Sweetleaf Coffee & Espresso Bar

November 29, 2013

So, I have been sitting on this review for over a year! I'm such a bad blogger! But I am finally getting to it! Totally unintentional but I visited this location almost a year to the day that I am posting it's review!

The Sweet Leaf in Williamsburg is the 2nd location and opened in 2012. The first location being in Long Island City and the third also being in Long Island City but also serves cocktails after 6pm! The third location is starting to offer savory food along with their cocktails and the first location has a laptop room and a record room in the back complete with a turntable and tons of records! I really have to check this out for myself!

The Williamsburg location is a 'Green Build' according to their website and was built with reclaimed wood. They sell coffee from Stumptown and Ritual Roasters. Supposedly, they do karaoke on Thursday nights but I didn't see anything specifying what locations or times.

Foosball! Haha! (I can never say that word without laughing!)

Lots of space to sit and work or just relax!

Comfy Chairs! Also, this location shares a space with a real estate company: Modern Space.

Really like this idea: labeling the lids!

On The Shelf: looks pretty, but I hate to see space wasted like this. Has anyone read that book? Curious if it's any good...

From the Left, Clockwise:  Blueberry & Coconut Vegan Scone, Ginger Matte Tea, Raspberry Coffeecake, Cortado

Now, I have been a little reluctant to post this because I hate giving reviews that are less than glowing but I was not very impressed with their food and coffee. Some of that may have been because we came in the afternoon and pastries are usually at their best early in the morning or, ideally, right out of the oven. Also, part of my disappointment may have been because I'm not a fan of vegan pastries in general (I'm a traditionalist when it comes to my baked goods), but I love coconut and scones so I decided to go for it. However, the Blueberry & Coconut Scone I ordered was dry and tasteless and the Raspberry Coffee Cake was only marginally better than the scone. I really do believe that food just tastes better when it's made with butter, eggs and real sugar. Sorry to rub it in to all those who have diet restrictions and I have complete respect for anyone who can withstand the pull of real fat and sugar for the sake of taking a moral stand.

As for the cortado, it was a little too strong for me to comfortably drink and sadly, adding sugar did not help it. I'm afraid I had to leave this drink unfinished, which a true shame for me. After reading a few reviews from others, super strong coffee seems to be a something Sweetleaf is known for.

I recently (as in the day of this posting) come upon a Yelp review and I'm very upset that I did not get a chance to try either of these iced drink options when I went as they sound delish!

"Rocket Fuel - A perfect New Orleans style coffee laced with full-bodied chicory and sweetened up with just the right amount of maple syrup.  It's better than Blue Bottle I must say.

Voodoo Child - Thick coffee sweetened with condensed milk is Sweetleaf's version of Vietnamese iced coffee.  It's ridiculously delicious.  After nursing this baby for four hours, I still have some left.  Ice is long melted, but flavor still remains.  Def a must try."

Street Art from the area...

View Crossing the Street to get to Sweetleaf. Hello NYC!

This is one of the few coffee spots I've found in NY that actually has decent seating and I didn't feel like I would have to fight for a spot. While I did not LOVE the coffee and food, I would definitely go back to give it another shot. Especially for those iced drinks I just found out about! Maybe I'll go in the Spring when it starts to warm up a bit. It's always possible I just caught them on a bad day.


Photos by Nathanael Maharaj

Bluebird Coffee Shop

June 16, 2013

We came to the Bluebird Coffee Shop on Father's Day and, as we approached, we passed by some really interesting street art! The normally bustling Lower East Side Neighborhood seemed almost deserted and it had a very calm and relaxed atmosphere.

Brownie points to anyone who can tell me what all this was about! haha!

The Bluebird Coffee Shop is very small and the only signage was the wooden carved plaque posted on an iron cage door. We actually walked past it once before we noticed that it was there. The trees all seemed to converge on the entry to mask it and make it feel like a treasure you just stumbled upon. Even though there's not much space to sit inside, there's a little playground across the street from the shop and I can easily imagine sitting on one of the benches there if I couldn't find room inside. Also great for moms who want  a moment of peace to enjoy a nice latte while their kids play outside!

Love the huge open windows! They really open up the space and make it seem bigger than it is!

Sounds good to me!

Let them eat cake!

Housemade Yumminess!

 As usual, I was very disappointed to find we had arrived too late to order anything from the impressive breakfast or lunch menus. I had seen these online before we left and I was really looking forward to trying something. Unfortunately, we arrived after 3 so I had to console myself by ordering the pastry photo'd above. I have no idea what it actually is, but the barista described it as almost like a bread pudding type pastry with strawberry jelly inside, and I'd say that was pretty accurate. It was flaky on the outside and just the right amount of dense sweetness inside. Altogether, pretty awesome!

Flat White and an Iced Latte

 Their coffee comes from Counter Culture and I finally got to order a Flat White! I have to say it was very tasty! I usually have trouble drinking a traditional cappuccino. They have too much foam to get through before you get to the espresso at the bottom, and then when you do get to it, it's too bitter! The contrast is almost shocking and I have to confess they're not my favorite drinks to order. The flat white was a perfect combo. It was stronger than your typical latte but just enough foam & milk to balance the espresso. It might be my new favorite espresso drink!

On the Shelf!

Menu framed and posted on the wall.

Dig the 'Choking Victim' sign on the back wall!

I was very impressed with how clean they kept this place! This is the result of constant vigilance people!

Love the framed Rorschach Tests on the wall! What do you see?

Bluebird Wallpaper... get it!?

Elder-flower Lemonade

 I couldn't resist buying one of these Elder-flower Lemonades! The packaging is just so sweet and (as you may know) I'm a sucker for unusual flavors. I think this would make an amazing sorbet flavor actually- the elder-flower was not too overwhelming, just the slightest hint of floral flavor and sparkling lemonade!

This was a very impressive find and an extremely pleasant afternoon. I will definitely be back to try more from the menus and I really can't say enough about how wonderful and relaxing it all was.


(Photos were provided by Nathanael Maharaj)