It was 99 degrees on this day, so I picked up an iced Cold Warrior and my friend ordered the Get…read moreYour Green On. Both were refreshing and delicious. Service was great as always.

My sister and I came here to grab some delicious smoothies but decided on the açaí bowls!…read more The wait times were long but the service was good. For the actual bowl the açaí did not have any flavor which was so strange! Not the best place for fresh smoothies and juices.

Absolutely terrible experience. I ordered what they call a "Coco Bowl," specifically the Coco…read moreBerry, which according to the description comes with raw coconut, coconut milk, and the other berry toppings. What I received had ZERO raw coconut, it was literally just frozen coconut milk with blueberries and strawberries. I also paid extra to add chia seeds, which they forgot to put in (that part 100% understandable). I went back and politely asked for my chia seeds and asked where the raw coconut was. The employee added the chia seeds and casually said, "Yeah, I forgot," with absolutely no apology or acknowledgment. When I asked about the missing raw coconut, I got a bunch of excuses that honestly didn't even make sense. If an ingredient is listed in the description, I expect to actually receive it, and if you make a mistake, at least own it and apologize. This was not worth the money at all (was in total $18) Definitely my first and LAST time coming to this Playa Bowls location. Do better.

The açaí bowl was great! The service was quick and the place looks amazing on the inside, very…read moreclean.

I went to Playa Bowls for the first time today. With the…read moreMixed Bowl, you can combine 2 bases so I chose Coconut + Mango Berry Bowl. It was a delicious bowl, except I'd expected mango chunks, not sweetened mango puree / sauce. It was overly sweet and I would have preferred natural mangos. I ended up eating the whole bowl except for the mango, but considering the price ($15.95+) and amount, I think it would be best shared as a snack. When I arrived, there was just one person in front of me, so there wasn't much of a wait. I took my bowl to go, but inside of the store was cute. There was a counter facing the street and a couple of tables for dining in, so it could be a good snack stop.

I'm genuinely shocked by how bad my experience at Playa Bowls was. The fruit tasted old and far…read morefrom fresh, which is pretty unacceptable for a place whose entire concept revolves around fresh fruit. What made it worse was the staff behind the register. They were dismissive, unprofessional, and acted like helping customers was an inconvenience. The attitude made it painfully obvious they did not want to be there, and it completely ruined the experience. If you're charging premium prices for bowls made with fruit, the absolute bare minimum should be fresh ingredients and employees who can treat customers with basic courtesy. I got neither. There are way too many places serving fresher food with better service to justify coming back here. Seriously disappointing.

Yummy and friendly. Fair price for the neighborhood. Not many healthy to go breakfast options in…read morethe neighborhood so I love coming here.

I came in after seeing the menu and not knowing what to expect but I really wanted something…read morehealthy! I spoke to the women working and I really wanted the protein bowl but I had to do a lot of walking and couldn't sit and stay. She right away turned it into a smoothie for me and it was AMAZING omg like so yummy! I'll definitely be back

Finally tried the Brazilian cafe located in the UWS! Let me just start off by saying that the…read moreenergy of this place really radiates the warm and loving essence of Brazil. The staff were so welcoming and kind. Helped us even find a bathroom to use while we visited. We got the pao de queijo and was it delicious. And honestly the best that i've had and i've been to brazil a few times (sssh don't hate me lol), but it was so flavorful and I thought it was a great size! I will most definitely be back and glad that I finally tried it!

