Santa Chiara Caffe

I have been a client since the month it opened and this is one of the very best Italian coffee spots in NYC. There’s a large selection of coffee, teas, pastries, lunch options, gelato, boozy gelato and even a dog bakery! Always very inventive (see the nutella filled bow tie croissant) with great flavors and quality. The food is made in house, the staff is super friendly and the owner is always on top of everything, ensuring authentic Italian quality with a modern twist. Perfect to enjoy indoors, on the terrace or strolling around the waterfront park. The aperitivo options are a hidden gem to enjoy some wine and charcuterie/cheeses in a nice location.

Had the chance to come here for lunch and had a great experience. This spot is located near the waterfront and close to the seven train stop at vernon. The spot is the quaint and has a limited menu but extensive gelato options. When it came time to order I went with the ham and fromaggio panini with a glass of white wine. Overall great spot for a quick and nice bite and servers were really great. Good spot for casual lunch or dessert!

I visit for sweets, really a to-go place for gelato. Other items are vary, 4-5⭐️. But added to 5 since gelato is amazing, so do the staff. This time I got their new ice cream kinda thing, pumpkin pie flavor! I really recommend to try once, it was so cute and delicious. The only downside side was that it was super hard when I took out from fridge, a little bit hard to fully enjoy it. ✨❤️Cannoli was delicious. The shell was super crunchy and the filling was creamy. Ricotta and pear dessert was ok. Not really outstanding but average good. Would like to try pastries next time!

Awesome place! Santa Chiara Caffe is pretty amazing! I had the pineapple gelato which was absolutely delicious. There is indoor and outdoor seating for customers. I am happy that I was able to try their gelato.

Nice and bright inside this cafe by the waterfront park, great service! I frequent this joint for morning coffee and this past weekend I finally got around to try lunch for the first time! I came in with a friend and we both ordered the Avocado & Salmon Salad. It was delicious and good portion. We really enjoyed the vibe at their outdoor on that mild summer day!

a small cozy cafe with delicious coffee and desserts. The only negative for which I take off one star is that half of your coffee is foam. the case when "the glass is half empty".

Breakfast like in Italy!!! All the croissants, cannoli, gelato…. Unbelievably buonissimi! Go to spot for THE Italian breakfast. Vincenzo is truly the best pastry chef, and gelato expert. They also offer many savory options. Will be back soon.

Incredible croissants and service! The hazelnut latte is amazing as well. My new fave is the pistachio croissant. I can always rely on the food and drinks here. And the best service!

The Orange Ricotta Cream Sfogliatella was possibly the best pastry I've ever had. The flavor was creamy but not too rich. The pastry was also perfectly flaky. The staff was welcoming as I entered. The cafe was clean and photogenic.

Came across this spot thanks to a @yelpnyc reel and I'm obsessed!! It's across the street Hunters Point South and has a bit of outdoor seating available. Inside is the cutest array of desserts like casamigos bonbons and pistachio tiramisu in one case, and croissants in another. Their menu has a decent amount of breakfast and lunch items. I got the prosciutto and mozz panini and added balsamic. Delicious is an understatement! It was $12 and such a good value for the money because I was only able to finish half before packing it up. Their matcha is good quality and wasn't sweetened so the foam on top did throw me off a bit lol. They offer gelato of course but also have a boozy gelato freezer available! I went with a glass of wine Pinot Grigio which was perfectly crisp. The service was very friendly! I wish I caught the cashier's name but he was super sweet and patient.

I have a friend who lives a block from here but when I visited last time this place wasn't open yet. Well, it is now, and it's amazing! The Italian treats are legit and the gelato flavours are authentic. The pastries look good too, but one thing at a time! I tried the pistachio and gianduia gelato upon the recommendation of the staff, and both were amazing! So smooth and the sweetness was just right.

If you are by the waterfront and need a treat, snack, or a drink, this is the place to be. Came here for the gelato (legit because the containers are covered). Ended up with an Italian Style Milkshake- pistachio flavor croissant that was supposed to be for breakfast though I ate it for dinner. I came on a Monday afternoon after work and the store had 2 customers deciding on which gelato flavor. The employee was really sweet. There were so many options so it took a while to pick one thing. I decided on the milkshake and crossiant. There is plenty of seating indoor and outdoor. Go check it out.

Wow! Went to Santa Chiara with my family tonight for some gelato and was met with the friendliest guy behind the counter, Emanuele. The gelato was some of them most authentic Italian gelato I've had in NYC! Emanuele speaks beautiful Italian and perfect English which was so refreshing to hear! Service was quick and we were helped right! Will have to come back again to try more flavors but the raspberry and hazelnut were so good!

