Café Grumpy - Lower East Side Introduce
Tucked into the vibrant fabric of the Lower East Side,
Café Grumpy
stands as a beloved and authentic neighborhood coffee shop. This is a place that feels like a true local secret, where the focus is squarely on crafting exceptional coffee and providing a warm, welcoming experience. As a certified women-owned business, it brings a personal touch to the New York City coffee scene, building a loyal following of regulars who appreciate the quality and care that goes into every cup.While the shop itself is small and cozy, its reputation for great coffee and tea is anything but. The friendly baristas are known for their kindness and expertise, ensuring that whether you're a coffee connoisseur or just in need of a quick pick-me-up, you'll leave with a delicious drink and a smile. Café Grumpy's casual and trendy atmosphere is perfect for a fast stop, but its proximity to a beautiful park across the street makes it an ideal spot to sit, relax, and savor your beverage. It's the quintessential New York City experience: grabbing a high-quality coffee and enjoying it in the heart of a bustling neighborhood.
---Café Grumpy's Lower East Side location is a charming spot at
13 Essex St, New York, NY 10011, USA
. This prime location places it at the crossroads of some of the city's most dynamic neighborhoods, making it an easy and convenient stop for anyone in the area. The shop is directly across from Seward Park, providing a beautiful and spacious alternative for seating.While the shop has limited indoor seating, consisting of a few stools and a window-side bench, its close proximity to the park with its abundant seating under tall trees is a major advantage. This unique setup allows for a flexible experience, whether you're grabbing a coffee on the go or taking the time to relax and people-watch in a serene outdoor setting. Paid street parking is available in the vicinity, but for many New Yorkers, the best way to get to the coffee shop is via the extensive public transportation network.
---Café Grumpy's offerings are centered around providing an exceptional beverage experience, with a focus on both quality and variety.
Expertly Roasted Coffee:
The shop is famous for its house-roasted specialty brews. The menu features a variety of single-origin beans and blends, including the popularHeartbreaker Espresso Blend
, as well as seasonal and unique options likeLa Gloria
andMutwari
.Great Tea Selection:
For non-coffee drinkers, Café Grumpy has a great tea selection, as highlighted by many customers. They offer a range of organic teas that are just as high-quality as their coffee, ensuring everyone can find a drink they love.Quick Bites and Pastries:
The cafe offers a selection of pastries and quick bites, perfect for pairing with your morning coffee or for a small treat. Items like a blueberry scone are available and are praised for being delicious and fresh.Retail and Subscriptions:
Beyond the counter, you can purchase bags of their expertly roasted coffee beans, various branded merchandise like mugs and t-shirts, and even sign up for a convenient coffee subscription service to ensure you never run out of your favorite brew.Takeout and Dine-in:
The shop offers both dine-in and takeout options, making it versatile for a quick stop or a brief respite from the city streets.
Café Grumpy has several standout features that make it more than just another coffee shop in a city filled with them.
Exceptional Coffee Quality:
The primary highlight is, without a doubt, the coffee. The focus on sourcing and roasting their own beans guarantees a high-quality, fresh product. Drinks like theHoney Oat Latte
are frequently mentioned as delicious and expertly prepared.Friendly and Expert Staff:
Customers consistently praise the baristas for their friendliness, helpfulness, and skill. The staff's ability to handle large and complex orders with care and speed is a key aspect of the positive customer experience.Cozy and Trendy Atmosphere:
The small, intimate space and the well-maintained, rustic decor give the shop a cozy and trendy vibe. It's an inviting spot that feels authentic and unpretentious, reflecting the neighborhood's character.Proximity to Seward Park:
The location directly across from a park with a playground and plenty of shade is a significant bonus. It provides a perfect extension of the cafe, offering a place to sit, relax, and enjoy your drink and pastry in a natural, open environment. This is especially good for families with children, as the little ones can enjoy the jungle gym while the adults relax.Women-Owned Business:
The identity as a women-owned business resonates with many customers, highlighting the cafe's commitment to community and social responsibility.
For a visit to Café Grumpy, here is the essential information you'll need.
