Pilar Johnson

The coziest coffee shop!!! I want this place to stay in business forever because this is what we need. Good prices, loads of drinks, ample seating, good customer service, an events calendar and a bunch of vintage board games to play with your friends. Long live Black Cat LES.

+7

Kai Liana

Nice, cozy ambiance. Ordered an iced chai and chatted with a friend. I have it on their good authority that their smoothies are also good. The music was great as well

Matt Daniel

Come for the cozy and random assortment of furniture this delightful coffee house. It has a real Central Perk vibe going on that I can't help but enjoy. The tea is amazing, specifically Jasmine and Ginger teas. Everynight so far that I've seen in February they host small stand up comedy performances and on some nights they have open mic. The comedians are decently funny. The staff is friendly and helpful. There is one bathroom inside and a tea costs $4.00. They also have a printer there for use for all the students in need of printing. Take your time and relax everybody. Hope this review helps!

Anthony Leonard

Black Cat LES isn’t your average coffee shop it feels like a living room for the Lower East Side. From the mismatched couches to the community events, there’s an unpolished charm that makes you want to linger. Their coffee hits the mark strong, unpretentious, and always fresh. I love that it doubles as a coworking space by day and a creative hub by night. It’s the kind of spot where conversations flow easily, and everyone feels like a regular.

Ruwan J.

Black Cat LES has an inconspicuous storefront for a Lower East Side cafe. once through the door, the interior opens up into a surprisingly medium/large space. it’s well-maintained and clean. the vibe is very community living room with a variety of seating options. lots of laptop-pers & tablet-ers at work when here last. there’s WiFi for those who need it. there are live events at night like music, readings, comedy, etc. there’s a variety coffee & tea drinks on the menu as well as variety of simple savory eats like sandwiches, toasts, and bagels. got a large drip coffee to fight a chilly weekday off with hot caffeine and it did the job. strong coffee, nice caffeine kick. it was a huge cup of coffee and it warmed up and sped up my walk of endless errands in the neighborhood. the staff is very chill and kind. cafes like this are becoming the rarity in NYC. cherish the neighborhood gems.

+2

Michael Andersen

Went on 10/5/2025 at 8:10 am and the Barista was just opening. Didn't start taking orders for another 10-15 minutes and was kind of rude. The latte when it finally came out was really good, I got the nutella latte which felt a little juvenile but she did great on that. Just got the bagel and it looks awesome so we'll see.

Miri Shlimak

Came here to work remotely. The place is super grungy with a cool vibe, the Barnstable isn't the warmest person but I didnt mind as its part of the underground "charm" of the place. My main issue was with the wifi- for a place that requires a purchase to get the password, I tried 3 different times and the internet was basically not existent. So if you're planning yo actually do some work- wouldn't recommend it.

Barista made a very rude comment about not tipping after I had paid. This was very off putting and made for a less than ideal experience.

Janice Teal

The barista is *rude*. Idk if there are several but there is an older lady and does not put names on the coffees. So when people order the same kind of food or coffee they don’t know what belongs to who. Very uncomfortable. Poor customer service - she literally yells at customers. It also took over 30 min to get food

Nathan H.

Very bad vibes here. There was only one employee working who was eventually rude and yelled at us and snatched our food away for accidentally taking the wrong order even though the ordering process was very chaotic and you had to guess if an item was yours when it came out. It was taking more than 20 minutes to get simple drinks out and I waited upwards of 30 minutes for a sandwich. Orders were disorganized and thrown out with no names attached which was very confusing. Food was ok although overpriced for the quality, but the rude and aggressive staff member made it a horrible experience. Would not recommend coming here.

aus

This place needs to seriously think about when and what days they do open mic comedy shows as they are often intrusive and do not have a schedule posted online so that people know to avoid the business those days. For example I am here on a Tuesday where every table is someone here to work and the comedy club essentially has forced multiple people to move for their setup.

Morgane Folon

We went for the Friday night comedy show, the place was empty but we decided to give it a try. The MC was awful and the overall vibe was very cringy. Some of the artists were good. I felt very bad for them having to do their bit in front of 5 people. The coffee house was cute, just make sure to leave before the comedy show starts.

Eat With Lily

The barista was extremely unfriendly, exhibiting passive-aggressive behavior and clearly hating her job (evident from her shouting at guests towards the end). I visited this cafe for an event, and when I ordered an iced matcha latte (and tipped), the barista was not only passive-aggressive but also impatient. She/they made me feel as though I couldn't speak English while I ordered, even though I have lived in the U.S. for 10 years, speak fluent English, and work in a communication-heavy job. Towards the end of the event at 9pm (despite the cafe's closing time being listed as 10pm), the barista shouted at everyone, saying, "The cafe was supposed to close an hour ago! Nobody is paying me for this hour! Please leave!" This was unprofessional and unacceptable behavior. No professional staff member should ever shout at guests. Despite paying for drinks and tipping, the experience was terrible. Based on this, I cannot recommend this cafe to anyone. If you are the business owner, please address this rude behavior that occurred on June 26 (Wednesday) during the night shift. Improving staff behavior is crucial for customer satisfaction and the reputation of your cafe.