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Usagi is one of those spots you wander into and end up staying longer than planned. It is part gallery, part bookstore, part café, and the whole space feels open, calm, and thoughtfully put together. I went during the week and it was not too busy, which made it easy to take my time, look around at the artwork, and just settle in for a bit. I grabbed a hot matcha latte and kept it simple. It was great, no complaints. This feels like the kind of place you come back to when you want a slower pace and a change of scenery. I would definitely return.
The matcha and hojicha latte was not nearly as sweet enough as I would want it. I did specifically ask for it to be sweetened with syrup but I'm not entirely sure if they added it. I also got a tuna rice ball. It barely had any tuna in it and was mainly just packed with rice. I also got the spam musubi, and while this was better a tiny bit of mayo and furikake seasoning would have made it much better and something I would reorder at the cafe. I don't think I would reorder any of these items. If you want riceballs I would recommend going elsewhere or making it yourself instead.
Food/drinks: matcha latte is good! Wish it was a little stronger matcha flavor Atmosphere: this is why you come here!! Lots of tables and things to look at. I want to buy everything!! It's also part gallery? :O Service: good service! Very busy and line gets long with 2 people running the place Price: $$ pricey but expected in this area
We were hoping our experience here would be great because they advertised using high quality Ippodo Matcha. While the space is cool and quiet and has comfortable couches, the matcha latte itself was extremely disappointing. In terms of taste, they underused the matcha and added too much milk so it mostly tasted like a hot glass of milk. Additionally I ended up with a piece of the plastic chasen (matcha mixer) in my mouth which was not pleasant. When I pointed this out to the person managing the cafe, they just shrugged and didn't apologize or offer a replacement. I think it's safe to say we will not be coming back here!
What a lovely find while exploring Dumbo district in Brooklyn. Usagi is a wonderful combination between an art gallery and a cafe that is perfect for just relaxing and enjoying the world around you or getting some work done - there were a decent amount of people when we visited, but it was still a calm, quiet vibe. Plenty of seating options if you prefer. Both their matcha latte and Mizudashi were great choices and well-made. They also have a good food menu, and we grabbed a couple of the onigiri. While both the salmon and the spicy tuna were delicious, they didn't seem to be consistently made. For the spicy tuna, it was a good ratio of rice:tuna, but with the salmon, there was barely any meat, and most of the bites were just rice which was a bit disappointing. All the staff here are super friendly. A short walk from the Brooklyn Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge Park, it's a great stop to just step away from the busy of NY and enjoy a coffee and enjoy the local art.
Cute quiet cafe and gift shop with some books as well. Food was disappointing, quite underwhelming if you're familiar with Japanese food. Salmon was a bit overcooked, greens were undercooked, and onigiri sadly had perhaps 1 tablespoon of filling. Unfortunately the menu being overpriced (although perhaps not for the tourist-y vibe of the neighborhood) and the somewhat aloof/bothered staff bring it down slightly, although some staff are quite friendly! Worth coming in to take a look around if nearby and perhaps their drinks are better.
This place gets an A+ for vibes. The space is super nice, and there is a good amount of seating available. I liked that this place was both an art gallery and a cafe. The ambience is pretty quiet, with people quietly working on their laptops or reading a book. As for the food and drinks, I thought they were okay. The matcha latte and the onigiris were a little underwhelming. The flavor for the matcha latte felt a little bland, and the onigiris were mostly rice with little filling.
Minimalist bookstore and cafe - unexpected oasis for working and reading because there's so much construction and noise in this area of Dumbo. They have an art gallery in the front of the cafe with rotating exhibits. Delicious, warm Japanese meals for dine-in or takeaway. Not cheap as inflation rises, but generous portions- and worth it if you're going to spend some hours working or reading. I ordered the gyudon, which is tender and perfect with the rice. Loved being surrounded by culture and design books. I'll be back to try other items on the menu.
This gallery/cafe is super chill and comfy. The atmosphere overall is very quiet and chill. I got the hojicha latte and thought it was okay. It was underwhelming and tasted more like milk than actual hojicha. I had better hojicha at other cafes in nyc. As for the poke, it was pretty good. It was quite filling but the portion was quite small for the price.
