Great place to sit & do some work with locals. It's complete with free wi-fi & a calm vibe. Right next to the Graham Ave L, too. I live right around the corner from here so it's a nice place to get some studying/reading done. There are a variety (haha) of coffee & tea drinks, plus a bakery case filled with cakes & muffins. In the past, I have had the - Cortado (good for the price) - Green Tea - Pumpkin Pound Cake - Chai Latte, and my roommate had the - Hot Apple Cider, served in a mug, with cinnamon (delish) Never an issue if you linger with your laptop here, either! read more

Ever since they redecorated and "upgraded" they've become just like all other overpriced hipster coffee joints. I came here back in 2010 and it was delightful. Down to earth, local vibe. They always had flyers for things in the neighborhood. Then after the big remodeling the flyers were gone. I guess they didn't go with the new decor. Lol. Now it's just a busy, fairly expensive place with no soul. I still dig the coffee but it's very rare that I bother to come even though I'm two blocks away. I'm really happy they're doing well and expanding but at this point they're just a modern chain. (Just like Hungry Ghost around the corner. ) read more

Love their cold brew it's not acidic ! It's perfect to drink without any milk or milk alternative ! They always have enough staff so you aren't waiting around for your drinks . They greet you as soon as you walk into the door ! Place has great locations . Give them a try and I bet you'll go back every day for more read more

Tons of Roberta's pastries, like muffins, croissants, their popular sticky buns, etc. Cozy space with friendly staffers in an area with a good amount of competition. read more

Variety - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Love this place. Really good consistent coffee excellent Brusters to know how to make a mean breve. Unlike a lot of dizzy coffee places the staff here is so friendly and welcoming. Always enjoy stop here read more

I have been meaning to go check this place out for a while. I always liked the way it looks from the outside, cute sign, etc. Went for the first time on Valentine's day and ordered a cappuccino, which came, adorably, with heart-shaped foam. Super-cute. The place was busy and I would have preferred a table, but I was there alone and there is a little bar/stool area that was perfectly accommodating. After reading some less-than-incredible reviews, I was a bit hesistant, but c'mon people! If you want a cup on the go, slip into the deli for coffee from a pot. If you want a cup of coffee to enjoy in a cute place, then go here. read more

Variety - adorable cappuccino - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Your quintessential Brooklyn cafe - laid back, open till (quite) late, pretty good coffee, eclectic crowd, and chill AF music. Decent availability of seating space, but I'm speaking as someone who lives in Manhattan where space is a premium. They roast their own coffee, and the packaging for their beans are cool AF- it resembles (to me) a packet of table salt. Overall a good place to chill, read, have small talk and get some work done. read more

Quality issues. This coffee had a burnt, chemical flavor, and the blueberry muffin was dense, heavy and flavorless. Very disappointing. 2 small black coffees and 2 blueberry muffins cost $15 and we tossed all of it. With so many coffee shops in the area, easy to say I won't be going back to this one. read more