Nice and bright inside this cafe by the waterfront park, great service! I frequent this joint for morning coffee and this past weekend I finally got around to try lunch for the first time! I came in with a friend and we both ordered the Avocado & Salmon Salad. It was delicious and good portion. We really enjoyed the vibe at their outdoor on that mild summer day!

So glad this place opened. The LIC Waterfront is in need of dessert places and cafes. The gelato and pastries are great here and the service is amazing. Small space and can get crowded at times though.

Was on a walk around the water and stopped by to grab some ice coffee. The coffee is strong and has just the kick you need to jumpstart your morning. The service was fast. The space is a little cramped inside as it's such a popular place. They have a bunch of chocolates, truffles and baked goods. Will be back!

Good coffee, excellent Tiramisu, cute little spot, and a slightly expensive menu is how I'd describe this place. On a rather windy Sunday afternoon, we decided to walk to this place and all throughout the wind kept us company trying its best to push us away from this place (and making temperatures even worse for us). All that hard work though was rewarded by getting an excellent house drip coffee and an Americano, along with a very tasty Pistachio Tiramisu! It's all self-serve, however the staff brings your order to your table if you are seated inside. Excellent desserts/pastries for sweet tooth!

If they gave 6 stars on Yelp, this place would get it. There is literally nothing bad on the menu, the prices are fair, the coffee is delicious, and the decor is beautiful. The owner Christiano is also a plus, he exudes warmth and is so welcoming. He is passionate about his craft, and even makes the neighborhood better! Coffee: imported espresso from Italy, balanced coffee drinks, and even some wine and beer for sale! You can't go wrong, all the coffee options are delicious. Food: also imported, the best stuff is the brunch items (loved the salmon crepe) and the pastries. The pasta is also good, but I would stick with the panini and charcuterie if you are eating there in the evening hours. Ambiance: it's like a trendy boutique or modern art museum. The wall paper has gold leaf and soft blue hues, helping you relax or work remote. The seating area is small but cozy, and if the weather is nice, try sitting outside for an amazing view of the East River and Manhattan. Value: the food and drinks are all fairly priced but since they are imported, you are getting a deal! It would be much more expensive flying to Italy, so be glad you found this cafe and try to absorb all the Italian goodness.

Really nice cafe near the waterfront that serves gelato, pastries, and chocolates. I tried the dark chocolate and hazelnut gelato, which made for an amazing combo. Definitely recommended for a treat if you're in the area!

Had the chance to come here for lunch and had a great experience. This spot is located near the waterfront and close to the seven train stop at vernon. The spot is the quaint and has a limited menu but extensive gelato options. When it came time to order I went with the ham and fromaggio panini with a glass of white wine. Overall great spot for a quick and nice bite and servers were really great. Good spot for casual lunch or dessert!

I really liked this cafe when I walked in. Clean, smelled very good and saw they had alot of pastores that looked delicious. I was waisting some time so I stopped here to get some breakfast. I got some eggs scrambled and an iced latte. Not sure if the guy helping me was just having an off day but I placed my latte order and he got it wrong/ did not hear me two times. But the Iced latte was good. The eggs on the other hand seemed a bit mushy. They were sort of tasty but I just could not seem to get over the mushyness. But I was pretty hungry so I ate them. It came with some arugula and tomatoes and two pieces of some sort of bread. I did not taste the bread though. The Outdoor little seating are was nice. I am not sure I would stop back in here for food but I would try another coffee drink or have another iced latte here.

***Event Review*** This review is for a Yelp Elite event. What a great experience. I came here on the weekend to redeem a free fresh pizza slice. It was a quick wait and worth it. I also purchased some drinks they offered. Highly recommend checking it out as it's still offered through the end of August for purchase of a whole pie.

Cool little spot in LIC w/ a Great Lemon Lime Gelato next the water with a beautiful view.

A cute new coffee / lunch spot in LIC! We came in and ordered 2 coffees, 4 sandwiches, and 2 tiramisus. They have several different timarusu flavors, which was really cool. We got the rum one and the original tiramisu ($9 each which is a bit pricy). The rum one was a tad too sweet but the original was AMAZING! The avocado toast with a sunny side up was good but the egg was over cooked and did not leak. The yolk was hard. The paninis were $9 each and came on warm focaccia bread and a side of Arugula salad with olive oil. The sandwiches were so yummy. I loved the mortadella, Burrata, and pistachio one. We also got the prosciutto mozzarella one which was fresh and tasty, and the salami formaggio. It took a while for the coffee to come out (I had to remind the staff...), but other than this we'd come here again and try a glass of wine / their gelatos!

