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    Sawada Coffee

    4.6 (125 reviews)
    ModerateCoffee & Tea
    Closed 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

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    Recommended Reviews - Sawada Coffee

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    Riki J.

    Visited Sawada on a rainy weekend afternoon and the place was absolutely packed. The coffee counter itself is just a small wall tucked inside a restaurant, and both sides were buzzing with people, but the line moved quickly and I got my drink pretty fast. I ordered the famous Black Camo Latte after hearing so many good things about both that and the Military Latte, and it definitely lived up to the hype. As someone who's a longtime tea enthusiast but relatively new to espresso drinks, I really loved the balance of flavors. It wasn't overly sweet, and the espresso was smooth without that harsh, bitter aftertaste that heavily roasted coffee sometimes has. The space itself has such a cool vibe, its dark, moody, and a little edgy in the best way. The skateboard decor and illustrated coffee holders were such fun details that added to the atmosphere. Definitely a spot I'll be coming back to so I can try more of their drinks.

    Whitney D.

    This coffee shop is inside of the Au cheval restaurant right as you walk in you will see it. They have a few seating spots to enjoy your coffee at. You cannot bring your coffee and sit in the restaurant area though ( or at least I din't think you can) . I tried one of their specialty coffees called the black camo latte which has green tea in it ( Matcha). I am not a green tea lover but I figured I would try it out and It definitely was not for me! I told the barista and asked if I could get something else instead and I would pay for it. They were so sweet and gave it to me on the house. I got a regular Iced latte. Much better in my opinion. I would not go out of my way to come back but I do want to maybe try another one of their non green tea speciality drinks.

    Outdoor signage
    Lidia D.

    Finally checked off Sawada off my coffee shop lists! It was a busy afternoon with most guests waiting for a table for Au Cheval as the reviews mentioned they share a space with the restaurant with 3 tables for 2 people and 3 counter tops. I was able to snag a table and asked the kind barista for recs for my first time and honestly forgot the name of what I ordered

    The unassuming outside
    Alan W.

    My momma once taught me to never go into a dark alley when in NYC. I broke all the rules & did just that to find Sawada. And the risk was worth it. Darkness is the theme. The alley is dark, the entry to the coffee shop is dark, & the lighting inside is dark. The worker kindly guided me toward trying a Latte Tokyo Style. That means some sort of molasses, brown sugar has been added. What I received was a smooth, mellow delicious latte. There was no sugar overload, just a comforting, extra soothing, relaxing latte. Please don't tell my momma, but I am coming back.

    Chris A.

    A little hip and trendy hidden gem! This spot is located inside Au Chavel. It can get busy early in the morning because of all the coffee runs so it does make things slow and feels packed. They do have a selection of sweet treats, such as things like a marcha chocolate sesame cookie.

    Inside
    Oscar L.

    Sawada coffee is one of my most favorite coffee places in Manhattan. Definitely get the Tokyo style. They're hidden inside an alley near Soho area and can be hard to locate. Very cozy vibe inside with adjacent restaurant. Service was fantastic. Very limited seating for cafe - maybe in total only 10 spots.

    YangHwa P.

    Highly recommend this cafe! It is near Chinatown, and you walk through a narrow side street where you will see the sign Au Cheval (restaurant), and right under the sign you see a tiny sign for Sawada Coffee. Sawada coffee has a tiny space inside the restaurant (it probably has maybe 3-4 tables). Fortunately, we were able to grab a 2 seater as soon as a customer left. The service here was so friendly and helpful despite being busy and packed. We ordered Military Latte (matcha vanilla espresso), and Black Camo Latte ( Hojicha vanilla espresso). Both drinks showcased all these flavours and we enjoyed the drinks a lot. Really appreciated that it was not sweet, but had subtle sweetness. Would love to come back again!

    Leeza D.

    I first discovered Sawada in Chicago and fell in love with the military latte, part matcha and part espresso. The latte art is gorgeous. I continue with the love affair by visiting Streamers in Tokyo on every visit, which is the original chain. When I was in NY, I had to visit the NY store. The military latte is still a favorite. Please come and create your own adventure.

