The Commons Chelsea

So I stopped into this hip looking little place (almost fell into the café as it has quite a large step down with no sign to warn) for a cool drink. They listed ginger lemonade on the menu board which normally I love. He asked 16 oz or 20 oz and I chose 16, he said $ 5 please. I thought that was quite steep, but I was thirsty so I bit. I watched the girl making the drink — pouring in a smidge of the ginger lemonade and then filling the cup with Canada Dry seltzer. The drink was like a slightly flavored seltzer. For $ 5.00. What a colossal rip-​off!

I luh dis place. Dey sandwiches is sooo nice and dey coffee is sooo nice and da people is nice and da light is nice

The Commons is a REALLY small space but they serve delicious and tasty food with what tasted like high quality ingredients. There are definitely some vegetarian options available. The wait time during lunch can be kinda lengthy even if you want it to-​go. Nevertheless, they did warn us that it would take 20 minutes to do a takeout order. We had the time, so we waited.
I had the lentil pâté sandwich. I’m not a vegetarian/​vegan, but this was delicious. I wish I had gotten the avocado toast thought which seems to be the thing they’re known for. Nevertheless, I like that my sandwich came with a side of lightly dressed baby spinach. I also ordered a hot apple cider to drink while waiting. I like that it wasn’t too sweet the way that popular chain makes it. I liked it so much that I still thought about going back the next day for another, but didn’t get a chance.
If I’m in the area again, I might go back just to do a takeout order. I can’t see myself staying in there too long in such a small space.

Neat neat place. We went in for the first time last night and greatly enjoyed the ambiance and that it is locally owned and not Starbucks. As we are in the neighborhood, we will be going here quite a bit as they have a great cup of coffee and friendly staff as well as wine and beer for those who want something less-​caffeinated.

Avocado toast is bomb.. chamomile tea on point.. Breakfast good 2 go. small spot guess considered «cozy» outside seating if u like.. Nice pple

The kale salad is simple but fantastic. Choose the caesar dressing to steer away from the usual sweet sauce + kale combo. Celery root is a great seasonal ingredient, and the croutons are crunchy but easy to chew. Get the salad with steak which is lean and tender for a complete meal. The brussels sprouts on the other hand was rather flavorless and old. (came in for dinner on Friday at around 6:30)
The place is cute and intimate. The weather is still warm enough for outdoor seating. Our waitress was very professional and friendly.

Great breakfast and lunch place. Very casual and tiny. Probably 6 indoor tables and 4 outside seating. No laptops allowed during lunch so they keep the flow going.
My usual go to for lunch is the turkey sandwich but I get it on toasted 5 grain bread instead of whatever it is they offer :) Great sandwich!
Today was the avocado toast and tomato soup. WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO TRY THE AVOCADO TOAST??? You MUST try it. Will be my definite go to! The soup was tasty as well.
During the weekends only they have waiters. Week days you order at the counter.

This place is awesome. We were a party of three on a Saturday during lunchtime and were sat within 5 – 10 minutes. The place is very small and they also have a few tables outside. We sat inside and the waiter (I think he was Australian) was super nice. I was excited to try the avocado toast. And it was even better than I expected. There was some kick to it. I also had the mint tea and BLT and it was all delicious. I’m very happy to have found this cute little spot and can’t wait to visit NYC again to enjoy that delicious avocado toast!

We came here after dinner. It’s a nice cozy place to sit down and relax.
However, their chai latte & hot coco were horrible.
Good thing is their have wine, coffee & tea at one spot.

2 Stars ONLY because Half of my food was decent.
I place an order on Seamless for lunch (Spanish tortilla, and brussels sprouts) waited an hour for my food (They didn’t receive my order at first, but I still got an confirmation through Seamless that it was being prepared, who’s at fault?) Every time I went to the front to ask how long, I was told just a few more minutes, and that went on for about half an hour.
Regardless, it shouldn’t take over an hour to prepare anything at a restaurant/​café.
When I did receive my food, walked a quick 5 minutes back to my office, I realized the tortilla was rock hard and absolutely frozen cold– no, not normal cold, it was frozen. The Brussels sprouts was the only redeeming thing in my meal.
Sorry guys, I really wanted to like this place, but this experience was far from what my expectation was. I’m going to pass on this one.

This is our current go-​to for cappuccino. The place is small and the layout is beyond asinine, but you gotta love the La Colombe beans. Really good espresso worth the awkward line and inconvenient waiting area.

It’s a small and quaint little coffee shop, but nothing that truly stands out for me. It has a good looking lunch menu, and your regular coffee options, but as I had mentioned, nothing that truly stands out to make it a coffee shop that I want to go out of my way for. The service was friendly and quick though, which is always welcomed and that’s mainly the reason why I have given this shop 3 stars. If you’re in the area and need some coffee, great, if not, it’s no big deal.

$ 4.36 for a [small] flavored iced tea that tastes like the fake Starbucks stuff. Most of the cup is ice and not actual tea. The two times I’ve come here I’ve experienced slow and nonchalant service. There won’t be a third.
[Update]
So after getting a kind reply and personal message from this business, I’m bumping my review up to 3 stars, since it seems like they do care enough to deal directly with complaints. I may give them another try at some point.

