This is one of the best places to get a card for various occasions in New Haven. I always end up leaving with five different cards for friends and family even though I came in for one occasion in particular. There's also a lovely children's book area, which makes me long for the days of reading children's books and exploring the world. During my most recent trip here, I also noticed an awesome section for notebooks and notepads of various sizes and styles. read more

Wonderful waitperson Amazing sourdough crusty bread, almost worth the visit Rude host Buy the bread, go home, brew some coffee and relax Browsing the bookstore is always wonderful read more

We discovered this store yesterday when visiting two museums. It's not real large and it doesn't have many books in the subject matters of greatest interest to me, but it has a good selection of fiction & children's books and also lots of nice journals & various other gift-type items. The interior is attractive, including the café - but be forewarned that it's incredibly noisy and crowded at lunchtime. read more

I love this place. If I lived here, I would go all the time! I was in New Haven for a conference for four days and I managed to go to Atticus on three separate occasions. First - books! Well, technically books and wonderful postcards and a great sticker. And that was me being restrained. Then - coffee! Delicious, delicious coffee. Finally - breakfast! I had the croque monsieur with eggs and it was amazing and delicious. Highly recommended! The only thing that might make it better, and I don't know how they'd manage it given the space, would be to have some seating away from the sit-down tables in the cafe area. Would love a chair or three to peruse the book offerings. read more

I've only every been to the bookstore (which is currently closed for browsing) but the café was a delight! I picked up a vegan, tofu sandwich that was absolutely delicious! Quite large too and completely filling. Yummy! They seemed to have a lot of other options as well that all looked delectable. I didn't order anything so I'm not sure about wait-times but getting something from the case is obviously, wonderfully fast. I will definitely be returning in the future! read more

Last week, I visited Atticus first time with my friend. It was fine until we were escorted to pub seats and given the cafe menu. After we took the seats, no servers cared us. It was a little bit confusing if we have to wait for a server to take our order or we have to get in the order line. After waiting for a while, I decided to get in the line and ordered cakes and two cups of coffee. The person who took my order did not get me a tray for the food so I had to carry them to our seats twice. I did not ask for a tray though I felt the person did not have a good sense of caring customers. The cake and coffee tasted amazing though. I was specially impressed by cold brew coffee. I'd visit here again but I will figure out how to be cared in their ways. read more

Atticus Bookstore Cafe - Tiramisu & Cheese case - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Been here for coffee 2 days in a row and I've been happy so far! I've had their black coffee and a cafe au lait. Not sure where they source the beans, but it's been great so far. The store has a coffee counter and tiny open kitchen smack in the middle of the store. Very warm environment with locals meeting for morning coffee. I'm hoping to come back and try the scones next business trip. read more

By way of update.....we have been impressed by their delicious soups and bread at numerous visits. Recently enjoyed a great breakfast sandwich. Do wish they offered more options for people with allergies. read more

The Atticus Classic was a good quick to-go sandwich, and the coffee was decent enough (very unsweet though). However, the workers were extremely rude and unwelcoming. As soon as I walked in, I saw the cashier give a dirty look at the customer she was serving. When my friend, who is an international student with an accent, went up to the counter, a different cashier instantly gave her a blank stare. Very inviting atmosphere to say the least read more

Best soup and sandwich I've had on the East Coast! Love the promotion of local artwork. Hip, welcoming, delicious. Lots of healthy options

I've been in this place a zillion times, probably for the same reason a lot of people go there; it's location. Being right smack in the middle of Chapel and all it's restaurants and activity is bound to bring some serious business. The food is all right for a snack but since this is Chapel Street much better can be found only a short walk away. Of course it does have books but the selection is actually pretty thin since the store is rather small. It gets a plus for having a bathroom but since the store is frequently quite crowded the bathroom is often in use. It's not a bad place by any means but the main attraction really is it's location. read more

