Robusta Espresso Bar

This place used to be so great when they first opened. The people there were so nice and the food was always tasty/​They have really gone down hill since. Not sure if it is the change in management or what. They used to have yummy croissants (both chocolate, plain and almond). They still have them but they are now straight up burnt and tough. Like I look in the class and they are burnt! Not sure if they cook them in there themselves or get them brought in from another vendor? But they are no longer tasty. I also think they changed the recipe for their muffins. I had a banana muffin recently and it was so gross, like crumbly and not tasty. Also sometimes the coffee tastes a bit rank, like maybe they need to change the filter more often. Just wish they would go back to the way they were when they first opened. This used to be my morning coffee spot

The lunch special is gone as of July 4, 2014 but the menu prices are a good value for a high quality product. The salads and sandwiches are right sized and tasty. The coffee/​capuchino is as good as I have found anywhere. The staff is very friendly, knowledgable and helpful.

This is my secret morning spot that I grab coffee at before work. Located ok 47^th Street, it’s right on my way to work. At 8:45am after I exit the subway and head towards work and when all the other coffee shops are swarming with tourists and other professionals, Robusta Café is quiet, relaxed and consistent.
The guys behind the counter are always friendly and efficient. I look forward to talking to them every morning. I usually get an ice latte and a croissant; they have a special for only $ 5. The coffee is excellent and the croissants are always fresh. I’ve probably had a dozen this summer alone so it’s a good sample size from which to judge.
Perhaps the most unique aspect about this café is that it’s located in the back a newly designed jewelry merchant center. When I’m walking through at 8:45 every morning, the jewelry are getting set up for the day and it’s pretty cool to be one of the only customers in the center in the morning.
Give this place a shot. But don’t tell to many other people. I like not having to wait in lines on the way to work!

The atmosphere is fine, the food is good — but they advertise 7 $ salads and wraps, but that is inaccurate. Everything cost 10 – 12 now… Not a huge issue — but certainly irritating.

My go to lunch spot. Everything is $ 7 and delicious.

The absolute worst quiche! Where’s the egg? It was a cheesy mess with mushrooms. I thought I was being dramatic but my colleague said she had the broccoli last week and said it was AWFUL.
Perhaps they should stick to coffee product.

Great coffee for excellent value. $ 2.50 for iced coffee, nice staff with lots of sit down space.

A new lunch spot to add to my arsenal!
Robusta brands itself as an espresso bar, but you’ll be more pleasantly surprised with their selection of sandwiches and salads… for $ 5 DOLLARS!
I haven’t had the chance to try their salads yet because their sandwiches are my go-​to. The bread is high quality, and you have your choice of ciabatta, mini baguette, whole grain, and more. You also have a choice of cold cuts and cheeses, and they have vegetarian options as well. They’re a good sized portion for lunch and will leave you satisfied, but not drowsy by the afternoon.
Where else can you find a sandwich in the Financial District for $ 5? (No, seriously… please tell me where so I can go there too.)
I’ve never had a problem finding seats here, and they have free wi-​fi to boot!

I really really wanted to love this place. I live right by here and was looking for a good coffee shop to get work done.
Came in, space is lovely and not overcrowded like Starbucks. Really pleasant and friendly barista greeted me. That’s when things begin going downhill. I glance at the menu, hot chocolate is $ 4.25, a chocolate croissant is $ 3.75. I get it’s Manhattan, but this is probably the most expensive coffee shop I have been too in my year and a half of living on this island.
They advertise free wifi. It was not working at all when I tried to connect. Wait staff again was great and got the manager (owner?). He restarted the router and wifi still doesn’t work on my computer. Manager threw a sorry and then just left. What bothered me was that I felt like I was an annoyance to him. Frustrating first experience, not sure if I will come back. Why is it so hard to find a good coffee shop in fidi with consistent wifi? Don’t think that’s too much to ask. =(

This is my favorite coffee shop in FIDI. Not only is the coffee delicious, but the people who work here are so nice. I work up the block and come here often enough where the baristas have my order memorized. The staff keep the line moving quickly while simultaneously making every customer feel important. The cookies are AMAZING and quite addictive. Baked fresh every few hours, the chocolate melts in your mouth. They’re a little pricey for the size, but worth it for the quality. Lots of seating both indoors and outdoors. I don’t know what I would do without my daily espresso shots from Robusta!

Great location, very good coffee and service. Nice atmosphere and seating too. Nice selection of breakfast and lunch items. Friendly staff.

