The Best Coffee Spots in New Orleans

Here at RB&L, we take coffee very seriously. I mean, when you’ve been up all night….studying…..you need the good stuff to get you through the grueling day.

If you’re like me, coffee isn’t just a drink. It’s a sweet nectar that stops you from killing the idiots you encounter throughout the day. Honestly, I’m not even a human being until I’ve had a cup of coffee. That’s why we decided to do you a favor and tell you to stop going to those crappy chain coffee places. Starbucks? Community? PJ’s? No, no, no my lovelies. We can do so much better than that!

Get yourself a real cup of coffee like an adult.

 

The espresso machine at Angelo Brocato's. A thing of beauty.
The espresso machine at Angelo Brocato’s. A thing of beauty.

Angelo Brocato’s

Located in Mid-City on Carrollton Avenue across from the new shopping center, Angelo Brocato’s is the city’s best kept secret when it comes to coffee.  Thankfully, my mother let me on the secret. The Brocato family has been making gelato, ice cream, pastries and coffee since 1905 (that’s almost 110 years!). The shop is small but they have all kinds of goodies like Italian cookies and biscottis but the crown jewel of this shop is the beautiful gold-encrusted Italian espresso machine. It can only produce two individual cups of espresso at a time, but it is worth the wait. Their espresso drinks (both iced and hot) are out of this world delicious, always hot and freshly prepared. Plus the staff at Brocato’s is so friendly and accommodating. They don’t open until late morning, but if you want a great cup of  joe in the afternoon or evening, head this way for gelato and lattes!

 

Spitfire Coffee

Spitfire is small and serious when it comes to espresso
Spitfire is small and serious when it comes to espresso

If you weren’t looking for it, you’d probably miss Spitfire. Located in a teeny-tiny shop on St. Peter Street in the French Quarter, Spitfire lives up to it’s name in that it may be small but they are the real deal when it comes to coffee. When I say this is probably the best espresso in the city, I’m really not joking with you guys. It’s like the Olympic games of espresso. Each order is measured out perfectly, roasted and cooked to the proper temperature for maximum caffeine retention, then lovingly dolloped with a fluffy foam cloud. You almost don’t want to drink it because it’s so perfect. So next time you’re downtown til the wee morning hours, skip the Cafe Du Monde and stop in at Spitfire instead.

 

Cherry Coffee

You wouldn’t expect great coffee from a Jewish Deli, but it’s exactly what you get at Cherry Coffee. Cherry Coffee is one of the hybrid “micro-shops” that are sprouting up all over the country. This coffee shop in particular can be found inside Stein’s Deli on Magazine Street and serves some of the best coffee from around the world. The owner, Lauren, shows her customers that a friendly face and great coffee is the key to success. Her fans are loyal and her converts are many. Instead of taking a chance with the many coffee places on Magazine and the Uptown/ Garden District area, place your bets on Cherry Coffee.

 

First Cup makes you want more than one
First Cup makes you want more than one

First Cup Cafe

If you really want to start your day off with a kick, go to First Cup Cafe on Calhoun Street. This quaint coffee shop serves what must be the strongest iced coffee in the South. They even name it accordingly–Liquid Cocaine. The drink even comes with a warning. While regular iced coffee is made using a ratio of one pound of coffee per gallon of water, First Cup Cafe uses 3 pounds per gallon. A little bit goes a long way. If you drink it like a regular cup of coffee, you WILL feel uncomfortable, and that comes from a caffeine addict.

The rest of the coffee is probably good, I just haven’t tried it. Why would you when you can get liquid cocaine?

 

Still Perkin

I wouldn’t say that Still Perkin is a hidden gem, because it’s gotten pretty popular amongst the uptown crowd by now, but

Get it percolating at Still Perkin
Get it percolating at Still Perkin

it deserves recognition regardless. You know those places that you sit down for hours on end and read the paper or chat with friends? Still Perkin is that place. The coffee is great, but what you really come to Still Perkin for is the atmosphere. As an added bonus, they also make their own cream cheese, which never hurts.

Dee’s Coffee Place

If your job doesn’t involve finding GIFs to include in snarky New Orleans related lists…then you probably work in the CBD. Luckily for you, there’s a wonderful coffee place in that neighborhood as well. Dee’s Coffee and Copy, located at 401 Baronne opens early at 6:30am, making it the perfect stop before you head into the office. The coffee is strong, the espresso is stronger, and the muffins are better than you’d think. Round that out with a superb tea collection and you have the perfect pick-me-up, even on a Monday morning. No, we don’t have a review of their copying abilities. But if you need it, they got it.

Those are just some our favorites but if you have a spot that you love to go to for your caffeine needs, tell us about it in our Comments Section!

 

 

 

About Morgan

Morgan was born in Georgia, raised in Louisiana, a Southern gal through and through. A graduate of the University of New Orleans, she loves her Saints, her city and inserting thinly veiled sarcasm throughout all her writing.

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