This is such an amazing establishment. If you are lucky enough to live within the princeton area then you are surely part of the small world community. They're dedication to offering a superb product is obvious and their appreciation for their customers shows in their interactions. The Nassau location offers incredible grill items and a more intimate vibe away from the hustle and bustle of downtown. read more

This was a delightful latte experience. Tasty scone as well. The shop was super crowded but the staff was friendly and fast.

We stopped by here after getting our hoagie haven on. I picked this place because they had a "nawlins" style coffee. I ordered two and when they asked what size I was super shocked at how small the small was...so I went for the larger sizes. The coffee's were fine but nothing to write home about and really nothing much different from a regular iced coffee. Staff wasn't really friendly they pretty much did the minimum. I probably wouldn't go back especially with all the other options in the area. read more

Appropriately named, very tiny cafe on Nassau Street in Princeton. I had the misfortune of having a horrible hangover at my cousin's and being too lazy to walk to the Starbucks a few blocks down. I encountered a line that was out the door. This world is way too small to accommodate so many Princetonians! It's a nice iced coffee (have never tried any other beverage here) and the service is quick. I believe there's a $10 minimum for card payments. The store is cute and hip and attracts a lot of business. Friendly staff who do the best they can to manage the crowd. Once you get to the register, there's very little wait time for your beverage. So, that's nice.I can't speak for the pastries, but they looked fresh. read more

Excellent coffee and pastries. Teeming with professors, post-docs, and strollers, the Small World location on Nassau St. lets you sip your lattes in a markedly calmer and older atmosphere (than the original location on Witherspoon). Don't plan to spend the day here, though, as seating is limited and there may not be a place for your laptop. read more

See all

Amazing cappuccinos and pastries. Our two year old granddaughter got her first babychino there and she's been hooked ever since. Every time we come to Princeton we come here to get our coffee delight. read more

The Small World on Witherspoon was game-changer when it opened long ago. When I lived in Princeton (even longer ago), there was nothing like a cafe anywhere near campus. The Witherspoon location draws me in pretty often: the coffee is good enough, it's a great place to sit with friends, everyone in town drifts through if you hang out long enough,.... There's no need for me to elaborate. I first noticed that there was a Nassau location when I came up to have lunch one day at the adjacent seafood store. Posters at Witherspoon announce the lunch menu, which definitely seemed appealing to me. I resolved to come one day for the pulled pork burrito. And I did! The burrito ($8.75) surprised me by its small size -- I'm used to the SF Mission-style burritos, which tend to be monsters. It surprised me a second time by its wimpy taste; Small World could never have made it even into the shadow of the burrito bracket http://fivethirtyeight.com/burrito/#brackets-view . Meh! (In defense of Small World, I should add that the breakfast burrito that I had recently in Rockaway Beach was even worse than the Small World burrito.) I didn't want to two-star a business on the basis of a single burrito. Accordingly, I walked by again for a single affogato ($3.45), asking for just the ice cream and the espresso -- no cream on top. The coffee was A-OK, but the ice cream had a strange taffy-like consistency and was topped by a dead ant in place of the cream. I decided not to eat the ant. Clearly I must have had an atypical experience (two of them on the same day) because everyone seems to love this place. Because I like Small World and I like Nassau Street, I'll be back again -- but not for the food. read more

This is the only coffee game in the neighborhood, so you're stuck with it. And that's a shame, because I actively dislike this place. They've forgotten my standard filter coffee three times, usually while chatting happily with the regulars or each other. I get the feeling that they consider it a favor to sell me some coffee. No WiFi, no credit, high prices. As an aside, all of the blends at Small World have a very distinct taste. It's a dark, earthy, mulchy kind of thing. You smell it as soon as you walk in. I'm not sure if it's good or bad--on the one hand, I don't love it, but on the other hand, I'll probably feel nostalgic for it after I move away. read more

