Caffebene
“Working in midtown, so close to Times Square, it's so hard to find a cute place for coffee rather than starbucks or getting cocktails.”
“Not nearly as busy, easy to understand drinks menu with fun choices like red velvet latte or toffee nut hot chocolate.”
“They have pastries, sandwiches, salads, waffles, cakes & desserts, smoothies, and caffeinated drinks for tourists and locals alike.”
Caffebene
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Apple Pay: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Good for Working: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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We were a few minutes early for the matinee showing of Chicago at Ambassador Theater so we decided to grab something at Caffebene to drink before we headed in. There wasn't a long wait and the line moved quickly so I ended up ordering their misugaru latte on a whim, with a shot of espresso.
The misugaru latte was so different from what I've ever tried, so I was pretty excited. It tastes so Asian and healthy, I was completely surprised by it. I could barely taste the espresso beneath the thick misugaru.
Seating is limited but we sat at the barstool-less bar and enjoyed our drinks standing.
Caffebene is a little pricey but nonetheless a quick stop for a snack before heading to a show in Times Square.
We came here for a quick snack/dessert with a friend who was in from out of town before seeing "Book of Mormon" at the Eugene O'Neill up the block.
Caffebene is in a good location; right in the heart of Times Square, on the corner of 7th Avenue and 49th St. There are several different seating areas, including one area upstairs, one along the side near the windows with bench seating and another along the wall. The decor is really dark and uninviting notwithstanding all of the windows.
Upon entering, there was an unpleasant smell, somewhat reminiscent of a batch of wet towels left in the washing machine for several days unattended.
It was fairly crowded at 6:30 pm with both an afterwork crowd and theatre goers. Notwithstanding the ample seating, you had to fight for the seating that existed. The tables were so filthy you do not really feel like eating table side.
As for the food, the caramel cheesecake was better than expected. The cappuccino was passable.
In sum, not worth going out of your way to get to (it is a chain after all) but if you need a quick cup of coffee and slice of cake pre-theatre in a jiffy and don't care about atmosphere, this will do in a pinch. I guess.
There is a lot of seating. Free wifi is available but the connection is spotty. The wifi and bathroom passwords are on the receipt. Comfortable place to lounge for a few hours.
The green tea latte was pretty good but the coffee was super heated. Sipping the coffee after 5 minutes of cooling was not enough to prevent tongue from burning.
The person taking the orders was grumpy and a bit rude. Waffles weren't available. Also, no one takes out the trash. Tables were littered with cups.
I do not understand the attraction. The croissants, and cinnamon rolls are mediocre at best. My double expresso had no kick to it, and did not have enough heat. The atmosphere is nice but a little cold! Again, I do not understand why I would come here again. Service was mediocre at best!
I love all things misugaru (or the new branding "multigrain power shake") but this place NEEDS to get better management!
For starters, there normally isn't a long line whenever I go but last Sunday when I stopped by before my dinner nearby, the line was from the cashier to the door and around! The line moved pretty slowly and it took me about 15 minutes to get my drink – would have left there wasn't an arctic blast outside. And thanks to its close location to Times Sq, don't even get me started on the line for the bathroom when the line gets busy…
Secondly, I get something different every time I order a medium misugaru latte cold. I've gotten it over ice, I've gotten it with bubbles like it's some sort of bubble tea, I've also gotten it served as a frappe. While I don't complain about it because anything misugaru is delicious, I just wish there was more consistency. I just want to know what I'm getting when I place the order.
I also always seem to have trouble finding seats here. There are people who are just loitering around. I once saw a girl passed out on the second floor of this establishment, taking up a whole table by herself, on a weekday afternoon!
Those problems aside, I love the decoration and the reading room in the back. The piano is also a nice touch even though I don't think I've heard anyone play it.
Most of the failings of this location can be attributed to its spot in the Times Square/Theater District area. However, I still can't cut them enough slack to merit a higher rating.
This Caffebenne is different than most others you will go to. The space itself is very large and quite beautiful with its cozy library-like seating area, but it's marred by the ridiculous crowds and subpar service.
I feel for the baristas, I really do. They're working in a difficult location with difficult customers. I certainly don't expect a smile or outstanding service. But it's difficult to get past the outright rudeness of some of the workers.
I asked for a misugaru (multigrain) latte, which is on the menu, and the barista clearly didn't know what I was referring to. After some back and forth, he charged me for a different item (a frappe) that was significantly pricier than what I wanted. I pointed it out after seeing the price difference and he asked if I meant I wanted the "hot version," to which I replied yes, and he entered the same item again. It would be one thing if I was asking for some obscure, customized drink, but I was attempting to order a regular item from the menu on the wall. I pointed it out again, and he seemed so lost that I told him to just make it a regular latte instead. No apology, nothing. Just a look of annoyance.
After that experience, I waited a good 20 minutes for my drink. Fairly expectable given the number of people in there. But even after that time, I wasn't entirely sure the drink I picked up was mine. I tried to double check what name was called out, but the workers behind the counter ignored the question. I saw many drinks unaccounted for after a barista would vaguely mumble a name and leave it on the counter.
Overall: Very, very rarely do I get annoyed about the service at a place, especially at a chain. I keep my standards pretty low, I respect the difficulty of being a server in a busy place, and I judge more on the quality of product than service. But this experience was enough to make me want to review the place accordingly.
Service in the morning was slow. I ordered their signature latte and I'd say it was short of special. I also had a blueberry muffin ( one of my staples at a place like this) and it was pretty dry and lacking blueberries. The quality was less than expected for the price point. But if you're not expecting much and need something quick, this could be your fit.
It's a cute concept and a nice place to study, but unfortunately the delivery is marred by poorly trained staff.
We visited on a slow day (nobody in line), ordered a milk tea, and were given a cup of cold milk with a teabag in it. We had to get the manager down before she realized that was not how to make that menu item, and had it remade for us.
For the other items, the mint mojito was out of stock, and the iced coffee I eventually got was watered down and could have been mistaken for iced tea.