Gossip Coffee

Walking by around 10am on a Sunday and with few options open in Astoria at that time I decided to drop in. Mind that I don’t drink coffee so I ordered an ice matcha latte and a mini donut (I’m a sucker for minature items). I was unaware this place was known for their donuts but the mini donut was nothing to rave about — airy and not too sweet but I wouldn’t go out of my way to get one. The matcha iced latte had no sugar added but the green tea taste was very prominent which I enjoyed. The service was good and there’s free wifi. I will definitely return to try the other donuts and the donutchino!

Spent $ 17 On a huge donut, a tiny portion of banana coconut rice pudding and iced chocolate milk with almond milk.
The huge donut I got looks like what a cracked out baker would make at the end of his donut shift with some extra dough the leftover glaze of several donuts and a handful of sprinkles and coconut flakes. It was amazing though I can’t really compare it to dough and that might be because it’s later in the day? Either way it’s a solid donut and I will def. be coming back to try them all!!!
The little banana coconut rice pudding I got had such a pleasant texture but I was surprised by the flavor? It didn’t taste anything like banana in fact it really reminded me of a piña colada drink. I didn’t see a plain option and I love coconut and banana so opted for that. Not super impressed by the flavor but I will try again!
The iced chocolate milk was solid, I don’t come across chocolate milk often so I said why not ?
The service was great and even though the cashier seemed bothered by life I get that she could just be over the day and that’s cool.
Nice place to stumble upon I recommend it for the drinks and the donuts and the rice pudding I see the potential for greatness!

Decided to give this coffee shop a try and it wasn’t even all that. The atmosphere inside is really nice and the outdoor seating in the back is very relaxing! The doughnuts are way over priced for no reason! Two doughnuts for $ 12 is absurd especially since it’s nothing to brag about.

Coffee is not the best I’ve ever had, but is still pretty good. They tout their donuts, but I went for the rice pudding and it was fantastic! One of the best I’ve ever had. I like my rice pudding less liquid-​y and it fit my taste palette. I had the butter pecan, but they have about 6 – 7 other flavors as well.
There are a few nice seats at the front, a counter facing a wall for seating, and a communal table. AND there’s a small but nice outdoor space as well.
The servers were great too — very friendly. If I’m in the area and have a coffee or rice pudding craving, I’m definitely coming back.

I could write an entire review based on how clear this café makes to me that I am getting older. I’m 36 — but I probably brought the average age in there up by a few hundred bps.
Having said that, Gossip looks great. Nice seating. Interesting looking donuts (I didn’t indulge). There’s a pleasant garden in the back. The iced coffee I tried was smooth and tasty. And, I’m told (actually, I eavesdropped on people eating it) that the various rice puddings are delicious.
So, a good addition to now buzzing 30^th Avenue.

Very solid coffee spot!
Ample seating including a beautiful outdoor seating in the «backyard». The décor is bright, lively and full of color! They’ve also got a selection of pastries, doughnuts, and even rice pudding that I believe are from «Rice to Riches».
WiFi is really great! Seats are comfy, and the high stools have backs on them (always something I can appreciate).
It’s a great place to do work and when it’s nice outside, the outdoor area is great for socializing! I try to keep from doing the socializing indoors because the majority of people in there are getting work done.
Service is good, the baristas are friendly and efficient. Feel free to ask to sample Rice Pudding flavors! They gotchu!
I DO wish they’d fix those shaky circular tables or replace them with bigger/​sturdier ones. I can barely type on those things without it feeling like it’s going to collapse.
Although the place IS great, it’s not a go-​to café for me, especially during the winter. Really tough to find parking around the area, and it’s a 5 – 15 min walk from the nearest station. I’m not a snob but I’d rather not make the inconvenient commute just to NOT have a seat, cause it does get full in there really fast.

I am madly in love with this place! Their coffee is good; the doughnuts are incredible; and the service is excellent! One barista, Angelis is the epitome of high quality hospitality, and Gossip is definitely lucky to have him.
I typically go to Gossip to do work, but it is a wonderful place to just hang out with friends. Especially with summer around the corner, go to Gossip to enjoy the back patio area. It’s lovely.

A lovely, brightly colored coffee shop in Astoria. This coffee shop is my weekly spot to hang out with a cup of coffee and get some work done.
Drink options are typical with drip coffee, cold brews, latte, espressos, etc. Being unable to take vast amounts of caffeine in one sitting, I usually just get a 12oz coffee for $ 2.25. Their other drinks options are reasonable in prices ranging from $ 3.00-$ 5.00
But Gossip’s specialty seems to be their rice pudding and donuts. I’ve tried the Prosciutto Guinness and Lemon Poppyseed. Both are DELICIOUS. The Prosciutto Guinness has perfectly soft interior covered in delicious frosting. It tastes luxuriously delectable AND it’s covered in bits of bacon– which adds just the right amount of savory to the donut. The Lemon Poppyseed is actually very tart and citrusy.
The baristas here are always friendly and smiling whenever you walk in the door. Makes for a great Friday morning when you’re about to get some serious work done. And free Wifi!, Lots of tables and outlets that are far apart enough you don’t need to suck in your breath to get to the restroom.
The best part is the adorable back patio, with plenty of seating and sunlight. Highly highly recommend!