They have an extremely poor system in giving out their food orders. I placed an order on the QR code that doesn't require an app and it says to wait until they call your name. My food was probably ready for a good 40 minutes but no one said anything. Went up to the register and the lady told me it was ready on the app so...where was it? It was hiding on the side behind the counter. I never received a ready notification anywhere. Anyways, that system is pretty shitty as they'll sometimes call names out and then won't. As such, food was mediocre. Gyudon was about $18 after tax. It had a lot of rice and onion and was just overall really mushy. Might have been the fact that it was just sitting there but I grade things as I receive them. The matcha latte was ok but cost me about $8 for the smallest serving which is fine depending on the quality of matcha used. I heard their coffee is supposedly good but never got the chance to try it. Good work space with wifi and environment but gets extremely busy during lunch. Not sure if I would come by here again in the future since it seems to be a hot mess.
2 years ago
well made matcha, i think it could've been a tad stronger for the price being so high but a solid choice for when you're in DUMBO read more
3 years ago
Very cute Japanese coffee shop/library with a variety of coffee and tea. I got the hojicha latte (described to me as a roasted green tea latte by the barista-- it was listed as the house favorite). It had a nutty flavor and I think the tea flavor was kind of diluted down..mine mostly tasted like milk. I'm gonna try the matcha latte if I return. The interior is white with wooden tables (high tops with backless stools and couch-style seating against the wall with sliding lower coffee tables). Free wifi so it is a nice place to get some work done, though there aren't many outlets for those that need to charge up. Drinks range in price from around $3-$7. They offer pour over, espresso, latte, and others. For $0.50 extra, you can get almond or soy milk. Overall 3.5 stars but hardly any outlets and blah tea so I rounded down. Great clean fairly quiet place to get work done though read more
Wouldn't have stumbled upon this cafe if Brooklyn Roasting Company wasn't so crowded, but I am so glad I did. This will now be my go to cafe whenever I'm in this area. The atmosphere is so chill and like the Danish would say "hygge". I was so happy to see hojicha latte on their menu because there's only a handful of places that I know in NYC that has it. Their hojicha latte is probably the best one I've had in a while. The tea flavor is strong, but not over steeped. The milk was froth to the right consistency making the latte very smooth. They use actual tea leaves instead of powder and I believe the tea they use is from Ippodo which you can purchase in the store. I also ordered a matcha custard pie which is from Four and Twenty Blackbirds (my favorite pie shop). The pie tasted the same, but I will skip it next time because Usagi charges much more than the pie shop itself. read more
Business owner information
Olga F.
Dear Vivian, we are so glad to have been stumbled upon! Thank you for…
Usagi is unique to say the least. It's part book store, part art space, and part coffee shop with some food options. They have a bunch of different drip coffee options (at a cool $4), and like about a hundred different coffee brewing tools. The food is refrigerated and includes bento boxes form Obento, and pies from Four & Twenty. I ordered a Saikyo miso salmon bento box (a bit on the pricier side for lunch at $15 + tax), but it was a lot of food an pretty tasty. I took it back to the office, so I was also able to pop it in the microwave real quick. The salmon was sizeable, and it came with pickles veggies, egg dessert, and preserved plum sticky rice. Would definitely come back for coffee and maybe a chirashi/poke bowl. read more
Business owner information
Olga F.
Thank you for a great review! We are glad you enjoyed the experience.
9 years ago
Love Usagi! The interior is japanese modern minimalistic and makes for great pictures. The atmosphere is very calming, clean white and wood everywhere. There's a great collection of lovely books and gifts, I could seriously spend so much here. The cafe - super cute, and the drinks are really good quality! I've tried the matcha latte with soy milk (one of the best matcha drinks I've ever tried) and the hojicha iced tea is really nice too with a lot of flavor. The only reason I've knocked off one star: the cafe service was quite slow, on ordering two drinks I received one after 5 minutes and the next 5 minutes later, and the barista seemed quite confused, even though there was only me and one other person before me to make drinks for. Maybe she was new, anyway I will definitely keep coming despite this, just would have been 5 stars if service was a bit quicker :) read more
3 years ago
5 years ago
5 years ago
Really good Kyoto cold brew! The place is a gallery and a coffee shop so it's really nice and has lots of seating! The employees are also really kind! I spilled my drink and they replaced it for me. read more
Location: right at Dumbo, Usagi NY is like a coffee- gallery. Place is full of artistic books and the place is great to get pics. Their is a small sitting area where you can sip your coffee while reading. Drinks: the owner seems to be Japanese. I totally could be wrong but all drinks have signatures of japanese style. I basically tried eveyghing. And I particular love the matcha flavor. Price: it's dumbo. What do you expect ?! Service: nice. Overall: absolutely a good place to visit if you are in dumbo read more