Cusotmer Service is KING and this was the Joker. I wanted to support the local coffeshop/bookstore but instead, was forced to walk down the street and give my business to Starbucks. It was a long day, I simply wanted to grab a snack and relax a bit with a good book. I found this place because they were rated highly for their scones (which they were sold out of). I ordered some banana bread and a cup of coffee. I was struggling to pick our a book, so I decided to crack open my laptop and check out my 'reading list'. While I finished off the yummy banana bread, the server approached me to informed me that this place was 'dine in only' - I explained that I just ate my banana bread and showed her my cup of coffee. Frowning, she agitatedly said -"that doesn't count". When I incredulously asked, "really"? She remarked, "I'm just following the rules". I asked - is there any place in this bookstore to sit down and enjoy this cup of coffee? She said, "no, it's dine in only". So I packed up and made my way down to the corner starbucks. While the coffee and the banana bread were great, the book selection was stellar, the service was sub-par.What a disappointment to an out-of-town visitor. read more

The window states "Millions of scones since...." so I expected a good scone since a good scone is hard to find. As of Jan 2018, this isn't the place to find one. I may have been late for a morning rush on scones given that there were only 3 to choose from, but the maple scone I had today was disappointingly a muffin in the shape of a round scone. It's not a scone recipe they are using. It's moist and bouncy like a cake. So if you like muffin tops, order the scone. After looking on yelp I see a photo of a triangular maple scone from a year ago. Looks nothing like today's scones. The cappuccino was adequate. I didn't try any other food. Lovely little bookshop. read more

Atticus Bookstore Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Although it's not a huge bookstore, it has a great selection of books. Not only does it cover almost every category you could ask for, from children's books to fiction to politics to cookbooks to travel books, but it also has a nice range of classics, trendy titles and the new-and-upcoming in each category. I never fail to spot at least one book I love, one book I had been meaning to read, and one new book I want to read every time I walk in. Particularly useful are the shelves of staff recommendations, by staff member. I like to find staff members with tastes similar to mine and then request that only they serve me. But seriously, if I see one person has chosen two of my favorite books, I am more likely to buy another book they recommended. There is a cafe attached with good coffee and hot chocolate. More I have not tried there, but the servers are always super friendly and the prices are reasonable. You do have to buy a book before you are allowed to take it into the cafe, which is understandable. If you are looking for a specific book, go to Barnes and Noble. If you are looking to find a new favorite book, come here! read more

I look forward to the daily soup specials to enjoy with the soup-sandwich combo every time I visit. The corn chowder and spicy sausage is a personal favorite. The turkey club and Cuban sandwiches are remarkable. Very lively atmosphere. A great place to sit and enjoy a meal and coffee. Expect crowds around noon on nice days. During wet weather, choose your table to tuck into and surround yourself with books and local art. Atticus achieves the perfect model of a small city cafe surviving in a transforming city moving towards high end fast food chains. read more

Stumbled upon this place while I was visiting my mom at Yale a bit ago. It was suuuper busy when I was there, though that's never a deterrent for me, but something to point out. I only had one thing which was their cappuccino, and it was not that great. Seemed like they just steamed some milk and then dumped foam on top. Also, I thought it was weird that when I wanted to order 'something for here,' they said I had to be seated at a table. You mean I cannot just pay for my drink at the counter and find my own table? It makes it seem more like a restaurant than somewhere to get coffee and check out books. Their menu did look good and I would definitely go back and try some things, but I probably wouldn't venture to order anything off their coffee menu again. EDIT: If you are a full service restaurant, then maybe you shouldn't be calling yourself a 'cafe'. Just a thought. read more

This place is a great spot for brunch, coffee, people watching and studying! I've been here many times, either to meet up with friends or just enjoy a nice latte. I particularly enjoy their brioche toast with stracciatella cheese, wild blueberry preserves, lemon, mint & pistachio. It's super delicious and a great breakfast pick! Sometimes the service can be a little iffy (hence the 4 stars), but otherwise, definitely worth a visit! read more

Atticus Bookstore Cafe - Brioche toast with stracciatella cheese, wild blueberry preserves, lemon, mint & pistachio - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Atticus is the model of mediocrity. The food is overpriced and only decent. The service is generally rude and slow. The coffee is horrible. The only reason anyone goes is the convenience of location and the fact that it is one of few breakfast places in New Haven. The black bean soup is the only reason I go there on occasion... and I get it for take out. read more

