Bittersweet

The doughnuts are fantastic! The hibiscus caught my interest and I’m glad it did. The fried dough and the cream on top just melt together so delectably.

My friend recommended this place and she was right. I might not be a coffee exports but the coffee was great! Sadly they run out of donuts… Would love to try it next time.

Absolutely love this place. Perfect coffee and delish house made bakery items. I love the corn muffin and the ham and cheese croissant. It’s the go to spot near Fort Greene Park.

This place should definitely have a higher rating. Best Iced Americano in Fort Greene/​Clinton Hill. Hibiscus iced tea (unsweetened) is also delicious, as are the scones. Plus, they have pup-​approved homemade dog treats, hence the regular canine crowd. Pay no mind to these 1-​star sourpusses.

I am a community developer in the Clinton Hill and a daily coffee drinker — americano, black, no milk or sugar to hide behind. They make it on the mark every time.
I consider Bittersweet to be my second office. I spend hours at a time working and observing customer service in this well run café. They manage rush-​hour with care, anticipating drink orders of regular customers and keeping traffic flowing through the narrow storefront.
During slow shifts they clean continuously, everything from the the napkin dispensers to simple syrup containers, making sure that countertops remain free of sticky spills and restocking for the next rush.
They have remained a steadfast business despite growing neighborhood competition. Having tried many other options within proximity I find myself back and back again at this mom & pop.
Looking through other reviews I see similar sentiment. When I am posted at their counter for several hours I watch satisfied regulars come for their choice items and kindly check in with the hard-​working staff. Sandwiches, salads, and other goods are readily available and they continue to make them throughout the day for optimal freshness.
Disappointed reviewers complain of poor customer service. I observe many of these incidents and attest that too often it is customer expectations that are to blame, not the personal interest of the staff. I offer them my whole self and get the same in return.
Addressing the recent review by Meredith R. of «ice costing a $ 1 and dry doughnuts from Dough»… this reviewer must consider that iced drinks in any coffee shop cost more as it requires additional energy to acquire and store ice. At Bittersweet ice is hauled up from their basement kitchen — any observant customer could appreciate the labor. Dough doughnut shop is located less than a mile from Bittersweet. If the pastry «looked» dry then I recommend the short and beautiful walk to the source.
Loyal customers and loyal staff are the backbone of small businesses in Brooklyn. This place boasts both. Come see for yourself. I will probably be there.

I have to rate this place bc after my first visit, I am not impressed… Their homemade chai latte is probably much better warm but over ice, not tasty at all. All you taste is the spicy chai. Plus, they charge $ 1 for ice! Really?! Plus the doughnuts from Dough looked completely dried out.

Best coffee in Fort Greene. I get a cappuccino pretty much every day here, and they’re consistently good. Fast service, too. They have never messed up my order, which I cannot say for a place like Starbucks.
I also find the people working there to be nice. Once, I accidentally dropped my coffee pretty much the second I had it in my hand, and they made me a new one and didn’t charge. Worth living in Fort Greene for!

I work close to Bittersweet and it is lifesaver for my coworkers and I. Most of us venture there a few times a week, while some of us make daily trips! It’s a tiny little coffee shop with a handful of barstool seats in the rear. They have all sorts of coffees and teas, in addition to some incredible lemonade and hot chocolate! The croissants (chocolate, veggie, ham/​cheese, and regular) are fresh and will make you feel as though you’re in a café in France. I’m also a fan of the chocolate chip cookies (big and small sizes… always go for the big one!). Sometimes they are a little harder than I’d like depending on who’s baking that day, but 10 seconds in the microwave will remedy this for you! They also have a small selection of pre made sandwiches and salads if you’re in need of something a little heartier.
Tip: starting at 3 pm, food items are half off!

Great place for a quick morning breakfast. Ham & cheese croissants are delicious and the coffee is very good. It’s small inside but I like to cross the street and eat in Fort Greene park

My first time here. It’s small it’s clean. I was served quickly. Nice menu, good staff. They were friendly to me.

The coffee is pretty good. Really good. They have donuts from dough like every other coffee shop on this block. Most of the staff has a shitty attitude. Not a really friendly vibe.

Poor service all around. I’ve dealt with numerous staff at all times of day and it seems like they just hate life.
It’s unfortunate because the coffee is decent and they have Dough doughnuts. The service just kills all the good things they have going for them. There’s too many better options in the neighborhood to deal with their rudeness.

