Cafeography
New York · Bedford-Stuyvesant

Cafés in Bedford-Stuyvesant

A former hardware store on Bedford Avenue, New Mexican burritos and Senegalese bissap on Nostrand, and pastry-led cafés along Tompkins and Malcolm X.

Photo: Federico Abis, Pexels License

Bedford-Stuyvesant runs from Flushing Avenue south to Atlantic Avenue and from Classon Avenue east to Broadway, with Fulton Street as its main shopping street.1 Roughly 8,800 of its buildings predate 1900, the largest intact collection of Victorian architecture in the United States.1

The A and C trains came to Fulton Street in 1936, and African Americans leaving an overcrowded Harlem followed them. The neighborhood has been a center of Black Brooklyn since, and in 1968 it elected Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman in Congress.1 Gentrification has pushed rents up since the early 2000s.1 Coffee here is spread across the avenues instead of gathered on one strip, so pick a street before you set out.

Local tip: Some Bed-Stuy kitchens work short weeks: Ursula shuts on Mondays and Tuesdays, and Bunny on Nostrand opens only from Thursday to Sunday. Monday mornings, try Playground on Bedford Avenue or Milk & Pull on Malcolm X Boulevard.

At a glance

83Cafés listed
35With opening hours
07:00Earliest opening
05:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Burly Coffee, from 07:00 (Mon–Fri 07:00–16:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–16:00).
  • Closes latest: Cup of Brooklyn, until 05:00 (Mon–Thu 08:00–16:00 · Fri 08:00–17:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–05:00).
  • Most listed streets: Bedford Avenue (7), Nostrand Avenue (6), Fulton St (6).
  • Most common features: specialty (28%), outdoor seating (19%), indoor seating (14%).

Trash Island

  • 616 Halsey Street
  • Mon–Thu 08:00–17:00 · Fri–Sat 08:00–21:00 · Sun 08:00–17:00
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Coffee chains in Bedford-Stuyvesant

Bedford Avenue and the Quincy Street corner

Zenat Begum was 22 when she took over the corner of Bedford Avenue and Quincy Street, where her father had run Abedin Building Supply for about 20 years. She planned Playground Coffee Shop for 2016 as a café and event space selling zines, cassettes, VHS tapes and vinyl.3 It now holds the Playground Annex bookshop and supports Playground Youth.4 Doors open at 07:00 on weekdays and 08:00 at weekends.

A few blocks north, Stonefruit at No. 1058 is woman-owned and pours Counter Culture, with open space for working or meeting.4 Artshack is at No. 1127, Padmore's and Seed Brklyn Green House share No. 1223, and Martha's Pastries at No. 1181 stays open until 20:00 on Saturdays and Sundays.

Tompkins Avenue and Halsey Street

Between Hancock and Madison streets, locals call Tompkins Avenue "Black Girl Magic Street" for its stores owned by Black women.2 Myriam Nicolas launched Brown Butter in 2017, built around pastries baked in-house and biscuits made with brown butter; it is at No. 413.2 Brooklyn Kettle at No. 385 sells fair-trade goods and pulls La Colombe, with too few seats to linger.4 Bklyn Blend at No. 194, Crocus Coffee at No. 328 and Daughter Coffee at No. 343 fill out the avenue.

Halsey Street has Corto at No. 262, an Italian coffee bar with focaccia sandwiches and a backyard.4 Trash Island at No. 616 uses Partners beans and is known for its hot honey latte;4 it stays open until 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Nostrand and Franklin avenues

Eric See's Ursula set off a rush for New Mexico-style breakfast burritos when it debuted in 2020, and also makes blue corn pancakes.5 It is at 387A Nostrand Avenue, where it breaks between 14:00 and 17:00 on most days. Senegalese-born Mouna Thiam and Thiero Anne run Le Paris Dakar at No. 518, with almond croissants, crepes and bissap, a drink of boiled hibiscus and fresh mint.2 Nostrand Coffee Roaster is at No. 261 and The Bureau at No. 279.

On Franklin Avenue, Golda at No. 504 brews Abbotsford Road beans and is known for breakfast sandwiches.4 Across the street, Cafe Calaca at No. 505 serves Latin food from about 10:00, with Variety Coffee and a backyard where dogs are welcome.4 For All Things Good is at No. 343.

Stuyvesant Heights and the eastern avenues

The Stuyvesant Heights Historic District covers row houses from about 1870 to 1900, roughly between Tompkins Avenue and Malcolm X Boulevard north of Fulton Street.1 Joe and Angela Austin started Milk & Pull in Bushwick in 2013;2 its café at 348 Malcolm X Boulevard opens at 07:00 on weekdays and has ample indoor space.4 Fat Doughnut at No. 50 closes on Wednesdays, and Botani at 173 Lewis Avenue has Wi-Fi.

Sára Lopes took over a café space at Saratoga Avenue and MacDonough Street in 2021 and opened September, with work by local artists on the walls.6 Early Yves at 210 Patchen Avenue opens from Tuesday to Sunday, and Familiars at 94 Ralph Avenue is an all-vegan coffee shop. For the northern and eastern blocks, take the G, which has run under Lafayette and Marcy avenues since 1937, or the J, M and Z along Broadway.1

Sources

  1. Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, Wikipedia, accessed November 2026
  2. A Weekend Exploring Black-Owned Bedford-Stuyvesant, NYC Tourism + Conventions, accessed November 2026
  3. New Bed-Stuy Cafe Will Offer Up VHS Tapes and Vinyl Records (August 6, 2016), DNAinfo, accessed November 2026
  4. 10 Great Cafes in Bed Stuy For That Caffeine Fix! (updated March 19, 2024), Your Brooklyn Guide, accessed November 2026
  5. Ursula, Time Out New York, accessed November 2026
  6. Neighborhood Spotlight: September Cafe in Bed-Stuy (February 14, 2025), Okayplayer, accessed November 2026
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In Bedford-Stuyvesant, also browse: Specialty coffee Outdoor seating Wi-Fi Bakery cafés Brunch Open late

FAQ

Bedford-Stuyvesant cafés: questions

Which coffee shop in Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York, took over an old hardware store?

Playground Coffee Shop at 1114 Bedford Avenue, on the corner of Quincy Street. Zenat Begum took over the corner from her father, who ran Abedin Building Supply there for about 20 years, and planned a café and event space for 2016. It now has the Playground Annex bookshop and supports Playground Youth.

What is the "Black Girl Magic Street" in Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York?

It is the local name for Tompkins Avenue between Hancock and Madison streets, known for its stores owned by Black women. Cafés along the avenue include Brown Butter at No. 413, which Myriam Nicolas launched in 2017, and Brooklyn Kettle at No. 385, which sells fair-trade goods.

Which subway lines serve the cafés of Bedford-Stuyvesant in New York?

The A and C trains run under Fulton Street, the neighborhood's main shopping street, and have since 1936. The G runs under Lafayette and Marcy avenues and has since 1937, while the J, M and Z trains follow Broadway along the eastern edge of Bedford-Stuyvesant.

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