I can't even describe my first Atticus experience, and as a teenager I worked at the Middletown location (which is now a follett bookstore). The artisan breads are fabulous, and they are the originators of the famous Chabaso bakery that now serves a myriad of other stores. Everything is delivered fresh from the bakery on James Street in the morning. And everything excess is tossed at the end of the day, or given away to anyone on the street who may want it. And all the breads are 1/2 price towards the end of the day. My favorite Atticus items: the Parisian Baguette (thinner and crustier than the Atticus Baguette, although I'm not sure that this distinction still exists), Ciabatta with Olive Oil (the regular ciabatta also makes a tasty french toast) , the Multi-grain Cranberry bread (now called Cranberry Pecan Multi-Grain), and the country sourdough for breads. The best muffin EVER is the Morning Glory with bits of carrot, zucchini, pineapple and currants. And the black bean soup topped with sour cream and onion is still a staple in my diet, as are the vegetarian wraps and mozzarella, tomato and basil sandwich. Paninis are also wonderful. And for dessert: Tirmisu (I know, nobody can screw THAT up), bread puddings, cheesecake, and Chocolate Mousse. (I'm salivating) I only really miss the guacamole and cheddar wrap so, Atticus, if you ever put that back on the menu you will be my heroes for life! The books are fabulous too: a large selection of unusual titles. Yay books :-D ~UPDATE~ Atticus has reopened and it looks absolutely fabulous! Gone are the days of buckets with spouts, that big cardboard sign and the white board with specials magnetically posted. Check it out, it's gorgeous. The only thing I'm slightly upset about is that they changed their menu a bit and raised a couple of prices (I know, it's long overdue considering the prices haven't changed in almost 10 years so I can't complain much, and it's not like they've been raised a lot), and now the breakfast menu is completely separate from the regular menu. But it's still one of my favorite places! read more

Loved this place, especially the black bean soup and grilled chicken salad combo option. Not sure if it's still happening but they use to have $1 coffee. They also put all their bread outside at the end of the day if you happen to walk by. Great place to bring the parents for lunch! read more

Coffee is a bit weak but people are nice. It's a nice place to rest in the shade. Smell of books makes this place quaint.

This was my first time at Atticus, and I had heard from multiple people that the cafe/bookstore served excellent food. I was a fan of the atmosphere in Atticus; we were seated at a cute table near the back of the restaurant, so it might have been a little quieter as the restaurant seemed pretty lively (to be expected on a Sunday morning). Service overall was good; it took only a few moments for the server to come over to our table to ask what drinks we wanted, and as soon as we were ready to order they were at our table. However, the main part of the experience, food, was lacking; I got the complete breakfast ($8.00 for 2 eggs, toast, 2 pieces of bacon, coffee, and 2 slices of cantaloupe) and my friend got the oatmeal ($5.25 for a bowl of oatmeal, milk, honey, and cantaloupe). My favorite part of my meal was the the cranberry pecan toast; the pecan flavor was very strong and the dried cranberries added bursts of sweetness as I was eating. However, the butter that came with toast was freezing cold and could barely be spread over the toast. The eggs were extremely plain, and I had to flavor them with tabasco sauce and salt, and the bacon was very burnt and not pleasant to eat at all. The coffee was average, although I was given cream when I asked for skim milk. The oatmeal apparently was pretty good, although the oats seemed much smaller than what my friend was used to. The dried fruit added an extra dimension, and portion size was good. Overall: Pros: Good atmosphere, good service Cons: Plain food, relatively expensive read more

Cute bookstore and coffee shop. There is usually a 20 minute wait for a table during prime times. The breakfast food is tasty and it's a great place to chill. read more

An under-appreciated spot for lunch. Sandwiches, salads, and soup are superbly done and are a good value for the price; the location in terms of access to transportation and other destinations couldn't be better. They now have nitro cold brew iced coffee which is super-tasty but people will give you awkward looks if you walk around with it since it looks like a Guinness. If it's crowded, grab a sandwich and eat outside on the stoop of one of the Yale buildings across the street. read more

I can't speak for the food, but the place itself is cute. Interesting picks on the shelves--definitely not your typical bookstore! The staff seemed snooty and uninterested (Yalies, I'm looking at you!). It won't kill you to say hello to a potential customer. Not a place I'd shop, therefore, not a place I'd dine either. read more

Consistently overpriced. Have paid $8 for a below average breakfast sandwich, had other customers receive their food before me, then was given the wrong sandwich after all of that. Not a really acceptable mistake for a slow morning, in my opinion. read more

