We came to this place thinking that it was actually something different. Nonetheless, we decided to stay and have brunch as we were starving and looking forward to coffee. As we arrived, the restaurant had several people seated inside, but wouldn't be considered busy. It took a few minutes to get a table, and once we did, we were greeted by our waitress. My husband was really looking forward to breakfast, but was a few minutes past the deadline. He ordered a coffee instead and said that it was not as sweet as he typically likes it. Both of the people I was with ordered a chicken Caesar wrap, which was filled with hardy chicken breast, but minimal Caesar dressing. We even had to ask for a side because they didn't give us a ton. I ordered a half soup which was the vegetable soup and a half meatball sub. The meatball sub was really good, but definitely on the messy side. Our waitress was very matter-of-fact and quick to take our order, but not quick to tend to us when we actually needed it. The cost was a little high for my liking, but I also can't fault them due to the area of town they are in. As we left at the restaurant, there were plenty more people being seated, and it was a little busier. read more

Great ambiance, but just okay food. I really wanted to love this place because the setting is lovely--very cozy and perfect for a date or hanging out. However, the food was a bit underwhelming. The green pasta looked better than it tasted (a bit bland), and the pizza was pretty standard. We finished off with the tiramisu, which was fine, but nothing to write home about. If you're in the neighborhood and want a nice environment, it's worth a stop, but keep your expectations in check for the food. Service is good too read more

Cafe Paradiso - Cafes Near Me - New York, New York

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After the movie at Lincoln Center, I got hungry and the convenience of not having to walk back 6 blocks (= 12 blocks round trip) in the cold was enticing for me stay at the theater to conveniently have dinner. I opted for the spaghetti bolognese and a nd mixed green salad. Both were such big amounts! But both were satisfying! I could not believe I finished the spaghetti bolognese and had half the salad take home. That is all I ate but was satisfied! The bolognese was a lot of meat sauce - but the meat was finely ground that I wonder if it had other things in it? But I was hungry and I thought it was good. I recommend eating there. Another order was the soup:salad/ sandwich. That too was so big - that half the sandwich was brought home. Overall the service was good, food was not bad, and very conveniently located as well without walking far. read more

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The salted brown butter and oat latte is absolutely worth the long line outside! Almost impossible to find a spot to sit inside unless you get lucky, but still worth going! read more

Cafe Paradiso - Cafes Near Me - New York, New York

Fantastic time here! I ordered the autumn spiced latte and it tasted just like fall in a cup! Although small inside, the cafe is so cozy and inviting. There was a line out the door to order but it went by very fast. I'd like to come back to try some of the other coffees on the menu! I haven't tried the food, which seems to be a reason for the low ratings, but the coffee is definitely worth it. read more

Cafe Paradiso - Autumn Spiced Latte - Cafes Near Me - New York, New York

Lowkey some of the best coffee I've had! The brown butter oat latte is 10/10 worth it and the line moves pretty fast! however $7-8 is a bit expensive but so good. Ambiance is so cute and intimate but not a place to sit more of a grab read more

Cafe Paradiso - Cafes Near Me - New York, New York

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This was the first stop of my trip and it did not disappoint! The atmosphere was quiet and cozy, perfect for planning my day ahead. I enjoyed my iced caramel latte in a window seat, perfect for people watching. My waiter, Robert, suggested the bagel with smoked salmon. I'm glad I took his suggestion, it was the best smoked salmon I've ever had! My belly is full and I'm ready to take on the Empire State Building! read more

Cafe Paradiso - Iced Caramel Latte - Cafes Near Me - New York, New York

Long line but move quickly for take outs. Staffs are friendly and the latte is delicious. Not overly sweet and well balanced taste. read more