    Military Latte (iced)
    Cyrus A.

    Sawada is one of the easiest five star reviews I've written about a cafe! This spot is tucked away next to Au Cheval, and currently only open Wednesday through Sunday. They serve some "usual" espresso drinks, as well as matcha and hojicha lattes. I've tried the hojicha (Military Latte, in Sawada speak) and it was phenomenal. You can also order any drink "Tokyo style" for a unique twist on an already-delicious drink. The space is warm and inviting, though there isn't a lot of seating, and there can be a lot of foot traffic in the shared entrance with Au Cheval. Well worth a visit for a delicious beverage, I'd recommend taking one to go!

    Coffee counter with custom graphics
    MT L.

    Spacious, expert coffee shop located inside Au Cheval. Plenty of comfortable seating and most importantly, delicious and unique Japanese-esque drink offerings. One of the few places that makes matcha and hojicha beverages well -- no floating powder here! Friendly and efficient staff, too. Not much in the way of snacks, though; just a few large-format cookies, a savory scone, and blueberry muffins -- wish they had more (pro-tip: head over to Grandaisy Bakery down the street for their citrus almond torta to pair with your coffee). If you have time, have the drink to stay, served in heavy ceramic mugs. Clean bathrooms are available to freshen up downstairs. And don't sleep on the expensive but delicious cold-brew jasmine tea!

    Yin K.

    Was in town and saw this cafe while I was looking for a coffee place on Yelp and decided to give it a go. The cafe is right next to a restaurant, sharing the same entrance and common space. So, if you ever walk in and saw a huge crowd, most likely they are there for the restaurant. The cafe has some interesting drinks options, including latte with Hojicha! Quite interesting as you get the coffee bitter/tartness from espresso, smokiness from hojicha and creaminess from the milk. Service was fairly quite as well. Interior is quite dark-ish and loud as it's right next to a restaurant in an open space

    Military Latte
    Tashfia N.

    Such unique offerings! An absolute gem of a cafe tucked away in Chinatown. I ordered their iced military latte, which is a hojicha matcha mixed with vanilla and espresso (I got it without the cocoa powder option). I was between this and the Tokyo style latte. The barista was so sweet, after explaining the entire flavor profiles they offered me a sample of the hojicha so that I could make my choice with confidence. They also offered me a complimentary cookie, I chose the sesame matcha cookie. The cookie was really good, had a great texture, the matcha wasn't overwhelming at all, and the sesame was perfectly sweet, tasted like chocolate pretty much. The latte was also really good, the hojicha offered a nice subtly nutty flavor without drowning out the espresso coffee flavor. I'll definitely be back to try their other lattes in the future

    Black Camo Latte
    Gordon Y.

    This tiny coffee shop is hidden inside Au Cheval. Though I recently had a bad experience at the restaurant, the drinks from this place impressed. I especially liked their signature Black Camo Latte. I will definitely be back to try some other beverages.

    Military Latte

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    2 years ago

    i got a hot dirty matcha it's pretty earthy it was like $9 but it's pretty big like soup bowl vibes, i like the vibes, the workers are nice

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    3 years ago

    The drink was very good. Check out the military latte. The service is great. The girls who make the drink very friendly.

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    6 years ago

    Hojicha espresso latte and matcha espresso latte are both life-changing coffee. Try both!

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    3 years ago

    rlly cute little spot in an unassuming alleyway,, the lattes r great and have rlly pretty latte art on them!!

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    7 years ago

    BEYOND ecstatic that I can get my black camo latte here (espresso + roasted hojicha). Love love love!

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    The military latte is a work of art. NYC is lucky to have this Japanese outpost. Make the most of it New Yorkers!

