I've become increasingly picky, even cranky, about my coffee (my wife can attest). It's just too common to find coffee shops covering up blandness or an over-roasted bean with an extra dollop of sugar. In bigger cities it's possible to avoid all that by going to a Stumptown or an Intelligentsia -- and there paying premium for a higher quality drink. Small World, however, somehow manages to serve up really excellent coffee consistently and affordably (by Princeton standards, that is). I've never had a bad drink here. Mostly, as a cash-strapped grad student, I drink their basic double Jo to go (iced in the summer). The quality of the blends varies but the roasts seem even and never overcooked. So I've yet to experience that dry-mouthed aftertaste that I often get after a cup of Starbucks drip. The NOLA (cold brewed coffee with roasted chicory root and homemade vanilla syrup) may be my favorite summer drink. Lattes are consistently good as well. As a plus, the staff has always been incredibly friendly to me, even those first couple times after I moved to town when I forgot that they were cash-only. Small World may not be able to offer the same aesthetic experience that you'd get at the Millennium Park Intelligentsia, but you're going to get a great cup of coffee and you don't have to be a coffee snob to enjoy that. read more

small world deserves 10 stars. I've been hanging out there since it first opened, when I was in high school and thought cafe mochas were the best thing in the world. the cappuccino here is fantastic. the food is ridiculously good, my favorites being the cardamom ginger scones, pumpkin muffins, and on the special occasion when they have the quiche tarts i am very happy. the tough chai is unequalled, nice and spicy. I think it tastes even better with soy milk. i rarely drink milk, but i make an exception for small world's cappuccino! it's my favorite spot in the world to drink cappuccino, meet friends, sit for hours, read, or study. read more

Nice coffee spot, right off Nassau Street. A real Ivy league vibe but the only thing that matters was the coffee. I had a double expresso and it was pretty good. The only regret I had was not buying a bag of their Christmas Blend coffee. read more

Great to be back in your favorite coffee house. The best coffee I have ever tasted. Great ambiance. Lots of good old memories. If you visit this place, make sure buy some of their coffee to go, which already comes with a small cup of coffee. Also you can order their beans online, so if you are a coffee fan, I will highly recommend it. read more

Whenever I'm in Princeton, I always stop in for a drink. My personal favorite is scarlet arnold palmer. The staff is quick, efficient, and I have never been disappointed. Small world is definitely worth stopping in to see. read more

Great little coffee shop! I'm usually a Starbuck's person, but Small World's cup is tastier, for sure. Try the House Blend (mainly Sumatra) if you like it strong. Then pick a bag to brew at home. read more

The Mexican hot chocolate is a wonderful treat on a cold cold day. It's often tough to find a seat, but hang in there, one will open up. Remember, cash only!! read more

Great place. Tons of space, great bustling ambiance, and quality coffee. Could see myself spending a day here reading.

Great coffee shop. It's large and it's bustling. The coffee is superb and the atmosphere is quite nice. The interior is not fancy, but it's not grungy either. There is plenty of natural light and the shop feels cheerful. I like to take a pound of their coffee home with me (it's so good). This is the #1 place to experience the people of Princeton. It's a very well known coffee shop, located a half-block from campus in the heart of town. Highly recommended. read more

Excellent coffee. You can't go wrong with an iced NOLA and lemon poppy seed scone (my Sunday morning fuel). They also display artwork by local artists and have live bands playing on certain weeknights. read more

A super duper happy place with delicious coffee. It isn't the greatest place to sit and hang out for long periods of time, but the perfect place to get your morning caffiene rush and friendly cheery counter staff too. read more

Good Coffee. My husband always gets the Cafe Americano, 2 shots of espresso with water. Good Velvet Cake. Don't get the cupcake from here, get it from Bent Spoon instead. (Mind you I'm a big Bent Spoon fan). Great Iced Tea. There's another store by Blue Point Grill. Haven't tried the food, it looks organic. They have music at night, bands play. read more

