The Bean
“Kira is particularly wonderful, always offering up a little wit and whimsy with your morning brew.”
“On my walk from Union Square to Grand Central, my chai latte served as a great companion while I took languorous bites from my macaron.”
“They have a few locations, but I most frequent this one (it's directly across the street from Strand Bookstore).”
The Bean
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Caters: Yes
Good for Working: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
8 reviews
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The nutella frap is to die for!! It's sooooooo rich and is perfect for a hot summer day. Get a small cup so that the richness is not overwhelming. I love their artwork promoting each signature drink as well =) What a hip place.
Super cute little coffee shop on Broadway with a ton of large open windows to people watch. Personally one of my more favored study areas where I can order a solid cup of joe and get a nice, cozy corner and read up a bit. The only issue that I have with this place is the seating. It relatively medium sized, but because they have so many students in the area, the place is ALWAYS full. There are always people on ever window chair set up with their laptops and all. It is a little sad if you get there too late for a spot, but honestly, if I go just for the coffee, I'd be A-Ok with that.
From my experiences so far the atmosphere is better than drinks. I'm a consultant so I can do most of my work from home; so I can work from the cafe to get the view of union square and strand book store. Plus during the midday I heard great music playlist while working. The staff was friendly and nice. On my first visit the girl messed up my order, but was able to correct it right away when I mentioned it to her. The second I order a latte and didn't like much, but I asked for assistance they still try to fix it somewhat. It was more bitter than usual. I've tried many other shops's in NY.
Next time I come in I need to try another kind of drink to see if its not me. Also really wanted to try food, despite previous reviews. I will pick something Ive had before elsewhere, just to see how it tastes. Because I love the atmosphere and music selection when I go I'm going to give it a try again.
I ordered a cacao chocolate parfait on the go and it was actually really good! I feel like it's a bit of an acquired taste as its vegan yogurt so may not be for anyone but I enjoyed how they had a lot of vegan items at decent prices for a quick stop. The staff was also very friendly.
They get crowded, so it can be a long wait in line. Tables are hard to get here. But this is a good place to grab a coffee on the go before heading across the street to The Strand bookstore.
They have a Nutella Fitzgerald, which is a latte with Nutella:)
This is one of the harder reviews for me to write.
This is because this place so basic and cliche.
They really lacks any original characteristics and the coffee is just OK.
Looking at the crowd it seemed like a lot of students working on projects together and since I am past that phase in my life I am hard pressed to find a reason for coming here.
The only stand out point was that the service was good.
The Bean really fell short on coffee quality when I stopped in one afternoon. The only thing I had here was coffee, and it was awful. Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, or likely any other coffee place in the area would've been better.
This isn't my favorite Bean location, but it's still a decent coffee shop. The location is small and cozy, with comfy seating. It's a perfect location, right next to the Strand Bookstore in the heart of Union Square.
There's a lot of seating and tables, but since it's always busy, It's hard finding a spot to sit. It's because it's located on a busy corner, so it's annoying when you come here, prepared to sit down, work on the computer, and sip your coffee when there's no where to ever sit. It's surprisingly busy at night too, with a ton of students invading the place.
The food is alright, and the drinks are pretty good. The baristas are friendly, but you can tell they're students with little to no coffee experience. It especially shows when the line gets incredibly long and they become overwhelmed.
The bathroom is actually pretty disgusting. They have a sign that says they like to keep it clean, but it never is. It just smells all the time.
I must say, this places is always a great meet up spot with a friend or a cafe that's good to bust out the computer and work. I'm surprised there's not more places like The Bean that has a lot of seating to get work done and drink coffee. Not too many in NYC have an atmosphere like The Bean, probably because a lot of coffee shops in NYC aren't as big as The Bean. So, I'll give them that.