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    Page 3 of 4

    Ask the Community - Sawada Coffee

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    I've had Ten Thousand Coffee on my to-go list for the LONGEST. I finally went for the first time…read moreand there were so many drinks I wanted to try so I ended up buying 3. 1. The Jeju Green Tangerine Matcha honestly just tastes like a tangerine selter drink but in the best way, because I don't typically enjoy seltzer or carbonated beverages. I really enjoy the flavor and the carbonation isn't too strong, probably because I brought it home to drink. I don't really taste the matcha but I would definitely still order this again. 2. Matcha Einspanner. This is my first time having an Einspanner so I have no idea what I was expecting but this is DELICIOUS. It's so silky and smooth and the TASTE is just right up my alley. The matcha is light but you can still taste it. Absolutely, would drink this all the time if I could. 3. Purple Sweet Potato Latte. This. This. Omg, why haven't I tried this sooner?! The first sip and initial taste, I almost tasted nothing, just milk. And then all of a sudden, there's an explosion of flavor in your mouth. As a sweet potato lover, I was in heaven. I have absolutely no words for this drink, just try it. 100/10 recommend. This is probably my favorite one out of the 3 that I bought. I went around ... 2:45PM on a Friday and most of the seats were taken, if I remember correctly. There were a decent amount of seats and the space was decent. I liked the minimal aesthetic they had for the design of the interior. Not to forget, the staff at the register was absolutely wonderful, she answered all my questions, she's so sweet. I think I'm disappointed that I haven't tried this place sooner. Y'all get out of your comfort zone and try the Purple Sweet Potato Latte !! Or if not, just try this place out. I will definitely be recommending the Purple Sweet Potato Latte to all my family and friends.

    The shop was nice and clean and it wasn't too busy when we stopped by…read more I ordered the tiramisu einspänner, which was exactly what it sounded like a generous dollop of tiramisu on top of an einspänner latte. While it was a fun and unique drink, I probably should have opted for something else. The topping was literally like actual tiramisu rather than just tiramisu flavoring, and it felt like there was more ice and tiramisu than latte. Personally, I would have preferred more of the tiramisu flavor without the full tiramisu texture mixed into the drink. That said, it was an interesting concept and I'm glad I tried it. I'd definitely be open to coming back and trying another latte on a future visit.

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    Amazing Creme (Croux) Puffs!!!…read more I got the green tea, black sesame, & earl grey. The cream filling is very generous and the pastry isn't too thick. Loved the outside flavoring. Each one was perfectly made and absolutely delicious. Would come back if ever in New York to try everything else! I still think of these cream puffs often!

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    I probably never leave reviews in general, especially negative ones, but this experience was so…read moreegregious that I honestly felt like I had to say something. I've worked in restaurants and bars long enough to understand that staff drinking happens, but this was on another level entirely. I came in with a group of friends and one of the bartenders, Will, was so visibly drunk that it made the entire experience uncomfortable. Slurred speech, wobbling behind the bar, taking orders while chewing food with his mouth open -- it was honestly embarrassing to watch. He looked like he absolutely did not want to be there. At one point, my group had been trying to get his attention for another round for quite a while while he stood around talking with coworkers. We then watched staff take a shot together, and when he finally came over he burped mid-conversation and literally had whatever he had just been drinking dribbling down his neckbeard. That was the moment where the whole thing went from unprofessional to just gross. What made it worse was that it didn't seem isolated to one employee. Throughout the night we watched staff openly taking shots and drinking behind the bar like it was a house party instead of a business. There's a difference between bar culture and complete lack of professionalism, and this crossed that line hard. One of the friends I was with actually frequents the DUMBO location and said that the last time she was there, the same bartender also seemed intoxicated, which makes this feel less like a bad night and more like an ongoing issue. The DUMBO location itself is in an amazing spot, which makes it even more disappointing. But ownership seriously needs to get control of what's going on there before someone gets hurt or the place develops a reputation for having drunk staff on the clock. Unfortunately, the experience was uncomfortable enough that my girlfriends and I won't be coming back. I genuinely hope the employee mentioned gets help if this is a regular thing, because nobody should be working service in that condition.

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    Sawada Coffee - coffee - Updated July 2026

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