Bánh is a great Vietnamese spot in Manhattan Valley and definitely worth checking out. The…read morerestaurant is casual yet cozy, and there is almost always a wait on weekends when it opens. You have to go in person to join the waitlist, and the staff will not seat you unless your full party is there. It is always fun going on the weekend because they have specialty menu items. The food is consistently tasty and served very quickly. A few highlights include: - Banh Chung | Crispy Rice Cake: A solid starter to share among two to four people. The texture is chewy with a light crispiness on the outside. There is also a vegetarian option. - Vegetarian Curry: A savory yellow curry made with a coconut milk base. Really appreciate the variety of seasonal vegetables included. - Bun Ca Hai Phong | Fried Fish and Tomato Noodle Soup: Highly recommend getting this during the weekend! A nice alternative to the typical meat-based dishes. The tilapia is lightly fried, so the tomato broth does not become overly heavy, and the dill helps cut through any extra oil to balance out the flavors. - The beef noodle soups are also very good, but are more classic options. The rice platters are great to share since the portions are generously sized. The staff are always friendly and helpful throughout the meal. Service is very fast, especially considering the restaurant has always been full.

I came here with a friend as a walk-in! We came early and luckily seated almost immediately!…read more We've been to the sister restaurant Banh Anh Em and the wait for that place is crazy (but of course very well worth it!). Chill and helpful staff! Cool ambience. We went for the classic pho, bun rieu, and a classic banh mi. Everything was very tasty! Would recommend checking it out!

Lovely staff and A+++ coffee and pastries. Welcoming, It's pretty much a daily visit for me, with…read moregood reason. My only reservation is that there is no customer restroom, as I wish I could hang out here a bit longer ( I'd buy another cuppa fir sure). Besides that, believe the other reviews. A great place. Manager Malcolm went out of his way with an extra gesture make things right when there was a small misunderstanding with a pack of coffee I bought. That added effort really made me feel cared for. In short--- plowshares is as sublime as the other reviews suggest. I Hulu recommend you give it a try.

coffee is great but like others have mentioned the baristas can be bit entitled and rude. not…read moreeveryone but specifically the blonde one who's a bit younger was especially curt. i had gotten a bag of beans and the guy at the register was pleasant and nice and said that i can get a cup of brewed coffee for free for the bag of beans. since i didn't need more coffee as i was already having a capp - i asked if i could get it next time and the girl behind him answered for me and was like - no it's just for now - she was visibly annoyed and just rude. i saw her being rude to another patron while i was there. a woman simply asked for water with matcha. just give it to her. don't give her bs that it won't work because of the concentrations. maybe just explain it will not taste like plain matcha with water? elaborate instead of being curt and annoyed. if you are working in service, this is your job and you are being paid. people being served does not have to be served your attitude as well. we aren't paying for that. appreciate the gentleman up front who was nice. still rating them high bc i don't want to crap on a business but plz just be kind they play decent music and their cappuccinos are yum and they get their pastries from petit chou which is pretty yummy. double chocolate was a bit much but it was still good!

As someone very familiar with Hungarian cuisine, this affordable (but completely packed) little…read morebakeshop actually somewhat impressed me! First of all, I have to mention the prices: we got 6 pastries and 2 hot chocolates for just over $40: a steal in this economy. Second, it was mostly authentic: the "francia krémes" (which they call a "Napoleon" here for some reason) was quite close to how they serve it in Hungary, save for the caramelized and sickeningly sugary top (which I skipped). The "dobos torta" had the reverse problem: its top--the eponymous "drum"--was authentic, but the meat of it far, far too chocolatey. Guys, a slice of "dobos" is NOT supposed to put you in a diabetic coma! It is not even meant to be very chocolatey! It is supposed to be much more subtle, even savory. The pastries we took home, which included several "rétesek," received high reviews as well. The servers were nice, but did not speak Hungarian. My only other critique would be that the space is incredibly cramped. You will be elbow-to-elbow with various Columbia students. My companion also told me the bathroom was filthy. If you're OK with these rougher spots, though, this cozy café is worth a visit if you want a peak at the "old country."

Outdoor seating across the street from a beautiful garden and the cathedral. Inside just as comfy…read moreand relaxing. Unfortunately to respect people's privacy no photos but def has its charm. There was a line but the staff moves so efficient it was just a short wait and well worth it. The pastries were a mix of sweet and savory. I was surprised to taste the quality of food was not diminished from the speed of service. Cheese danish was my favorite. Light and very warm.

Amazing doughnuts. The best in NYC. I know them from their original East Harlem location…read more I wish they had another East or Midtown location.