GO AND TRY THE PROSCIUTTO GUINNESS soft, melt-​in-​your-​mouth-​like-​the-​former-​krispykreme DOUGHNUT AND YOU WONT REGRET IT!!! each doughnut has a unique blend of flavor, hand crafted and made fresh daily by chef Scottish Francis (you may know him from masterchef).
this may just be the most hipster coffee shop in astoria. the patterns are dope, the seating arrangement suggests an air of sophistication, surrounded by books – it’s 1920s swag with a modern touch. plus! outdoor seating is that added bonus! the shop is just a huge attraction for the trendy young folk in town, which brings it to it’s only pitfall: it gets too crowded (and is a tad far from me) to be my go-​to coffee shop. BUT still so worth it.
the coffee + rice pudding are also BOMB. so don’t forget to try those out too while you’re there.

My friend came in to grab some coffee meanwhile I saw on Unilocal that the Prosciutto Guinness donut was a must-​try. It really interested me and we got here at like 3pm on a Saturday. They were sold out! I would rate their coffee ⁴⁄₅ stars though!
Feb. 2016
I was in the area and wanted a quick dessert but this time it was around 1pm on a weekday. I went in and they had the donut I’ve been dying to try, along with other donut flavors. I quickly ordered the donut and was so excited to snap a picture of it and try it right away. I took a bite out of it… it was not what I expected. It wasn’t sweet, did not taste the Guinness at all and honestly, it didn’t taste sweet nor savory. If I ripped a piece off to taste without knowing it was a donut, I would have guessed it was bread or something. Definitely not worth the $ 4.50 for this donut.
Overall, I think I would come back to try the other donuts and of course, some coffee too!

Came here based on a recommendation that this is the best café in Astoria. I’m really into the modern chic décor and super relaxed LA at Gossip Coffee, but my vanilla latte was pure milk and no coffee. The barista was so kind and made me a new one free of charge, but it was only slightly better. I couldn’t even drink a third of my cup. Alas, I didn’t think the experience was worth $ 5.

In full disclosure, I worked in the NYC coffee business for a while years ago (both local and corporate). After leaving, I made my own coffee at home most of the time. I also found my experiences at NYC coffee shops to be disappointing to the point that I almost stopped going to them completely.
One night, thanks to a nearby Unilocal event, I decided to stop at Gossip for a quick pick me up. I had no expectations except for having caffeine in my system. I left impressed.
There must have been two baristas on yet the place was clean and relaxing. The condiments were nicely arranged and there wasn’t spilled sugar or milk strewn about. They were also very pleasant, not trying to close the store around you and not pretentious. Starbucks could a learn a lesson or two from these guys.
I saw the La Marzocco machines and knew that I had to try their espresso (macchiato, please). It was great. Smooth shots, nicely steamed milk, and I even got latte art.
Until the next.

This place makes great coffee. One of my favorite drinks in this place is the freddo cappuccino. The doughnuts that I got were okay. weren’t really that fresh. maybe because I went towards the end of the day. During the summer they have the outdoor seating in the back that is really nice. Great addition to the neighborhood.

I was determined to visit Gossip Coffee after seeing a few of their photos on Instagram and Unilocal.I wanted to see what was up with their Ziggy Stardust donut, and see what kind of latte art I would get.
45 minute subway ride later and: no ziggy stardust donut, and a little leaf in latte art. Instead I got a Spicy Pomegranate donut (fruity but with red pepper flakes) and my friend got a Proscuitto donut (sweet and covered in bacon bits). For $ 4, these donuts weren’t anything to write home about.
I got a cappucino and my friend got a caramel latte. The drinks were solid, but I think my expectations were a little too high.
I suppose you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, but I was really expecting more from this place.