How's this for high praise from a New Yorker? I walk an entire subway stop out of my way just to get my coffee here on my morning commute. Revolutionary! Unheard of! The quintessential tale of love and triumph in a jaded modern age of failing neighborhood businesses driven by narcissistic Yupsters and post-cubicle capitalism in a New Brooklyn that's too expensive for humans who don't make vintage sawhorses out of reclaimed driftwood to sell on Etsy. "Relax," you're thinking, "it's just coffee" And "that sounds like the sort of thing a Yupster would say, thinking he wasn't one himself." First of all, guilty as charged. I'm the worst. B, I'm just kidding around - I love this new Brooklyn even if I feel mildly guilty giving my patronage to a place like this and not the old barber shop down the street that's been here since the 1970's. Listen, this Jew-fro took me 20+ years to tame so I could stop feeling self-conscious about my body, and I'm not about to sacrifice my dashing good looks for the sake of supporting my community. What kind of 20-something do you take me for? I live in Williamsburg and commute to Manhattan for my "creative professional" job, for heaven's sake! At least I FEEL guilty. That's how I can still pretend to give a shit to let myself off the hook for this sordid love affair I have with my own ego. But I digress. Thirdly, this place has all the positives of Hipsterdom (cool music, cool people, chill vibe, killer beans) but none of the negatives (holier-than-thou hipness, antipathy to the unhip, requisite sleeve tattoos). I mean, I don't even have a sleeve tattoo. Twice, I've been told I should get one while getting hit on, once by a girl and once by a guy. "You're really cute," they said in their turn, "but you'd look even better with a sleeve tattoo." That happened on two separate occasions in totally separate friend circles. They used the exact same wording, which made me think there had been a big meeting about me that everyone attended except me. But isn't that how everyone feels all the time? I can't be the only one this crazy. Can I? And D, I have a crush on everyone who works here. Don't tell; I'm still trying to play it cool two years after I started going here every single day. Look, there are a lot of words here, and my signal-to-noise ratio is rapidly dropping as I vapidly spew my stream of consciousness into this review, so I'm going to be serious for a moment. This coffee is really good. Crazy-good. And while, on the surface, this place might come off as a hilarious Portlandia-like caricature of the quintessentially hip coffee destination, this impression would be a tragic one to take with you. The people who work here are really sweet... and yes, quite hip... but they're not judging you. And they really seem to have a good time. You're not going to get all the smiles in the world when the line builds up and they have to rush to get everyone their brew in the AM, but this is a place you can come for a quick cup or to spend the whole day. To the reviewers that claimed poor service: that's unfortunate, but the people working here are humans, too. Sorry, shit happens. And are you sure you didn't walk in with your standard subway-riding New York scowl and merely receive your own emotional state projected back onto you? I know, it's just coffee. There are more important things in the world. But this is a place where you can recognize everyone's faces. That's not all that common in the big city. We don't have to be so jaded all the time. Give love a chance. Variety has free wifi and power, although you occasionally have to turn your wifi off and back on to regain a connection. Cash only. Tip them, please. There's plenty of seating, but if you're late you might have to wait. People are nice to each other here, so you can ask to share a table with someone. They'll move their stuff to accommodate you. You can work quietly alone, chat up some strangers, have a little business meeting, or banter on the phone. As long as you respect the people around you, you're entitled to just do your thing here. And yes, you can take out your new iPhone5, load up Shazam, and discover the names of all the bands they're playing so you can look cool to your friends. That's what I do. It's true, you're only going to see the glow of Macbooks here. Shut up and quit pretending you're not one of us. read more

Meh Too many hipsters "trying" to be cool. The french press coffee sucks. I like to drink my coffee, not eat it. Poor and rude service as well. If you don't look like a hipster, good luck. read more

Coffee-awesome. 5 stars. Iced Coffee is delicious! Baristas-they have all been lovely for quite sometime. Each have their own personality. There was a time years ago that I just wasn't cool enough for this place, but that has definitely changed, as everyone is pretty friendly. Maybe I got cooler? Who knows. I love this place. And hats off for not charging an arm and a leg on your coffees. Great great spot. Hipstery for sure, but quick and awesome. read more

Okay, update to this review. The owner of Variety nicely contacted me and profusely apologized for my concerns and said he would address the issues with his staff. He also offered to remedy the situation in other ways and got back to me immediately, and this goes a long way. I very much appreciated his customer care and speedy replies. I am definitely will to give Variety another chance. This place blows. Not only is it douchebag hipster central with nowhere to sit EVER, but the employees are unfriendly and seem mildly retarded. My girlfriend ordered a one shot espresso with hot water and before the girl at the counter starts making the drink her hand and fingers are completely inside of the cup, essentially fisting the thing. I don't have OCD but there's a basic cleanliness that I would expect out of any place handling something that I will consume. She's handling money and who knows where else her hands have been. My gf politely asks the other girl at the counter for a different cup and this girl gave her a look of being completely annoyed by such a simple request. We finally get our coffee and they put 2 shots in her coffee not 1 as she requested. I got iced coffee which tasted similar to the bottom of my shoe, oh and they only take cash, like every other idiotic "indie" store in NY. To top it off, the hipster male employee there was a total dick when I went to get a section from the NY Times that was sitting on one of the tables and sarcastically asked me if I'm just going to leave the rest of the paper there. Honestly, where's a Starbucks when you need one? Avoid this pile of crap at all costs. read more

One can't help but notice the single customers sitting at tables and bar area taking up two to three seats alone with their belongings, aka laptops, and headphones on (its pretty quiet in here) upon entering the shop. Okay, so I've already succumbed to the fact that my first time here will result in me enjoying my beverage outside in 28 degree weather, people watching on Graham Ave, better get a hot coffee. Well, one with think there would be a variety of things to order here, nope. Just your plain and standard coffee, espresso, and tea, they do have simple syrup you can add yourself over at the condiment station. Once I made it to the counter, the barista finally acknowledged me, despite the fact I was only customer that had just walked in AND didn't have headphones on, rude. I ordered a simple large (12 oz) latte which came out to $4. The barista was pretty fast at getting my drink out, with the impressive rosetta leaf latte art, and the espresso itself was decent (3 stars for this sentence), would have been nice to enjoy inside. Oh and FYI this is another cash only joint in NYC. Variety gets 2.5 stars from me, I rounded up to be nice :) read more

