chocolate.

This location is spacious, has a back lounge area and staff is friendly and generous. WiFi works very well in the front area but not so well in the back lounge (sofa) area. Specialty coffees, in my opinion, are superior than the major coffee chains. I prefer the caramel and vanilla lattes. Their pumpkin latter is great as well. Much better selection if you need/​want a seat for a longer stay than starbucks (where you can almost never find a seat to use WiFi). Give this place a try.

Every time I go here the staff is not paying attention, on their phones, not at their stations, or arguing. It’s too bad cause their ambiance is better than Starbucks but I am still listening to the two baristas fight.

The staff is unprofessional and the baristas take an incredible amount of time to make drinks that turn out to be mediocre. Yesterday, I waited approximately 15 minutes by the counter for my Hazelnut Ice Blended only to find out that the barista didn’t even know I placed an order, as he asked what I was waiting for… Very unprofessional and the drink he hastily made was pretty much liquid (Ice Blended drinks have a frappuccino-​texture). Not worth the time and money.
They also have a tremendous amount of flies/​bugs so it is quite impossible to enjoy your time here. It is definitely not a comfortable setting to sit down and do work when flies are continuously flying into your face and onto your coffee cups. Furthermore, the overall cleanliness and upkeep (or lack there-​of) of the café is very unsanitary. Every table I’ve sat at is usually covered with a sticky substance and has food crumbs all over. Clearly the staff is not keeping up with the cleanliness of the café, hence why there are so many bugs.

Attempting to kill some time while waiting for a friend, I was walking around the area and found this place. I figured I would write my review while I am still here.
Extremely average coffee shop. The offer lattes, cappuccinos, blended ice coffees, muffins, bagels, macaroons etc.
I decided to get a chocolate chip muffin and a medium vanilla iced coffee. Total cost was about $ 6 and change.
The girl at the register was not too friendly. She had this look on her face like this was the last place she wanted to be and just had a very uninviting attitude.
However, the girl who made me and handed me my coffee had a big smile on her face and seemed happy to serve.
The iced coffee I ordered was not as cold as I preferred, and it tasted a little to sweet for my taste. It also unfortunately failed to give me the «pick me up» I needed so I went back inside and got a single shot of espresso which was nice and strong. This time a guy was on the register and he was nice.
The muffin was pretty big. The outside layer was also extremely sweet but in inside was soft and delicious.
The shop is average sized. Plenty of tables to sit on the inside and outdoor seating as well – booths, tables ad a larger room hidden In the back with a large table. The tables outside were pretty dirty. I had to wipe it down before I even placed my stuff on it.
The bathrooms were not pleasant either, also dirty. They have two bathrooms. One was stuffed to the max with toilet paper, employees were using the bathrooms which I’m sure one of them knew it was clogged so why not fix it? The other bathroom was very small and pretty much had the sink over the toilet, so when people was their hands they get water all over the toilet seat – also had no paper towels or mirror.
On the plus side, this place does offer free water…
Overall, I was happy to find a place to wait for my friend today; but if I’m in the area again I would look for a different coffee shop to go to.

Ugh I’m so jealous of my friends who literally live down the street from this Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Coffee Bean is my go-​to coffee place in Southern California, so being able to hang out in one in NY makes me nostalgic for the weekend trips I would make down there with my family.
This location is extremely spacious, with a smaller room tucked in the back that has even more seating and tables. It’s nice because it keeps you out of the way of the storefront foot traffic, especially if you are planning on sticking around and studying for a while.
Wifi is free, and if you are looking, there are plenty of outlets in the back room! There are a few interesting individuals who frequent this location, but otherwise it stays pretty quiet.

Staff wasn’t as warm as I thought they would be. The iced chai was very disappointing. I was confused between two beverages, and felt like the cashier was snappy. During my visit on a Sunday evening, I didn’t have anyone behind me. I had been looking forward to coming here for a long time.
I am spoiled with Laduree macarons, and am always disappointed when I purchase French macarons around New York City. I must say, these were divine. The smores was delicious.

Locked myself out of my gf apartment and left my wallet. It was freezing rain and I forgot an umbrella as well. I posted up under the Coffee Beans outside canopy thinking how I’m going to get home and more importantly how I’m going to get a coffee… As I waited, deep in thought, a Coffee Bean worker steps outside with a tray of free small coffees and asks me if I wanted one… Hands down five star service and it made my day! Coffee is alright though. :)

Nice coffee shop with moderate bustle to study in. Usually has a couple tables to sit down and do work in, although the Internet can be spotty at times. The floor is actually uneven, so there are some tables off to the side that are at a slant.
That being said, I usually like coming here to study. Staff is typically friendly and has character. Good selection of teas — my goto drink is the matcha latte. Not so much in terms of food here. There is a quieter area in the back to work in, but I usually forgo that area and study in the open, friendly environment.

Early morning went in for 2 cappuccinos and 2 toasted bagels with CC. Waited 20 MINUTES! I mean come on! It was 2 of the same things! And I even had to spread the CC on own bagel! COME ON!!!

I really want to like The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Like, I really, really want to. It would make my life so much easier; it’s right around the corner from my office. But, I can’t. Like, I really, really can’t.
As I’m sure you know by now (…if you’ve read my reviews), I am a stickler for customer service. And, I’m sorry to say (#sorrynotsorry), y’all’s attitude sucks. If I had a nickel for every time a staff member gave me a dirty look for no apparent reason or looked at me like I was crazy for placing my order (placing orders is an integral part of the coffee-​getting experience, it’s not like I’m asking for something random, like a kidney), I’d be a very rich woman.
Aside from customer service, the latte is decent, but it is never all the way filled. It’s more like half-​a-​latte. And, when I’m paying for a whole latte, I expect a whole latte.
Now, you might be wondering why I gave this place two stars. Two stars for it’s two, only redeeming features — space and pastries. The black and white cookie was delicious and fresh, and the place is massive. I especially like the booths which offer space and privacy.

On the west coast, I always hit up CBTL and it is by far my favorite! I headed to CBTL here on the upper east side expecting the same, but boy was I wrong.
Ordered a large green iced tea, and it didn’t seem to be an issue… until I got my order. I practically got iced water is what it was! I told the cashier and he pretty much stated to me that thats how its made.
Ummm… no. Like I said, I’ve had CBTL for many years on the west coast… unless its different on the east caost (which it shouldnt be, all drinks should be consistent across the board).
The guy took my drink, and made another one, which was even WORSE than the first. Not to mention, the attitude he gave me when I told him there was barely even tea in my drink was bad.
I’m never returning here. If i wanted ice water, I could have gone to my fridge. Waste of money and waste of time!