Perk Kafe
“Got myself a nice cup of honey almond latte and did a crossword.”
“The coffee is great (Stumptown), they have doughnuts from Dough, and there is enough sitting area to comfortably work.”
“There is a ton of construction hiding this place so look for the McDonald's on the west side of 2nd ave between 96th and 97th.”
Perk Kafe
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Working: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range Moderate
8 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
It's OK but not 5 star as many reviews here are. Not jumping on that bandwagon.
Still, it's a nice little coffee shop and much needed for the area.
Stumptown coffee used here.
$3.50 for a small iced coffee 16 oz size. It was tasty enough on a hot day.
Some pastries and donuts.
Small seating area. Not much seating or table space, plus they have those tiny uncomfortable metal chairs.
Free wifi.
Loyalty card too.
Friendly guys working here. Not a place to plan a trip to but worth a try if walking by.
Real coffee! No DD or Mermaid brands in here. They brew stumptown coffee and as far as I can tell with the limited exposure I've had to this shop (one visit) it's quality brew. My iced espresso is on point and does not need sugar.
Try a croissant or pastry, they have a few in a small display. There isn't much else to eat in here, yet. I'm glad there is something unique on this block which also features a Capitol one, McDs, DD, and subway all next door to each other!
It's unfortunate about all the construction and scaffolding that detracts from how cute a cafe this is. The service was exceptional – the barista really could not have been nicer – and the coffee was good too. Also fulfilled a donut craving here. Great place to sit and do work or read – the music wasn't distracting at all. I do wish they didn't only pull double espressos, as sometimes I just need a teeny afternoon boost on top of my morning joe. But all in all I had a great experience here.
Start your day with a little Stumptown. (But don't go hog wild with two lattes like I did.)
For those who don't know, this is the second Perk to open in NYC. There's light seating. It's bright and full of pastries, good for a bleary-eyed coffee dates. Wish they stocked savory bites, though. You can only eat so many Dough donuts.
Credit accepted. Wish they had a loyalty program[1] but the fact that they're one of the few neighborhood coffee shops open at 7am guarantees I'll be back.
Welcoming staff (shout out to Kevin!) and plenty of coffee options make Perk a worthy destination.
[1] They might, and I might not've noticed.
I WANT TO YELL FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOPS.
I FINALLY FOUND THE PERFECT CAFE (in the Upper East Side/Carnegie Hill neighborhood).
I am constantly on the lookout for a coffee spot with free wifi, seats, and an outlet. I found it!
And it's a gem- definitely a neighborhood secret.
And on top of that, they have good coffee, Dough donuts, lovely pastries, and not much foot traffic.
I love working from Perk.
PS- This is pre-2nd Avenue train. It might not be as easy to find a seat once the train opens.
A new Perk Kafe in the Upper East Side! Great coffee, I love the Honey Almond Latte they make. Besides the usual espresso drinks, they also have a strong matcha latte and some special tea lattes (ask the barista for which ones they have). There's a display with a variety of croissants, cookies and Dough doughnuts as well.
I like coming here to get some reading done. It's usually not crowded at all and relatively quiet inside the cafe. But there is some construction going on outside. I also see a lot of people coming with their laptops. Free wifi, customer bathroom, comfortable seating, sometimes I forget exactly how long I stay at the cafe.
I definitely recommend anyone who needs a good study spot to come here, even though it is a bit out of the way.
They also take CUPS! Use 18RS4 for $10 off your first plan!
I live in the neighborhood and I didn't know Perk existed. Now, I do believe they are relatively new but my ignorance is mostly due to the terrible 2nd avenue subway construction. Unfortunately Perk is blocked by an awful blur of orange and yellow hard hats. I've been here twice, once for a regular iced latte (which I was not very impressed by based solely on the quality and taste of their espresso) and the second time I decided on their honey almond latte.
"What is it?" I ask the half-interested barista/cashier.
"Espresso, honey, and almond milk" he responds and so I go for it because it sounds delicious AND I'm not much of a cow-milk drinker nowadays so almond milk sounds perfect.
Once he begins my drink I realize that I failed to ask for it iced. I quickly ask him for an iced version instead. He hesitates to say "OK." I mean, I know it's annoying to switch things up but the cafe was essentially empty, with the exception of two people glued to their laptops, so there wasn't the pressure of a long line. He eventually says "no problem" but after I'm apologetic and ask him if it was ok.
The latte was darn good.
Better than their lattes with cow milk.
The honey gives it a little more sweetness than I'm accustomed to but it was comforting to know that it's a natural sweetener and works REALLY well with the almond milk.
I really want to love this cafe because I'm a coffee lover and wanted nothing more than a cool cafe in my neighborhood to get some work done while sipping away. But I don't see this cafe being more than a stop & go place for me. What coffee do they brew? Stumptown. Which makes for good espresso but I'm not a fan of Stumptown "house" drip.
My experience in Perk improves all the time. The hours in the morning are more accommodating to early risers. The employees are friendly. The WiFi works fast. And naturally the coffee and food are fresh and delicious.
Great addition to the community. They have survived horrible subway construction mess thus far. The sidewalk in front is wide and new. It's much easier to get here for coffee than in the past.
Highly recommend. :0)