Roasting Plant, 75 Greenwich Avenue

Coffee: ***** Overall: *****

Sampled: Soy Latte, Jamaica Blue Mountain brownie. The latte was just the right temperature and the coffee had such a good flavor. I really could tell that the beans were freshly roasted. I didn't even add sugar to my latte because it was just perfect. I'm not a brownie fan, but the Jamaica Blue Mountain brownie was moist and chocolaty. What's even better was that I got the Jamaica Blue Mountain brownie bite, which is a small piece of the bigger brownie. Perfect when you want just a little something to go with your coffee.

Offerings: Whole Bean Coffee, espresso drinks, coffee, and pastries.

Unique Features: Roasting Plant's coffee beans are roasted throughout the day and their Javabot™ distributes the beans through vacuum tubes to the brewers. The beans are ground at the moment the drink is ready to be made. Coffee beans are constantly whizzing about. There is also a cool beer tap-like device that dispenses milk and creamer for coffee, as well as water.

Interior: The first thing you notice are the vacuum tubes along the ceiling. You often see freshly roasted beans being shooting through the tubes to the brewers and whole bean dispensers and it looks like something out of a Sci-fi movie. The minimalist, light wood and cream-colored decor makes the place feel airy and the small booths are comfortable without feeling cramped. Another plus is that there are bar stools near the window that offer a great view of street life in The Village and there are also bar stools around the counter if you want to watch all the coffee brewing action.

Clientele: A mix of young and old people, businessmen, and students.

Free WiFi: Yes

Barista: Young guy who was very helpful in explaining how the Javabot™ worked. Said that the owner took years to engineer the system. I was surprised to see only one person on a laptop when I was there. There were people studying, writing, and actually talking to one another!

Locations and Hours:

75 Greenwich Avenue

New York, NY 10014. (212) 775-7755

Hours: Mon - Wed: 6am - 10:30pm Thurs - Fri: 6am - 11:30pm Saturday: 6:30am - 11:30pm Sunday: 7:00am - 10:30pm

81 Orchard Street New York, NY 10002 (212) 775-7755

Hours: Mon - Fri: 7am - 7:30pm Sat - Sun: 8am - 7:30pm