I came here for iced coffee during my morning walk. The place looked nice and modern but the iced coffee was ok... It was about $4 for an iced coffee I think this place is just convenient for people who live in the building.

Dessert was calling. Tiramisu was enjoyed. The delight of the layers fit in a plastic teacup. The presentation was perfection. The shot of coffee to squeeze over was an added delight to the chocolate on top.

This place is so cute and delicious!! There are so many great options on the menu. We went for brunch so I got a Latte with Oat Milk and the Salmon + Avocado Toast with Sunny-Side Egg. They did a great job with both and I love all the outdoor seating options.

Delicious pastries. Fresh and decadent. The croissants were fabulous. The biscotti crunchy and baked to perfection. Great selection of teas. The service was quick. Love the dog bakery area. NY is so dog friendly. We took ours to go, but beautifully decorated.

I have been to Santa Chiara a number of times. It is along the waterfront in LIC, near the Hunters Point South ferry stop. I was excited for this place to open, given the dearth of ice cream places in the neighbodhood. The space is very small, narrow, with some small tables. There's also a good amount of outdoor seating. It's decorated very cutely, and has good vibes. I've tried the gelato there a few times, and it's very hit or miss. Some of the flavors are great, while others are a bit watery / runny. I have not had the pastries or drinks there, but am open to trying. Overall, I think that Santa Chiara is a decent spot. Very cute, would be great to sit and chat with a friend on a nice day!

PS. Yelp tried to take this review down because it was negative and Yelp is biased on what businesses they support. So price surcharge scam alert here. I ordered a Mocha, only to find out I was charged for a fake item that was not on the menu and it was of a higher price. This made up costly "Mocaccino" was not on the menu and more expensive then what I ordered from the menu. Screenshots below show what I was charged and the price, compared to the menu at their store at the time. Beware of them charging you a fake food or beverage and charging you more for what you ordered. Just don't like the dishonest ethics, that's all.

The layout makes an awkward skinny bottle neck by the door and the poor flow is instantly off putting. However, the tasty gelato does makes that better. Helps if you know what you want so you can get in and out without people bumping into you. A baby cone is included in your gelato cup. $6 for a small (+tax). The space is cute and cramped. I'd take advantage of the outdoor seating space.

I stumbled across this gorgeous cafe on a waterfront walk. The coffee was delicious- if you like regular coffee this spot was phenomenal. The avocado crepe was also excellent. They have lots of outdoor seating so a great place to have a quick breakfast and coffee on a nice day!

$20 for ice latte and eggs dish. Need i say more? Took me less time to eat it then for them to make it. Guess I'll go get 2nd breakfast now.

I've absolutely love this place! Great gelato and resort like feel in the outdoor seating during the Summer has been great. I continue to bring my friends because there seems to always be a new gelato flavor or sorbet on the menu. My absolute favorite was the orange basil sorbet. I've had the food here which is pretty good. And they will bring the food to you at your table.

We visited Santa Chiara Caffe many times. Their Lemon Cake is fantastic ----- a little sweet and not sour at all! It just tastes very different from all the lemon cakes/tarts I had before. The Caffe ambiance is cozy and the service is always warm. Highly recommended!

Much needed cafe/bakery in this part of LIC. My husband and I stopped by on a Sunday for a gelato. They were nice enough to let us sample a few, but we decided to stick with the peanut Carmel. The gelato was good, it reminded me of a snickers bar. They had cookies and pastries, they all looked very good.

They no longer include the side salad and increased the burrata panini price by $1 even though the menu doesn't reflect that. Still a great cafe though!

The owner constantly double parks his car outside the establishment leaving it there for hours with no care in the world who it inconveniences. The employees are super awkward as soon as you walk in. Its like if you have to interact with anyone involved in this place, its a bad experience. Its a shame cause the place looks good and the products are good but sucks to suck i guess.

Great food and coffee. Reasonable priced for the quality. Highly recommend to anyone in the area!

Definitely a much needed addition to the neighborhood. Stopped by for some coffee and the staff were sweet. Makes me feel at home!

Wanted to go for a coffee and crepe, unfortunately this place doesn't open at 7 am (even tho it's the posted hours).

I've only had the gelato, but it was good enough for me to give a full 5 star review. There are very few options in the neighborhood for ice cream so this is a very welcome addition to the waterfront. I hope they do well!

