Illy Caffe

I used to work at the BofA building almost 20 years ago. I wanted to kill some time waiting for hubby’s appointment. The seating area is expansive with high ceilings and a wide variety of seating options (small Parisian cafe rounds, square seating for 4, long kitchen table bench seating) which was nicely spaced out for privacy. My Americano was bright and the palmier was crispy, buttery and warmed up without request.

Huge illy cafe — several very large tables and a few booths. Went here on a Saturday afternoon and there were only 2 other people here, but I expect it’s much more crowded on a weekday since it’s in the financial district. They played soothing music and serve delicious coffee; you can get the coffee in a mug or glass if you’re staying. The only downside is that the wifi free pass only lasts for two hours and the wifi quality is *terrible*. The street corner that it’s on is well kept and the coffee shop itself is very clean.

Quick service, lots of seating. The cappuccino was decent, especially by US standards. There is a wide selection of quick bites for breakfast, lunch or snack. When I arrived (~11.30 AM) it was calm and I could pick up my laptop. When I left (~1PM) the volume of voices was deafening (!!) They really could use some solid sound absorber but stay away from the lunch crowd and I think you'll be fine!

I really like unique drinks and the lavender mint latte really caught my eye. I came here on a break to grab a cup and was not disappointed. I got a small one and wish I had gotten a large. It was creamy and had a good flavor of lavender that did not taste soap-y, which is always one of my pet peeves of ordering anything lavender. I wish it had more of a mint flavor, but it was a good amount of sweetness and you can still taste the coffee flavor as well. I’m not a coffee expert, but I can taste the good quality of the coffee. It’s also a super nice, modern and clean place if you want to work there and they have a cool teacup chandelier. Overall, I’m a fan and I would definitely go more often if it didn’t cost nearly $5 for a small.