This is such a cute place we bumped into! I love their interior. Perks they have a bathroom and WiFi! Their matcha pie was delicious but pricey about $7.50 for one pie! They have cozy couches and outlets there so that's good. Would come back to try their matcha latte or brownie because love matcha!!! Located in Dumbo :) read more
5 years ago
9 years ago
I love this place. perfect!! here is very near by dumbo. macha latte was so good! and staff was very kind! read more
7 years ago
Such an adorable and unique spot in Dumbo. This place is an art gallery/shop/cafe. The gallery is small and free to walk around. The gift shop is also small, with tea products from Ippodo tea, books, and gadgets for the home. The cafe is small - there wasn't any seating available so we sat by the window in the shop. The cafe offers lots of tea and coffee options - including matcha from Ippodo. They have pie from Four and Twenty Blackbirds. I was hoping to find the matcha pie but they were sold out, so I tried hojicha pie instead. They have a selection of sold bento boxes, udon, and onigiri. I ordered the seaweed udon - it was so savory and delicious. Noodles were great and soup was perfect for a cold day. I would definitely come back here to get more udon. read more
10 years ago
They make an incredible matcha latte!! I ordered the iced matcha latte through the CUPS app, and it was so good I almost regretted not paying full price. The barista whisked the matcha on the spot literally before my eyes, and when I asked for "lightly sweetened" she added just the right amount--enough to give depth and a touch of sweetness but not so much that it was saccharine. I could really taste the matcha with the milk. It was perfect! I've been to CHALAIT a few times, and their iced matcha doesn't compare at all. It's also hard to find an iced matcha latte that's not pre-made, so I really appreciated the care Usagi NY took into making theirs. The space is also beautiful (art gallery and cafe rolled into one), and they serve bento boxes, which I hope to come back for! Plus free wifi :) read more
Business owner information
Olga F.
Dear Ziqin, thank you for such a lovely review! We are delighted to…
10 years ago
A cafe au fait with cafe au lait. The space is kept in beautiful and simple classic Japanese/Scandinavian design. Very comfortable furniture. Good free WiFi and doesn't seem busy. And the pourover coffee - one of the best I have had! Highly recommended and I will be back. The Japanese foods and matcha look legit too, haven't tried them yet though. Also, thumbs up for serving the takeaway coffee in 100% compostable containers - including the lid. Keep it up! :) UPDATE September 2016: Updating to add that this place makes the best cafe au lait I've ever had. It's a sad truth that many otherwise decent cafes think that cafe au lait is espresso-based. It is not! This cafe gets it. You might say that this is a cafe au fait with cafe au lait. read more
8 years ago
I WANT TO LIVE HERE! This place is such a gem, a bookstore slash gallery slash cafe filled with everything I would ever want in my life- coffee, matcha desserts, adorable bento boxes, and tons of random artsy probably impractical gadgets and papers I would one way want to fill my home with. If I lived closer, I definitely would be here like every day. My friend and I stumbled upon it just in time before closing after doing some work at BRC right across the street so we just got a slice of matcha pie (they get them from Four and Twenty Blackbirds- a bomb.com pie shop btw) and coffee. Matcha Pie- decadent and creamy matcha filling- kind of reminds me of ROYCE's matcha chocolate. The crust was mehhhh.. kind of stale and cardboard-y but i think it might've been because we came so close to closing! read more
10 years ago
Cafe Usagi NY BK DUMBO 4pm 27th May 2016 Five Stars Located a block from DUMBO Boulders, I found this hidden cafe in an art gallery using the Cups App. (Use Promo Code: 25pn5 for $10 Credit). I had their Mizudashi Cold Brew Coffee. It was floral, with a long lingering after taste that sticks to your teeth. The coffee came in a clear corn-made compostable plastic cup with a customized label and crescent shaped ice. The gallery was quite cool. They have a couple high top tables and a lounge with sofas. They also serve some Japanese bento box type food. read more
9 years ago
Amazing macha tea and drinks (hot chocolate is NOT too sweet). There are some couches and small tables to work at. The cafe itself is back behind a gallery (which changes month to month). I think the place is a bit too bougie IMO but that's Dumbo for ya. BONUS: They sell pie here from Four and Twenty Blackbirds. They almost always have slices of matcha pi (very delicious) and I've seen Hojicha pi (roasted green tea) as well. read more
3 years ago