What a great place to relax and have a great cup of coffee, salad or sandwich. Behind the counter Maria greets you like family. She knows every ones name and their usual order. The two baristas are pros who are quick and serve up there expresso with a smile.
You should have more coffee here, it will make you feel good.
enjoy!

At this café, the staff is ok and the coffee is good, the food is good.
I do find them overpriced even for this expensive area. The regular coffee, lattes are pricer than Starbucks.
Pros: Lines go fast, pastries
Cons: The cashiers are robotic, no «Hello» «Good Morning»
Overpriced
If your not in the mood to fork over $ 3.00 every morning for a cup of joe, the trucks on either corners of Water St make great regular and decaf coffee, your way for half the price.

After coming here quite a few times I got inspired to write a review. Way better than Starbucks and much better service! First it’s bright and inviting. Cashier was super attractive, friendly and attentive. Actual pleasant engagement rather than annoyance that I have interrupted a conversation or text. A little far but worth the walk. Coffee was strong, piping hot and filled to the top. I ordered a everything bagel with goat cheese, spinach and egg. Delicious did not miss the meat. Haven’t tried the pastries yet but I will. Ample space to sit and pleasant views. Bathroom clean. This place is great. Go now.

There’s something vaguely European about this place… maybe it’s because it’s kind of sleek and futuristic without seeming like an inside ironic joke?
Their cappuccinos and lattes are wonderful and are priced similarly to Starbucks, but it has a much more relaxed vibe and a few tables and chairs to sit at. I haven’t tried any of their food but it all looks good and seems to be reasonably priced.

Sehr leckerer, verhältnismäßig günstiger Cappucino, mit Latte Art serviert. Tolle Muffins, bester Tee so far und nette Atmosphäre mitten in Downtown (östlicher Rand, gut zu erreichen nach einer Statue of liberty/​ellis island tour auf dem Weg zur Wall Street!). Definitiv eine Empfehlung, wenn man in der Nähe ist.

Love love love. Robusta serves up delish almond milk cappuccinos with the perfect amount of foam that don’t leave me yearning for additional sweetening. The line moves quickly, the baristas welcome everyone with a smile, and the prices are the lowest I’ve found. The airy, bright colors coupled with a yummy espresso drink are just what you need to get your morning going. Beyond espresso, my coffee drinking friend exclaimed this morning that it’s some of the best coffee she’s ever had. Well done, Robusta!

Robusta was a little lackluster when its coffee is being considered. Although the space is pretty unique and enticing the drink itself was a bit mediocre. Now, I have only tried this place once, but chances are slim I would go back on my next trip out to NYC. Make sure to try it out for yourselves so you can get your own opinion. If you’re a fan of red, you might just fall in love.

I’ve been getting incredible café au lait and breakfast sandwiches/​pastries from Financier for years so when this joint opened closer to my job, I was excited. My excitement diminishes very quickly. After one visit, I think it becomes obvious to everyone why there are no customers inside this very large, trendy looking coffee shop while there are lines at Financier, Starbucks, and even the random trucks serving coffee:
1. Coffee is so mediocre, comparable to instant
2. The cashier lady is intolerable before my morning coffee
3. They (the annoying cashier lady specifically) bribe customers with free pastry for a good review on Unilocal
4. but the free pastry they give out really isn’t good enough to elicit a good review

I think everyone in the immediate vicinity was incredibly excited that this coffee place opened. For the first week or two, they were doing $ 2 anything so you can get a muffin or a large latte for $ 2. Within that week, I got an iced latte and a large coffee. I was definitely not impressed with the coffee and sad about the iced latte, it really was bad. They were also giving away cookies and muffins and those were delicious.
After a 2 and half month hiatus downtown, I finally returned to my office. Robusta gave some of the area companies a card for a free pastry and coffee as a welcome back present. Not going to lie, I thought they were taken out by the storm. They have a large space for a coffee shop but the windows are huge and go from the ceiling to the floor. I was definitely surprised they were back in business considering lots of the area business are still not back.
The coffee was alright but the croissant and the chocolate croissants were amazing! I had to have these things twice (yea, maybe I have coworkers on diets who gave me their cards…). If anything I’ll be back again for pastries.

I am so happy that another coffee shop is open in FiDi (other than starbucks and financier). I came here twice, with both times ordering cappuccino. Coffee was decent. The baristas took their time to make me a nice design in my coffee. but I think they kinda messed up the latte and cappuccino. First of all, the milk was not steamed till the perfect temperature. It was really cold. forget about it. one of my coworker ordered latte, and I ordered cappuccino. Both taste the same. How can this happen?
But the coffee was still good tho. at least something different in FiDi.