Variety is a victim of it's own success. This was one of my favorite cafes. Great coffee and lattes, great baristas, even great latte art. The atmosphere is super awesome too. so why the 2 stars? The problem is, that for the last year every time I go in here, every seat is taken up by someone with a laptop. There is never anywhere to sit. Just hordes of people mindlessly staring at screens. It kind of sucks. My girlfriend and I walked in today, and for the first time ever, we walked right out of there, with no coffee in hand. I think Variety has a serious problem on its hands. These computer patrons have taken over the cafe. I hereby pronounce Variety as a laptop cafe. You are no longer a place for people to go and leisurely grab a drink and hang out. You are now, and forever will be, a place where freelancers will work and facebook statuses will be updated. I want to give this place 5 stars because it's a great place, but I don't think that I will be going here again. It's just not a fun place anymore. Hence, this bad review. I guess the only way to make variety a better place at this point is to add more power outlets in the walls... I'm sure your laptops will be happier with that. read more

The coffee is fine. But the environment is weird. It looks like a cafe that would be on a CBS sitcom about Brooklyn hipsters. Speaking of which a good 2/3rds of the people in there are obviously trying to be seen, as if they were using the cafe as kind of fashion accessory. I guess that's fine if that's what cafes need to do to make money, but it's pretty sad and embarrassing. And to the guy who gave one star because they're cash only: lol grow up dweeb read more

I always get a french press coffee or an iced coffee - both are the best in the neighborhood. The vibe is kinda shitty, unless I can sit on the bench outside. It's just...bad lighting, too many laptops, they're always out of stuff at the self serve area. (GET another set of milk canisters guys!! I'll buy them for you!) read more

I have been going to Variety for quite sometime but today drew the line. Dear barista with striped shirt working this afternoon- why are you working in the service industry when clearly you hate people? She was flat out rude to me, as well as other patrons in the café. When I ordered my drink, she didn't look at me once, and then proceeded to ring me up when I wasn't finished making my order. Aside from being rude, she made the wrong drink, making a latte instead of a mocha. I didn't want to deal with her so I took the drink and left. While I understand people have bad days, this is not the first time I have had such service from this specific barista. I will round up and give Variety 3 stars (though it deserves 2.5 stars), but only because I like their drinks, and because the dudes who work there during the week are nice. Seriously though, after today's experience, I think I might take my business elsewhere until Variety's customer service shapes up. read more

Good Coffee, Free wifi, But fills quickly With those working and those preventing work. read more

Variety is very handy from Graham Av subway station, variety has a simple decor. Magazines and newspapers were placed on table, which is very thoughtful. I have had ice latte (which is 4.50 dollars) and chocolate chip cookie( which is 3 dollars). Customers come to the coffee house successively. read more

See all

Friendly staff, decent coffee, and a great place to do work. I came here after a run and was completely tempted to return to do work in that space. Ordered a cappuccino and it's quite good, but I've had better in the Bushwick area. Excited to have found this place and I look forward to coming back! read more

Like everyone said, hurray for location, no more DD coffee, or is it? Variety is a simple coffee shop that comes with friendly staffs and a comfy space to relax or read, or punch keys on your mac... coffee is not bad, but quite expensive, and prone to be on the weak side especially if iced. They do have some pastries and cookies but also quite pricey. Maybe just another Bedford trend invading Graham ave, price included. read more

Finally! A meat-market for sober douchesters. Overrated, pretentious, attitudinal, pseudo-intellectual poseur coffee for twenty-somethings who refuse to grow up. One star for at least making me chuckle with the daily chalk-board message. Other than that, the place is worthless. If you care more about quality of coffee rather than being seen, go to Cafe Capri. edit: I'm amending my 1 star review to three stars, because their iced coffee kicks fucking ass and the people at the counter are unfailingly polite, unlike the scenester tampon bags at Verb. So it's nice if you don't want a little passive-aggressive judgment with your coffee. But the clientele still irk the shit out of me. Be ready to be checked out by a dozen trust funders who will look up from their laptops in order to classify your level of coolness before returning back to their facey spaceys. read more

Not crazy about the coffee. It's part of the new trend of being the anti-Starbucks. That is, since Starbucks roasts the hell out of their beans, it's now cool to under-roast your beans so that they are acidic and bitter. I'm not a fan. Usually packed; and last time, it was full of really loud, obnoxious douchebags. read more

