9 Bar Cafe

Always a great place for coffee and pastries.

Awesome coffee place. It has a very Italian/​European vibe and usually whoever is working at the counter has an Italian accent. The service is extremely friendly and I like the neighborhood feel. I do not drink coffee but every time I bring a friend here, they rave and say it’s too quality coffee. I come for the pastries which are baked in house. I don’t normally have a sweet tooth but their pastries are exceptional! I sometimes get hot tea or iced tea on the side. The ice tea is wonderful albeit a little pricey. There are tables to sit at and plugs so it is also a good place to study or work.

My husband and I have gone here several times for coffee and a pastry and it has never failed to disappoint. Their cappuccinos are amazing, their cannoli were delicious, and the service is quick and polite. Highly recommended!

This place is ok. Pastries were a little on the dry side. The coffee is good. If you need to use the bathroom you have to ask for the key (FYI). It’s a cute addition to the neighborhood, but nothing to high five about. The lady working the counter was really nice. They close around 5:30 pm on weekdays.

This place has excellent coffee.
Rachele is the sweetest! She makes you feel as if your in a café in Italy.
You will also love the the gluten free muffins.

Their coffee and espresso are the best in town. I always go for the café au lait. The cinnamon scones are delicious and a wonderful treat. The «cheese ball» are amazing. What a wonderful way to start the day.
The crew is always friendly and happy too.

Wait… cappuccino with two shots of expresso tastes like Starbucks??? O man… please don’t say it’s good coffee

Stopped in for a coffee and a snack. There were a variety of cookies and pastries on the counter, as well as some fresh-​baked potato pizza/​flatbreads and ham&cheese quiche. I was thinking a simple black&white cookie… the lovely lady behind the counter sold me on the quiche, still warm from the oven… I left with both :-P The coffee was bold and the vibe sufficiently quaint and rustic. A great addition to the Downtown JC scene.

No WIFI! They have a sign by the counter trying to promote more people to talk to one another at a coffee shop. A shame though because they use to have Wifi and now they don’t. Super shady!
Coffee and espresso are good

Italian café/​bakery with good quality lattes and nice selection of pastries and other breakfast items. I tried their Italian style donut pastry (made in house) — which was delicious and great complement to the latte.
The reason I’m giving it 3 stars is because I feel like this place caters to a specific group of people. First of all, they don’t offer wifi (by design) because they want to encourage conversation. That right there cuts out people that don’t have a wifi hotspot and want to work out of a coffee shop. It also cuts out people that maybe want to just relax and read a book; since they want to encourage conversation — it was filled with people talking over each other and it just got plain LOUD. I guess they succeeded in what they want to do!
This place will be more of a takeout place for me if I decide to go back. But as far as sitting and enjoying their noisy ambiance with no wifi — I’ll pass.

I’ve been trying to get here for a while now but never managed to make it before closing time until today.
Glad I’ve saved my money.
The coffee was one of the weakest cups I’ve ever had.
The owners (?) were manning the register and they were not very friendly with the customers. Not short just not friendly. Flustered maybe? I Can’t put my finger on it and didn’t take it personally and
It wouldn’t be a big deal if the coffee was delicious.
My husband tried an almond lemon custard pastry. It was dry. I was glad it was his and not mine.
The bathroom is out of order. Apparently its been like that awhile. It’s a coffee house people. Not cool.
And the cherry on my experience here is that when closing time came there were several tables and the owners clumsily shooed people out.
I get it.
Its closing time.
You aint gotz to go home etc…
But you just sold me this dry inedible pastry with this over milked weak coffee to stay and you’re handing me my hat at closing time on the dot.
The industrial shelves and tables are fabulous though, just like the ones I have in my kitchen…
where Ill be having my coffee instead of here.

I actually no longer go to this café after the proprietor would ask people to leave or move if they were sitting alone at a table, put in a credit card minimum, and at least at the time wanted to remove WiFi. At any rate, they had begun to make getting the WiFi password awkward and unpleasant. The food is also just OK and portions are rather small.
Like it or not, people work and linger in coffee shops around here. That’s part of the appeal of having a relaxed and friendly space. I’ll stick to places like Chocopain.

Italian style espresso. Reclaimed wooden tables. Been there, done that.

Cups down, the best one in downtown Jersey City. Drink it black, and you’ll know what I mean: velvety richness. It seems like most outfits lean toward a citrusy house blend, which usually tastes sour or burnt dependent on brew style.
One sip of this will transport you to a piazza, where time lullabies you to simple pleasures like people watching and chatting. Who knew that coffee culture would arrive in Jersey City amongst all this high rise development?