Address:
13 Essex St, New York, NY 10011, USAPhone:
(212) 777-7515
When you visit Café Grumpy, the choices are excellent across the board, but a few items stand out. For coffee lovers, a bag of their house-roasted beans is a must-buy, with the
Heartbreaker Espresso Blend
being a popular favorite for its rich, balanced flavor. For an immediate caffeine fix, a perfectly crafted latte is highly recommended, as the baristas' skill shines through in every cup.If you're looking for something more unique, try one of their featured single-origin coffees like the
Best of Monserrate
, which offers a complex and rewarding flavor profile. Don't overlook the tea selection either; the great variety ensures that tea enthusiasts will be just as happy as the coffee crowd. Pairing your drink with a pastry for a quick bite is a great way to complete your experience.The best part about Café Grumpy is the complete package: the high-quality products, the friendly and attentive staff, and the cozy atmosphere. This combination creates a memorable experience that goes beyond a simple transaction. It’s a place that invites you to be a part of the neighborhood, even if just for a few minutes. Whether you grab a coffee to go or settle in at the park across the street, a visit to Café Grumpy is a refreshing and delicious way to enjoy a true New York City moment.
Café Grumpy - Lower East Side Vibe
Coffee
- Shamba $18.00
Kirundo, muyinga, burundi; white grape, lemon curd, caramel, assam tea. Angèle ciza, producer, bourbon grown at 1650-1750 masl. Burundi is one of the smallest coffee producing countries in east africa. The country has seen great reforms in the coffee sector since 1992 when the government decided to remove itself from direct management of farms and washing stations. With ideal growing conditions and the strong presence of the bourbon variety, many entrepreneurs have taken on the task of bringing burundi's exquisite and under-represented coffees to the attention of the specialty coffee market. Kahawa link company (kalico) was founded by two such women, angele ciza and consolata ndayishimiye, in 2012. They are in charge of seven washing stations in northeastern burundi near the borders of rwanda and tanzania. Our coffee is processed at the shamba washing station, and grown in the kirundo and muyinga provinces. This is our second year offering shamba, and we love it for its elegant cup profile.
- Heartbreaker Espresso (Blend) $16.00
Colombia & ethiopia; raspberry jam, orange blossom honey, gianduja. Heartbreaker - we use heartbreaker as our signature house espresso blend in all of our cafes. Heartbreaker develops and changes seasonally. Current components: el carmen estate, huila, colombia; la fragua, cundinamarca, colombia; yirgacheffe, ethiopia. History of the heartbreaker: cheryl once described a macchiato as a "heartbreaker" as in it was so delicious, it melted or broke her heart. When we had our espresso-naming contest, liam remembered this and shouted out "heartbreaker." He won a chemex, and we won the name.
- Mug and Coffee Combo $26.00
The perfect pair - our signature orange logo mug and a bag of our freshly roasted coffee. You'll receive 12oz of whole beans.
- Artist's Series Mug - Mishka for Sean Casey Animal Rescue $14.00
Cafe grumpy x mishka x sean casey animal rescue mug; limited edition mugs designed by artist l'amour supreme and brooklyn-based street wear brand mishka for our valentine's day pet snuggle and adoption event. $4 from each mug purchased will be donated to sean casey animal rescue.
- Café Grumpy Logo Mug $12.00
Wake up on the right side of the bed. Our signature orange logo mug will be your grumpy drinking companion morning or night! Orange mug with cafe grumpy logo in black on the front. Vitrified 11 oz. C-handle mug with an extremely hard and chip resistant surface.
- Café Grumpy Demitasse $15.00
Our signature logo demitasse in white porcelain. Made in italy by nuova point.
- La Gloria $17.00
Horqueta, boquete, panama; red apple, ginger snap, milk chocolate, almond. Familia suarez, producer; caturra, catuaí and typica grown at 1300-2000 masl. Washed. Shipped in grainpro. La gloria estate comes from barú indian high, a family company which was founded by domingo suarez in the 1920s. Having immigrated to panama from the middle east and spain respectively, domingo and his wife antonia serrano decided to start their coffee business following the construction of the panama canal. After a trend to centralize picking deteriorated cup quality in the 1940s, their son vidal suarez decided to reclaim the single estate cup identities. In order to do this, he bought the land for beneficio don pedro in 1987, where all seven barú indian high estates currently process their coffee. He and his brothers began exporting in 1989. They acquired la gloria in 1985, which is comprised of 70% typica variety, and 30% caturra and catuai.the Estate is located in horqueta, boquete and is named after the region's second tallest mountain (after the barú volcano). La gloria benefits from rich volcanic soil, a diverse eco-system of animals, and wellsprings that originate and pass through the property. 12oz whole beans.