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I work in Lincoln Center and stop by Café Paradiso every time I want to treat myself, as I'm a big fan of their croissants. I recently brought my partner with me because she's also a croissant lover and I wanted her to try one. When we walked in, my partner asked the woman behind the counter, "Hi, may I have a butter croissant?" The employee looked at her like she had just asked the dumbest question in the world. She stared at her, then at the pastry case, then back again, and said, "What you see is what we have." For context: the pastry case didn't have any croissants, just other pastries such as muffins, etc. My partner replied, "Oh, I wasn't sure if you might have more in the back," and the employee shot back, "Well, now you know." It was such an unnecessarily rude and awkward exchange. I had to clarify to my partner on the way out if I heard her correctly, because I was genuinely baffled. I thought "I must've misheard her, there is no way she responded that way." I went back the next day because I really wanted my partner to try their croissants, but we agreed to enter only because we saw someone else working the register. This other woman was super friendly and welcoming. I thanked her for being kind and mentioned what had happened the day before--she was very apologetic, eager to listen, and understanding, which I appreciated. I still love the croissants here, but I hope the staff can be more consistent with how they treat customers. Good pastries are great, but I don't want to have to peer in to see who's working every time I go, avoiding certain employees. read more

I bought a pastry at Cafe Paradiso before a movie at Lincoln Center and I asked if the pastry was fresh, she said "it was fresh." No! the pastry was very old, stale, and tasted gross. HORRIBLE! Directly to the trash. read more

I've been going here for years now, ever since it opened. It started as a table service place, then turned into a number system free for all, and now it seems to be back to table service if you want to sit down (take out options still available at the side counter though.) I've never felt compelled to review this place because it never moved me -- it was fine but nothing to write home about. But for some reason on this most recent visit something just kinda snapped and here I am. I'll start with the good: the convenience of this place is stellar if you're on your way to a movie at Lincoln Center. The menu has a nice variety, the cocktails are solid and the service has always been pleasant and very quick. The problem here is the quality of the food for its prices. Like, I just paid $17(after tax) for a Caesar Salad with no protein in it (extra $8 to get chicken, which would make it a $26 salad after tax). The portion was meal sized, but for what amounted to iceberg lettuce with bottle-tasting dressing (anchovies they boast but I saw none) and nothing else to justify its ridiculous price (there wasn't even pepper on this, let alone more than 5 croutons) I feel pretty ripped off. It's not like this place is fancy by any means, it feels roughly equivalent to airport dining in both disappointing taste and prices. It's not that the food is BAD (bland, maybe...), it's just an obvious cash grab -- and don't talk to me about movie theater prices, because a $17 salad with nothing in it is way beyond that. Even more laughable is how they have an $12 mixed green salad on the menu which probably has more in it than the Caesar does. I love Lincoln Center but man, if you're gonna act like a real restaurant then step up the game or step down the prices. read more

I really want to like this place because the food always looks delicious and I love that you can take it into the movie theater. Unfortunately, the food has always been mediocre to bad, and extremely overpriced. I got a seven dollar doughnut and no donuts should ever be seven dollars. The worst thing about this place, however, is that the people who work there look absolutely miserable. I said hello to the woman behind the counter and she said nothing back, just asked me "How can I help you" in a tone that sounded like she would rather be anywhere else. This is normal here. The workers never smile or seem remotely pleasant. I do not understand why it's so difficult for someone to greet you with a smile. For the mediocre expensive food and the unpleasant staff, I'm not going back. read more

Cafe Paradiso is a decent option for dinner before a concert being located right beneath Lincoln Center Plaza. The food is decent Italian with reasonably sized dishes at an affordable price. Service was quick and friendly, and the ambience was quiet despite all tables being fully seated. read more

