The Top Cappuccinos in Manhattan’s West Village

Manhattan’s West Village is home to some of the best cappuccinos in the city. This charming neighborhood is packed with affordable student hangouts where NYU kids study over a mug of java, chic coffee bars offering gourmet beverages, peaceful cafes where you can escape the city’s hustle and bustle, and quirky neighborhood institutions that have been around for decades. Read on for a rundown of the four best cappuccinos the west village has to offer.

Best West Village Cappuccino for Students
Esperanto Caf�©
114 Mac Dougal Street, between W. 3rd St and Bleecker St.
212.475.5400

Esperanto CafÃ?© is the perfect spot for a bout of serious studying over a seriously good cappuccino. It’s located just south of Washington Square Park, so sitting in the window makes for ideal West Village people watching. The staff is very hands-off, which means it is tough to get in and out quickly, but it is easy to linger for hours, a rarity among Manhattan cafes. The all-wood interior makes for a cozy atmosphere, and the fact that Esperanto CafÃ?© stays open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week makes this one of the most convenient places in Manhattan to find fuel for all-night test prep. Free wifi is a plus, and definitely draws the laptop crowd. The clientele is young and bohemian, and the cappuccino is amazing, thick and foamy enough to make you feel great, even at three in the morning. For hours and more info, visit the official website at http://www.esperantocafe.com/

Best West Village Cappuccino for Trendsetters
Joe, The Art Of Coffee
212.924.6750
141 Waverly Place, between 6th & 7th Avenues

Manhattan’s West Village is a trendy neighborhood studded with celebrity addresses and plenty of residents who work in fashion and design. If you want to sip your cappuccino while soaking up this side of the district, head to Joe, The Art Of Coffee. Joe carries a good range of organic coffees, plus gourmet cupcakes made by avant-comedy star Amy Sedaris. The best thing about Joe, though, is how well they train their employees. That means you’ll get a flawless cappuccino every time. No wonder Joe has been crowned with the “Best Coffee” honors by New York Magazine and Time Out New York. If you’re a cappuccino connoisseur, Joe is a must-try West Village spot. There’s one more thing that makes Joe, The Art Of Coffee, stand out from the crowd of chic coffee joints in the neighborhood: the attitude, or lack thereof. Joe is extremely highly regarded, so you might expect some of the snobbery and rudeness Manhattan is known for, but in fact the atmosphere remains comfortable, and the waitstaff are friendly whether you’re obviously “in the know” or not. Check out the official site at http://www.joetheartofcoffee.com/joe.swf

Best West Village Cappuccino for Frazzled Travelers
Doma Caf�© & Gallery
17 Perry St at 7th Avenue
212.929.4339

If you find yourself feeling a bit worn down by the relentless hustle and bustle of Manhattan’s West Village, step into Doma for a cappuccino that will leave you feeling physically, and perhaps even spiritually revitalized. Doma may be the quietest non-library public space in the whole of Manhattan, which is enough of a selling point to be worth a look, but it is also home to a truly great cappuccino. The cappuccino at Doma is delicate and foamy, and well worth lingering over while you recover from a busy day. Because this is a slightly out of the way spot, the low-key clientele is mostly West Village residents at work on their laptops, or whiling away the afternoon reading magazines. An ideal place to relax, sip a great cappuccino, and soak up the quieter side of life in Manhattan. Doma doesn’t have an official website, but you can read more about it and get directions from the Doma page on Citysearch: http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/36246545

Best West Village Cappuccino for Purists
Rocco’s Pastry Shop
243 Bleecker St, between Carmine St.& Cornelia St.
(212) 242-6031

Rocco’s is a family-run, long-standing West Village institution, and the kind of place that makes Manhattan unique. This Italian bakery has a devoted crowd of regulars who don’t mind bearing with the grumpy waitstaff in order to get hold of the exquisite baked goods and perfect cappuccino. At just two dollars, the cappuccino at Rocco’s is the best bargain in the neighborhood, although you wouldn’t guess so from the taste. The foam is thick and rich but fluffy, and the top-notch espresso has just enough kick to stand out from the milk without touching a sharp or bitter note. If you’re in Manhattan’s West Village and craving a real, authentically Italian cappuccino, Rocco’s Bakery is the place to go. For a real treat, pair your beverage with a few pieces of the handmade biscotti. You can read reviews and get a map to Rocco’s on this Yelp.com page: http://www.yelp.com/biz/JWLRT0dkdaC7AHtYapWbGw