The Progeny are little assassins. They're getting scary good at jiu jitsu, a Brazilian martial art…read morethat I consider one of the most effective marital arts for real world use, especially when it's taught in conjunction with aikido. As luck would have it, their dojo is a hop and a skip away from an excellent Brazilian cafe, Tap, where we often stop in for a snack before or after, in keeping with the Brazilian theme. Tap is a mini chain (or soon-to-be chain) with three locations in NYC and one in Miami, with additional locations planned in both cities. We are passionately fond of the pão de queijo, a gluten-free cheese bread made out of tapioca flour that has a consistency similar to mochi. I make excellent pão de queijo at home -- but.... as much as I hate to admit it, Tap's pão de queijo are better. They're toasted / reheated to order and served with a wonderfully crisp crust, but tender, chewy, mochi-like innards. They come in three flavors: classic (flavored with only cheese), pesto, and spicy. You can order them filled like sandwiches. (They call them paninis on the menu.) In any configuration, they are magnificent. The menu also includes acai bowls or cups, which of course are all the rage. (I think there are three or four acai bowl specialists within a few blocks of Tap.) We like the ones at Tap because they're a more manageable snacking size for the Progeny. Some competitors serve bowls that eat like two meals. We've never tried them, but there are beautiful tapioca flour sandwiches (that look like half moon omelettes), as well, and filled egg wraps that look like burritos -- all gluten free. Our only complaints: The Upper West Side location does not have a bathroom for patrons, though there is a little sink for handwashing. Service, while usually very nice, can be a little sluggish. And the matcha, while refreshing, is very wimpy on the matcha flavor. (No ceremonial grade stuff, here.)

Had the vegan strawberry shortcake as part of a Kate spade event. Sounded more interesting than…read moreplain strawberry. For a vegan ice cream, it was still tasty, but less creamy than regular ice cream. The shortcake chunks helped enhance the flavor.

Van Leeuwen on the Upper West Side is always a solid choice when you're craving something…read moreindulgent. The shop has a bright, clean vibe and the staff is quick and friendly, even when there's a line out the door. Their ice cream is ultra-creamy and rich without feeling overly heavy, and the flavor selection balances classics with fun seasonal picks. The standout for me is the cookies and cream milkshake. It's thick, perfectly blended, and packed with generous chunks of chocolate cookie in every sip. It tastes like a nostalgic upgrade -- familiar and comforting, but made with noticeably high-quality ingredients. It's rich enough to feel like a treat, but smooth enough that you'll finish it faster than you expect. Whether you're grabbing a cone after a walk in the neighborhood or treating yourself to a milkshake, Van Leeuwen consistently delivers. Definitely worth the stop

It is a truly beautiful sunny day on the UES today and I figured I'd treat myself to a morning walk…read moreand a treat, and treated I was. I stopped by juice press to grab a chocolate smoothie ($12) and my god this was delectable. It surely is expensive, but it's the perfect healthy treat. The chocolate smoothie is quite rich, with chocolate chips, cacao, plant protein, pumpkin butter, hemp seeds, cinnamon, banana and almond milk. It is really good. The flavor profile is something unique and you can taste notes of all of the ingredients. I went at 10:30 am and it was a bit busy, but lots of props to the one guy behind the counter who was working hard to get everyone taken care of. Great place with lots of healthy options. You can even customize your smoothie if you'd like. Check it out!

BEWARE!!! Placed an order and only half of it arrived. No working number to call, and the food that…read morewas ordered tasted terrible! Now fighting with corporate to get my money back on what wasn't delivered.

One of my biggest downfalls is always caving into getting an acai bowl after any workout LOL. On…read moretoday's episode, I got this byo 16oz acai cup from Oakberry. I've been wanting to try this place for a while now because I see it everywhere, and it was actually really good! The acai was so yummy, and I also got granola, cacao nibs, peanut butter, chia seed pudding, banana, strawberry, blueberry, and almonds as toppings. All the fruits tasted fresh and I loveddd the peanut butter! I would probably skip out on the cacao nibs next time because it made this bitter (but I guess that's what healthy chocolate tastes like...) but everything else was great! I really wish it didn't cost extra to get almond butter bc i would get that for sure. Portion size was amazing, they stack pack your cup full! It was filling enough to be a meal :) Server was really nice and patient, and it wasn't busy on a Monday evening :) It's a pretty small store, but they do have a table.

Service was great. Clean location. Quick and easy ordering. Refreshing on a hot summer NYC day!read more