Box Kite

An espresso in a white cup from Box Kite CoffeeBox Kite is a relatively new player on the New York coffee scene, occupying a small, cosy spot on St Marks Place in the East Village, two blocks east from old favourite I Am Coffee and just across Tompkins Square from Ninth Street Espresso. Opening on January 1st this year, Box Kite is, dare I say it, more European-style coffee shop than American, offering coffee and wine in the day, with food in the evening. This is all served with a touch of elegance that reminded me of the likes of London’s Notes and Fernandez & Wells.

Seating is very limited, both in the number of seats and in what’s available. While you can come to Box Kite for a romantic, candle-lit dinner, don’t expect to find yourself sitting at a table, gazing across at your loved one. Seating at Box Kite is strictly at the counter or on stools at one of two very small bars. That said, it’s the ideal place to sit and drink coffee!

I’m indebted to Lee Gaze for recommending Box Kite, which he said was so good he walked two miles in a blizzard to get to it. You can’t get better than that!


August 2016: It looks as if Box Kite has had to close its doors for good, which is a terrible shame.


You can read more of my thoughts after the gallery.

  • Box Kite's A-board promises much, which Box Kite delivers and then some!
  • The view from just inside the door.
  • The front of the store seen from the counter.
  • The window bar in more detail.
  • There's also this little bar opposite the counter.
  • That shelf looks interesting... Coffee and wine, it seems.
  • Some of the coffee roasted by Ritual, from San Francisco.
  • I really liked the cups at Box Kite.
  • The menu is written up on a roll of paper. What a neat idea...
  • ... as is the clever use of mirrors.
  • From my vantage point at the end of the counter, I had a good view of the kitchen...
  • ... and an even better view of the coffee!
  • The brew station in more detail.
  • I found myself sitting right next to the espresso machine... How did that happen?
  • The grinders weren't that far away either...
  • The espresso machine, a two-group Synesso, in detail.
  • The output: my espresso with cookie and glass of water (which was constanty topped-up)
  • I may have mentioned that I loved the cups...
  • And here's my dinner... The Manhattan skyline rendered artfully in carrots?
Box Kite's A-board promises much, which Box Kite delivers and then some!1 The view from just inside the door.2 The front of the store seen from the counter.3 The window bar in more detail.4 There's also this little bar opposite the counter.5 That shelf looks interesting... Coffee and wine, it seems.6 Some of the coffee roasted by Ritual, from San Francisco.7 I really liked the cups at Box Kite.8 The menu is written up on a roll of paper. What a neat idea...9 ... as is the clever use of mirrors.10 From my vantage point at the end of the counter, I had a good view of the kitchen...11 ... and an even better view of the coffee!12 The brew station in more detail.13 I found myself sitting right next to the espresso machine... How did that happen?14 The grinders weren't that far away either...15 The espresso machine, a two-group Synesso, in detail.16 The output: my espresso with cookie and glass of water (which was constanty topped-up)17 I may have mentioned that I loved the cups...18 And here's my dinner... The Manhattan skyline rendered artfully in carrots?19
Photo Carousel by WOWSlider.com v4.6

Box Kite is long and thin, with a three-person bar in the window to your left as you enter, the store itself stretching out before you. Most of the space is taken up with the beautifully-tiled counter on the left-hand side. The front, opposite the window, is given over to a two-group Synesso espresso machine and three grinders (including an EK-43). The rest of the counter houses the seating, a row of bar chairs running down the side, while there’s a three-person bar inset in a nook in the opposite wall. Behind the counter is a brew station for filter coffee, and, at the far end, a small, open kitchen which produces all of Box Kite’s various food.

The décor is plain but elegant; simple, white-washed walls, wooden floor and dark, tin roof. It has none of the sumptuous fittings of London’s Notes or New York’s new Stumptown (West 8th Street). Nevertheless, exudes an air of refinement that comes more from the atmosphere and attention to detail than it does lavish fittings.

One of the good things about Box Kite’s size and layout is that it forces you to engage with the staff, especially if you sit at the counter, where you really have no option. Normally I like to sit fairly anonymously in a new coffee spot, scoping it out and getting a feel for it before introducing myself (or sloping off if I don’t like it). At Box Kite, I had no such luxury, being outed the moment I photographed my first espresso. It was all good-mannered in nature, as Eric, the coffee manager, chatted with me, leaving me little option but to introduce myself.

If you like the process of coffee as much as coffee itself, then Box Kite is the place for you, especially if you sit on the first chair at the counter. Here you get an excellent view of the Synesso in action, while the brew station is directly opposite you. Alternatively, if food is your passion, sit at the other end where you’ll be in similar proximity to the kitchen.

The coffee itself was excellent. Box Kite rotates its guest roasters on a regular basis, with plenty of European options, including Square Mile and various Nordic roasters. When I was there, Madcap (Grand Rapids, Michigan) was on espresso, with a decaf option, while pour-over and bulk-filter came from San Francisco’s Ritual. Box Kite’s coffee philosophy, as explained to me by barista Emilee, is to keep things small, eschewing the America obsession with large cups. Even the pour-over comes in 160ml servings through a Kalita Wave filter.

My espresso, a Yukro from Ethiopia, was very sweet. There were fruit notes and a certain sharpness to it, but neither dominated. All-in-all, an excellent cup of coffee.

The food was equally impressive, the menu changing on a regular (usually weekly) basis. Mindful of my dicky tummy, I had sunchoke (Jerusalem artichoke ) soup, in a bowl lined with raw apple and ground rosemary, with the soup poured over it. Smelling like korma, it tasted divine, wonderfully sweet and creamy. I followed this with a main that consisted of carrots cooked in many different ways, including pureed, with freekeh, skyr and sesame. Frankly, I had no idea what most of the ingredients were, but it tasted amazing!

115 ST MARKS PLACE • NEW YORK • NY 10009 • USA
http://boxkitecafe.com
Monday 07:00 – 02:00 Roaster Guests (espresso + filter)
Tuesday 07:00 – 02:00 Seating Counter/Bar
Wednesday 07:00 – 02:00 Food Restaurant (from 18:00); cake all day
Thursday 07:00 – 02:00 Service Table
Friday 07:00 – 04:00 Payment Card + Cash
Saturday 07:00 – 04:00 Wifi Free (with code)
Sunday 07:00 – 22:00 Power No
Chain No Visits 12th March 2014

If you enjoyed this Coffee Spot, check out the rest of New York City’s speciality coffee scene with the Coffee Spot Guide to New York City.


Don’t forget that you can share this post with your friends using buttons below, while if you have a WordPress account, you can use the “Like this” button to let me know if you liked the post.

6 thoughts on “Box Kite

  1. Pingback: 2014 Awards – Best Espresso | Brian's Coffee Spot

  2. Pingback: 2014 Awards – Best Overseas Coffee Spot | Brian's Coffee Spot

  3. Pingback: 2014 Awards – Happiest Staff | Brian's Coffee Spot

  4. Pingback: 2014 Awards – Most Passionate About Coffee | Brian's Coffee Spot

  5. Pingback: Madcap, Monroe Center | Brian's Coffee Spot

  6. Pingback: Ritual Coffee Roasters, Hayes Valley | Brian's Coffee Spot

Please let me know what you think. Guidelines for comments are in the "Posts" drop-down menu.