Pros: Plenty of inside seating, cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, free drink after buying 10 drinks. Con: My main problem with this place is that they don't take credit cards. As I don't usually carry cash, I often find myself around the corner at Starbucks instead. I didn't think their drip coffee was anything to write home about. In fact, it tasted somewhat bitter until I added cream and sugar. Also, they lack a variety of espresso-based drinks, and the ones they do have are overpriced. I understand it's a local place, but the only place I'd expect a $5 latte would be Sbux. read more

I love this quant little town just to go to for a day, and every time my husband and I go we have to step foot in small world. Its a great place.! amazingly accommodating staff. great coffee. cool atmosphere. The first time I went in I spoke with the owner and she let me try out a new iced coffee that has yet to be released to public yet, it was a really cool experience. Highly recommend you step in and grab a coffee - they do their own roasting!! read more

Their coffee is so good, I don't mind the long line and the fight for seating. Now that my bag of Gimme! Coffee is finished I'm going to try their stuff at home. read more

Small World is the perked-up social epicenter of downtown Princeton -- the staff is warm and helpful, the coffee and other drinks are always delicious, and their food is consistently excellent too. I prefer the original location but frequent both sites depending on what's convenient. Don't miss: NOLA iced coffee, beans by the pound, and the pile driver breakfast sandwich at the Nassau Street location. read more

Nice spacious though cosy space with nice coffee recipes. Perfect in such cold weather!

Came here once and ordered an ice chai latte. My chai latte had a little too much spice; it was super spicy and had a burn on the throat which made it barely enjoyable. I'm not sure whether this was just how they serve it or they made it like that, that one time. It's also v crowded a lot of times so it's not a super great environment to find some quiet. Do try though! Your experience might be different. read more

Best option near campus but due to mass volume of business it lacks that cultural charm I seek. Felt more like a drive through...

this is your local hipster kind of coffee shop. Sometimes they even have live music. Great service. Cool ambiance. But it is always busy here. Sometimes you can find a free table. If not there are 2 benches outside where you can sit. read more

I go here to feel better about my choice in coffee. It is tasty and I feel better that I am here than Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts. My family then walks around Princeton and it's fantastic. I recommend this place because you will make you feel like an english professor pontificating about books nobody cares about, and it tastes good. read more

This is a great place for coffee, pastries and sandwiches/salads/soups. I haven't been for breakfast, but that looks good too. The staff is friendly and it's got a good vibe. I love the Big Sug sandwich (fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, roasted red peppers on focaccia). read more

The coffee here is usually above average, but not stellar. Downsides are that the place is always crowded, it closes early, and the food is sometimes stale. On the other hand, I don't find Small World to be pretentious or faux-worldly like some Yelpers have expressed -- really, I think it's just the prototypical college town coffee shop with an eclectic mix of customers. If that sounds appealing, then you will probably like Small World. If not, you aren't missing a whole lot by going to Starbucks up the street instead. read more

I go here all the time. It's a great place to hang out with friends or to do some pleasure reading. Not really enough room to do real work or have larger meetings though. read more

Nice local spot with good coffee and espresso drinks. Only complaint is they don't take debit/credit cards. I don't want to hear the excuse it will slow down the line or will take away from quaint atmosphere. Bottom line is they're either too cheap to pay the small fee and/or they're avoiding taxes. Either way, the place does a great business and needs to get with the credit/debit card program. read more

Expresso drinks are above-average, smaller selection of flavored syrups than expected. Space is trendy, has lots of places to sit but is busy in the am. Highlights ... The pastries .. Chocolate and Almond croissants are 5 star and the ginger cardamom muffin is excellent. Worth the time to stop in ... We did everyday we were in Princeton read more

This place was pretty cool. It lived up to all of the other reviews in terms of ambiance, character, space, etc. The issue I have is that I don't drink caffeine and out of everything they offer on their coffee menu, they only have one medium roast decaf coffee. Boo. :( read more

