On a nice day in Union Square look for the bright orange Mud Truck – usually hanging out on the corner by Virgin Records. Unlike the brown sludge that most street vendors pass off as coffee, The Mud Truck takes its Arabica beans seriously. The novelty of the Mud Truck is taking off – four bright orange trucks now dot Manhattan streets. If you’re not keen on standing on a street corner waiting for a cup, head to the flagship Kiehl’s store on Third Avenue and 13th Street, where the Mud Truck has set up shop indoors.

107 3rd Avenue @ 13th Street

(212) 253-9880

A delicious cafe for delicate pastries, hot coffee, smiling little breakfast mates and a pristine bathroom.

169 9th Avenue @ 19th Street

(212) 627-9010

Café Grumpy serves up one of the most unique brews around - a tall accomplishment in New York. Going against Starbuck's quick-serve, Café Grumpy offers a Clover machine – the coolest thing to hit coffee shops since Wi-fi. Although it takes 40 seconds to get your cup, it comes out exactly how you want it. Give your specs to the barista and 40 seconds later, voila. These machines are ridiculously expensive, but we hope more places start using them.

224 West 20th Street @ 7th & 8th Avenues

(212) 255-5511

Giant burlap sacks of coffee in organized stacks all over the floor, and further inside a tiny bar in the back offers a great cup of coffee and beans to go. These guys know everything you need to know about the almighty bean. This is the perfect place to create your own blends as the coffee experts will guide you to what works well together and what surely doesn’t.

201 Bleecker Street @ 6th & MacDougal

(212) 477-5421

For a sublime pick me up at any time of the day, this Milanese restaurant offers a shot of espresso and the overheard conversation of the well heeled, or an intimate velvet banquet for your own tete-a-tete.

1000 Madison Avenue @ 77th & 78th Streets

(212) 570-2211

A hole-in-the-wall that you might miss if you blink as you walk down 18th street. Telegraphe offers fantastic espresso in an oddly shaped space on a street known more for big box retailers than cozy cafes. Grab a seat by the window and sip your latte as you watch the people go by for a purely New York experience.

107 West 18th Street

(212) 488-5810

Oren’s is a small chain that doesn’t act like one.You might expect Oren to pour a cup for you. They buy fresh beans and roast them at their own plant. The only way to get fresher coffee is to roast the beans in the store itself. It’s good to have such quality around as an answer to the inferior brews being peddled as “freshly roasted.”

31 Waverly Place @ University & Greene

(212) 420-5958

A lovely place for a perfectly brewed cup of coffee in a relaxed and happy place in which to enjoy it.

2104 8th Avenue @ 114th Street & Frederick Douglas Blvd.

(212) 222-3323

Any place that takes the time and makes the effort to get freshly roasted beans to the consumer the way that Irving Farm does gets kudos from me. The beans are roasted on a farm in upstate New York and then shipped down to Manhattan. You know for sure that these guys know their coffee and care about what they serve.

71 Irving Place @ 18th Street

(212) 995-5252