Zero Customer Service at times Good Coffee and Great Donut Selection from Dough. The Customers in the Early A. M where more chipper Pre-​coffee than the Baristas where. oh well you cant have it all. my sisters loves this spot and raves about there Sandwiches

Been living in Fort Greene for a little over a year now and happy to get to call this my neighborhood coffee spot.
Espresso drinks and the cold brew are my favorite, and if you want to get indulgent their mocha is sooo good.
Great selection of sandwiches and pastries. When I first started going I overlooked them but now I’ve tried basically everything and they’re all delicious. Recommend: croissants, sticky bun, corn cheese muffin, and of course the dough donuts.

(Prologue) … The holidays have been very good to me, as seen through my recent review tear of five star gems (check out the 4 – 5 reviews I have written before this one). Alas, even the mightiest of empires fall, and even the wildest of parties run out of booze… and like all good things that must come to an end, this (very generously given) three star review may very well be the last review of the year as written by yours truly; at the very least, on a smaller scale, this review marks the end of the terrific five star joints I’ve had to review the past few times.
And onto the review… following brunch between myself and a fellow Brooklyn Unilocaler, we decided to take a stroll in Dumbo, for cardiovascular purposes which would ultimately justify our collective desire to find & eat dessert (specifically donuts). Bittersweet was the first stop on our donut quest. I placed my trust in the heart of the cards (errr, I mean the Unilocal reviews of this place), as well as my fellow Unilocaler/​Brooklynite, to guide me to donuts.
Upon arriving at this joint we saw a donut list (specifically saying «donuts from –Dough-​«). Unfortunately, no donuts were available, or bread pudding (also a menu item that seemed a mite promising), or anything particularly tantalizing that piqued our interests. Understandable, it was a Sunday, so perhaps the weekly stockpile for good things had been depleted (and judging by the amount of clients in the place, Sundays are a slow day at Bittersweet).
Backed into a corner, we opted for the only thing available… muffins. They came in a number of flavors, but we opted for lemon. It was super dense, super dry, more akin to a brick than actual food. To top it all off, it was wayy too sweet… no me gusta, and between two Unilocalers strong, with indomitable wills and half-​empty stomachs, we couldn’t even finish half of this excuse of a sickeningly sweet packing peanut.
The Earl Grey tea wasn’t bad though, but a toddler can prepare a satisfactory cup of tea with little effort. If I ever find myself back at this place, perhaps this joint could pull off a better score, but with such bare offerings and subpar (lemon) muffins, perhaps there is no real urgency to revisit this place… at the very least, I’ll be sure to avoid it on Sundays.

You know how something will happen and then you think of a come back 10 minutes too late? That’s exactly how I feel right now and it’s eating me up inside.
This place is alright. coffee is generally good, kind of slow service, especially in the mornings, and it’s slightly inconvenient that they’re cash only.
As I wait for my cappuccino this morning, the barista tries to give me a latte (he called it out as a latte).
Me: is this a latte or a cappuccino?
Barista: we make them the same here
Me: (dumbfounded)
What self respecting barista would say that? After looking at my cup and realizing the handwriting was a bit misleading, I realized he thought it said latte so he just LIED to me instead of admitting he made the wrong drink.
Am I upset I got the wrong drink? Yes. But I’m LIVID that this guy would try to take advantage of his customer and assume we don’t know anything about the coffee making process. People work hard for their money so if I pay for one thing, that’s what I want and don’t think I can’t tell the difference.
Dick.

Good staff, friendly and professional that carves out delicious coffee and have amazingly good gluten free muffins, I highly recommend it if you’re around in soft and nice Fort Greene!

Came here to grab iced coffee which was great. Simple syrup is necessary when it comes to iced coffee season so thank you bittersweet for having not only 1 but 2 simple syrup options (one made from refined sugar and one made from raw)
After taking a look at the pastries, my mouth was watering and I took home a scallion cheddar scone. IT WAS DELICIOUS! Best choice I’ve made all day. it was moist, buttery, and savory with a little spicy kick from the onions.
Since you’re right across the street from my apartment, bittersweet, you will be seeing more of me.
Note: there was no line when I walked in at 8:00am on a Thursday. The prices weren’t cheap but average.

Came here to grab coffee and found an amazing assortment of pastries and baked goods. Don’t be put off by its small size.
The line moved fairly quickly and the employees were eager to help. Great location by the park, too, and makes for fun people/​dog watching.

Lines are too long for what they offer and the staff are not the nicest. Don’t get snippy with me cause you don’t have anything that’s on your menu!
We got a mocha donut after they didn’t have anything else that we wanted. It was good, which was lucky for them.
The coffee wasn’t anything spectacular and I didn’t see much else in their pastries that looked like I would come back. Also, you have to play twister with complete strangers if you want to add cream or milk to your coffee.
The set up of the place was tight and uncomfortable for people to get in and out of. To say all this, I really wanted to like this place more than just a 3-​star rating.