With so many great independent coffee shops in Manhattan, there is not much reason to be going to Starbucks. Those who are “in the know” (which now includes you) go to places like the following:

Abraço
86 East 7th Street
abraconyc.com
Hole in the wall shop, often with lines out the door. Excellent coffee bean quality. Cash only. Also try the specialty baked goods including rose almond cake.

Think Coffee
Locations: SoHo, Flatiron, Chelsea, Greenwich Village, Meatpacking, Hell’s Kitchen, Union Square
thinkcoffee.com

Blue Bottle Coffee
Rockefeller Center, Meatpacking, Bryant Park, Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, Brooklyn
bluebottlecoffee.com
A San Francisco favorite with several locations (and growing) in NYC. Go for the house drop coffee and you will be back for a 2nd.

Toby’s Estate
Flatiron, West Village, Williamsburg
tobysestate.com

PushCart Coffee
Chelsea, Union Square, Gramercy
pushcartcoffee.com

Third Rail
240 Sullivan / 159 Second Avenue
thirdrailcoffee.com

Agavi Organic Juice Bar
72 East 7th Street
agavijuice.com
Bulletproof Coffee is served here. Essentially it is coffee mixed with grass fed unsalted butter and coconut oil. Its a healthy combination of saturated fats that some swear by, and is believed to keep you energized more so than your standard coffee. As it is primarily a juice bar, the fresh pressed juices are also great.