This place is everything you could ask for in a coffee shop. Great coffee, great pastries, fast service, wifi, and a functioning bathroom. For coffee this good in Williamsburg I would expect them to be charging more, but man am I glad they don't! I stop here every single time I'm in Brooklyn and I just can't get enough. The baristas are friendly and move through the line so quick that even when there are people in front of me, I am sure that I will not be waiting long. It's right on the way to the L, so why not stop here?! I hear the croissants are the real breadwinner here but I just can't get enough of the muffins. So again, a hot black coffee and a muffin it is! Variety for the win!!! read more

Every now and again I recall when I used to frequent this cafe. Words cannot describe the strange experiences I had here. Every time I walked in the staff gave me the strangest of looks, which always made me uncomfortable. I suspect they don't take kindly to a certain kind of minority in this establishment. But hey, free wi-fi and it was next door to my apartment so I continued to go. "Don't Ever Look At Me" by The Minute Hour on ytube describes my experiences perfectly. read more

Another gem in the hinterlands, a whole *gasp* three stops out on the L train. Imagine that. Being in Bushwick now, I realize that even people in williamsburg have Manhattan bias. They won't go *further* east, as if the world is flat, and somehow going out any further you will simple fall off the edge! So I find as you get out a little further, things get a little cooler, a little more special somehow. I was in here this past Sunday, a bitter cold day to be riding a fixed gear bicycle all over the planet, but I was on a coffee quest. That is what needed to be done. So I was pleasantly surprised to find this place mobbed, and people standing to enjoy their third wave goodness. Stumptown yes. Fast barristas yes! Perfect shot of espresso, yes. Cute faces - yes. read more

I cant tell you how excited I was to find Stumptown coffee in the burg. With previous trips to NYC the coffee always fell short of my west coast expectations. Well, not anymore! I had an absolutely amazing latte at Variety which was, almost, as good as any coffee Ive had. The only reason why I dinged them one star was that the service was a little slow, particularly for how busy they were(nt). But the baristas were nice, the girl working the register was cute, and the place is very nice with lots of seating. If you like Variety and youre ever in SF id highly encourage stopping by Blue Bottle or Four Barrel. And of course if you catch yourself in Portland you have to stop by Stumptown. Stumptown is the reason why I fell in love with coffee, again. One more thing, if $2 for a french press cup of coffee is too much for you whiners, go back to Dunkin Doughnuts. read more

Cho's is the new cool hangout in the North-East side of Williamsburg where I live... and not only is the coffee is really, really good, but the assortment of loose teas are a great addition. I didn't give it 5 stars, because some of the food is a bit pricey, albeit pretty good, and the decor really needs some work. There is no excuse for a cafe in Williamsburg, let alone New York City to not have great artwork up. Williamsburg is about 90% artists... I just made that up, but it's probably not far from the truth. They should just rotate artists every month or so, and put it up on blank walls- not the dated wall-paper which is currently there. read more

Walked in with slight trepidation, but was pleasantly surprised at the sweetness and smiliness of the barista and cashier. Very pleasant when you're hungover at 8:30, trying to haul ass to work. The coffee was decent. Pro-tip: there's a huge crack in the door in front of you when you sit and pee. Enjoy the pee-ple watching! read more

I liked the coffee here and would come back more often it it were closer to me. I come by every time I am nearby

I always look for reasons to stay up late, just so I have an excuse to get coffee at Variety Cafe on a weekday morning. Their iced lattes are great, and my go-to drink. I like espresso that is more bitter, and Variety Cafe has one of the best iced lattes around. It's the perfect wake me up, perfect treat on those mornings. Also, why are their muffins so damn good?? Giant, generous chunks of fruit. I suggest the Pumpkin-Walnut-Apple one, with apple bits inside and a cinnamon flavor, or anything with banana. read more

I recently moved into the neighborhood and this is one of the first coffee shops I tried. The staff is always super friendly and never have to wait very long even though the place is always packed. J wouldn't recommend trying to do work there since there aren't seats very often but if you're just refueling it's great. And if you do happen to find a place to sit, it's a nice atmosphere. read more