Very good coffees. Very good cappuccino. Good latte - I like more foam instead of just a mix. Limited menu. Average seating environment. Ok customer service. Parking is tough. I go their for coffees and it is the best I found in town. read more

Latte and cappuccino taste like regular coffee with milk as if baristas here have not heard about frothing milk. Hot chocolate is equally bland and diluted - tastes like 1/2 tsp of a cheap cocoa powder mixed with rather cold milk. Same goes for vanilla milk/steamer. So: drinks are really weak, expensive and not really hot, while their prices are outrageous (and they don't take cards). For a cheaper, but real cappuccino with plenty of foam head to D'Angelo Market, and for a hot chocolate made from actual chocolate for half of what you pay here - to Halo Pub. Both places are two minutes from the Small World. You will be served delicious drinks by friendly and welcoming staff rather than pretentious hipsters. I regret every penny I spent at the Small World right after I moved to Princeton and didn't know where else to go (besides Starbucks). read more

Great drinks and yummy treats to enjoy. I love the interior design of the place, it has a nice atmosphere and the service is friendly.

Nice stop on a hot day. Quick service. Good iced coffee--fresh lemonaid. A little noisy--would be hard to work.

So I had to give it another chance! Their coffee is excellent albeit it generally very strong. The best thing, however, is the chai! If I don't get a chai from small world often enough I start to crave it! It is very spicy, but in the most EXCELLENT way :-). I give them only four stars because their service is somewhat hit or miss... read more

Great little place, amazing coffee. I love that they display people's art. Really enjoyed their cappuccino & their latte. Just wonderful. And the workers are very friendly!! read more

God bless small world. Truly a Princeton institution, you'll find yourself amongst patrons of 25+ years, University kids, and local professionals. They do such a good job training staff to be knowledgeable and super personable, not to mention, they know how to keep the line moving so don't be discouraged if it looks like a long wait. Dairy free options for espresso drinks and treats both housemade and from the Gingered Peach. In terms of atmosphere, swc is no doubt one of my favorite places in town. read more

Small World is a Princeton staple, and for good reason. The coffee is great all-around--full-bodied and delicious. I've also never had a bad latte from here, which is more than I can say about Starbucks. It's a little pricey, but worth it. They take cash only and some of the staff is stand-offish, but it's still well worth the trip. read more

Small World cafe is the locals secret. During the weekends we see crowds of tourists hoarding at Starbucks and Panera. Meanwhile the locals gather at Small World. The coffee is simply better! I love the atmosphere - lots of locals and students meeting up, students doing homework etc. The lunch soups and sandwiches are great. Not so keen on their sweets. They use too many peanuts and I cannot bring my children any more because of their excessive use of peanuts. A shame. There is two locations - I am reviewing the one on Whiterspoon as that is my favourite. The one on Nassau doesn't have as much atmosphere but there you can sit outside. read more

Fantastic coffee. And I enjoyed a great pita and a fancy cookie for a light lunch.

Most days of the week this place has excellent espresso drinks, too bad I can't say the same for the steel cut oatmeal. It was WAY over cooked and too salty. I'm happy as long as I can get a good Americano but watch out because as staff changes so does the coffee, not consistent. My Friday cup was weak. Hope this improves, oh and their muffins are incredibly greasy and bland. This place also only takes cash and there is usually a wait of about 10 minutes which is worth it when the coffee is good. This is definitely a place you have to visit when in the Palmer Square area. read more

Perfect place to get coffee and chat with friends or do some work. There is complimentary 1 hour wifi with your purchase also. Staff is super friendly. Everything is yummy and very clean also! Lots of seating available. read more

The staff is unbelievably well trained. They make great coffees, are great to talk to, and unbelievably efficient. Small World is so well run it makes Starbucks look like a joke. read more