As the temperature drops, you’re probably pulling out your winter jackets and switching from ice coffee to hot. Winter is coming, and no matter how long you’ve lived in New York, the wind tunnels along the avenues are always difficult to accept. So to help battle those cold, windy days, here is a round-up of four different places with unique hot fall drinks that go beyond your beloved PSL. Take some time to sit down with the mug instead of the to-go cup for once, and try something new.
Hot Chocolate at L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates
Nestled in between Broadway and 5th Avenue on 20th Street is this fancy spot for bonbons, pastries, tea, coffee drinks and some incredible hot chocolate. The Burdick Blend Dark Hot Chocolate (shown above) is made from a blend of shaved dark chocolate steamed with milk and has a thick, creamy texture. For this specific hot chocolate, a small is $4.50 and a large is $5.75. There are several tables set up, so this place is a great spot to sit down and enjoy some delicious hot chocolate.
Location: 5 E 20th St (bet 5th & Broadway)
Hours of Operation: Mon-Sat 8:30am to 9pm, Sun 10am to 7pm
Lattes at Joe Coffee
You can’t go through fall without a little latte art. Take time to appreciate the aesthetics behind your lattes before you proceed to guzzle down the entire cup in under two minutes. Joe Coffee is one of our favorites and with multiple locations throughout Manhattan, it’s never too far away.
Location: multiple locations
Hours of Operation: hours vary by location
Photo by Sydney Pereira
Tea at Podunk
For all the tea lovers, check out this tiny tea room located on 5th Street and 2nd Avenue. The East Village spot has foods to go perfectly with your tea from tea sandwiches to scones to crepes. They have a flavor of tea for everyone and the price ranges from about $7-20 per pot. While the prices are seemingly high for a simple cup of tea, escaping the cold at this lovely place for afternoon tea is worth it from time to time.
Location: 231 E 5th St (bet 2nd Ave & Cooper Sq)
Hours of Operation: Mon-Sat 11am to 8pm, Sun noon to 8pm
Masala Chai at The Masala Wala
Located Essex Street just below Houston, this beautiful Indian restaurant offers a great version of Masala Chai – chai mixed with Indian spices. It also offers Indian Milk Chai, which is Indian chai mixed with milk and sugar. The chai tea is only $3 and would go perfectly after an Indian dish.
Location: 179 Essex St (bet Houston & Ave A)
Hours of Operation: Daily noon to midnight
Just because the weather is getting colder doesn’t mean you have to be. Next time you find yourself shivering along the 5th Ave wind tunnel, try some hot chocolate or tea or whatever suits your fancy from these hotspots.