Principles GI Coffee House

Great set up and atmosphere. Just a good place to come and spend some time, chill and enjoy the vibes. The coffee is good for the area, not quite up to the third wave coffee scene that can be found in NYC but it is definitely in the right ballpark. The 8.0 cortado was pleasant, flavour was there but the milk work was average at best. Overall, one of the best places to come for the overall experience.

Lovely space, boardgames, pastries, coffee and amazing tea. Many comfy places to sit and read🥹 I got the pu'er and they let me reuse the tea leaves to resteep and get a deeper flavor.

This place was screaming gentrification. I came into Principles an early Tuesday evening with my boyfriend. It was nearly empty, with only one other customer. Initially I thought “Ok, this is cute.” They had a very random offering of snacks and soaps for sale. As I ventured further in, I noticed the whole place had a weird misshapen setup. It was very industrial and messily thrown together. The barista was very friendly and accommodating and I did like their sign explaining their high coffee prices were to support livable wages for employees. Unfortunately the coffee I paid for was gross. I ordered a decaf vanilla latte and initially I thought the decaf was the problem so I tasted my boyfriend’s. That was gross too. Maybe it was the vanilla. Either way, I threw mine out. Drinking our coffee here we noticed the atmosphere was boring and quiet. The only noise came from the music which was terrible. It went from boring garage indie to death metal. I’m a fan of both indie and hardcore but this was not it for me. Currently, I would not recommend, as it did not deliver good coffee or the vibe I prefer, but I like to try every place twice. So maybe I’ll come back and give it another chance.

Great coffee shop, cool atmosphere. Very good coffee. The only issue is the price, although it does include tax and tip ($22 croissant and pour over) so hoping the staff are paid a decent wage, which I can certainly support. But be aware going in.

The coffee is amazing. The space is amazing. The staff is amazing. If you had a bad experience here, it's probably because you were rude and you should do some reflection. They pay their workers a living wage and still manager to offer coffee on a sliding scale for those who need it. If that makes you angry, again, do some self reflecting. I'll happily pay an extra dollar so the staff makes decent money, the coffee tastes great, and they support the community. Well worth it in my book. If you're in the neighborhood (and have good vibes), def stop in!

I had backed this coffee house on Kickstarter when it was first trying to get its footing, but didn't make it in until a few weeks ago to finally visit. I was meeting a few friends here and we all agreed that it was one of the best lattes we ever had. It was so rich and not artificial in flavor, the oat milk as default is perfect. I also got a like cinnamon roll pastry that was super tasty. The vibe in the shop was great and I wish I lived in the area so I could visit more frequently. Strong recommend for a great place to visit!

This is my favorite coffee shop in the city, even when I don't go there pretty often. The space, vibes, and people around are always nice. Either way, if you want to have just a coffee or a meeting, it's awesome. Very peaceful! And I love so much to have all the bike community scenes there! Best drinks (to me) maple late and Chai! One of the gems in NYC ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We stumbled upon this cafe and we are so happy we did. The owner, Katie, is wonderful. She carefully curates the best selection of coffee for drip, lattes, and pourovers. She provides a great space for the community. We visit every weekend!

I accidentally came to Principle's today after mixing up my weekends. I was planning to go to their pop up with Parmagianni pizza which is happening on 10/21. I mentioned this to the barista at the register and they seemed oblivious to the upcoming event. Since I was already here, I ordered a danish and a latte. The prices are pretty high. I spent $14 just for those two items. The latte was great, the danish was just okay, not exceptional for the price. The baked goods are from L'imprimerie. This coffee shop is spacious! There are so many seating options for groups and for solo patrons. One of the most amazing things is that it 100% vegan and welcoming to the LGBTQIA+ community.

Cool new coffee spot with a friendly, coffee-passionate proprietor. They told me they only source only specialty beans, and the selection on sale would definitely back that statement up. My cortado had a solid flavor if crafted a bit too milky for my personal tastes. The spot is industrial--as befitting its Gowanus local--but also spacious and welcoming. A fine and welcome (and welcoming) addition to the neighborhood.

