East Village: Cafes

The cafe culture in New York has to be one of my favourite things about the city and whilst you can easily wander around any neighbourhood and find a cute place to sit, chat, people watch and umm drink coffee, these East Village spots deserve a mention....

Ost Cafe (corner Ave A and E12th st http://www.ostcafenyc.com/) A beautiful corner coffee shop with with an Eastern European feel to it inspired by one of the owners' Viennese roots, this place has a totally chilled and very welcoming atmosphere. The decor - from the flock wallpaper, exposed brick and marble bar to the large sofas, benches and tables for two - this place has it just right. The coffee and even the tea is really good. They've thought of every detail.

Mud (E9th St btw 1st/2nd Ave www.themudtruck.com/spots.html) This place is a lot bigger than it looks, walk all the way through to the back - and then keep going, where it opens up to a small-ish courtyard type area. Mud has its own brand of coffee that you can buy in the shops and people seem to love it, but personally the super sweet Chai Tea Latte (ask for it extra hot) is what does it for me. Salads are also great here. A very typical East Village vibe - hipster cool for sure, but I also brushed past Sex and The City's Mr Big here (swoon!) so look out for celebs too!

Cafe Mogador (St Marks Place (8th st) btw 1st ave/ave A http://www.cafemogador.com/) Listed in my restaurant section, but Mogador is also a great spot to stop and hang out in during the afternoon over a pot of delicious Moroccan tea. The outdoor seating out the front is fantastic in the summer.

Angelina Cafe (Ave A btw E2nd/3rd st http://www.angelinacafe.com/) I don't exactly know why I love this place so much, but I just do. There's nothing extra special about it other than it is just what a cafe should be - casual, easy going, not trying to be anything and the food is cheap and great. An ideal lunch spot - try the delicious and generous salads. Also great for brunch - yummy french toast, and my friend Jen who came to visit still talks about the eggs benedict. Plus, with the sidewalk outdoor seating you can people watch to your heart's content.

Butter Lane (E7th St btw 1st ave/ave A http://www.butterlane.com/) Now, there are cupcakes and then there are Butter Lane cupcakes. Trust me I've sampled many (way too many in fact!) and I can assure you the cupcakes here are without a doubt the best! They focus on pure ingredients, no artificial flavouring rubbish and the proof is in the...umm, pudding! You can mix and match your fave cupcake with your fave icing - but you absolutely MUST choose the french buttercream (choc or vanilla) which is lighter and less sweet and artificial tasting than the traditional American variety. Heaven right there. On a cupcake.

16 Handles (2nd Ave btw E9th/10th st http://www.16handles.com/) Strictly speaking not a cafe, but there's probably as many frozen yoghurt shops in NYC as there are pubs in London! Ok perhaps I exaggerate a tad, but really the fro yo thing is big business and everyone is weirdly loyal to their preferred brand. My very good friend Tara and I were somewhat obsessed with this place and would go on every available opportunity, why? Let me tell you - there's a massive 16 flavours to choose from, and you HELP YOURSELF (from the 16 handles - get it?!) to all the fro yo you can eat and then you HELP YOURSELF to as many toppings as you can to fit in your container (and tummy?!) oh yeeeahhhh! No staff being stingy on your oreo pieces or chocolate sprinkles oh noooo! You then pay by the weight of your self made treat - for me at first this was usually around the $5 mark but somehow it gradually crept up to $6 then $7....hmmm, but hey, fro yo is fat free right?!!