Small World Coffee

Nice coffee shop in the middle of downtown Princeton. We were in Princeton to see a show, and we had time to kill beforehand. The coffee is nice, the vibe is nice, but the people– they are oblivious to others and in their own little Princeton-​ish haze– expect them to bump into you, reach around you to get stuff at the coffee station where you put in milk and sugar and just generally act like entitled jerks.
Again– nice place, horrible clientele.

Small World is a great local café, and many others seem to think so too. They have two locations but this is the larger of them. The coffee is good, tea tasty, and service quick and friendly. I’ve come to grab a drink and do some work here, although it gets extremely crowded and sometimes overwhelmingly so.
In my quest to find great chai lattes, SMC’s is quality but be warned, it is truly spicy! It’s called the ‘tough’ chai, made with fresh spices (cardamom-​forward) and fresh ginger, not very sweet but packed with tons of flavor. While I enjoy it, sometimes I just don’t want the back of my throat to burn and wish they had a toned down version.
Note:
— cash only
— ask for wifi password slip at the register (gives you 1 hour of free access, after which you need to get another slip and, out of courtesy, make another purchase)
— outlets galore! but you’ll have to compete for them if it’s busy

They make a really good oatmeal raisin (butterscotch?) cookie that’s really nice and chewy and delicious. The best rendition of oatmeal raisin I’ve found thus in Princeton.

Small World is a great place to meet up with friends, or even go on a first date. You can sit and talk for hours if you’re lucky and get a table to sit at. Unfortunately, they only take cash. Just as many places in Princeton do which sucks and is awkward when you only have a credit card with you and you already ordered. But sometimes it’s nice going to a local joint as opposed to a chain. There’s a Starbucks right by Small World but Starbucks looks the same everywhere. Small World has a flavor of its own (referring to the ambiance, not the coffee), a special indescribable charm to it, and even live music pretty often!

Best option near campus but due to mass volume of business it lacks that cultural charm I seek. Felt more like a drive through…

One of my favorite coffee shops in Princeton! We spend many Sunday night’s at small world, drinking our favorites and doing our crosswords. Its our thing!

Came here once and ordered an ice chai latte. My chai latte had a little too much spice; it was super spicy and had a burn on the throat which made it barely enjoyable. I’m not sure whether this was just how they serve it or they made it like that, that one time. It’s also v crowded a lot of times so it’s not a super great environment to find some quiet. Do try though! Your experience might be different.

Love Small World Coffee!
They began my never-​ending search for Iced Cappuccinos (I know I can just get an Iced Latte but it’s something about how they make/​serve the Iced Cappuccinos that keeps me hooked). They also have a variety of delicious pastries. I always stop by and get some whole-​coffee beans for family and friends when I’m in Princeton. I picked a bag up just two days ago for my parents and we ALREADY finished it.
Cash only.
Free Wifi.
Local Art.
Plenty of open seating.
Friendly Staff.
Sidewalk Park.
Two Locations.
Miss you Small World!

I’m not sure what the hype is about this place. They kind of have a monopoly on the coffee scene in downtown Princeton because they have space. However, it is way more expensive than necessary, I have never had friendly baristas, the wifi is limited to an hour, and if you have overstayed your welcome the baristas sort of shark around making it clear you need to order another or go. As for the coffee, it’s really just average and definitely inconsistent. The amount of space is the only thing they have going for them in my opinion. I see lots of areas this business can improve… but just like Starbucks, I’ll probably be back because there’s not much space anywhere else.

All busy café. They offer sit in with real mugs and their latte is wonderful. Pricing at around $ 4 a cup it’s a treat for most people however it’s a really busy place. I saw students working on their math problems and random folks just here for their morning joe.
The girls at the counter are friendly enough as well as focus on making your order ready. There are pastries which look delicious. There’s not much to do in Princeton during our visit beside going to the library book sale. (do visit and talk to the volunteers)

The quaintest coffee shop near Princeton University! I came here on a rainy Saturday during midterm season and the place was swarming with students on their laptops and books. It’s a really lovely atmosphere to have a cup of coffee and relax.
I ordered an oolong tea pot, large daily roast coffee, and the NOLA iced coffee.
Oolong tea: $ 3 and poured about 3 cups
Daily roast: ~$ 2.80 and served in a glass cup (which is heat proof, I suppose)
NOLA: $ 3.50 and they add the milk and sugar for you, so if you don’t want either, you should specify when you order.
Overall this place has pretty solid coffee and is great for your daily coffee fix. I did not notice any special latte art or flavors. (Although I did not order any drinks that needed latte art.)
CASH ONLY.

