"Sadly, the coffee at Caffe Reggio doesn’t come from the steampunk-looking contraption at the back—said to be the first espresso machine in New York City, brought over from Italy when this spot was established in 1927. But it does come in heavy, custom-made Italian ceramic ware, and it’s available until 3 or 4am most nights. Besides the new coffee machine behind a small counter—and the wifi and mason jars with fresh fruit juices—there aren’t too many concessions to modernity at the Greenwich Village coffee shop. The tin ceiling is crumpled in places, a Renaissance bench is worn to a high polish from all those butts of the past, and heavy oil canvases hang off the walls. The next time you watch "The Godfather Part II" (or "Shaft," or "Serpico") Caffe Reggio should be instantly recognizable. photo credit: Sonal Shah Caffe Reggio does serve food, but we’d use this place mostly for scribbling in a journal while drinking a cappuccino, a pot of tea, or a cheap glass of wine (and maybe spooning up some tiramisu or crunching into a cannoli). The best part is there’s something new to see—or a new conversation to eavesdrop on—every time you look up from your table." - Sonal Shah