The Commons is the best coffee spot in Chelsea. The brew is super potent and full of flavor!
The space is small and intimate so you may find yourself siting with a stranger. Nothing wrong with making a new friend! They offer side walk seating as well.
I’m love the menu! It caters to vegetarians and meat eaters. I’m a big fan of the avocado toast made with cumin, online oil, lemon juice and chili flakes on focaccia. Try the roast Brussels sprouts if you have room!
The owner is usually working the register, so it has that locally owned feel and the staff is always all smiles. I love this place!

Cute place that has inside and outside area to eat. They make designs in their coffees. They have a wide variety to eat from yogurt, to breakfast sandwiches, to salads and paninis for lunch. The service was good too.

We came for the avocado toast with smoked salmon. Sadly, they were out of smoked salmon, but luckily I still had a great experience at The Commons Chelsea!
The server/​cashier who helped us out was a real gem; he was super friendly and welcoming. It was a great first impression to this cute little spot in Chelsea. The restaurant is small but clean and chic. Definitely a great spot to grab a quick breakfast or lunch.
Though they were out of the smoked salmon, luckily the cashier recommended I try the avocado toast with a poached egg. While my poached eggs were not really cooked to my liking, the flavor of the avocado toast was just too amazing for words. Who knew that a simple baguette with mashed avocado could be instantly elevated to an outstanding dish with the addition of lemon, salt, cumin and chili flakes? I definitely plan on recreating this at home — it’s to die for!

Stumbled upon this little coffee shop and got a macchiato. Ambience is nothing to shout about as the shop is several steps below ground level, and is pretty small. Coffee was good, and is fragrant enough for me to feel satisfied.
Perhaps not the perfect place to have a chill conversation with friends as it is by a busy busy street with plenty of cars (sounds like every other street in NYC eh?).

After hanging out a few streets away at a café that did not allow laptops and had no food, I had to Unilocal to find a place to grab something to eat. Cue finding the menu at The Commons Chelsea – it showed promise!
I ordered the veggie chili, lemonade, and brussels sprouts with bacon. My friend ordered the hot chocolate and side of cauliflower.
I have to say the veggie chili is excellent. I got the «cup» and it was pretty big and came with a side of bread. Tasty. If you’re vegan I would just say be mindful that it does come with a dollop of sour cream and cheese on top.
The lemonade is shown as a ginger lemonade but they were accommodating and served a regular lemonade. You add your own sugar. It had a bit of a fizz to it.
Unfortunately, I felt my brussels sprouts were more on the over-​roasted side. My friend said her cauliflower was kind of a small portion and had a citrusy dressing which to her was an odd flavor combo.
The hot chocolate was really yummy though! I tried it and we were both trying to guess what they put in there (nutmeg? I dont know! but theres something extra that really makes it delicious!)
OH! And this spot does not allow laptops in the afternoon so just be mindful of that. Also, it a TINY place so there’s not much room for much else but you and your food + drink. And there is no customer bathroom fyi.
Overall, I feel the service is really good at this place, the menu looks interesting but some of their dishes just need some details worked out. I would pop in again for the veggie chili and hot chocolate! More like 3.5 stars.

This coffee house name «The Commons» is one that is used for large New York City cooperative or rental pre-​war (World War II or the 1940s) apartment buildings.
The muffins appears enticing in three flavors: blueberry, lemon and pumpkin. I opt for the blueberry $ 3.50 and one small Chamomile hot tea $ 2.00. The muffin was over flowing with too much confectionery flour that it was crumpled to the floor when bitten into. Yet, the muffin itself was rather dry and not moist. The Commons Chelsea is a small café in Chelsea with very limited seating but appears very inviting and quaint. Service is somewhat attentive. Sandwiches are readily available and vouched by Unilocalers as «solid» which entices me for a return visit. I always enjoy brioche and the pulled pork sounds inviting.
Note: Watch your step when entering the threshold as there is one big step downward.

After reading a large number of the varied reviews for this place, we decided to give it a go for a quick and early Friday night meal. The food menu just sounded too good to dismiss because of some negative reviews and, overall, I was really impressed with it. Here’s what I tried on this visit:
— Artichoke Toast — Loved the warm and soft on the inside, crisp on the outside bread. The flavors were okay but I think I would have enjoyed the Avocado Toast better (something to try for next time).
— Roasted Brussels Sprouts — These were deliciously sweet and smoky with a generous amount of bacon and we ate every last bite. So good!
— Kale Salad with chicken and citrus dressing — I’m pleased to report that this salad was super fresh and far from boring. The celery root was a nice touch and they didn’t skimp on the croutons (which were crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside. Delicious).
The guy went for the Thanksgiving sandwich and said that it was great. I plan on trying one of the sandwiches on my next visit; they all sound fantastic.
Yes, it’s a small space. We chose to cozy up to the bar and chat a bit with the establishment; the service was great and attentive. Really pleased to have found another solid dining option in that area.