Rize Coffee

WHAT? This place closed? What a shame! A co-​worker was raving about their coffee so she and I stopped in while we were in NYC for a Redken class, and it lived up to all the great things she had to say about it. For the price I paid for a large coffee, I got my money’s worth and enough energy to make it through the day! Win-​win if I say so myself!

closed.

If you’re from San Francisco or Portland, this is your coffee place!
They use Stumptown coffee and each espresso drink I’ve had here has been perfectly made. If you’re used to waiting a few minutes for your perfectly made coffee, then this experience will not be new to you.

Service is slower than the drip coffee maker they use in the back. «Barista» consists of a college age kid with a hat on backwards and a nike hoodie
Espresso was served almoat boiling hot, had to wait a few min for it to cool down enough to drink, and its served in a paper cup? Thegirl after me got a traditional espresso cup, and looking around I saw some patrons with real cups and other with paper???
The coffee flavor was bitter with a burnt aftertaste, I’ve had better at truck stops.

Stopped by for afternoon coffee before getting a cab to the airport.
They serve a robust espresso, initial hit is bitter, mellows quickly. Barista actually measured out the coffee grounds and the resulting brew to see if the measure was right…
End result was good, not watery and kind of reminded me of an Espresso from Kaffeine back home and their Squaremile beans.

Cute European style café, very good coffee and loud (but cool) rock music.
The music is very loud (probably too loud) so I almost changed my mind in deciding of NOT having informal meeting at this place. Since I couldn’t find any more attractive spots in the area– I returned to Rize– and now, I am glad I did. We set at the furthest table from the main entrance, where music didn’t overwhelm neither: our conversation nor our neural systems. And it actually was cool– something I would choose to listen myself.
The coffee was very good so was the entire vibe. They serve pastries such as muffins, croissants, scones…. No bagels and what usually comes with it here.
I am glad I discovered a cool place in the Grand Central area. Good place for a meetng spot, to come alone and sit, but also good to go.
Cash only.

Coffee: ⁴⁄₅
Nice ambience: +1
Slow service: –1
Cash only: –1

Just steps from Grand Central, this is a top-​notch coffee shop. The environment is perfect to read, chat or merely refuel. And the coffee is great.
What a delight in the heart of town.

Stumptown beans here make one awesome latte! expresso is smoothe and drinks are at the perfect temperature. Such a nifty place in midtown east to get away from all of the busssle. Fan now once in a while for my morning before work pick me up. Try it!
Someone needs to tell the long line of commuters queueing at Starbucks in Grand Central about this place.

Serious coffee, serious beans. Rize serves Stumptown alongside pastries (muffins, scones, croissants) and a grab n’ go case with drinks and yogurt. I also spotted a sign for frozen yogurt and a fro-​yo machine but they no longer offer fro-​yo. The sign also mentions bubble tea but I didn’t see any on the menu. They have espresso drinks and pour over coffee.
* Latte ($ 4) with non-​fat milk: strong, not bitter, nice foam art too, could be creamier/​richer
* Marble muffin: a nice big, moist muffin but pretty standard tasting
It’s a small place with small tables and free wi-​fi. The look is sleek/​contemporary. There aren’t that many seats or places that look suitable for long term camping. Even so, I wish I had brought my laptop with me.
Cash only.

CASH ONLY.
It’s so hard to find a decent cup of coffee this far north of 14^th Street. I discovered Rize when I was early for an appointment on 42^nd Street. Tucked into a space near Cipriani’s, I stopped in for a very respectable cortado. They serve Stumptown coffee and treat it with love. Worth a stop if you’re nearby.

Doesn’t feel like midtown east at all. Great, fresh iced coffee and a frequent flier card make this a no-​brainer near my office.

