The Mecca of Espresso
/Abraço is my East Village coffee Mecca. I stumbled upon it while heading to one of my favorite unique consignment shops, Tokio 7, when I saw a small window across the street and heard the sound of grinding of coffee. What I found when I entered was more than I expected. I was never an espresso drinker until I tried their hand-roasted chocolaty blend, which they named after one of their regular customers. The baristas (who hate that title) are really coffee connoisseurs and they know how to draw each shot perfectly. My almond milk flat white obsession ended here. They only have whole milk, and they only make a few drinks; Macchiato, Cappuccino, Americano, Espresso, Piccolo, Latte, Drip, and Cortado. The simpler the menu, the better the connoisseurs are at perfecting each drink.
When I became an Abraço addict, it wasn’t just the caffeine that got me up every day, it was the community that awaited. It’s hard to find your place in this city, but Abraço is a second home to many addicts so we clearly have a few things in common. We’re all people from different walks of life that come here to drink great coffee, enjoy incredible music, and have small chat any time of day. There are no tables, no room, and they only play vinyl. In fact, Abraço inspired me to buy a record player! Ben and Tyler were responsible for getting my collection started by lending me albums every day, and The Meters were my first of many records.
So if you like good espresso, music, locals, and olive oil cake, go there.