Without a doubt my favorite place to be on my off days. I stop by 5-7 times a week for this place's coffee and service. It goes above an beyond for friendly service and quality of coffee. What makes the difference here is that the staff is highly aware of what makes good coffee good. They have an impeccable ability of creating an outstanding coffee. Every. Single. Time. There is indeed variation from cup to cup. But that is what is so amazing about it. It isn't as if the subtle changes of flavor end up in a bad outcome. Each cup portrays the nuances of an unadulterated product... I do not want, nor do I expect the same cup of coffee every day of my life. One day I notice the chocolate notes in the coffee. Another day I get more of the spice-y high notes. The Stumptown they use is also a direct trade deal. Kick a**. The coffee is NOT badly priced, as others have mentioned. Nothing is over $4.50. The basic coffee is frickin' French press. C'mon. For $1.50/2.00 (small/large respectively)? If you think that is too much, I encourage you to find a better deal at such quality. I have seen this place evolve since its birth. It is a valuable addition to the coffee world, the neighborhood, and -- most selfishly -- my morning. And here is my ultimate confusion... If you were so unhappy with the coffee or you needed milk... why not just ask? Are we really that lazy nowadays that you can't be bothered to TALK to people? Hm. Five. Mother-effin'. Stars. read more

So this is an adequate coffee shop. Their coffee is good. The baristas are skilled and friendly. They have other options. It's just too small. If you want to go there and work, there will inevitability be a couple talking next to you. There will be no way to get away from their conversation. But if you want to stop in for a coffee it's great. read more

Simply put, Variety has the best coffee in new york. The baristas are incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, and the atmosphere is cozy and down-to-earth, with plenty of seating. The freshly baked vegan muffins and cupcakes are a divine treat. I live in manhattan, but I gladly make the trip to my favorite cafe. read more

There is no question this is my favorite coffee establishment. The Espresso drinks, coffee and muffins are just perfect. The coffee is all made "french press" style which I think is the best. They clearly care about the coffee and food they serve. Further the staff are always friendly. Even when it's busy and there is a line they manage to get everyone in and out efficiently and still be very pleasant and courteous. All of the staff are great, and I won't even go into the music selection that they play. Let's just put it this way...I often sit in coffee shops with ipod creating my own soundtrack. When I'm there, I often take the earbuds out and just enjoy what the staff are playing. It's great. Thanks so much. read more

Sitting in Variety right now and was inspired by my very tasty Americano to write a review. I went out of the neighborhood for a few months and when I came back I was very pleased to see a new cafe on Graham Ave. Graham is getting pretty crowded for coffee choices, from old school Italian cafes like Cafe Capri to the new school Stumptown Roasters supplied, new Williamsburg crowd Variety, which is a very welcome addition in my book. These guys know their coffee. A knowledgeable, well trained staff of baristas who pull great shots of delicious espresso. To hear some of these guys and gals go on about tasting notes for all their coffees puts my barista days to shame. The place is clean, spacious and has lots of tables to sit at with a healthy amount of wall outlets for you laptop laden folk. The staff is always friendly, to me at least, and they play some pretty good music in there too. No better place to sit down to do some work or read while having the best cup of coffee around. read more

Lived in the neighborhood for a while, and for months I'd come here every morning to grab a cup of coffee on the way to work. There are rarely ever any seats available in this joint because they're being occupied by messenger bags and laptop cases; it'd be nice if the folks who come here all the time would acknowledge the fact that other people want to sit down and get some work done, too. Baristas were never that friendly and the coffee was never that good. For the record, 1 star up there is for their muffins, which are pretty unique (pumpkin-orange-walnut and the like). After a while I started going to another coffee shop that was out of the way (see: not on my walk to the train) in the area. Won't name it, but it left a much better taste in my mouth (literally/figuratively) and I never had the inclination to swing by Variety again. read more

My biggest secret? I don't like coffee. If I need a quick jump start, I'll have a cup, but really? It tastes kinda gross. Or at least that's what I used to think. Then I moved to Portland, OR for a bit and tasted the sweet, sweet, delicious joy of Stumptown. When I left it was actually on my (rather short) list of things I'd miss. One day I was walking down Graham Ave and my world was turned upside down. There in the window was the familiar red Stumptown sign. I couldn't contain my joy. The barista during my first visit was a Reedie and we had a friendly chat about PDX. There have been different folks behind the counter on my return visits, but they've all been friendly. No attitude here. Nice staff plus no extra charge for soy milk plus Stumptown plus a great people watching bench in front? Holy crap. read more

I love the Cafe Mocha it must have been the best I've had in awhile and they made a flower design in it :-) GENIUS & SOPHISTICATED!!. I also enjoyed the atmosphere and the pleasant staff!! even though i was there for a job interview LOL Will Def go back! Love the neighborhood!!! read more