The owner was extremely unfair in the way he treated me and my son today. This was my 4th time coming to this cafe since I moved to the neighborhood and this was my first encounter with the owner. I went there this morning to order a hot chocolate for my son before school and he told me they are not serving hot chocolate until October. Now I found that extremely funny being that we had order this the last 3 times here with another worker. He basically looked at me as if I was lying and continued doing what he was doing. Even when I mentioned to him that I had it he told me that I was lying! Extremely rude and they will not get another $1 from me. I rather support locals than these fancy establishments that are not for the neighborhood.

Service great, staff friendly, food delicious, prices reasonable. Nice and comfortable. One of the best places in the neighborhood

Santa Chiara Caffe is a newer cafe located in the Hunter Point neighborhood. While the cafe is dog-friendly and has outdoor seating, the indoor space is small and not suitable to store opened strollers or wagons. The staff were not welcoming and the atmosphere was quiet. They offer a variety of hot and alcoholic drinks, pastries, gelato, and other food items. Hot Chocolate offers add ons which is appealing. The decor of the cafe is nice, but the pastry I received was poorly packaged and made a mess. Both the bake goods tasted stale. The view of the waterfront is a plus, but overall my experience was disappointing. I suggest the staff receive training and the cafe invest in better packaging to match the ambiance and to check the freshness of the bake goods.

One of the great additions to LIC in recent memory. Wonderful espresso, wonderful sandwiches, and fab gelato.

Understaffed on a Sunday. Staff in cashier seemed overwhelmed/rushed with our order. Too much cream cheese in salmon toast, and croissant wasn't flaky at all. The lemon cake was good albeit overpriced ($14 for croissant and the cake). The decor looks fancy from afar but when you look closely, paint is peeling from certain places and wood is already chipped (underneath pastry bar) and the banquet by the window is just hard painted wood (no cushion). The bathroom floors were also dirty! These small things make make the place seem a little run down despite it just being open. Overall cute place but there are definitely things that can be improved on!

Either for breakfast, espresso, or a late-night gelato treat, it's exceptional every time. Best I've had.

BEST pistachio gelato that I've ever had!! Very kind staff as well, and beautiful location!

I work at the UN, across the river 2 minutes by Ferry. I often go to this cafe for a break, because I feel like I'm back in Europe, the environment, the flavors, the style, have nothing to do with American coffee shop, all the same, entering Santa Chiara you take a trip to Europe . The coffee is the best I've ever tasted and the pastry is divine

The gelato and tiramisu are delicious. Love the location right on the water as well. There's an incredible view of the city. Some friends and I went around sunset and we sat in the outdoor seating, and we had a really lovely night. We really enjoyed the desserts and drinks that we got.

In LIC Santa Chiara gets my vote for the best cafe. It beats SweetLeaf, Blackstar and 51st Bakery. First, it's close to the ferry making it easy to get to from the city. It has terrific views of the city. Second, the food is actually quite good for a cafe. The coffee and tea are made well. They should skip the tiny plastic cups they serve with them. It's not good for the environment, and it cheapens the experience. Service is really good. Sometimes they are a bit busy and service slows down. All in all, it's good. The music could be a little lower. The seating by the western windows can get a bit drafty in the winter; marble table tops are great in the summer but can be too cold in the winter. Oh, and that menu is a little small to read at times. I hope they turn it into a wine bar at night. If they ditch the pastry display, there may even be room for a bar to sit at. Overall, rooting for this place. Other cafe's could learn from this spot.

Went to leave a review and saw that Amanda K. had left a very accurate review 40 minutes before me. This is my 4th time here and I'm willing to give it one more go in a month or two once they've (hopefully) worked out the kinks of opening a new business. Like others have said, this place seems beautiful but aesthetics is clearly the only priority of ownership. We watched an employee diligently take pictures of gelato and figs - clearly for IG - while several tables were left unbussed and the counter was filled with dirty plates that other CUSTOMERS were kind enough to bring in. If staffing is an issue then just cut down on certain types of service. I think the short time financial pain of not having a more profitable menu is worth the sacrifice of alienating customers for the long term.

Had high hopes for this place. First off, the cafe is beautiful but unfortunately that all that it is. Everything is extremely overpriced compared to the cafes in the area. They spent too much money on looking "luxurious" rather than giving the locals a fair price. Also, their selection is VERY limited. 1/3 compared to other bakeries/cafes a block to two away.

Crepe, coffee, and interior were all good. Right by the water of Gantry State Park. Outdoor seating gives you scenic views.

Cool options and good vibes, although it seems like they need to hire some more staff!

Great service, staff, and food! Chill and delicious cafe on the LIC waterfront. Love how they have an automatic door and ramp, making getting a stroller in and out easy.