Dulce de leche iced latte and a cinnamon sugar donut. Need I say more?…read more Place is a bit pricey but not overpriced to NY standards. Lattes and matchas are good and donuts taste fresh even after 2pm. Great spot to hit in UWS before some shopping or HGWing

DRINK/FOOD: 1.) fresh lemonade = ooh sour haha but one…read morepacket of Splenda did the trick I appreciate they have cocktails, alcoholic libations, and food too! SERVICE: Order and pickup from counter. They offer free wifi, that's always good. Has bathroom too. They have a self serve water thing too! ATMOSPHERE: Great atmosphere, cozy, modern good number of seats and people working on their laptops. Even their bathroom is nice! That's how they you know about a place. Cute bicycle wallpaper.

Right across the street. Way too expensive 5.99 for a medium latte. Women serving sneezed onto the…read moreback of her hand not into her elbow and did not wash her hands yet continued to make my drink. No tip for me. Nowhere to sit, so had to sit outside on a bench with a unhoused guy.

This is a nice cosy spot to eat. I brought a vegan friend here - Chris proclaimed that the sandwich…read morehe got was the "best sandwich" he's ever eaten! BUT: several times the cafe has been closed from 12-2? WTF? Twice we went back there and both times they were closed at lunchtime! So I'm taking off two stars for the inconvenience.

A miserable experience. I came here on a Sunday afternoon to relax and eat. Someone working behind…read morethe counter was obnoxious and loud while on the phone - yelling into his phone in a foreign language while I'm trying to eat. This place is so tacky. Totally not the chill vibe I was looking for.

It was a very cold day and we were craving some hot coffee . I am a big fan of yamani coffee and…read morethat's what I ordered - it was delicious ! Very flavourful and yummy . Atmosphere was also nice , with many Columbia students around . We also got the cheese cake which was pretty bad - not recommended . Focus on the coffee !

I'm in intrigued. I can't wait to visit again to actually stay and dine in. So far the chai tea I…read moreordered from here was exceptional. The spices and flavors were so delicious, it was really giving me more of a dirty chai taste but still with a taste to remember. It left me with wanting to try the coffee immediately. The customer service was great and the whole vibe of the place was amazing. I just can't wait to go visit and try more of their selection of drinks and pastries. I'm giving thumbs up. Happy Yelping!

Such a spacious and cozy find on a rainy Saturday! Great hospitality, music, ambiance, and various…read moretypes of seating. Will definitely look forward to trying more refreshers and pastries. Also has a restroom, water station, and wifi.

Came here on a Sunday afternoon to get some work done. My boyfriend got an iced coffee while I got…read morea strawberry lemonade. I had a sip of my lemonade, and it tasted like strawberry syrup water and I couldn't taste the lemonade at all. The drink tasted horrible. I normally don't like to complain at cafes or restaurants but given that this lemonade was $7 before tax, we decided to ask the staff if they put lemonade in the drink. The staff answered they had no lemonade. We were very confused because they did not mention that they were out of lemonade when we ordered or even when they handed us the order. It was kinda unbelievable that they would just gave this strawberry syrup water to us when we ordered strawberry lemonade. The staff offered us another free drink after and I just got a matcha latte. Fairly poor experience here. While I appreciated them offering us another drink after we complain, not every one feels comfortable complaining. If we didn't complain, we would've wasted $7. This place would've been perfect for working otherwise. They had a lot of tables and pretty fast WiFi. All their drinks were very expensive though, with most of them being $7-9 before tax.

Been to the locations in the Bay Area and Dallas, and I think I prefer them over the NYC locations…read more They're cheaper and larger. There's maybe 3 tables for 2 people each, and a small bar seating area for about 4 people. Not good for more than about 12 people to hang out in total. The staff is pretty fast and the kiosks make things run quicker too. Downside is that they do charge $.25 for a cup of water. I don't really like their signature milk tea, but their grape slush is pretty good. Everything is about $7-10, so expect to pay a bit more for your drinks.

Still my favorite boba/fruit tea chain. Service is fast, ambiance is casual…read more - watermelon tea slush: 100/10 - strawberry tea slush: 100/10 - grapefruit tea slush: 100/10 - lychee tea: 8/10 (too sweet even with 30% sugar) - superfruit green tea: 10/10 - lemon green tea: 10/10

Birch Coffee really hit the spot on a rainy day. The ambiance was exactly what I was hoping for,…read morewith plenty of cozy little nooks to settle into and get some work done. I went with the raspberry latte, and while it leaned on the sweeter side, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the flavor paired with the espresso. It is not often you see that balance done right. I would definitely come back.

First time there., ordered a Match Latte NO FOAM.., still got foam…read more Seating area's are great for laptop working or student studying. Ambiance = 8.5 Service = 9.8 very welcoming smiles., and service. Coffee = 7.6 Food = 6.0 mostly offer pastries. Music = mostly 90's music.., I guess depending on staff.