Best cafés in Buffalo

Best cafés in Buffalo

1. DrinkCaféElmwood Village

   Caffe Aroma

   It's not that the coffee is anything out of the ordinary. Nor is it the length of the beverage list, the food menu (which is pretty lackluster, actually) or the service. No, the reason why Aroma is perennially the most popular cafe on Elmwood is atmosphere. The cozy seating area is done up in warm tones, and the scent of fresh-brewed coffee hits you the instant you enter. More remarkably still, it manages to pull off a relaxed vibe even at peak hours — and if you want a respite from the crowds, head to the breezy patio facing Bidwell Parkway, the perfect spot for people-watching. Open-mic poetry readings happen every other Wednesday at 8PM.

   Mon-Thu 6:30AM-midnight, Fri Sat 6:30AM-1AM, Sun 8AM-midnight·Wi-Fi · Outdoor seating

2. DrinkCaféWest Side

   Sweet_ness 7

   Since 2007, Prish Moran has operated her friendly old-world coffee shop in this beautiful and historic old Victorian building on Grant Street. Popular with artists, hipsters, and Buffalo State College students, Sweet_ness 7 serves fresh gourmet sandwiches, salads, soups, pizza, and pastry along with the coffee, and their breakfast is also very popular with locals.

   Mon-Fri 7AM-9PM, Sat 8AM-9PM, Sun 8AM-6PM·Wi-Fi · Limited wheelchair access

3. DrinkCaféWest Side

   Remedy House

   This is it, folks: peak hipster in Buffalo. An airy space with two walls of windows offering a panoramic view of Five Points' namesake intersection, Remedy House matches its straight-outta-Williamsburg vibe with a staggering range of expertly roasted coffee and tasty loose-leaf tea that's packed with nuanced flavor (for the superlative example of this, opt for the cortado), plus a selection of pastry sourced from local bakeries and even beer and wine. Best of all: if the foregoing conjures up visions of blasé service from a staff of trust-fund kids who think they're better than you, prepare for the polar opposite. The only downsides are that the space is tiny and can get cramped during peak hours (to avoid that, hit up the sidewalk patio), and prices for anything other than coffee are astronomical.

   Mon-Thu 6AM-10PM, Fri Sat 6AM-11PM, Sun 6AM-5PM·Outdoor seating

4. DrinkCaféAllentown and the Delaware District

   Intersection Cafe

   The name may no longer be Cafe Taza, but little else has changed at this postage stamp-sized space on Elmwood: the smooth-flavored, creatively concocted drinks still exude caffeinated excellence without trying too hard (despite the straight-outta-Portlandia arty-hipster vibe, The Intersection is about good times and community spirit, not coffee snobbery), and if the name wasn't enough to clue you in that the LGBT+ community is still welcomed with open arms, the rainbow-flag decor certainly drives the point home. Best of all, added to the mix is a delicious slate of baked goods courtesy of BreadHive. Lines can be long, but efficient service keeps them moving.

   Mon-Fri 7AM-6PM, Sat Sun 8AM-6PM

5. DrinkCaféDowntown

   Overwinter Coffee

   No fancy syrups or frou-frou cappuccinos at this tiny little place — just real honest-to-goodness coffee, light-roasted and smooth-drinking yet bold-flavored; a little pricey but you get what you pay for. And if you really like it (and really have money to burn), they ship the same house-roasted, expertly blended beans nationwide! Indoor seating is extremely limited, but if it's a nice day, take a seat at one of the tables set up on Roosevelt Plaza and enjoy your coffee al fresco; it's one of downtown's best people-watching spots.

   Mon-Fri 7AM-3PM, Sat 8AM-2PM

6. DrinkCaféSouth Buffalo

   Wonder Coffeehouse

   Wonder Coffeehouse's website describes its location as "a part of the city that is literally in ruins", which is both true and untrue: yes, there's an eerie emptiness around old Elevator Alley these days, but that's exactly what's attracting visitors — and, increasingly, visitor amenities like this very café — to the area. But industrial ambience isn't all Wonder has to odder: the coffee- and tea-based beverages are smooth, flavorful, and come piping hot, the food menu is dominated by crowd-pleasing Liège waffles, and prices are fair. What's not so "wonder"ful is the service (friendly but often slow) and the cleanliness standards (overflowing garbage bins are a persistent problem).

