Plowshares Coffee West Harlem

Plowshares' lone cafe in the Bloomingdale section of the Upper West Side was joined in Spring 2019 by this long-awaited splash on the West Harlem scene, on a perhaps unexpected stretch of Amsterdam Avenue at 126th street. The local roaster has been crafting exquisite coffees at a space in the Ramapo Valley for years, but has now moved into the city proper with this spacious, sleek roastery café with tiered, poured concrete floors, streamlined wood seating, abundant plants in the sunny windows, and of course a cheeky view of the roasting action itself. It's also a particularly spacious café by NYC standards, and has plenty of room to either sit and sip while you work or people-watch, or take a break with your kids for a pastry from Brooklyn's Colson Patisserie. Though this brand flies under the radar a bit, it's surely one of NYC's finest. 

— Liz Clayton