Alita Cafe

"Alita is a cute little cafe whose main claim to fame could have been their chorizo biscuits or olive focaccias, if they didn’t have a chocolate chip cookie that’s earned our unequivocal devotion. It’s big and a bit cakey, more like a muffin top with crispy edges than a chewy cookie. Once you take a bite, you’ll decide it’s a better breakfast option than anything else in the shop." - carina finn koeppicus, neha talreja

"Owner Paolo Maliksi is Filipino American and created Alita with his business partner Alejandro Ceballos to bring innovative coffee techniques, homemade food, and traditional hospitality into one place. (“Alita” is a nickname for Alejandro’s abuela.) The cafe is located in East Williamsburg, and they serve delicious coffee using Regalia, a roasting company which Maliksi also co-owns with his wife as part of the Regalia Roasting Collective—a shared roasting space for aspiring roasters and coffee entrepreneurs. You can’t go wrong with the classic drip coffee and a BEC sandwich, and we like to enjoy both while people watching from their outdoor seating area." - esther cho, with warm welcome, kenny yang

"Alita Cafe attracts a lot of East Williamsburg residents thanks to great coffee, an exterior that looks like a stray Amélie set piece, and a BEC that neighborhood regulars schedule their morning meetings around. The hearty BEC sells out by mid-afternoon, thanks to a homemade chorizo-cheddar biscuit. But where Alita really earns our devotion is their chocolate chip cookie. It’s big and a bit cakey, more like a muffin top with crispy edges than a chewy cookie. Honestly, cookie beats BEC when it comes to our breakfast options at Alita, but ideally you’ll arrive early enough to get both." - Neha Talreja