I love this place. Excellent roasts, good service, and they make a mean mocha. The baristas are knowledgeable regarding the coffee and good for offering recommendations. Seating in limited. There's some outdoor benches and a table or two, so it's much smaller than the Witherspoon St. location. However, I come to this coffee shop for a coffee, so it's cake to get in, get my beans for home, get a cup of black magic to end my day, and be on my way. P.S. Fair warning: They don't accept credit cards, so keep some cash on hand or a check. (!) read more

I love small world coffee. Their quality is always top notch, making their coffee delicious. I was thrilled that food was added to this location, thinking that this could only make things better. It has, but at a price. The piledriver is their famed bacon egg and cheese sandwich complete with garlic butter, and it is delicious. My one complaint is that if you look at the prices for a build your own egg sandwich with cheese, including the garlic butter it is a full $2.25 cheaper than the version with bacon. $2.25 per slice of bacon (that's right, they give you 1 slice) seems incredibly ridiculous to me. If you bought two egg sandwiches you could almost buy another if you dont get bacon on the first two. Other than that, I love small world. read more

Small World Coffee of Princeton made a great move when they opened a second location WITH a kitchen. They have applied their unique coffee creativity to a small selection of breakfast and lunch goodies. As with the first location, the staff has a certain type of cool savoire faire which cosies up the atmosphere. I plan to work my way through the menu, but currently I would come back again and again for the Pile Driver Breakfast sandwich pictured below. Fried egg, aged cheddar, garlic butter, bacon on a divine English muffin. They also offer make-your own breakfast sandwiches, but I can safely say the English muffin is a good bread choice. Bagels are just ok. I recently tried the breakfast burrito and while it had great flavors, it was on the smaller side. As for the coffee, I usually go for a latte, pour over coffee or cafe au lait with any one of their delicious house made syrups (caramel, vanilla and my fav Pumpkin spice). They have other syrups but I always choose the ones they make / sell. Only negative of this location is the limited seating. Not a problem in the Spring and Summer when outdoor seating is available. No bathroom but customers are welcome at the Blue Point next door. read more

Small World Coffee - Pile driver- fried egg, bacon, garlic butter, aged cheddar on an English muffin - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

I enjoy the Witherspoon St location better mainly because of the amount of seating at that location. When my parents are in town visiting this is our favorite spot for breakfast. Two words: Pile Driver! Best breakfast food EVER! Love you small worldlings! read more

Lately, this locale has been my go-to since it's a little further away from the main part of downtown (usually not so busy), closer to us when we drive into town, and there is usually parking (gasp!) right around the corner. It also is the location that has a full service kitchen, so treat yourself to one of their amazing coffees and their el gringo breakfast burrito- black beans, fried egg, potato hash, and two toppings of your choosing- either cheddar cheese, guac, or their amazing salsa which has a bit of a sweet taste to it- I always get it with the guac and salsa. so good! There is a fair amount of seating inside, but better they have benches outside, and during their hours, Blue Point Grill (I think that's what it's called) lets Small World's patrons use their tables outside. read more

A neighborhood meeting place, decent coffee but not third wave. Scones are good, excellent pile-driver breakfast sandwiches, they have gluten-free treats, plus great red velvet cupcakes, nice Irish oatmeal, etc. All around it's a great boon to the area. As well I find I often end up striking up a conversation with a stranger, or running into someone I know. The outdoor seating is relaxing, and they share the neighboring tables with Blue Point Grill, so there's usually space. read more

Came in on a Tuesday afternoon and was greeted with tables and booths filled with academics and students working and talking-- nice mix of crunchy and academia. I had a chai latte and a vegan muffin. Both were delicious. The man who served me was very friendly and didn't mind accommodating my dietary restrictions. Would definitely return! read more

My favorite coffee shop in jersey. Its a good 20 30 min drive from belle mead, but its soo worth it. The new thing there is horchata - cinnamon rice milk - which i ordered as a double latte. Yesss breathe life into me. So delicious so friendly so worth the wait. My go to on any given weekend morning to start the day. read more