This is where you wanna go for some lite bites before your show. The menu has just the right amount of variety to get you satisfied before your main event. It's a great choice because it's located right in Lincoln Center. Reservations are encouraged. The three couples in front of us were turned away as we approached the host. It gets pretty crowded in there so we did right making that Rez on Open Table that morning! The entrance to this cafe is located INSIDE the Paradisio Theater. We lost 15 minutes trying to find it. There in 1 gender neutral restroom located outside across from the cafe (also INSIDE the theater entrance). It was okay to use but not the cleanest. We ordered the Mixed Board for 2 and a combo Soup and Sandwich. We chose the Tomato soup which was EXCELLENT and not salty. The sandwich was a meatball parm where we requested just a sprinkle of cheese (yes they do that!) The host was wonderful and astute to assisting the waitstaff who seemed overwhelmed with the influx patrons coming at once for all their shows. All in all a pleasant experience. read more

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I stopped into Cafe Paradiso near Lincoln Center for a quick lunch and decided to try their half sandwich and soup combo. I went with the turkey, avocado, and Swiss sandwich along with a bowl of tomato soup. The sandwich was... fine. Nothing particularly memorable, just your average deli-style sandwich. What did surprise me though was finding a random piece of prosciutto inside; something not listed on the menu. That could be a real issue for anyone with dietary restrictions or allergies. Luckily, it wasn't a problem for me, but it definitely made me raise an eyebrow. The tomato soup was the bigger letdown. It wasn't very hot, and I honestly couldn't tell if it was meant to taste that way or if they'd just forgotten to heat it enough. It had the consistency and flavor of slightly warmed up ketchup, just bland and disappointing. For around $20+, the meal was not worth it. The service to be fair, was perfectly fine. My waiter Sally was friendly and attentive. But overall, Cafe Paradiso didn't live up to its location or its prices. read more

Cafe Paradiso - Cafes Near Me - New York, New York

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I ordered a decaf Americano from the walk up window. My cup was half full of coffee. When I pointed it out to the person behind the counter all she would do was offer to add more water. read more

Delish food, friendly service. We went before a show, it was crowded, and they served us quickly. Convenient to Lincoln Center.

This is NOT the place you see on Tik tok with the latte on tap. Coffee wasn't bad though, super sweet!

Got the viral salted brown butter and oat latte and it lived up to hype! It was amazing and so unique! Definitely a must get. We got in line 20 minutes before it closed, the line moved so quickly! read more

Cafe Paradiso - Cafes Near Me - New York, New York

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Ummmm... I was told I coupons get a mocha because no one knew how to make that when I went in on Friday morning. They also didn't have iced coffee for my friend. She asked for them to pour hot coffee over ice instead and they barely put any coffee in!!!! It looked like an iced tea. I looked at the cans of premade mochas and they were $9. For a coffee. Daylight robbery. Also they don't always open they say they will and sometimes it can take 15mins for them to make a mocha. Also nothing gluten free. Stay sooooooo far away. read more

The portion sizes were so small. I got the quinoa salad and I had 3 pieces of lettuce. I looked at another person's quinoa salad and it was filled with lettuce. The eggplant parm was flat and the burrata ravioli came with 5 raviolis. Not only did I have to make a second dinner at home but the bathroom situation is appalling. I went to use the bathroom and there is a code and only one bathroom for the entire place. There was a line of course so I asked if there was another bathroom somewhere and they said no. Meanwhile I went exploring and it turns out the place is flush with bathrooms to the left of the theater. I was very disappointed with the lack of accommodation and lack of food. read more

The food is just ok, but the service is really nice. It is convenient venue, if you are running to see the movie from work and do not have time for other options. read more

The people are great and the food is fantastic nice little place to relax or get some work done

Good service and great location if you have events by the Lincoln Center area. Had quiche and cappuccino and enjoyed it.