From outside, you wouldn't have expected this place to have a cafe and lounge area. But that's because the front has a small art exhibition of interesting designs with old Mac computers, neverending mini mazes, hairy cubes and so on. After walking past the art exhibition you will find this small hidden lounge and coffee bar. On a Sunday, it seemed quiet in here, which is perfect for people who are studying or just want to do work outside of the typical coffee shops that are crowded and noisy. Usagi is big on Matcha here so I went ahead and ordered the iced matcha latte unsweetened. I normally get unsweetened when I order from Starbucks, but here you can taste the difference in their matcha that it tastes more raw and not sweet. I ended up asking for a small portion of sweetener. The staff in here is really nice. Besides just the coffee shop, they also sell t-shirts and other goods branded with DUMBO and some in house brands that they manufacturer and partner with such as wallets, stationary goods, t-shirts, tapestrys. They also sell small lunch boxes in Japanese style for those on the go. If I lived closer and wanted a quiet place outside of my apartment to study, I would definitely visit here for studying and getting work done! read more
7 years ago
7 years ago
It's a nice/modernly decorated bookstore/cafe that's designed by a famous architect. It houses seasonal exhibitions and sells drinks and light food in the back area. The place is not small but not that big either. If you want a quiet/relaxed area to sip and quietly talk in Dumbo, this place may be it. read more
6 years ago
I bookmarked Usagi months ago because I was intrigued with their matcha lattes. I finally visited Usagi today with my bf and I wish I visited months ago! The matcha latte was so smooth and creamy. No grainy matcha powder flowing in the drink. I got it with soymilk, and the soymilk did not overpower the matcha flavor. It was like drinking melted matcha ice cream. I was actually surprised in the size of the drink - it was about 8oz, smaller than Starbucks Tall size for reference. In this case, quality is way more important than quantity! The cafe's location is very out of the way, but I did enjoy the views of the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges and the old cobblestone streets while walking over to the cafe. The cafe itself was very comfortable. I really like the art installations in the front and the overall coziness of the cafe's seating area. read more
10 years ago
You've probably seen other reviewers stating this is a perfect place for studying/drooling out/simply chilling and enjoy your coffee. Not on Monday mornings shall I say! There's barely any guest, not to mention the to-stay ones. Unless you know the people there already, which shouldn't be hard considering they are all super nice. On the day I went there wasn't too much stuff being exhibited in the front. They were busy tidying up, but that doesn't change the barista lady's delightful smile. She took some time with my cafe au lait which was definitely worth it, and she even apologized for not having bento boxes ready the time I showed up! They really know how to capture your heart. If it wasn't for the fact that no one was chilling at the lounges, I would've had a million reasons to stay in. Their seats look so comfortable I could stay there for hours without leaving. It is close enough to both my place and my school so I can definitely see myself becoming a regular. read more
Business owner information
Olga F.
Thank you for such a lovely review! Sometimes we get mobbed, but…
This place was so cute! I am in love with the bookstore cafe concept because it combines two of my great loves! Very close to the Brooklyn Bridge yet not very crowded or touristy. Most of patrons seemed to be from around the area and looking for a calm and quiet place to read or to grab a cold drink. Not the largest selections of books and iced tea was great for a hot day (as all cold drinks are) but not especially memorable. However, if you're a book nerd like me it's very worth a visit! read more
8 years ago
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10 years ago
When she said "6.26" for a cup of matcha I was frankly aghast. Reluctantly, I forked over my card and watched her get right to business. Swiftly, The barista weighed the matcha powder, transferred it into a sifter and blended the drink using a bamboo whisk. After pouring the concoction into a cup of ice, she proudly handed it to me. Sipping on some of the smoothest matcha I ever had, I walked around the art gallery, enjoying the different mediums that the cafe had. There's also a little library and bookstore in here! Definitely a good place for rest on a hot Brooklyn afternoon. read more
10 years ago
What a cute little tea rest stop located in the heart of Dumbo, Brooklyn! My party was nervous that it would close and we entered a minute before closing time, but it seemed like the employees would let us hang out in this gorgeously decorated space for a bit even though the place was ready to shut down for the day. I like this place for its choices of either hot or iced tea for all of their tea offerings with the exception of one. The space's entrance is decorated with a quaint art exhibit and the cafe and lounge area is in the back. My group got to try their famous Matcha Latte and an Iced Genmaicha. I would highly recommend both, although the Matcha Latte is on the pricier side but so delicious. And being able to chill in the space is so nice on a hot summers day. Highly recommend if you're looking for a chill stop in Brooklyn. read more
10 years ago
The lunchtime bento boxes are one of the best lunches in the neighborhood. They generally sell out by 1:30pm. They make a really good Matcha, and their coffee/cold brew is excellent (better than the roasters down the street). read more
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163 Plymouth St
Dumbo, NY 11201
DUMBO
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(718) 801-8037
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https://www.usaginy.com
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