The Chipped Cup
“A beacon of hope for those searching for relaxation and a quality cup of coffee in the somewhat unknown neighborhood of Hamilton Heights.”
“A wonderful little hipster nook close to Harlem, I was so happy to have stumbled upon it during my last NYC visit!”
“PROS: Location, free wi-fi, decent number of outlets, good music, quiet clientele, comfortable couch, clean (albeit small) public bathroom.”
The Chipped Cup
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Apple Pay: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Good for Working: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range Moderate
8 reviews
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I'm always on the lookout for study spots, so I'm really glad I found The Chipped Cup. The place has an extremely cozy, relaxed vibe to it, which I love. I stopped by on an early Friday afternoon of a long weekend. There was surprisingly a good number of people working on their laptops but finding a seat wasn't an issue. I ordered an iced Sweet Matcha Green Tea Lemonade (which I assume is a seasonal drink). It was a little too sour for my liking, but I guess they're better known for their coffee and baked goods.
In a nutshell,
– Comfortable, quiet atmosphere perfect for studying (they do play music though)
– 120 minutes free wifi with purchase
– Lack of outlets (not so great for those long study marathons)
I'm new to this part of the city, so my first mission was to find a coffee shop I could call my second home…and I'm pretty sure I found it. Located in West Harlem, it's easy to spot with it's decorative blue easel outside.
When I first discovered this place, I was amazed at how much table space was available to plug in, chill out, and have a cup of coffee with a friend. They even have an adorable garden terrace out in back.
Better yet, their fair trade coffee isn't half bad either. For me, I'm a big chi latte fan, so make sure to try theirs. It's delicious.
Some of the employees are super weird but I had another set of good coffee experiences. The pan aux raisins is awesome (have them heat it up), as are the chai tea lattes and chocolate ginger molasses cookies.
If there was any compelling reason to check out The Chipped Cup, the answer is in three simple words = fair trade coffee.
As others have noted if you blink you might miss this true gem of a coffee shop in Morningside. If not for the little sign outside, you may not have known this existed (#121 reason why you should yelp more). You might be precarious, pause and ask is this a trap?, as you make your way down the steps leading into the coffee shop…the entrance is narrow and some days dimly lit. To my pleasant surprise, a beautiful cafe is what I found. A new place where I can rest my tucchus as I begrudgingly work on my assignment of the day: uninterrupted, a delicious brew by my side.
This cafe is so fetch, the walls adorned with whimsical decors and plenty of comfortable seating you'd think you were home (somebody else's home). There's also an outdoor patio in the back, perfect for cool summer days. Too bad our fur baby will have to stay home.
The overall vibe is chill, with enough variety in their playlist. The seating plentiful and the wifi is strong with this one.
The atmosphere is comfortable whether your pedantically striking your keyboard, hedonistically scrolling through the latest social media feed, or reclining with your favorite piece of literature on your lap, you'll certainly have a pleasant experience.
The staff, always amicable, will tolerate your inquest despite your behest to utter such questions: is this vegan, certified organic, and/or gluten free?
Fret not fellow hipsters, they'll have something vegan to snack on. The fair trade coffee is quite impressive. I'm a fan of the soy cappuccino, thanks to the great barristas here. Their teas, according to my boo, were good.
Overall I'm quite fond of the Chipped Cup and can see myself spending more of my afternoons here.
The counter staff were great and there's a good vibe to this place but my coffee was over-extracted and bitter. The bagel was also nothing to yelp about. Disappointing – head to Lenox for great coffee.
I love this place. I love their coffee (I am a coffee snob). I love their layout. I love that I can always find a seat. I love that they have sections with bright lighting (YAAAS coffee shops that dont make me go blind!). I love that they have a bathroom. I love that they have a terrace in the back.
The only thing that would make it perfect is if they had more sunlight. But you know, I barely get any sun in my own apartment, so…let's manage our expectations.
The Chipped Cup is a great place to get some work done, so if you're planning on coming here to talk smack about your co workers, you should reconsider that. Most everyone is on their laptop or doing something else that is relatively low volume, so you can overhear most conversations. I would not take someone on a first date here for that reason, but if you're looking to 1) read some music scores, 2) study for the LSATs, 3) pretend to write your dissertation, or 4) anything else that is uncharacteristic of 147th and Broadway, this is a good place.
I only wish they stayed open a little later…but I'll deal with it.
A-OK. I didn't enjoy my drink and the ordering process was confusing. People were ordering from one spot and then we were asked to order from another spot. No one knew where to stand or where to get their drinks/food. You go one direction and then you go back to the other direction to find out you have to go back the other direction to get to the outdoor seating, etc. A cluster f&#k. Check it out though. The place has the stars to support checking out.
The exterior of this place is cute and dainty, slightly hipsterish with a sign out front that lures with you with a catchy quote about their expresso and coffee. (Something along the line of using their exquisite coffee names as one liners… I dig it.)
I love the decor of the interior, with the perfect balance of antique and homey with enough space and wooden tables for dates and groups. The best part about this place is the backyard open space seating offered with lights hanging over the ceiling g and comfy wooden table. The backyard seating gets me excited — imagine all the work you can get done there! It is also quieter than the inside of the coffee shop.
The price is decent for the upper west side, I pay about $2 for a cup of coffee and $4 for Belgian hot chocolate. The coffee was mediocre, I still prefer stumptown coffee but I do hope to come back and try their expresso.