Though we detect notes of pretentious bullshit, the baristas at Cafe Grumpy in Chelsea insist their new $12 cup of coffee is worth every penny. The Ethiopian Nekisse beans, which are roasted on site, are brewed with the ultra sophisticated $11,000 Clover machine, and according to one staffer named Jeremy, the result is "more subtle than coffee made from other Ethiopian beans, and is not overbearingly fruity." But will anyone buy it? more ›

Cafe Grumpy first opened the doors of its Greenpoint location in late 2005. A year later, they opened a store in the heart of Chelsea with an eye-catching Clover machine that gained them much more visibility and buzz for having some of the best coffee around. Grumpy began making a name for themselves as one of a handful of places around town (along with Ninth Street Espresso and Gimme! Coffee) that were bringing New York a serious coffee culture, the kind that the west coast has gained a reputation for over the years. Now the rep they've built themselves—recently having won Best Coffee in NYC in the Time Out New York Eat Out Readers Poll—is sure to grow even further with the newest store they've just opened on 7th Avenue in Park Slope. more ›