   Daily 8AM-4PM

7. DrinkCaféNorth Buffalo

   Daily Planet Coffee Company

   "Good enough but not exceptional" is a phrase that sums up the Daily Planet experience in many ways: the selection and quality of drinks, the trendy-but-not-too-trendy vibe (very much in keeping with the surrounding neighborhood), the service (once reliably cheerful, now hit-or-miss), the food menu (ranging from usual coffeeshop fare like pastries and breakfast sandwiches up to more elaborate stuff like panini and wrap sandwiches, and including several vegan items), and the prices. If you're a live music fan — especially offbeat genres like folk, bluegrass, and Eastern music — check out their website to see what's on.

   Mon-Thu 7AM-9PM, Fri 7AM-10PM, Sat 8AM-10PM

8. DrinkCaféNorth Buffalo

   JAM Parkside

   JAM offers "coffee and community" across from the Buffalo Zoo, right at the heart of the Parkside action: the former is locally-roasted by the good folks at Tipico (the house special "JAM Blend" is accurately described on their website as "exquisite and world-class, but also approachable and well-balanced"); the latter is embodied by their unique not-for-profit ownership structure with over 70 local shareholders, the schedule of community events they host, and even their interior decor, airy and inviting and furnished with upcycled materials from ReUse Action. Decent prices, too.

   Daily 7AM-7PM

9. DrinkCaféEast Side

   Golden Cup

   First and foremost, this anonymous-looking storefront on Jefferson Avenue is a roastery, distributing its own fresh-roasted coffee and high-grade tea to restaurants, offices, and other sites around the region — which is probably why it's not on the radar of most Buffalo caffeine aficionados. That's a shame, because the flipside of that is that you know the coffee served at their cozy, homey onsite café is fresh as can be: a myriad of varieties each bursting with flavor, with the common thread being that they all go down smooth and easy (even the decaf varieties!) Plus they'll also sell you beans by the pound, sourced from a variety of countries worldwide. They've got quite the extensive food menu too, with both breakfast and lunch options.

   Mon-Fri 7AM-7PM, Sat 7AM-3PM

10. DrinkCaféWest Side

    Ashker's

    For a description of this local chain of juice bars, see the main Buffalo article.

    Mon-Sat 6AM-9PM

11. DrinkCaféWest Side

    Tipico Coffee

    With an out-of-the-way location in a leafy residential area, Tipico is the best-established of the Lower West Side's hipster coffeeshops: if you can't make it to the shop, you'll find their coffee poured at restaurants all over Buffalo. If you can make it there, the experience is a mixed bag: thumbs up for the coffee itself (locally roasted and served in both drip and pour-over iterations; smooth, full-bodied and above all strong); thumbs down for high prices and omnipresent flies (the latter an unfortunate side effect of keeping the floor-to-ceiling windows open in summer); "meh" for a pleasant but grungy ambience (chipped flatware and dusty tabletops are almost the rule rather than the exception).

    Mon-Fri 6AM-9PM, Sat 7AM-9PM, Sun 7AM-8PM

12. DrinkCaféElmwood Village

    SPoT Coffee

    For a description of this local coffeeshop chain, see the main Buffalo article.

    Sun-Thu 6AM-11PM, Fri Sat 7AM-midnight·Wi-Fi · Outdoor seating · Wheelchair accessible

13. DrinkCaféAllentown and the Delaware District

    Flavors of Allentown

    The Allentown bar that can't seem to keep a steady tenant is back for another go, this time with a heaping side order of LGBT pride. It's not a gay bar per se (you'll find those at the other end of the strip), but the rainbow-flag motif that's all over the decor at Flavors of Allentown testifies to its inclusive philosophy, and its all-female ownership team have crafted a much less fratty and testosterone-fueled (yet still divey) atmosphere than neighboring spots. Stop by for a beer or a cocktail, occasional live DJ sets, or Tuesday night league darts.

