As promised, we did return here when we were next in NYC, which says a lot for upstate residents trying to make the most of the precious few dining opportunities in a weekend away. This time, I got the new black sesame latte, which was rich, nutty, and perfectly not too sweet. They were running a Valentine's Day special where you got a free cappuccino with the purchase of a latte and pastry, so we got the raspberry croissant as well. I was expecting jam on the inside, but it was more like a cheap jelly donut filling - not necessarily bad, but not my preference. read more

See all

While in Chinatown, Manhattan, NYC during my professional duties all day which my desiderium was bubble tea, but precious time prevented me to travel beyond the vicinity range. Yelp mobile application takes me to Cafe Diem that is adjacent to Confucius Plaza and the outskirt peripherals of Chinatown. While scanning the menu, I could not decide but inquired if any drinks were offered cold or chilled rather than hot beverage. My goal is to battle NYC's summer plaguing heat and humidity to stay hydrated with the added stress of carrying a large heavy bag all day for my professional duties. Further adding implication to the situation, NYC became victim of Canada's wildfire smoke impacting air quality which I was also battling amid wearing a face mask. Customer service is average. I did inquire if there were any teas served cold or chilled. Background music was boisterously loud that I was befuddled unable to hear the server/cashier for clarity of a better understanding. A small selection of breakfast pastries are available. There were no chocolate chip cookie, unfortunately to no avail. There is a condiment station where milk, sweetener, sugar and cup sleeve holders are available self-serve. Napkins are abundantly available for grabs. The cup sleeve holders are pretty decorated with a blue floral pattern. There is indoor seating with small tables with small white flowers are available of high chairs. I admire how the tables contain a small white flower as decoration which does not occupy the entire table. For a fleeting moment of phlegmatic disposition I did achieve equanimity state in a air conditioning atmospheric environment. Sustainable paper straws are available which tasted disgusting for an undesirable cardboard-like flavor totally impair enjoyment of my drink. Oolong cold tea, small $4.00 The ice was very minimal of minuscule pieces which melted entirely during my professional duties return. As a consequence the tea became room temperature and tasted awful. The tea was mediocre. Price is realistic and reasonable especially for small size. It foot the budget for my wallet. Nota Bene: Cafe Diem offers 9% cash discount for payment. Yes, cash is still widely accepted as a valid form of legal tender payment. read more

See all

Service: 3.8/5 Drink: 4.5/5 Price: $5-$10 Small coffee shop at one end of Confucius Plaza, slightly away from the center of Chinatown. Pretty quiet during the weekday with conveniently placed outlets amongst the limited seating, which makes it good for getting work done. What I Ordered: - Cafe Diem: not as strong as i'm used to for viet coffee, slightly acidic read more

Cafe Diem - Cafe Diem - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

On a sunny afternoon before I walked across the Manhattan Bridge, my family and I stopped by Cafe Diem for a latte to fuel my walk. The barista was friendly and crafted a smooth and balanced latte that I savored throughout my walk. The barista also whipped up another latte off his secret menu that was creamy and had a taste of coconut that matched harmoniously with the espresso. With Cafe Diem, you have a solid place to order your coffee in the neighborhood. You can easily get a great cup of Joe to go or to stay in this comfortable space with high ceiling. read more

Cafe Diem - Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

This is a cute cafe located right near the entrance of Confucius Plaza in Chinatown. I got their large hot matcha latte with vanilla syrup and oatmilk, and it was amazing! It wasn't overly sweet, and the drink was perfectly hot. My total came out to be about $8.75, and it was a whopping 24oz. I was expecting it to be smaller, but it was pretty big for the price point. The cafe itself is really cute, good lighting, and there's a good amount of seating and tables. My only criticism is, I wish the service was a bit faster. There was only one person working, and she was both the barista and cashier, so it took a while for everything to come out. I felt bad since the line kept getting longer, but she handled it amazingly. The bakery items also looked amazing! There's also a bathroom here as well. read more

Matcha latte with oat milk came out to be almost $8. The steaming was okay, not great, but matcha quality was okay. Service could be friendlier. read more

Cafe Diem - Matcha latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

Café Diem NYC is located in Chinatown. If I'm being honest, we mainly stopped here because we needed to use the restroom and could not track down any clean public ones nearby. My boyfriend had an iced Mix Green Tea ($3.25) and I had an iced Chamomile Tea ($3.25). The facilities was still new and very clean and inviting. Love that they have a lot of outlets along the walls for us to recharge our devices and rest up a bit. As for the teas, I found mine to be very light and faint in flavor. A bit watered down to begin with. My boyfriend's green tea had a mint taste to it, which we weren't expecting or wanting. Nice comfortable pit stop, but I would come here for the atmosphere, more so than the products. It served its' intended purposes. read more

See all

New spot on Bowery, just steps from the gates to Confucius Plaza. Soft Grand Opening happening now, March 15 & 16, 2025. Love the play on the name so kudos for creativity. Beautiful interior decor and high ceilings give this place a warm yet open vibe. Ample seating, both high tops and cafe style tables available. Fresh flowers in a small vase present at each table. For drinks: Menu features Parlor roasters coffee (black and white options), assorted teas, and lattes of many varieties (think brown sugar lattes, matcha, and Chai). The Cortado and the flat white caught my eye. This visit I opted for a hot matcha latte, no sugar -- I wanted to see how smooth it was and what the flavor profile would be. I enjoyed it a lot. It wasn't heavy and it was definitely smooth. My companions ordered an Iced mocha and a regular hot latte. All gave a thumbs up. For food: Menu features Balthazar baked goods and they are displayed in a glass case at the counter. We opted to just buy drinks this visit but those looked delectable. By reputation, I'm sure they would be delish. Note, there's a cash price and a credit card price posted on the menus, so know the difference when paying. Cash is always cheaper. read more

