Everyman Espresso

Espresso in a theatre lobby

The bar sits in a theatre lobby on East 13th Street, which is the first thing anyone tells you about Everyman Espresso and the reason the room feels different from any purpose-built café in New York City. Big windows, a modest fit-out, no attempt at spectacle: the coffee does the talking. Counter Culture Coffee supplies the beans, and the drinks list stays tight, espresso, cortado and drip, rather than sprawling into flavoured variations.

A calm room in the East Village

The atmosphere is unpretentious and quiet by New York coffee-bar standards. The lobby setting gives it more light and more space than most East Village counters, and the crowd mixes neighbourhood regulars with people arriving early for something else.

It works as a stop rather than an office. Service is at the counter and the pace is calm, which makes it a good place to actually drink an espresso standing up instead of carrying it out in a cup.

Cortado if milk is in the plan

Order the cortado when milk is part of the decision. It is the compact middle ground here, enough milk to soften the shot without turning it into a drink you have to work through, and it is the order that shows what the bar is doing with Counter Culture’s coffee.

Straight espresso is the most direct read, and the one to take if the coffee itself is the point. Drip is the everyday choice, the cup for a longer sit or a walk uptown. Between the three, that is the whole decision, which is a large part of the appeal.