Our Top 5 Coffee Shops in Queens
Queens has the most diverse food and drink scene of any borough in New York, and the coffee scene is no different.
Tibetan-owned cafés in Woodside, an Ecuadorian coffee shop in Ridgewood, a flower shop turned café five minutes from our front door. These are the spots we keep coming back to, the ones that fuel our long walks and make us grateful to live here.
Cholita
📍 Ridgewood
Cholita is an Ecuadorian coffee shop in Ridgewood where the specials are the whole point. Diana and I found it mid-30,000-step walk through Queens, and it was exactly what we needed. The Iced Cocada (double espresso, milk, sweetened condensed milk, coconut) was cold and perfectly balanced, and a mocha made with Ecuadorian cacao had that deep chocolate hit that only comes from the real thing. The name pays tribute to the cholita skirt, a traditional Ecuadorian dress that's central to the culture. Diana being Ecuadorian, that's not lost on us — and finding that same piece of home in a Ridgewood coffee cup was a nice full-circle moment.
El Café at Ora
📍 Sunnyside
El Café at Ora is our neighborhood spot, a five-minute walk from our apartment in Sunnyside. It started as a flower shop and is still very much a flower shop, but with excellent coffee running alongside it. Sitting surrounded by fresh arrangements makes for one of the better morning vibes in the neighborhood. The lattes are solid day-to-day, and their fall pumpkin spice latte is genuinely one of the best versions we've had anywhere. No corporate energy here, just a place that clearly loves what it does.
Ngasto Cafe
📍 Woodside
Ngasto is a Tibetan-owned café in Woodside that gets the details right. The drinks are carefully crafted and the space works for actually settling in, with designated laptop tables that feel thoughtfully placed rather than an afterthought. Beyond the coffee, Ngasto became the heart of a beautiful short film about Tibetan traditions, butter tea, and remembering those who've passed. Worth watching before you go.
Credit: Tasur Studio & Tenzin Wangchuk Tasur — a short documentary capturing the community and culture at the heart of Ngasto.
Cafe Xochimilco
📍 Long Island City
The name hits different if you've been to Mexico City. Xochimilco is the ancient canal network where you rent a trajinera, a festively painted flat-bottomed boat, and drift through the waterways for an afternoon. This Long Island City café earns the reference. The breakfast is the main event: a solid breakfast burrito, great chilaquiles, and coffee that holds its own. Unpretentious and delicious, exactly what LIC needs more of.
Cafe W & Bakery / Dessert
📍 Flushing
Cafe W & Bakery in Flushing earned its viral moment honestly. The onigiri croissant, a flaky laminated pastry with seasoned rice inside, is the kind of thing that gets posted for a reason. It genuinely delivers. But the whole bakery case is worth your attention, and the coffee is better than you might expect when you're distracted by the pastries. Come for the croissant, stay for everything else.
Honorable Mention: A Two-for-One in Hunters Point
Concept Coffee & Bianco Latte Bakery & Cafe · Long Island City
In Hunters Point, these two spots are close enough to make a natural double stop. Concept Coffee makes some of our favorite iced lattes in the borough, clean espresso with good balance. Right down the street, Bianco Latte Bakery & Cafe's focaccia is the best we've had in this corner of Queens: thick, glossy with olive oil, seasoned just right. The rest of the bakery case is worth exploring too, but the focaccia alone is reason enough to make the trip. Two stops, totally worth it.