See all

Let's be real, coffee shops, bubble tea joints etc. are opening at such a fast rate in Chinatown it's like they're going out of style. Due to that reality, I'm rarely excited about a new coffee shop opening up in the area. However, a friend told me that I had to check out Cafe Diem and that it was very different from the others so I trusted her word and off we went. Most new drink shops in the area tend to have a very similar aesthetic. Hyper modern, looking almost like a spaceship's interior with some wood or plants tossed in for good measure. That's not to say they don't have their charm, but there is a "sameness" to them that feels very standard now and not extraordinary in any way. Not so with Cafe Diem. Part of the cafe's marketing strategy is appealing to the "China" part of Chinatown. The interior has very classic design elements on the walls and near the ceilings that could have come out of an old Wushu Kung Fu movie. There are (fake) plants around that add some greenery and most notable their *cups* have beautiful designs on them including classic Chinese dragons on one that really caught my eye. Most surprising to me was how much sitting space there was *and* the presence of a bathroom! Once upon a time many bakeries/cafes in Chinatown had this, but in recent times most of them are just take out so they really don't serve well as a "third space". Cafe Diem is the opposite and it's great! I wound up getting a Cold Brew on ice and it was great. First, the cups they give you are pretty solid plastic, very impressive. Their lids have a hole to sip out but if you want to cover it up they have small plugs on a table off to the side. The Cold Brew had good flavor and I would happily get it again. One amusing note: Cafe Diem does collaborations! Their currently collaboration (as of yesterday) was making small pineapple cakes in the shape of Labubus! Super cute and fun. Cafe Diem is great and just what Chinatown needs. I hope it prospers. read more

This is a newly opened cafe. It's located on Bowery Street, right in the heart of Chinatown. It's a cozy spot where you can relax, read a book, work, or study. Though the café isn't big, it gives off a comfortable atmosphere. The cafe is very clean, and the service is excellent. While I didn't try any pastries, I ordered a hot Earl Grey tea since it was cold outside. One of the baristas even kindly helped secure the lid on my cup and reminded me to be cautious, as it was very hot. Overall, I'm happy to see this new cafe. It's different since there are a couple of bubble teas open up in the community at the moment. Wish them a great success. I will come back and visit. read more

See all

Wonderful owner, great vibe, really nice bubble tea. Highly recommended if you are in the area.

I always stop by when walking to Chinatown for an iced tea or coffee. They have a great deal with their lava moon cake rn that I love n hope they keep for a while. Great, clean facility n they take Apple Pay read more

Cafe Diem - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

Great coffee shop. Clean inside and new. Great iced oat latte. Comfortable seating and WiFi. read more

See all

Omg quite literally the best latte EVER! We needed a pick me up from walking and shopping and came across this cute coffee shop. The staff was so nice and truly made us the best coffee ever. We hung out in this cute trendy modern yet cozy coffee shop while we enjoyed our caffeine break. It was so clean, comfortable and the perfect spot to rest. Truly whether you're a tourist or a local, you must stop and try their coffee! read more

See all

We had about 1.5 hours to kill before an appointment, so we stepped into Cafe Diem since they have ample seating and a bathroom. Both of these are in short supply in most coffee shops in the Chinatown area, so bonus points to Cafe Diem. Staff were very friendly and nice, and the bathroom was super clean. If you're looking for a cafe to sit and catch up with a friend or you want to get some work done, Cafe Diem is a great spot. read more

The atmosphere was soothing and there were enough seating for singles and groups of 2-3. The cashier was pleasant and would ask clarifying questions if she didn't hear something that I said. My hot caramel macchiato with coconut milk substitute was...healthy tasting? Not necessarily bad, but just not as yummy as sweeter versions I've had elsewhere. Am willing to return though to sample a few more menu items though. read more

See all

New spot near Confucius plaza area. Staff is nice. I've been here a couple times. First time the coffee wasn't timed that well and super sour/acidic but the other times I've been back. The espresso was perfectly pulled. My new local spot to drop by. Their beans you can taste the flavor and balance more. Most of the places around the neighborhood either coffee is too light and has no flavor or is too acidic since they aren't timed well. I am big on the flavor balance of beans in a coffee. read more

Cafe Diem - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Comfortable seating, clean bathroom, friendly, and they know how to prepare proper espresso drinks. read more

Cafe Diem - Cappuccino and cortado - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

This place just keeps getting better and better!! Plus look that those super cute pineapple cakes. Absolutely my fave coffee shop on Chinatown. read more

See all

Very quiet and nicely decorated cafe. A nice spot to study or have a conversation. The coffee here is pretty good. I like the decorated cups they have. The service is pretty fast. Overall nice spot to go on a relaxing day. read more

Cafe Diem - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

It was our go to coffee place, been there many times since they opened. However, we were there today and found quality went down a lot, they used disposable cups instead of the "real cups", very disappointed. read more

Automatically added $1.50 tip for cup of handcrafted coffee? The cup has nice design though... read more

Cafe Diem - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

Great addition to the neighborhood. I really enjoyed my chai latte here. Great staff and very nice ambience to hang out in.

Good ambience, minus 1 star for price and crafted matcha drink could have more matcha flavor. read more

Cafe Diem - Pistachio matcha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

Really top notch coffee shop. They even have real little flowers in the vase. Coffee is delicious too!