Pretty expansive but good quality. You are always greeted warmly by their baristas. I recommend you take the large iced coffee as the small one won't cut it in Princeton summers.. Outside is a beautiful seating area created with help of the Princeton arts council! read more

Small World Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

I got the "egg and bean bowl", black beans, egg and potato hash....... I honestly should have driven till I found a diner. The coffee was bitter, the line long, the plate of food tiny, no silverware in the "get yourself" area, when asked for silverware, the employee says it's right there, pointing to an empty container, I repeated, where? Then he goes to the back and brings out one fork I guess he just wants to bring them out one at a time. This was a $10.00 adventure I won't be doing again. read more

Small World Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

Nice location, mediocre service. No WiFi. The worst is: cash only. WTF? There is an ATM at the 7-11 across the street, so if tou want to pay a $3 surcharge, by all means. To me, this indicates a complete lack of concern for the customer. Never again (unless I am desperate). read more

The staff was friendly and informative. I was putting together a basket of coffee so I asked to have the beans ground but bc I didn't know what kind of coffee pot they'd be going into I was advised to wait. I wouldn't have known that! The packaged coffee was a little expensive ($10 for a small bag) but the latte I ordered was delicious. read more

Small world is fun place the ambiance is cool. However the coffee drink is very acidic .. lately the scones that I ordered are not well cooked .. the kale salad and tuna sandwichs are not fresh anymore . I won't advise you to eat there not fresh quality and overpriced .. even the mango lassi which use to be my favorite is getting worst . The bathrooms on Witherspoon street always dirty ...don't know why some coffees as soon as they get popular they raised the prices and they neglect the qualities of their products If you want to hang around is good spot but don't eat there .. read more

Great coffee! I've had their au lait and flat white, both of which were strong and delicious. I like to come here to study or read but their WiFi can be spotty sometimes - it's usually pretty packed with people on their laptops and phones. The staff is great too! read more

They serve some high quality coffee. Highly recommended to coffee addicts like me. Their Americano probably the best I ever ordered, very strong, just the way I like it. The coffee shop is pretty big, and usually very busy, line go out of the door on the weekends. Great place to study and hang out. Negatives about this place is they only accept cash, and there is no signs on the door or windows that say they only accept cash until you finally get to the cashier after the wait. On the menu says they have pour overs, but they stop doing pour overs after certain time. read more

Below average cortado. Stick to the drinks on the menu. Ordered an el gringo burrito (fried egg, black beans and potato mash). Was very bland. A chipotle driven sauce could be added, but I had totally missed that on the menu. The sauce should not be an add-on. It should be permanently incorporated into the dish. Friendly service and cosy setting. The food items generally contain either fried egg or black beans. They should try explore other ingredients. read more

Dear Small World Coffee- I was about to purchase a gift card over the phone, but you lost me at the very polite young lady explaining to me that "We only sell them in $5 increments, and you can only use them if your drink is less than $5 and we will give you the change from the register. So if you want to buy a $50 gift card, you need to purchase 10 separate $5 gift cards." ???????!!!!!! Hello? 1993 called, they want their level of an acceptable customer service experience back.... You just lost a $50 purchase and possibly new regular customer (the card was going to be for a friend I know who is moving to Princeton and loves coffee). I'm sure your coffee is great, but this is just ridiculous.... So- I just called one of your local competitors in Princeton (not Starbucks, another indie shop) and they took care of me in under 5 minutes. And they are mailing me the gift card so I can give it to my friend at her going away party in a few weeks. read more

This place has the best breakfast burrito. Still. Get a few toppings (2 included and then they are $1 each) such as the salsa, cheddar, guacamole) and chipotle salsa if you want some extra kick. I haven't had anything else here besides the coffee (which tastes kind of strong) but the sandwiches look good, too. read more

4:30, Sunday. This was my first time here and it's hopeful that at a different time with different staff the experience would be positive. If you have a simple drink order and atmosphere is not a factor for you, consider this a 5 star review. Because the ingredients are quality. However the warmth and accuracy were not there. The Witherspoon location though is a welcoming experience. read more

Best coffee in the Princeton area. We went with the pour-over individual drip. Worth a visit if you are around the campus. A must for locals and coffee buffs. Nassau St. is a much better location than the original because they do the individual drip. The Lox bagel sandwich was also excellent. This place should start accepting credit cards though. read more

Great clean tasting latte. Recommend supporting this local coffee shop hands down over Starbucks.