People change, everyone knows that, but it is worth noting that love also changes. Though neither we nor our lovers can be what we once were just five minutes ago, a second ago, the love that exists between us changes alongside, becomes not less but more. Grows stronger, stranger, more beautiful.
NYC itself is a good example of this. The feelings one has for each borough alters and yet, at the same time, the boroughs themselves are undergoing change. As the hype for Brooklyn grows it’s become kind of washed out, and as Astoria has perhaps just begun to garner some interest, it is actually going wild right now in terms of food.
There is one of the most popular brunch spots in the entire city (Queen’s Comfort), probably the most popular Thai place (SriPraPhai), super hipster pizza (Milkflower), and definitely one of the very best coffee shops with Gossip.
Gossip is amazing. The espresso itself is exceptional, and they definitely serve up some expertly crafted almond milk cortados. I personally found the stellar rice pudding to be far superior to the somewhat dense but extremely creative donuts.
The scene here also has this «thank god I am not in Brooklyn right now» aesthetic that I really like, and there is ample seating.
So, don’t worry that Astoria is getting more gentrified or Manhattan less gentrified, and when you are watching netflix with your SO tonight, don’t worry about that one might change; rather, know that this would only make your love more singular and strong, the way a tree grows into and around an object and, in doing so, becomes more beautiful.

It’s a hip café in Astoria. There’s even outdoor seating in the back of the café. It’s like their own backyard but for customers. They a single bathroom, high chairs everywhere and comfortable cushioned chairs. It was spacious. The staffs were so welcoming and friendly. They even have rice pudding in different flavors.
I absolutely love their banana walnut bread. It was so fragrant. The inside was very moist, it came to me still warm. The banana and walnut flavors really came through. Neither masked or overpowered the other. The ratio of banana to walnut was perfect.

Newer spot on 30^th as of Summer 2015. Great vibe inside, really finely detailed styling and a beautifully done outside area. I’ve come a couple of times now and held off my review until I got a chance to feel the place out.
Staff up front is lovely and warm. The barista, who also may be the owner hard to tell, is a true artist. So finely focused on his craft and attention to detail for each cup. I LOVE the rice pudding offerings, seriously who knew you could provide so many flavors! The only complaint is it is way overpriced. I would love to come and try more but I really think the price point needs to be adjusted.
Today I picked up I think a chocolate cake donut and it was amazing. I think it compares to Peter Pan in Greenpoint, maybe a step just below. Let’s be honest Peter Pan have he best donuts in the outer Burroughs.
I will definitely keep Gossip in mind as the cold winter approaches. Nice addition to the neighborhood!

Update!
I went into Gossip coffee again today, a little hungrier and a lot more exhausted then the last time.
I sampled coconut and chocolate chip rice pudding (even though I know and love that flavor), but opted for a donut since there were a few on display. I ordered an emoji donut, which looks like a small chocolate sprinkled donut.
I also ordered an almond milk latte.
The latte was terrific. Two brown sugars and a sprinkle of cinnamon and it was just sweet enough, but the milk was thick and frothy and the the espresso flavor was extremely detectable– in a good way.
The donut was okay. I prefer the rice pudding and will stick to that next time, but it was a decent pastry to compliment my latte. It wasn’t as airy and easy to breathe in in a millisecond, as donuts usually are. It was way more dense, and honestly tasted like chocolate frosted bread to me. I can see a lot of people loving it, though.
I should also add that I HATE donuts, by the way, so I kind of did this to myself. I guess I was expecting some sort of super donut that would change my taste buds, haha.
$ 8.50. Fair.
I stand by my 5 stars, and will continue to be an active customer.

I submit that the only thing more magnetic than a fluffy, chewy, Guinness Stout frosted, crispy prosciutto topped doughnut from Gossip Coffee is perhaps an Oxycontin infused, black tar heroin glazed, cocaine-​flour hot sex biscuit. And those things are prohibitively expensive, you guys. Maybe even illegal? I dunno… I’m not a lawyer. So why bother with that back alley business when Gossip Coffee makes enjoyment so simple?
Don’t like Guinness? Don’t like crispy, salty bits of fancy Italian bacon? Well, you’re clearly a complete @sshole…but you’re in luck! The other doughnut choices here are just as heavenly. The orange creamsicle and banana coconut are two of my favorites, though you can’t go wrong with the key lime, either. In fact, the only item I didn’t quite enjoy were the Buzz Bites– little fried dough balls rolled in sugar and coffee grounds. They kind of taste like sweetened and slightly burned foam nuggets. But they will send you into hyperspace if you need a caffeine boost. I turbo-​parkoured my way down the very center of 30^th while urinating uncontrollably after consuming a small bag of these.
At the end of the day I’m still a hardcore Team Doughnut Plant/​Dough/​Peter Pan guy, but I am a fan of this place. The glazes and combos at Gossip Coffee are excellent and the texture of the dough is perfect, but the flavor of the base dough itself is a bit bland. If you try a bite without toppings/​glaze you’ll understand what I mean. But honestly, who in their right mind would do that anyway? You’ll have a fine time. The iced coffee is also very well made. Still not as good as Brooklyn Bagel (in my opinion the best in Astoria), but very close. It has that rich, smooth, borderline chocolatey mouthfeel that sets it apart and melds perfectly with the creamy, salty, sweet Guinness prosciutto doughnut that should ALREADY BE IN YOUR HAND.
Seriously. The review is over. Go.