Cheap, good coffee.
Baristas were fast and very friendly. Despite all the people, there were a lot of seating available. I really appreciated that the barista spent the time to give me a little leaf on my cappucino, even if I had gotten it to-​go. The NOLA was also very good!

Great atmosphere for studying and meeting up with friends. I loved their NOLA iced coffee. I ordered two cups because it was that delightful. Fast staff because it gets crowded. You get your order get away! Go to small world café! They also have outside seating.

Even in a world where most of us have gourmet coffee at home, Small World Coffee shows that ordering a cappuccino or iced coffee out is definitely worth the splurge!
The Staff here is quirky, fun, charismatic, knowledgeable and always up for serving up something extra delightful. As I just moved to Princeton a few months back (and am teaching yoga nearby… at Rise, so come visit me!) I frequent this place a couple times a week and have found the ambiance welcoming, the wifi always reliable and the community of patrons incredibly interesting to observe and mingle with. This is definitely a gem in Princeton. (But whatever you do, don’t raise the prices! $ 3+ for my small cappuccino is plenty!!)

The NOLA iced coffee is great for a hot reunions day. They only take cash, but the line moves quickly.

LOVE THIS COFFEE SHOP! At first, I enjoyed it, but as time went on, it grew on me. I love their simple menu of coffee and tea! Even though a small cup of coffee is quite small, it is very strong and concentrated! Sometimes, after drinking a cup of small coffee, it can keep me up til 2−3am! SWC also sells pastries like cookies and muffins, but I haven’t tried any before yet! Personally, I feel like it’s more of a hangout and chat place than a study place, but I always see students and people studying or doing work on their laptop here!
This summer they added an outdoor extension for their customers to sit outside and enjoy their coffee and pastries! It’s amazing! I love the wooden benches and tables! It’s very cute!
During certain days of the week, they have live band playing and other events going on.

Great place. Tons of space, great bustling ambiance, and quality coffee. Could see myself spending a day here reading.

I found that Princeton coffee shop. You know the one. The café that’s always busy filled with people sitting alone reading a novel, catching up on work or the table top for two engrossed in conversation discussing gdknowswhat. It’s here.
A few things up front:
It’s on quite a busy street so street parking can be a bitch. See a spot? Take it! Metered parking.
Cash only. I know. It’s annoying and really just not convenient for your customers since taking card is so easy these days with square and the likes. Just silly.
It’s busy, but they’re efficient!
2:30 on a Tuesday and I was in line 8 deep. Good olé college towns. The coffee was good, not too strong, but good. They sell beans to go as well as branded t-​shirts and all that jazz, so this must be a Princeton staple. Only baked goods and soup here, so those looking for sammies and salads, looks like you need to check out their other outpost.
I’m assuming free wifi, although I didn’t test the waters.
Definitely a great spot to feel like a college student, ahhh the good old days.

I really fell in love with this place.
Service was quick but friendly. The barista was kind enough to answer any questions I had as a new customer. Free wifi is awesome and also very much appreciated when travelling the US with no data plan to speak of ;)
Loved the coffee so much I ended up taking a bag of beans home! Yay Small World!

Let me begin by admitting that I am far from a coffee snob. I couldn’t tell you the difference between café au lait, a misto, and a cappuccino if I tried, and I’m not really convinced one exists. That being said, I do enjoy drinking coffee on a daily basis and have tried many different blends and brands over the years. As such, I at least like to think I know good coffee when I taste it. Small World’s coffee definitely falls into this category for me.
I have sampled their coffee several times now, both in-​house and once brewed at home. I have tried their house blend in regular form and au lait, and have brewed their Grumpy Monkey blend myself. Their coffee is always robust, flavorful, and tastes of higher quality than a similar blend at Starbucks. The drinks are also marginally more expensive, which makes this a «special occasion», rather than an «everyday» sort of place for me.
In addition to coffee, Small World has an excellent selection of freshly baked goods. I have tried their chocolate chip cookies, coffee cake muffins, and pumpkin scones. All have paired well with the coffee and were quite good in their own right. As is the case with Small World’s coffee, the baked goods carry a premium, but are good enough that I would purchase one whenever I order a coffee.
Apart from the higher prices, the only other negatives which come to mind would be that the store is consistently packed and noisy and that they are cash only. The latter is my most serious issue with them. Considering the high prices and the amount of foot traffic this place receives, something tells me they could afford the credit card surcharge.
I really like the shop overall, though, and given that it is something of an institution in Princeton, I will continue to stop in from time to time as long as I remain in the area.