Caffe Reggio
Cafe · Greenwich Village
119 MacDougal St, New York, NY 10012
Highlights
Historic cafe serving America's first cappuccino since 1927
Historic cafe serving America's first cappuccino since 1927
"Rumored to be the first in the US to serve cappuccino when owner Domenico Parisi opened 1927. Look for the original Espresso machine made in 1902 against the back wall. One of the oldest and last remaining original cafes left in the Village.Caffe Reggio has been a bohemian hangout for decades for most notably poets like Kerouac and Corso and alike, and featured in many movies including Godfather II, Shaft, Serpico and others. Sit on the real 500-year-old bench from the Renaissance Palazzo of the Medici family and sip your cappuccino while you gaze across at The School of Caravaggio paintings." - 345 Design
"Caffe Reggio looks more like a curio shop than a place to fire off emails. It opened in 1927, the ceiling is caving in, and it’s cramped with iron-backed chairs and tiny mismatched tables. But the lingering ghosts of other Greenwich Village strivers, and the opera soundtrack are strangely soothing. Even more soothing: the coffee comes in heavy ceramic cups, and it’s available until 3 or 4am every night." - sonal shah, molly fitzpatrick, will hartman, neha talreja, bryan kim, willa moore
"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
"Caffe Reggio claims to have introduced the cappuccino to the United States. When Domenico Parisi set up shop in New York’s Greenwich Village in 1927, he whipped up foam-crowned cups for delighted crowds. Word of this Continental pick-me-up spread and soon cappuccinos were cropping up on menus across the country. The espresso machine, which dates back to 1902, is the oldest on display in the city. In addition to this retired workhorse, the cafe contains an original bench from the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence. Besides being the place where the cappuccino was introduced to America, the cafe’s striking interior has made it an ideal filming location for directors. The extensive list of movies shot here includes Greenwich Village, Next Stop, The Next Man, The Sun Is Also A Star, The Godfather Part 2, and more. Know Before You Go If you're looking for something sweet to pair with your cappuccino, order the zabaglione, a creamy concoction of whipped egg yolks crowned with fresh berries." - LiamY
"This ornate coffee house was founded in 1927 when the neighborhood was largely Italian. It claims to have served the first cappuccino in America, and movies filmed here include Godfather II, Shaft, Inside Llewyn Davis, and Next Stop Greenwich Village." - Robert Sietsema