The books are good and the guava hand pie is really good

I've been here twice now with more or less the same results - really tasty, down home fare with perhaps less than stellar service. Perhaps the service can be blamed on my high New York standards though. They have an excellent selection of salads and sandwiches and I love that you can order a half of either to paired together or with soup. It's the worst when you see two dishes you really like but can't pair them together - especially with something as simple as a salad and a sandwich. The half a sandwich is also enormous, total bang for your buck on that one. They also have killer bread - super fresh with a crusty exterior and springy interior. Don't skip it. Also, conveniently located right across the street from YUAG. read more

Oh, what to do? How to yelp this beloved, but controversial, bookstore/cafe? For their English-only policy they deserve an angry rant (with the obligatory 1-star), rather than a real review. This tempest-in-a-teapot/news item eventually generated some lively debate over labor and immigration and who is working where and who is buying what in New Haven. So perhaps Atticus was trying to distract us from their mediocre food . . . Because I would love to give Atticus only 2 stars for the food: au bon painful airportesque/art museum blah. I've eaten there a dozen times and remember nothing but a string of mildly savory lunches of varying degrees of freshness. Then there are the gluey/paste-y slightly stale sweets. You won't actively recoil while eating. However, the bread is 5-star perfection. Whether you pay full price, take advantage of one of their little deals, or scoop up an after-hours freebie on the way home from the movies. Crisp on the outside, moist on the inside, perfectly flavored (if you like flavors) or pure as the driven snow. With butter it makes a good Cuban toast, with olive oil it elevates a pasta dinner into something special, with eggs at breakfast it cures what ails you and it's transformative when paired with the leftovers/odds-and-ends in your fridge (including day-old Chinese take-out). Seriously. Books? They never have what I'm looking for. Atmosphere? It feels vaguely like a museum gift shop/coffee bar tucked in the corner of the National Gallery in DC. Total? 2/3 stars, tops. read more

Atticus is a nice little bookstore/cafe with above average sandwiches and pastries. The downside is that it has a very strange concentric layout where the dining tables surround the central cooking and food prep area, and the tables are themselves surrounded by the bookshelves. Being trapped between busy servers darting in and out of the kitchen area and customers browsing the books can make you feel a little claustrophobic. That said, their artichoke and ham & gruyere sandwiches are excellent, as is the black bean soup. The coffee is nice and strong. The food service can be on the spotty side, especially for takeout orders, but on the whole it's not a bad choice if you're looking for a quick lunch or light dinner. read more

This place was a bit of a disappointment. I hear bookstore & cafe I tend to assume the two have a symbiotic relationship with each other. I expected people to be sitting reading while eating, or browsing the stacks, coffee in hand. But no, the two establishments might as well be in separate buildings. There is even a sign telling people NOT to take books into the cafe. The selection of books was meh, nothing out of the ordinary. The cafe itself wasn't bad, food was good, and the Black Bean soup everyone talks about... Wow! That got them an extra star by itself. read more

Good food, good coffee, nice atmosphere, glacial service. I come here for lunch and for coffee and cake. The food here is great; it's interesting and varied and well made and leaves you feeling good after you eat it. Lunch is soup, salad and sandwiches, and there are always lots of interesting vegetarian choices. I like the pastries here too, the chocolate bread pudding is nice and dark flavored without being over-sweet, and it's served with whipped cream that actually tastes like whipped cream. The service is friendly but verrrrrryyy slowwwww. As long as you don't mind that, you're good. It's also a great place to buy bread -- nice, crusty, chewy bread, the same stuff the sandwiches are made from -- and very good prices for the quality. read more

Plain and simple - I wouldn't go back. Not worth my time or energy. Wish someone would move into that location that really valued their customers and community. read more

Here for a conference and staying at The Study at Yale. Asked concierge where to go for breakfast and he directed me here. Perfect. Plenty of seating so you don't feel crammed among the merch. The eggs and greens were yum. Fluffy eggs, fresh greens, tangy dressing. So good. Coffee was top-grade too. Took a second cup to shop the store and found beautiful journals, cards, gifts, and of course, books. It's not overwhelming; well-curated. Well-lit with lots of windows looking out on historic Yale buildings. Staff - both waitstaff and bookstore staff - was helpful without being overbearing. read more