Mari Louise was our server and she was the cutest and sweetest cheeky monkey I've ever met! The best server I've ever had she took such great care of us. Made us feel at home read more

Cafe Paradiso - Cafes Near Me - New York, New York

This place used to be a cafeteria and now it's becoming a posh, cozy place to come. The food is amazing; service second to none, and now they've added live singers. A wholesome culinary experience! read more

It's pretty perfectly situated for what you want before going to any of facilities at Lincoln Center. The food is reasonably good, the staff is friendly and the price is fair. Just don't expect a high-end dining experience as the menu is quite limited. If you want to go absolutely make a reservation people come pouring in by about 6 PM and poof by 730 the place is empty. read more

Not enough waiters, but the one we had was nice. They reheat pre-cooked food.....and not enough. Get pizza here. I assume that's ok.

Everything was delicious, but my personal favorite was the mushroom pizza I will definitely return and recommend to my friends read more

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Unfortunately, though this café is centrally located and could be a real asset to the area, it's so extremely hit or miss that it's not usually worth it. The pastries are dense and dried out because they sit on an uncovered shelf (not sure for how long). Coffee is fine, except for cold brew- went today and am pretty sure I was served a cup of undiluted concentrate. It was so acidic and bitter it was truly barely drinkable, even after plenty of simple syrup and milk. I really hate to be a bother in retail environments, but it's worth noting that the baristas didn't offer a new drink, a refund, or anything but a shrug when I brought this to their attention. Pretty disappointing for $6. Really unfortunate that most of my experiences haven't been positive. Here's hoping the future brings better quality control and better beverages! read more

I have no words to describe how good it was my experience at Cafe Paradiso. For starters, the ambiance is cozy and elegant. The staff is so nice, from cashier to waiters. Very receptive and welcoming crew. And the food was really amazing! They had a great variety of gluten free options without losing flavor. My favorite was the quinoa salad with salmon, such a refreshing dish, tasty and very good looking too! If you're looking for a great meal at a great spot for a good price, you should make Cafe Paradiso your next visit! read more

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The atmosphere is cosy and cosmopolitan brasserie. Very inviting. Crowded but to be expected for a Friday evening before the opera. My husband ordered a parma sandwich of sorts and enjoyed it. What I ordered, never arrived to the table. I ordered a veggie sandwich with melted cheese of some sort. Instead I received two thin slices of focaccia bread. Wait! Did I find a leaf of arugula peeking out between the bread?. No, it was actually half of a leaf. The cheese seemed to be present as if the bread was used to clear a knife used to make a prior sandwich. I supposed I should have asked for a bread basket instead of ordering the unsandwich and saved $15.95. Then again, I guess I was paying to sit there sans consuming dinner. read more

Went here for lunch recently with several friends. My pesto ravioli was mediocre at best, it was lukewarm, salty, and the pasta was tough. My friend ordered the tomato soup, which was so salty, none of us could eat it. Out of five people, no one could eat it. It was inedible. When we complained, we were told that that was how it's made? The waiter did offer to bring a different soup but by this time, we had to go. out of all of us, only one person enjoyed their meal. read more

