Cafe Bamba
“Really dig the aesthetic – art deco chic, lots of cool paintings and photos on the wall, succulents (!!).”
“Service was very friendly and the baristas had a sense of humor, which is always a pleasant surprise in Manhattan let alone coffee shops.”
Cafe Bamba
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Working: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
7 reviews
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A recent addition to the Chelsea coffee circuit. I'm a big fan, and not just because I live around the corner! Really dig the aesthetic – art deco chic, lots of cool paintings and photos on the wall, succulents (!!). Plus, some delicious cold brew iced coffee that I'll absolutely be returning for. The barista was very friendly too.
Free wi-fi, of course!
A nice new addition to the Chelsea coffee scene!
The interior is really well-done. Lots of light, really fun art lining the walls, colorful chairs, the whole works. A couple people were working there, and I think they had the right idea. If I lived closer I'd love to sit and stay for a bit. Seems like wifi is available.
The coffee is pricey (no prices on the wall menu, oddly) but I think that speaks more to the location and the general cost of operating a small business in the Chelsea area. I hesitated to hand over $5 for my latte, but it was definitely quality coffee. You could see them carefully working behind the counter and putting real care into small touches like the latte foam.
Service was very friendly and the baristas had a sense of humor, which is always a pleasant surprise in Manhattan let alone coffee shops. I'd love to come back sometime and leave a more detailed review, but for now, it's a thumbs up from me!
Can be a little expensive (drip is $2.50, latte is $5), but you can tell they really care about what they serve. It was a little weird coming in and not seeing prices next to their menu but they have a printed version at the counter with everything listed.
Baristas are super friendly, the opening hours are good, and there's enough table space to get work done in peace~ The art is also pop-deco and is colorful enough to keep you from falling asleep in the warm space.
I'm definitely coming back to try their Nutella Toast, which is sweets and nutella piled on top of Balthazar banana bread!!!!! Does that not sound amazing?
3.5 rounded up to a 4, for growing pains of any new establishment – hope things get better with time.
The good:
1) Nice ambiance – great art on walls, good music, relaxing
2) Free infused water is nice
3) Love the window seats
4) Gorgeous presentation of their signature avocado toast – definitely the most beautiful and tasty I've ever had ever
5) Pastries from Balthazar (yum)
The bad:
1) Coffee is pricey for what it is, especially when a certain unnamed famous coffee joint is so close by
2) big personal pet peeve: no prices on menu. Pricey + no prices listed = always a bit of sticker shock when paying. Seems like a small detail, but usually you want to avoid giving consumers any kind of downside surprise. Not sure what the rationale was here to be honest.
3) Staff sometimes seem kind of green/undertrained.
4) Too much variance in quality of food day to day – quality of avocado toast should not vary as a function of who made it…
Overall promising, with a few wrinkles to smooth out.
They reeeeally need to get their act together in terms of barista skills. Not everyone behind the counter knows what they are doing. At $4 a cup, and with Rex, Commons and Grumpy's down the street, it's unforgivable. (Picture of my cappuccino as presented by barista; spilled milk all over cup and plate and weak brew, flimsy foam)
Also they yell across the shop in a foreign language CONSISTENTLY. At first I didn't think anything of it but after an hour of this it got on my nerves. Are they talking about me? Why are they yelling? Do we all need to be a part of their conversation? Or completely excluded and observing?? Kinda like that annoying loud group that stands right in front of you seated on the train which was otherwise peaceful before they entered.
You get the picture.
That said, some perks include:
Bright, spacious atmosphere
Wifi
Outlets
Bathroom (a novelty for a cafe in this area)
Diverse but fun music (whatever the hell that means)
Excellent coffee, staff and music. Cute place!
Probably the most personable team of people in a coffee shop that I've ever met.
The food looked amazing, but I'll have to try next time for lunch.
*the music was a bit too loud…it all comes out of one speaker directly over one side of tables.
Cool cafe in an area that's pretty sparse on Cups app participants. We stumbled on this cafe after a late lunch at Boqueria and wanted coffee to help digest our meal.
Coffee is solid and the best part – this place has a bathroom! However they close super early, which is a bit of a bummer.