I like this "small Small World" on Nassau much better than the more popular location on Witherspoon. The coffee offerings are exactly the same, but the vibe here is far more mellow, The cafe on Nassau doesn't get nearly as busy or crowded as the other Princeton location. Perhaps for this reason, the staff at small Small World tends to be friendlier. It usually isn't too difficult to grab a seat inside either. But if the weather is nice you might want to sit on the outdoor benches. read more

The tough chai is spicy! Add extra milk to tone it down a bit. Some days I can handle it - and some days I need a little dilution. Wakes me up for the day! read more

these people pour their heart and souls into making you your coffee and it shows. super friendly staff and quick service. their iced coffees are really good in the summertime too. read more

I prefer the one on Witherspoon because there is more seating inside, but the food here was pretty good and there were a lot of cookies/sweets to choose from at the counter. I ordered the tuna sandwich, which was pretty standard (in fact, I thought it was overpriced). I would have preferred to pay $4 for the sandwich. It was nice that they had free water available on a self-serve basis though. Oh and also, they don't accept credit cards. read more

Always a stop when in Princeton. Limited seating more of a grab and go unless the weather is decent enough for the outside bench seating. 2 bucks for a regular coffee and they will refill it for ya. read more

Love this place. So glad I moved to Princeton so I can start drinking this instead of Starbucks. Killer chocolate zuchinni muffin, mochas, and chai. read more

We stopped by this Small World location while visiting friends in Princeton, and although the prices made me wince, they are understandable--I just wish the small were a LITTLE larger for what you end up paying! Still, the food looked good, though we didn't try any of it, with adorable little red velvet cupcakes and freshly prepared salads and such. The baristas were pleasant and friendly, and though there was a long line (almost to the door) it moved along quickly. It was the espresso that was the star of the show though, even though I doctored it up by ordering a caramel latte... I know, I know. It's a travesty. And I don't even normally ENJOY the really sweet drinks, but something about Small World hinted that it would be worth the experience...and it was. Unlike at larger chains, the latte was really well balanced; you could taste all of the espresso with just a hint of sweetness, and even the milk was of appreciably good quality. It was probably one of the best caramel lattes I've ever had. My boyfriend also enjoyed his coffee, but he just got the Joe instead of the slow brewed variety also offered, which would probably be even better. Good thing I don't live in Princeton or my wallet would be a LOT thinner after daily trips here! read more

The staff here are really friendly and I love the layout of both locations. The coffee apparel is super cute, which I thought is a really quirky touch. I ordered a soy cappuccino and it was really flavorful coffee. I also bought a small chickpea salad which was pretty nice too. I like how they offer some savory food and pastures along with their coffee. However, The coffee is more expensive than I would like and I wish they would accept other payment methods other than cash because sometimes that gets a little annoying. read more

Not Impressed. I was excited to come here for a great cup of coffee and a muffin but the peach crumb muffin had no crumb or taste...I paid $3.45, took a bite and threw it in the garbage. The coffee is OK but not great. I was surprised that a store that only serves coffee only had 1 kind of coffee. $9.45 for average coffee and a tasteless muffin... not worth the trip back. read more

Great little (big) coffeehouse. I like going at night sometimes, especially in the winter when there's not so much to do in the area. We'll go and get some coffee and read a book or relax and BS about the day. read more

Great atmosphere, a nice college coffeehouse. Service was attentive and quick, coffee was good, the oatmeal was outstanding and deserves a mention(plus they had bananas for it that were ripe!). The also have really nice T-shirts for those seeking a Princeton souvenir. read more