14. DrinkCaféSouth Buffalo

    Kornerstone Café & Juice Bar

    East Aurora's Kornerstone Café opened their Larkinville satellite location in 2018, and would you believe it's actually an improvement on the original? The menu (of locally-roasted, fair-trade, organic, intricately-flavored coffee; healthy juice blends and smoothies in literally dozens of varieties, sandwiches and other light meals including a wide selection for vegans) is identical, service comes with the same smile, but here at the Larkin Center of Commere you've actually got room to stretch out and make yourself comfy! Reasonable prices are the icing on the cake.

    Mon-Fri 6AM-6PM, Sat 9AM-3PM

15. DrinkCaféNorth Buffalo

    Lucky Koi Bubble Tea

    At this friendly and snazzily decorated shop, the namesake item is super flavorful without the cloying sweetness you see at a lot of other places: the folks at Lucky Koi understand that high-quality tea, even more than the flavor syrups, is what can really make or break this sort of place (choose from white, black, green, or oolong). As for the flavors, you've got your work cut out for you navigating the huge range of options; if you need help narrowing things down, the rule of thumb is the Asian flavors — ube, longan, dragonfruit — tend to be better than the Western ones. Made-to-order Hong Kong bubble waffles are a winner too.

    Mon-Thu 2PM-10PM, Fri 2PM-midnight, Sat noon-midnight, Sun noon-10PM

16. DrinkCaféNorth Buffalo

    SPoT Coffee

    For a description of this local coffeeshop chain, see the main Buffalo article.

    Sun-Thu 6AM-11PM, Fri Sat 7AM-midnight

17. DrinkCaféDowntown

    SPoT Express — Waterfront Village Center

    50 Lakefront Blvd.

    Mon-Fri 7AM-4PM

18. DrinkCaféDowntown

    SPoT Coffee

    227 Delaware Ave.

    Sun-Thu 6AM-11PM, Fri Sat 7AM-midnight

19. DrinkCafé

    Penny's Coffee Shop

    916 Main Street

    Open now · closes 4 pm

20. DrinkCafé

    Cafe Bewilderment

    1235 Hertel Avenue

21. DrinkCafé

    Globe Market

    762 Elmwood Avenue

22. DrinkCafé

    Gold Lion Coffee House

    1255 Niagara Street

23. DrinkCafé

    Jack's Corner Cafe

    111 Genesee Street

24. DrinkCafé

    Overwinter Coffee

    818 Elmwood Avenue

25. DrinkCafé

    Tipico Coffee

    1084 Elmwood Avenue

26. DrinkCafé

    Unapologetic Coffee

    899 Main Street

27. DrinkCafé

    Barrel + Brine Cafe and Market

    155 Chandler St

28. DrinkCafé

    Low Bridge Cafe

    130 Main St

29. DrinkCafé

    AK Cafe at Albright-Knox Art Gallery

    1285 Elmwood Ave

30. DrinkCafé

    Big Big Table

    272 Hudson St

31. DrinkCafé

    Haraz Coffee House

    471 Elmwood Ave

32. DrinkCafé

    Little Red Coffee & Catering (Fort Erie)

    46 Queen St

33. DrinkCafé

    The Manic Maker

    26 Jarvis St

34. DrinkCafé

    Caffèology

    23 Allen St

35. DrinkCafé

    Coffee Culture Café & Eatery

    26 Jarvis Street

36. DrinkCafé

    Em Tea Coffeecup Cafe

    80 Oakgrove Ave

37. DrinkCafé

    Gather and Game

    463 Amherst St

38. DrinkCafé

    Jake's Cafe

    250 Delaware Ave

39. DrinkCafé

    Mokha Reserve

    1207 Hertel Ave

40. DrinkCafé

    Prova

    40 Fountain Plz

Browse all 2,364 places in Buffalo

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Buffalo (CC BY-SA 4.0). Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Place data from Overture Maps.