- Mutwari $16.00
Mbeya, tanzania; cranberry, vanilla, mango, bergamot. Multiple small producers; tembo dry mill. Tanzania is a paradise for coffee growing. The country is filled with the french mission bourbon varieties that have made kenya famous, and indian kent varieties that came over from mysore in the 1920s. With most farm elevations nearing 2000 masl, the stage is set for syrupy, fruit-forward, full bodied coffee. It seems that tanzania's popularity in the coffee world is almost synonymous with the peaberry variety. This offering from mutwari in the mbeya region is one of those very special peaberries. The mbeya region is home to about 400,000 small holder farmers, many of whom practice subsistence farming. The mutwari pb comes from 70 producer groups in the southern highlands. All of the coffee is hand picked and processed either at the central pulpery unit or on small home pulping machines. All farmers contributing to this lot adhere to strict quality standards before the parchment is delivered to tembo coffee (dry mill) where further green sorting and grading takes place. 12oz whole beans.
- Best of Monserrate $22.00
Monserrate, huila, colombia; malted milk chocolate, clementine, amaretto. Maria nelsy anaya romero, producer; bella vista getzen, farm; caturra and castillo. Grown at 1770 masl. Our second colombia microlot offering of 2015 comes from maria nelsy anaya romero, one of the top ten finalists in the best of monserrate (bom) competition hosted by atlas coffee importers and colombian exporter racafe. Bom was started in 2008 to give the members of proagromil association (in monserrate) a chance to incentivize their microlot production and connect directly with coffee buyers. Cupping takes place over 2 days in huila, and bom typically has about 50 entrants. There are many great prizes for the winners, and the top three producers take home a cash prize in addition to their guaranteed premium price over the market. 12oz of whole beans.
- Remera $18.00
Nyamagabe, rwanda; vanilla blossom, maple candy, tamarind, blackberry. Bufcafe, producer; bourbon grown at 1850 masl. Washed. Shipped in grainpro. Rwanda is a new growing region for us, and we're excited to present this terrific lot from bufcafe as our first ever rwandan coffee on the menu. This country has had quite a remarkable turnaround after years of conflict and the horrific genocide in 1994. As the nation began rebuilding in the late 1990s, agriculture, and in particular the coffee industry, received increased attention and investment, and washing stations (coffee wet mills) can now be found throughout the country. Bufcafe is a renowned family-owned coffee company in the nyamagabe region run by epiphanie muhirwa. She oversees the company with the help of her son sam, who runs the daily operation of the dry mill and two washing stations, one of which is the remera washing station. At one of the highest elevations in the country, remera is producing some of the finest coffee in rwanda and has placed in multiple cup of excellence competitions. Coffee is processed at remera with a 8-12 hour fermentation, followed by a secondary 24-hour soak, and then dried on raised beds which promote even drying. Unlike many other producing countries in east africa who have introduced new coffee cultivars, rwanda has by and large held onto older, classic varieties. This lot is 100% bourbon.
- Decaf La Pastora $17.00
Tarrazú, costa rica; caramel, cherry, tangerine, waffle cone. Coopetarrazú, producer; caturra and catuaí. Grown at 1450 masl. Swiss water® processed. Shipped in grainpro. 12oz of whole beans.
- Café Grumpy E-Gift Certificates
Give the gift of café grumpy! Send a gift certificate of any value to a lucky recipient! This certificate can be redeemed for online purchases only. You'll be asked for the email address of the recipient on the checkout page.
- Café Grumpy Logo 1" Button 3-Pack $3.50
Wear our new café grumpy buttons and show how grumpy you can be! You'll receive three 1 grumpy buttons in each pack, one in each color- grey, orange, black.
- Grumpy Bean Plush -Green
Artist andrew bell and plush master lana crooks bring our cafe grumpy coffee bean logo to life! Each hand-made plush bean features an embroidered face and plastic eyes, and comes in its own screenprinted jute drawstring bag. A perfect gift for yourself or your grumpy coffee loving friends! Available in brown roasted bean or a green bean edition! Beans are approximately 7"x4 1/2", but exact size and shape will vary.
- Espresso Subscription $17.00
Delivered right to your door. For our out of town friends or busy locals - we'll deliver freshly roasted espresso beans to your front door. Makes a perfect gift for the coffee-lover in your life...or for that person who makes you a cappuccino in the morning! We will include one of our signature orange logo mugs with the first delivery so you can get grumpy and drink in style! Shipping is not included. 12oz of whole beans.