Tried out 9 Bar Café a couple of weeks ago because of the rave coffee reviews that I read. The drinks were so-​so. I had a latte and my husband had mocha. The latte was definitely not the best I’ve had in my life. But the mocha ended up being the saving grace it had shreds of chocolate shaved into it, which helped to redeem my mediocre drink. The reason for my three star review is mainly for its food options.
We originally came here for brunch but we’re disappointed to see the limited menu. We had to leave to eat elsewhere and come back later in the day for coffee. They really need to up the options for food available.
I will say that the staff was really friendly so I will be back again to test out other drink options!

9 Bar Café offers up some of the best espresso I’ve ever had.
A tiny, charming storefront with just a few tables, 9 Bar keeps things simple: drip coffee, espresso, lattes/​cappucinos, and a few baked goods. The Americano, priced right at $ 3 for a 12oz cup, packs in that glorious espresso taste. And, with the weather heating up, good cold brew will be a must.

I’ve been here twice so far for their café au lait, and it is seriously good! The coffee is not bitter whatsoever and they heat and slightly froth the milk to perfection (tried both soy and regular milk). They also offer pastries but I have yet to try any. Maybe next time!
Both times I’ve been here on a Saturday morning, and the café was not too busy. Don’t get me wrong, business was not slow! There was usually at least one person in line and another coming through the door. Most tables had customers already seated with their food and drinks. There doesn’t appear to be much of a laptop culture here. It seems that the café encourages more of a European view towards the café experience — come in for conversation and a moment of relaxation with a perfectly made cup. I can get behind that!
I haven’t had the opportunity to speak very much with the owners, but they were courteous and friendly each time I came in. I had no problems with my order whatsoever. In line with their European view towards cafés, you won’t find the ginormous Starbucks-​sized drinks. I ordered a medium café au lait both times, and they looked more like a Starbucks «small.» I actually don’t mind because despite its size, the caffeine is most certainly a medium! Their prices seem very fair, especially with the quality of their product.
Another matter to note, my friend ordered a macchiato and received a European-​style caffe macchiato. It was an espresso with a small touch of milk. If you want more milk, order a latte macchiato (espresso-​based with plenty of warm milk) or a café au lait (coffee-​based with a 50 – 50 milk to coffee ratio).

This was my first visit, but definitely not my last! I’ve been hearing for a while now how good this place is, and I’m super relieved to find out that it really lives up to its reputation.
1) Not to oversell it, but the espresso is PERFECT! Very strong with a great taste. In my experience, it’s surprisngly hard to find a combo of these two qualities. Just one cup had me up and running all day! (Literally! I was on the treadmill at top speed lol.)
2) Considering the quality of the coffee/​espresso drinks and food items, everything is very well-​priced. Comparable pricing in regards to other coffee shops and bakeries in the area, but the taste and variety really make it stand out. Next time, I’ll aim to come during lunch to try one of their sandwiches.
3) The women behind the counter were nice. I didn’t converse with them much, but I could tell from their interactions with other customers that they really make the effort to get to know their regulars, offer suggestions, and keep everyone comfortable and happy. The service was very quick, too.
4) The atmosphere is sophisticated, but very relaxed. And I especially loved the décor — from the explanation of the name «9 bar» to the old-​timey blown-​up photo of Newark Ave. to the beautiful white swimming goldfish clock. Seriously, the longer I stayed and really observed the room, the more I was taken away with the beauty of the place.
5) Parking can be tough, but convenient location in downtown Jersey City.
Looking forward to my next cup!

This coffee and espresso here is so damn good. On top of that the owners are super knowledgeable without being coffee elitists. Major plus for me. 9 Bar is also a legit «coffee house’ because there is more than enough space for people to stay and enjoy an amazing espresso, a cannoli or just a good cup of coffee. The list of goodness goes on and on and hear more food is on the way. Cannot wait.
This is definitely my new go-​to coffee spot in Downtown JC.

Gourmet at its best! Fresh pastries like when I was sitting in pizza Roma cafes and the champs élysées cafes. No kidding!!! So happy we have something like this locally. Almost unbelievable. Way cheaper than flying to Europe! These people know what they are doing. It’s no wonder the owner has more than twenty years in the business.
Can’t wait till they serve their full menu so try everything.
Will leave more comments as I visit each time.
Bellisimo!!!
Lunch again.