New York City has a lot of good coffee these days, but even in this rarefied enviroment, Principles stands out, partially because of its er.. principles. With a commitment to paying its employees a living wage ($25/hr currently), Principles also lets you pay whatever you wish, if you're down on your luck perhaps or forgot your wallet. Tips and tax are included in every purchase, and you'll be surprised when your anaerobic natural $30/bag filter or iced coffee is only $4 total. Coffee veteran Katie Bishop boot-strapped Principles and built out the place herself. Not that I don't enjoy all of the modern cafe designs, but Principles hearkens back to a less-studied, less commercial era, and the giant space is filled out with church chairs, used tables and couches, and found objects, and includes a tool-filled bike shop nook that people can use for free. The coffee itself is top-notch. A multi-roaster shop, Principles sources the best stuff from around the globe and extracts it pretty much perfectly, every time, which is a small miracle considering how often they change the lineup. What sets Principles apart somewhat from other multi-roaster shops is that they often put the craziest, expensive beans on drip, iced and espresso, items that other shops might reserve for pourover only.

This place is on point. The owner is a class act. She deserves all the business. Everything is delicious, especially the maple latte and the cortado. The prices are a little high for everything, but the drip coffee, but whatever it serves a higher purpose. This is one of those places where you know it's good if you buy the T-shirt.

Just an overall bad experience. The owner is rude, the coffee is fine but the experience was uncomfortable to say the least.

One of the best places in Brooklyn for coffee and vegan treats! The owner, Katie, is the absolute best. She has carefully curated such a wonderful community in the space. The space is very relaxing, safe and comfortable. Wonderful selection of coffee and non-coffee drinks. The business model and practices are incredible (pay-what-you-can for certain items, baristas make a liveable wage, etc). principles is super easy to get to via public transportation, walking, driving, and biking. My favorite thing to do is make a trip over and read in the sunny spots of principles. Love love love this place!

Had a meeting with my bike club here. I had an iced latte. Served in a reusable cup which I greatly appreciated. Always irks me when coffee shops use disposable cups when patrons are staying. It's a pretty large coffee shop. Front of the house has some typical coffee shop tables and seating. Middle of the shop has restrooms, a space to work on your bike, a couch, and more seating. Back of the shop is an open layout, event space. I really liked the space to work on your bike. There was a bike stand plus a handful of other tools like a chain whip. Definitely a welcoming and collective atmosphere.

BEWARE: They add a tip, tax and other fees automatically. You don't have a choice to remove it. I was only given this information when I asked how two drinks came out to be so expensive. When I asked the person at the register about all the fees, they started going off about how they pay their employees $25/hour. That's great, but let's get one thing straight. You do not pay your employees $25/hour. You pass the cost onto your customers in an incredibly deceptive way. I'm sure most people pay it unknowingly. I get paying a liveable wage, but this is not the way to do it.

We stumbled upon this cafe and we are so happy we did. The owner, Katie, is wonderful. She carefully curates the best selection of coffee for drip, lattes, and pourovers. She provides a great space for the community. We visit every weekend!

Not bad! I found it to be a little spendy ($8 for a small espresso drink) but they're at least up front with their pricing model paying for their employees' higher wages, and they offer drip coffee for "pay what you can" prices which is cool.

Bad coffee. Like every other newer, hipster-ish coffee shop, these people have no idea what a good roast is. This probably sounds familiar: you walk in to what looks to be a nice coffee shop, good atmosphere and professional set up, only to receive the most sour, bitter cup of coffee you've ever had. How many more places just like this must I endure because white millennials think coffee should be sour? And not only was the prepared coffee terrible, the beans they recommended are equally bad. $28 for half a pound. Pretentious and incompetent. Walk two blocks to Room 205 instead.

Great coffee great vibes. Love a bike friendly and community centric spot. Service is always amazing and love to give this business all my dollars for providing a LIVING WAGE to their employees.

Very cool spot in the heart of Gowanus. Coffee and tea done with care. I personally love their homemade chai, so good on a cold day! The store is a nice large space with community art on the walls for sale. Also they have pay what you want drip coffee. Principles also hosts tons of events so check out their calendar.

great coffee shop to sit and chat with a friend! I had an iced latte in a reusable cup and it was great. the place is spacious and very airy and welcoming - it was a nice day so the doors were open and exposed. I went for a pop up which was so fun! would definitely come back.

Great little boutique cafe. Doesn't look like a Dunkin' or Starbucks. Great customer service from owner. I ordered a maple latte which was delicious, with just the right amount of milk to coffee ratio and a hint of sweetness. Nice relaxed atmosphere, where you can chill, and you don't need to mind your p's and q's like some other cafes.