Alison C.
Yelp
4.5 stars
Citizens' Chelsea location (there are several stores around the city) seemed like an ideal place to meet my friends for an afternoon of catching up over warm beverages and snacks. The café was rather cramped, but did offer a good deal of seating at individual and communal tables or counters. We arrived at 2 pm on a Saturday afternoon, which appeared to be a hectic time for them, so we were only able to snag neighboring seats at the communal table, making it hard for the 3 of us to easily converse. The servers were very nice and tried to find alternative arrangements for us, but they were also swamped, so we made due with what we had.
While I was not hungry and did not order food, I loved everything about the fresh and interesting menu, which featured everything from avocado toast to unique egg platters to yogurt parfaits. (Essentially, it was breakfast "all-day" until 5 pm.) I did, however, opt for one of their warm beverages from their extensive list. Someone had told me that the Rishi brand chai syrup was excellent (natural, not too sugary, etc.), and it made a terrific latte. I saw that Citizens was using this product in their version, so I decided to try it with almond milk and was not disappointed! It was, by far, the best Chai Latte I had ever had! It possessed hints of spice and sweetness, while remaining light and delicate.
Even though I only had a beverage, I was so impressed with Citizens' creative and fun menu that I simply have to return to try their cuisine as well. I also might venture to one of their other locations that actually accepts online reservations to ensure that I get the type of seat I would like.