Super cute bookstore/cafe combo...didn't have to wait too long although I'm sure it gets swamped on the weekends. Service was great and so was the food...I got the avocado toast which was delicious but I could've eaten anything off the menu! read more

The old white lady have a bad manners! The food is good, the location is good, I have exams recently , I go to there to review my lessons, I order food, I give tips, other waiter or waitress is very friendly to help me charge my Mac, but the old white lady looks mean and unfriendly. It depends on whether you are lucky or unlucky to meet a nice waiter or a mean waiter. read more

Like the literary lawyer of the same name, Atticus seems to be a cafe obsessed with fairness, perfection, and knowledge. Quaint and inviting, I can see that this place is probably packed all the time. KNOWLEDGE | Atticus doubles as a sweet bookstore, but totally not in an obnoxious Starbucks-in-Barnes & Noble or Seattle's Best-in-the-middle-of-Borders kind of way. More like...take your coat off, have a seat, and oh la! Are those books lining the walls? So they are! How about taking a gander? Okay! Rather fitting being pretty much across the street from Yale. PERFECTION | Have you seen those scones? And chocolate croissants? And the delicate chocolate- and sugar-covered goodies? Not to mention their fantastic little menu. It's...perfect. FAIRNESS | I almost stopped at a one-sentence review. Because when I walked into Atticus, I was looking for some coffee. Check! This place fit the bill. Then I was immediately charmed by the words above the coffee menu: FAIR TRADE. ORGANIC. FRESH. Nice! This is definitely a plus (and fresh is pretty much a deal-breaker). But then next to this..."OUR COFFEE PRICES WILL NOT INCREASE UNTIL THE RECESSION ENDS." Oh...okay...awesome! And then I saw the price. Large mocha for $1.95! Dang. Just dang. You can't find that ANYWHERE. And just for that, this place deserves lots and lots of stars. And you know what else? The service was quick. And the coffee was good! Really good! Long live Atticus! read more

This review is strictly for the Cafe portion of the business. LOVED the Parisian style sandwiches! Great crusty bread, sparse of the condiments aka no soggy bread here! Great amount of fixins where you don't feel gipped by your order and not overflowing to the extent where your sandwich is falling apart as you bite into it. read more

This bookstore/cafe is a gem in downtown New Haven. BOOKSTORE: the selection is eclectic and they have hard-to-find volumes. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful. The store is well-lit, clean, and spacious. CAFE: staff is very friendly, food is tasty and fresh, and there is a broad array of desserts and drinks that go well with cracking open a brand new book. The location is central, on one of the city's main boulevards. Street parking is generally metered, and there are paid parking lots. read more

Friendly attentive service, delicious fresh food, attractive and clean environment... what more could you want? I'm writing this after three visits during the past six weeks and have been consistently impressed with the attention to me as a patron and the overall cafe experience. Even in the middle of winter, Atticus manages to source and serve delicious salads that are dressed appropriately and not drowned in dressing. Roasted pears were a nice change from the standard fresh raw pear. The kitchen is generous with the cheese, nuts, and dried cranberries so each bite was full of flavor. The turkey club is enormous so, half is more than enough, although it is so tasty it is difficult to stop eating. The bread is perfect, didn't become soggy, and created an excellent contrast in texture for each bite. The truffle mac-n-cheese is an authentic cheesy flavorful rich pasta dish and I was pleased and relieved it is available in two sizes. The croque monsieur uses excellent cheese and ham but is exceptional because of the bread used as the base. The eggs for the croque madame were cooked exactly to order; something that can be difficult for a busy kitchen to do. With three soups available daily, it is nice to know you can count on finding a flavor you enjoy. In the typical American fashion, the portions are beyond generous so, pay attention to the size of your appetite before ordering or be prepared to tote half of your meal home. It is a consistent pleasure to dine at Atticus where the servers are smiling and cooperate with each other. Regardless of where I was seated, if a passing server noticed my glass was half empty or I might need something, that person took care of me. Of course, I love Atticus as an independent bookstore and that adds to the experience as a diner in that: 1) I can peruse titles from my seat: 2) feel comfortable reading at the table if I have time; 3) appreciate the ambiance created by books as art and the other visual art. Bon Appetit! read more