After this place I can’t go to Starbucks anymore. I just can’t; you find some place this good and yourself just can’t let you go back to mediocre.
They do Americano right: standing hot water then pour that awesome-​quality espresso right in. Plus, they carry German-​made Ritter chocolates.
Staff’s pretty friendly by all accounts too, which is surprising in the heart of crowd-​frenzy Grand Central Terminal and hipster-​like claddings.

Finally a refreshing alternative to Starbucks in Midtown!
Their espresso is smooth, doesn’t taste like burnt beans and more importantly they don’t have any third rate baristas brewing your quicker-​picker-​upper. They also use LevelUp which allows you to pay for your morning brew with your phone.
Not sure what the other reviewers are talking about as far as wait goes… It’s a 5 minute wait at most, much shorter than any Sbux in the am.

I like this place.
Amid the flurry of people out on the street in and around Grand Central Station, Rize is a casual, open, airy and relaxing place.
I’m just a standard coffee/​occasional espresso guy, but Rize delivers. Very, very smooth, yet robust coffee. (not that dark roast bilge served up at Starbuck’s.

Nice little coffee shop right next to Grand Central Terminal. I’ve passed by here numerous times on the way to/​from work, and I finally decided to stop by. Luckily I made that choice because this place is pretty decent. Rize Coffee is a small location, so you might even miss it on the way to work, but in a world of Starbucks coffee, this stuff tastes way better. First of all, they use beans from Stumptown, so you know right there that it’s going to be quailty.
Prices here are pretty comparable to other coffee shops. $ 2.50 for a large coffee, and $ 4.50 for a large cappuccino. If you want breakfast, they do bagels here, plus all the random other tidbits that you might eat. The staff is nice, and with your espresso drinks, they do an amazing job. Cappuccinos here are incredibly smooth, and I could drink it all day.
Seating here is pretty limited though, as there are only enough seats for under 10 people. Great spot to grab coffee when you’re on the go. Skip the Starbucks and Pret, and come here instead.
Cash Only.

I’m sorry, Stumptown coffee or not, $ 3.50 for a small-​sized iced coffee is outright ridiculous (may as well pony up and get a latte or something at that price). RIDICULOUS! Geeze. Yes, I’m complaining about price. waaaaaah! But when you’re buying it every day, that ‘ish adds up.
Even places like d’espresso and Joe’s don’t charge that much. Definitely won’t be coming here daily. Perhaps in moments of desperation (it’s attached to my office building). I’d like to try some of the hot coffee b/​c I’m slightly unimpressed with the cold brew and it looks like the hot is where it’s at…
Staff is friendly and the place is cute…

Set in the base of one of the older office buildings in the area, Rize Coffee is in a beautiful space. It looks like something right out of the 50’s or 60’s, classic New York City with dark colors, yellowish amber lights and lots of glass windows giving you the chance to people watch as you enjoy your drink. When you walk in, it’s wide open with small tables and seats to the sides. The counter is off to the right and there are two stations with sugar, milk, napkins etc.
Rize isn’t just about coffee. They have tea, baked goods, treats (chocolate covered Cheerios!) and even frozen yogurt! I’ve had their Americano which was fantastic. They use Stumptown beans for their coffee, and I loooove Stumptown so bonus there. I’ve also tried their frozen yogurt which is not quite up to par with my favorite (Pinkberry) but it’s very good. They also offer toppings including fruit and crushed graham crackers.
Service is very friendly and quick. I’ve never had to wait long for an order and amazingly, I can usually find a seat in the place.
I’m really happy a place like this is around my job now. I look forward to many visits in the future.

Just tried this place yesterday — It was phenomenal! The atmosphere was inviting, the staff was friendly, and the coffee was delicious.
Needless to say, I’m going back there right now. They have me hooked after one visit!

I give 5 stars to any espresso café that makes a perfect espresso. It’s not so hard, but it involves training of the staff to become Baristas and a few other things, such as great beans. I got a perfect double espresso today and they’re using Stumptown beans.
They have ice cream from a fancy place upstate, too!