Nestled in Astoria, Little Flower Cafe marries modern halal with Afghan flair, serving top-tier Sey coffee and irresistible pastries in a stylish, sunlit space.
"The firni donut at Little Flower Cafe in Astoria is a transcendent experience. It’s fluffy on the inside, crisp on the outside, and has delicate, lightly floral, and nutty flavors that make it the most unique filled donut we’ve had in recent memory. It’s not too big and not too sweet, so we recommend that you don’t plan to share it." - molly fitzpatrick, carlo mantuano, sonal shah, neha talreja, kenny yang
"Little Flower is an all-day halal cafe that serves exciting food and some of the area’s best coffee in a beautiful space that you’ll want to hang out in all day. The wood is blonde, the lighting is industrial, the tables are modernist gray slabs. Everything about the space says “this is a cool place to be,” and it is. They brew Sey coffee, make all of their Afghan-inspired pastries in house (the Firni doughnut is a must-try), and they make one of our favorite fried chicken sandwiches in the five boroughs. " - bryan kim, neha talreja, sonal shah
"Little Flower is an all-day halal cafe in Astoria that serves exciting food and some of the area’s best coffee in a beautiful space that you’ll want to hang out in all day. The wood is blonde, the lighting is industrial, the tables are modernist gray slabs. Everything about the space says “this is a cool place to be,” and it is. They brew Sey coffee, make all of their Afghan-inspired pastries in house (the Firni doughnut is a must-try), and they make one of our favorite fried chicken sandwiches in the five boroughs. " - carina finn koeppicus, bryan kim, hillary reinsberg
"Little Flower Cafe is like the Gen-Z younger sibling of popular Astoria spot Sammi’s Kebab House. The wood is blonde, the lighting is industrial, the tables are modernist gray slabs. Everything about the space says “this is a cool place to be,” and it is. You could easily have a first date here, stop by for an hours-long catchup with a friend, or park yourself with a book and consume one excellent cup of coffee after another. The fried chicken sandwich comes drenched in gochujang sauce, with tart pickles, slaw, and a creamy mayo all smashed inside of a pillow-soft bun. Then there’s the firni doughnut—the top is dusted with crushed pistachios, the doughnut is soft and airy, and the interior pastry cream has all kinds of subtle floral and spice flavors going on. You could seduce someone with this. " - carina finn koeppicus, kenny yang, neha talreja, bryan kim
"Ghiasi is an investor in Little Flower Cafe, on 36th Avenue, in Queens, opened by his friend Ali Zaman, who, like Ghiasi, is the New York-born son of an Afghan-born restaurateur. (Sami’s Kabab House, an Afghani restaurant, also in Astoria, is owned by, and named for, Zaman’s father.) Little Flower is a fourth-wave coffee shop seamlessly adapted to halal specifications: the beans are from Sey, perhaps the most anointed roaster in New York; the bacon on the soft-scrambled-egg sandwich is lamb belly. Pastries include a cardamom croissant and a Boston-cream-style doughnut filled with firni, a rosewater-infused custard." - Hannah Goldfield