NOTE: This is based on my experience today ( 11/2/24 ). And it is what I experienced with one server, can't speak for other servers or the establishment as a whole. Also, WARNING: this is review is LONG and more about lack of service... Not good service. At the least the server I had was inattentive. Had to flag down another server for attention. When I arrived I was told to sit anywhere there was an available table, which I did. I waited for several minutes but no one came with water or menu. The place was relatively busy but not full and I was eating alone. I wanted to wash my hands, but was waiting to at least put an order in but still no menu or water. I finally stood up and walked to a server asking about the bathroom and whether I should just grab a menu from the outside kiosk ( entrance of the restaurant). He then asked if the server who seated me brought menus, when I told him I wasn't technically seated, but rather just told to "sit anywhere the was availability", and had been sitting waiting, he replied, " that's strange" and informed me that menu would be brought when I returned from the bathroom. Bathroom- it has a coded door ( which I wasn't informed about) and there was an elderly man with a walker trying unsuccessfully to gain access. I tried to help him, but the code he had wasn't working. I walked back into the restaurant to get help and encountered the first server who had waved me in to sit wherever and before I could even ask about the bathroom code, she started asking me about my order. ( um excuse me...I didn't even get a menu, how would I know? And don't assume what my question is..) I told her that I was helping someone trying to gain access to bathroom which I was also in line for and asked to verify if the bathroom code the elderly man had was correct. She then gave me the correct code and asked me again if I knew what I wanted to eat. I replied, " I would need to see a menu to fully decide that and I never got one" and walked away to go help the elderly man who was still waiting at the bathroom. I finally get back to my table where there's water and a menu. Food: I ordered an Avo Toast with egg. It was underwhelming. It came with greens which is nice, but I wished they had put the dressing on the side. It was drenched with some balsamic/chia seed type dressing. I also didn't realize the Avo toast came with a salad to which I would have informed them no tomatoes ( I'm not super allergic but tomatoes mess with me). There were tomatoes. I just pushed them aside and steered clear from them in my plate. Honestly, I should have sent it back but I was so hungry- between the wait to get a menu, then the bathroom code situation, then finally ordering, I just gave in, knowing I'd be able to at least eat some things on the plate. Also ordered a matcha latte and couldn't drink it. It was watery- I like my lattes to be creamier texture and it didn't even have a true matcha flavor, maybe it's the mix they use? It was more like 'essence of matcha' in a watery mug of milk. I could even see the milk fat separating. Back to service: I noticed the server who had waved me in was actually seating other customers who came in after me...menus and water were brought in a timely manner, in fact some were seated with menus at hand. Maybe after my interaction with her, she became more attentive? Who knows...but she also passed my table several times and never checked in on how everything was, whether I needed anything else from the menu or if I wanted my check. Meanwhile she was a chatty Cathy with other customers. I basically stood up at my table and started gathering my belongings as a signal that I was ready then she walked over to me. If I could give no tip, I would have, as I truly don't feel like I received service for what I'm paying for. I felt unseen in this restaurant meanwhile watching other patrons being attended to. Sure, they were larger groups, but that shouldn't be so. I did leave a small tip out of integrity knowing that someone prepared the food, the people bussing tables, etc. But honestly didn't feel like the server cared. This place is located very close to my work and I've frequented their kiosk for morning pastries. This was my first time coming to sit down and dine inside their restaurant. I now know to stick to the pastries. The only thing I can personally recommend is their kiosk/take out window. There are plenty of other places nearby that I'll go to and can recommend. read more

Its basically a slightly upscale Italian flavored diner. Food is fine as is service and the prices. Certainly not a destination but good to grab a quick bite if pressed for time in Lincoln Ctr area. read more

I really enjoyed Cafe Paradiso! They had an expansive menu, quick service, cute inside, and really friendly staff. Everything was extremely reasonably priced too. I had only gotten a glass of Prosecco but I really had a nice time. They came around offering us warm chocolate chip cookies, which I thought was sweet. read more

Very good eggplant parm. Decent sized portion, good sauce and cheese. Comfortable ambiance. Service was fine. Glad it's there and will certainly return. read more

The Lincoln Center took kindly this initiative to give 10% off to tickets holder if you dine at this café Paradiso. No one, no manager, no waiter make clients aware of this service asking "are you going to the movie". You discover this only after check when you attend the movie theater. Why offer this in the first place? Very Poor service. Very bad attitude when ask for explanations. Mediocre food in addition. This is not the "great" customer service in New York City! read more

Pleasant but nothing extraordinary. Good service. Very reasonable prices. Good location for Lincoln Center.

I ordered a salad with salmon. The dressing on the salad was way too tart and lemony, the salmon was fine. Except when I finished it, I noticed there was a hair on the plate - clearly not fine because it was dark black and my hair is white. I did tell the waiter. His comment was "oh, sorry." It's fine if you're only having coffee, or pastry. Or even a glass of wine. But for a meal - I don't recommend it. There are lots of other places in the area that have better food and are clean. read more