New2NY: Nespresso Me Happy

I've been meaning to visit Nespresso since September. I've had a free cappuccino coupon sitting in my pantry and, for goodness’ sake, I live within walking distance.

So today I did it. I took out the coupon and walked down to the Nespresso Boutique Bar (on Madison Ave. between 65th and 66th) to meet a friend. Upon entrance you are intrigued by the decor of little espresso "pods" in unique colors covering the walls, invited by the sweet smell of brewing espresso and welcomed by friendly servers dressed in gold and black. You will feel very "New York" when you sit down in posh silver chairs and glance through their menu of 12 flavors of espressos made into several frothy, iced or no-frills drinks.

I ordered the cappuccino, which was brought to the table with a long sugar sleeve and a small square of dark chocolate. My friend got the same, plus two mini-pastries, the smallest croissant I’ve ever seen and a lemony Madeline. This place doesn’t necessarily fall into the “cheap Manhattan” theme of things to do, with the cappuccino at $5 and the mini-pastries at $6 for two, but time-wise, you can spend several blissful hours there and dole out less than $15.

Obtaining the bill proved to be a bit difficult since our original waitress disappeared without notice, but overall the experience proved a good intellectual setting great for conversation, could satisfy a sweets or caffeine craving and was a different (slightly verging on elitist) change of venue from the hundreds of Starbucks scattered throughout the island. For those in Lower Manhattan, there is another location in Soho for your convenience.