Gossip Coffee sprung up on 30^th ave about 2 weeks ago or so. They were being covered by a variety of social media things I follow and I was excited because this is pretty much a skip, hop and a jump away from where I put my head down at night. The most popular thing I saw that really drew me to want to come here ASAP was their Prosciutto Guinness doughnut. *cue Homer Simpson soundbite* Mmmmmm… douuughnuuuuut *end soundbite*.
To be honest, I’m not even much of a doughnut person. I rarely have a sweet tooth and while I enjoy things like doughnuts, cupcakes, cake slices (screw pie, pie is stupid unless it’s made out of Oreo cookies or it’s Dinosaur BBQ’s Chocolate Icebox pie) it has to be an occasion, given to me for free during a time where I am hungry or a craving that comes about once every 4 months. But Prosciutto Guinness? Yep. Sign me right up.
I hopped over here yesterday eager to get some doughnut action on and was surprised to see that Gossip Coffee has a really beautiful outdoor space. The inside interior is also really awesome looking. It’s got a retro feel with lots of red Herringtooth print accentuating the walls and the floor. They also have free wifi here (5G and regular speed) so this is definitely a good spot for people to get some work done while they munch on baked goods and hydrate.
I purchased my Prosciutto Guinness doughy goodness and hopped outside to enjoy this sucker alone (fatass status? Nah. I prefer the term dedicated foodie).
Before I review this magical baked good, I’d like to give a little background… Chef «Scottish» Francis Legge is the man responsible for most (maybe all?) of the doughnuts at Gossip Coffee. He is famous (or infamous) for having starred in season five of the FOX (barf) reality cooking show (YAY! I love reality cooking shows!!!) MasterChef. They’re also owned by James Paloumbis and John Bortolis, the team behind local Astoria restaurant MexiBBQ (check out their boozy brunch if you haven’t been! They also have spare rib nights! RIBS!).
Each doughnut here will set you back $ 4.50. While these are pretty expensive for a doughnut, let’s remember that this isn’t a DONUT, it’s a DOUGHNUT. It’s bigger, made with better quality ingredients and is a much more creative and innovative flavor. Dunkin is for commoners (okay, okay — I don’t mind them… their munchkins are BOSS) and fancypants doughnuts are for folks who like the finer things in life… like motherclucking PROSCIUTTO AND GUINNESS. GUINNESS, MY FRIENDS. IN A DOUGHNUT FROSTING. FROSTING. Get my drift? Good.
Other doughnut varieties available here include an «everything doughnut» which looked like a vanilla bean frosting doughnut with crunched up cookies on it (I definitely peeked a solid Oreo bit in there!), lemon poppy seed, key lime pie and Orange Creamsicle. Also available are doughnut holes called «Buzz Bits» that are rolled in espresso and chocolate bits. ESPRESSO and CHOCOLATE. CHOCOLATE. Again, these aren’t your basic doughnuts. These are mind-​bending flavors people!!!
If doughnuts aren’t your thing, or it’s a hot sunny day and you want something to cool you off, Gossip Coffee also has a rice pudding bar with nine different flavors, including rocky road, banana coconut and cheese cake.
And if that wasn’t enough, Gossip Coffee also has (make sure that you’re sitting down now, this one is a doozy!), COFFEE. They brew both hot and cold coffee and espresso drinks, and also sell iced tea — served on tap — in 10 different flavors. Holy moly coffee beans! I didn’t get the coffee because I’m a jerk that just wanted a doughnut and then a beer, lol. But I definitely will be back for some yummy caffeinated liquid.
Okay, so that Prosciutto Guinness doughnut I kept yapping about earlier — MAN. That shizzle was delicious! The prosciutto bits were crunchy, a little candied, but they retained their salt-​ness. The Guinness frosting was sweet, but not overly so… nothing like your average vanilla, chocolate or super sugar glaze frosting. It truly was reminiscent of the foam on an ice cold and properly poured Guinness. Good — no way — GREAT stuff.
The doughnut itself was larger than average and a little flat as if something heavier had been sitting on top of it for awhile… maybe a metal tray full of fresh doughnuts perhaps? Still, the dough itself was delicious, fluffy, moist, not too dense and while a little plain I think an overly flavored doughy part would be overkill and compete too much with the delicious top part. Good ratio of sweet to not-​sweet — just like a good doughnut should be.
I’ll definitely be back here soon — I’ve already locked down my younger sister for a dinner & doughnut date! 5 stars.