- Grumpy Bean Plush Roasted $27.00
Artist andrew bell and plush master lana crooks bring our cafe grumpy coffee bean logo to life! Each hand-made plush bean features an embroidered face and plastic eyes, and comes in its own screenprinted jute drawstring bag. A perfect gift for yourself or your grumpy coffee loving friends! Available in brown roasted bean or green bean edition! Beans are approximately 7"x4 1/2", but exact size and shape will vary.
- Coffee Subscription $18.00
Delivered right to your door. For our out of town friends or busy locals we'll deliver freshly roasted coffee beans to your front door. Our roasting team will choose a different coffee selection for each shipment, so you can look forward to trying some unique and delicious coffees. Makes a perfect gift for the coffee-lover in your life...or for that person who makes you coffee in the morning! We will include one of our signature orange logo mugs with the first delivery so you can get grumpy and drink in style! Shipping is not included. 12oz of whole beans.
- Decaf Coffee Subscription $17.00
Delivered right to your door. For our out of town friends or busy locals we'll deliver freshly roasted decaf coffee beans to your front door. Makes a perfect gift for the coffee-lover in your life! We will include one of our signature orange logo mugs with the first delivery so you can get grumpy and drink in style! Shipping is not included. 12oz of whole beans.
- Café Grumpy Signature Logo Tote $14.00
- Café Grumpy Logo T-Shirt $18.00
Show everyone how grumpy you can be with our signature logo tee! Tagless 100% combed cotton jersey short-sleeve tee in black. Printed in california. The discharge printing process used makes for a very smooth finish after wash.
- Café Grumpy Logo Youth T-Shirt $20.00
Show everyone how grumpy you can be with our signature logo tee! Screen-printed in connecticut on american apparel 100% organic cotton in cinder.
- Café Grumpy Baby Onesie $20.00
Your baby got the grumps? Turn their frowns upside-down with these super cute onesies! Screen-printed in connecticut on american apparel 100% organic cotton in cinder.
- Heartbreaker Espresso Logo T-Shirt $22.00
Break hearts just by walking down the street in our signature heartbreaker tee! Tagless 100% combed cotton jersey short-sleeve tee in cardinal. Printed in california. The discharge printing process used makes for a very smooth finish after wash.
Café Grumpy - Lower East Side Details
From the business
- Identifies as women-owned
Service options
- Takeout
- Dine-in
Highlights
- Great coffee
- Great tea selection
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible parking lot
Offerings
- Coffee
- Quick bite
Dining options
- Dessert
- Table service
Atmosphere
- Casual
- Cozy
- Trendy
Crowd
- Family-friendly
- LGBTQ+ friendly
Planning
- Accepts reservations
Payments
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
- NFC mobile payments
- Credit cards
Parking
- Paid street parking
Café Grumpy - Lower East Side Photos










Café Grumpy - Lower East Side Location
Café Grumpy - Lower East Side
13 Essex St, New York, NY 10011, USA
Café Grumpy - Lower East Side Reviews
baristaespressolattenameareacappuccinoparkpricescold brewcardamom
★ 5★ 4★ 3★ 2★ 1Small little coffee shop, the barista was very nice.There isn't room inside to sit and they only have one bench outside for seating but there's an entire park on the other side of the street where there's plenty of seating. It's a very nice way to spend some time, if you have it. Just sit and relax with your drink and pastry. The park has shade from the tall beautiful trees that surround it and there are jungle gyms so if you have a little one, both of you will have something to do.I got the Honey Oat Latte with a blueberry scone. Both were delicious, definitely gave me the morning pick me up I needed to start my day.
May 06 · Saul CervantesThe barista Rex was so kind and helpful, and helped us prepare a huge order for the set we were working on. He made every drink carefully and quickly and even helped us get them packed up for travel. Couldn't have asked for a better experience! Thank you :)
June 12 · Allison JosephCharming small local café—great spot for a quick stop if you’re in the area. Cozy atmosphere, good coffee, and friendly service!
February 03 · Gabriela GutierrezI asked for a honey oat latte without ice, so I ended up getting HALF a full-priced coffee. So people who get it with ice are getting coffees that are half ice? This is after I asked the barista which honey oat people prefer (hot or cold), and he treated me like I asked him for his mother’s bra size. Another reviewer put a red circle around this employee and identified him as providing really bad service. Agreed, he’s rude & condescending.
April 25 · Mariam S.I ordered a seasonal cardamom rose latte with oat milk and it was divine ($6). I was so happy because there was no upcharge for non dairy milk and the guy was so nice and cool.
March 01 · Angela Chack
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