319 Church St., 212-343-1515, lacolombe.com
If you're looking to reach a consensus on New York's best offerings, topics to avoid include pizza, strip steak, bagels and, of course, coffee. But in that last category, La Colombe is surely a contender. The pale green walls and exposed-brick interior in the café are minimalist, but the four blends from this Philadelphia transplant—the potent, nutty double-shot Gibraltar espresso is a favorite—aren't lacking in complexity. Come winter, there are few better ways to escape the holiday scramble of Canal Street than with an almond croissant and a steaming cappuccino (with designs lovingly etched in the foam by friendly baristas, natch). If you hope to avoid the caffeine-addicted regulars, lines at La Colombe are slowest between 11am and 1pm.

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