Brooklyn’s 4 Must Visit Coffee Shops: Clinton Hill Edition
If you have ever been to New York City, you know that NYC is coffee shops galore. I’m convinced this is one of the reasons why I love NYC so much. And if there is a place in NYC that I could direct you to for all your coffee shop needs it is definitely Brooklyn. While yes, some of my favorite, most aesthetically pleasing coffee shops are in Manhattan, Brooklyn definitely takes the cake when it comes to unique AND aesthetically pleasing.
Now if you know me, you know that I LIVE for coffee shops (and in them too...heh). Because I frequent them so much, I have started to become a little picky when it comes to determining my favorites and “Must Visits”. Nowadays, I judge how much I love a coffee shop not only based on the quality of the coffee, but also the aesthetic of the place. Hey, sometimes you gotta do it for the gram (who am I kidding most times...lol). Lately, a lot of people have been asking me for recommendations on coffee shops in the city and since I’m not the biggest fan of repeating myself, I have decided to kick off a little series of best coffee shops in Brooklyn.
Now since BK is so incredibly packed with coffee shops, I’ve decided to do just Clinton Hill for this post. When I was living in NYC, I lived in the Bedstuy/Clinton Hill area, so these 4 coffee shops are the ones that I frequented the most since they were all just around the corner from my apartment!
Brooklyn’s 4 Must Visit Coffee Shops: Clinton Hill Edition
1. Urban Vintage
One of my all time favorite coffee photos!
Urban Vintage makes it to the top of my list because finding it was rather serendipitous. It was about 3 days before I had to pack my bags and move back to Vegas from my absolute dream of a summer in NYC, and I was stressed out beyond belief because I had so many blog deadlines to meet on top of having to pack the whole life I had just created for myself in my favorite place in the world. My usual (Bedford Hill) closed early that day, and I was basically at my wits end trying to find another place to work out of. I was way too stressed to even focus on work, so I decided that I would just take a walk to clear my mind. My neighborhood was absolutely gorgeous, so I honestly didn’t mind exploring some more. I was about to head home after feeling like I had cleared my mind enough when I saw the Urban Vintage store front and decided to walk in.
To my surprise, Urban Vintage was very cute and quaint little boutique cafe that had so many rustic and vintage vibes, making you feel like you had just traveled back in time. I felt like I was in an antique store! What I loved most about it was definitely the soft music that played in the background. I absolutely hate it when a cafe is playing loud obnoxious music, I mean come one I’m trying to work here! This was honestly the most unique coffee shop I have ever been to because the seating was not like it was at traditional coffee shops. The entire place was basically a mix-match of tables, different style chairs and Victorian couches (that made it feel like I was at home--but a fancier home in the Renaissance probably). Can’t wait to go back to BK to visit my favorite!
Address: 294 Grand Ave Brooklyn, NY 11238
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 am-7:30pm; Saturday, CLOSED; Sunday, 9:00 am - 7:30 pm
Contact: (718) 783-6045
2. Bedford Hill
Those vibrant yellow tables to keep me awake while working!
Bedford Hill became my daily go-to because it was literally around the corner from my apartment. It was such a perfect and quaint little coffee shop with vibrant yellow tables and lots of natural light. I loved coming here because they also had an extensive pastry selection and sandwiches to choose from as well. If you want something other than coffee, they even have a bar so you can get craft beer or beer on tap! Perhaps what I loved most about this coffee shop was the “Brooklyn” mural outside!
[Note: The only thing I didn’t love about this place was that WiFi was limited to 1 hour of use, so I couldn’t stay there if I had a lot of work to do]
Address: 343 Franklin Ave Brooklyn, NY 11238
Hours: Monday-Sunday, 7:00 am-7:00 pm.
Contact: (718) 636-7650
The mural outside Bedford Hill that I am so fond of
3. Stonefruit Espresso + Kitchen
Isn't this the most aesthetically pleasing set up ever?! Photographed by @krisindaaa
This was also one of my go-to’s because of the fact that it was around the corner from my apartment (yeah, I know my apartment was in such a prime location!). One of the reasons why I loved this coffee shop the most was that I did not ever have to leave to get food because they offered farm-to-table seasonally locally sourced menu items everyday! Food, amazing Counter-Culture coffee, an extensive selection of baked goods (made in house daily) ANDDDD super aesthetically pleasing?! I’m in! Plus the wooden tables and plant store made it so hipster chic and desirable to work from!
Address: 1058 Bedford Ave Brooklyn, NY 11238
Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:30 am-6 pm; Saturday-Sunday, 8:30 am - 6 pm
Contact: (718) 230-4147
The white walls and marble top aesthetic--a blogger's fave
4. Clementine Bakery
This place was another serendipitous find while I was walking home from lunch with a friend. I initially entered because I was drawn to the interior (hints of white and marble--I’m telling you the IG aesthetic has taken over my life), but stayed because they had vegan and gluten free options! Now, I am neither vegan or gluten free, but I for some reason prefer vegan sweets over regular sweets because they are a lot less sweeter to me. I know, I know I have a sweet tooth, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I like things extra sweet! Their cupcakes are a MUST-HAVE. I usually just get coffee when I come here because sugar makes me crash. But, they have so many options from sandwiches, vegan milkshakes, scones and more! Plus, it is just such a cozy spot to work out of!
Address: 395 Classon Ave Brooklyn, NY 11238
Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:00 am-6:00 pm; Saturday, 8:00 am-7:00 pm; Sunday, 8:00 am-6:00 pm
Contact: (718) 483-8788
The interior of the bakery!
I absolutely adore Brooklyn...probably more so than Manhattan...yeah I know *gasp*! That being said, I am so incredibly excited to continue this series as explore and discover more of New York City’s best coffee shops!
Til’ Next Time,
