This is my absolute favorite brunch spot in the city. The food is always fantastic, they have the best almond croissants I’ve ever had (and I’ve been to France), and the drinks are phenomenal. The best chai matcha I’ve ever had, hands down. Laptops are not allowed, so this isn’t the place to do remote work. But it is the place to meet friends, maybe have a coffee meeting, or just come on your own and enjoy the great food. There’s a beautiful water fountain for you to fill your own bottle or cup, and the staff are always friendly and helpful. I have zero complaints, and whenever I bring people here they rave about it for days and request to go back asap.
Kiki Limer-Richards
-
March 15, 2026
We ordered the pause egg sandwich and French toast (huge portion for 2!), berry smoothie, and Moroccan mint tea.
Egg sandwich was pretty good (a bit spicy from the aioli)
French toast was delicious and big portion
Berry smoothie was good and sweet
Moroccan mint tea was… interesting. The mint leave kept getting in the way while drinking it which was a bit odd.
It was a very busy Saturday brunch time so I understand that the staff was a bit overwhelmed. The wait at the restaurant across the street was 2,5hr so this is the better option.
Atmosphere was busy. Very cute decor and ambiance but prob better to come here when it’s less busy.
Joseph Down
-
July 01, 2026
Great spot highly recommend. I returned here twice on a four day trip so that should say it all!
Zooming in a bit, the music was a bit loud for me personally. No laptops allowed which is seen and appreciated. Small mix-up on my order but fixed it right away 🙏🏼
Be mindful of your order, it gets expensive fast, but worth it.
Ruwan J.
-
April 30, 2026
((4.5 stars))
Pause Cafe is a busy cafe on Clinton Street, on the Lower East Side. the cafe serves a variety of brewed drinks like coffee and tea as well as offers a menu of bakery eats, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, salads, smoothies, and more. there is a good amount of seating both inside and outside if you choose to hang out. Pause Cafe gets a lot of foot traffic because it offers quality food and beverages, but also because of its location. recently, i realized that Pause had a pick up window next door. so to bypass the typical line in the main cafe, i placed a cold brew order to-go via a food app before i got there. low-and-behold— when i arrived my cold brew was ready. the pick-up window is obviously for delivery order pickups not casuals. anyways, the window service person was very friendly and quick. the cold brew was really good as all the coffee options that i have enjoyed at Pause Cafe over the years. smooth cold brewed caffeine with enough coffee flavor and no overly bitter taste. as much as I enjoy the cafe vibes--sometimes life has you in a rush and having this "line hack" saved me a few minutes on a strangely packed day. however, if you have the time, grab a drink, a bite, and seat the. enjoy a respite from the insanity of life, here.
Olga NYC
-
January 28, 2026
The café has a distinct Moroccan charm. The coffee and cappuccino were delicious, and the Moroccan cookies were amazing—my favorite was the almond one. I loved the round mosaic tables, the beautiful paintings, and the large decorative vases—such thoughtful details. Friendly staff, cozy atmosphere, and lovely vibes make it a perfect spot to relax. We’ll definitely be coming back to try more!
Our Address
3 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002, USA
Claim Listing: Pause Cafe
Please Login or Register an Account to Claim Listing
This is my absolute favorite brunch spot in the city. The food is always fantastic, they have the best almond croissants I’ve ever had (and I’ve been to France), and the drinks are phenomenal. The best chai matcha I’ve ever had, hands down. Laptops are not allowed, so this isn’t the place to do remote work. But it is the place to meet friends, maybe have a coffee meeting, or just come on your own and enjoy the great food. There’s a beautiful water fountain for you to fill your own bottle or cup, and the staff are always friendly and helpful. I have zero complaints, and whenever I bring people here they rave about it for days and request to go back asap.
We ordered the pause egg sandwich and French toast (huge portion for 2!), berry smoothie, and Moroccan mint tea. Egg sandwich was pretty good (a bit spicy from the aioli) French toast was delicious and big portion Berry smoothie was good and sweet Moroccan mint tea was… interesting. The mint leave kept getting in the way while drinking it which was a bit odd. It was a very busy Saturday brunch time so I understand that the staff was a bit overwhelmed. The wait at the restaurant across the street was 2,5hr so this is the better option. Atmosphere was busy. Very cute decor and ambiance but prob better to come here when it’s less busy.
Great spot highly recommend. I returned here twice on a four day trip so that should say it all! Zooming in a bit, the music was a bit loud for me personally. No laptops allowed which is seen and appreciated. Small mix-up on my order but fixed it right away 🙏🏼 Be mindful of your order, it gets expensive fast, but worth it.
((4.5 stars)) Pause Cafe is a busy cafe on Clinton Street, on the Lower East Side. the cafe serves a variety of brewed drinks like coffee and tea as well as offers a menu of bakery eats, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, salads, smoothies, and more. there is a good amount of seating both inside and outside if you choose to hang out. Pause Cafe gets a lot of foot traffic because it offers quality food and beverages, but also because of its location. recently, i realized that Pause had a pick up window next door. so to bypass the typical line in the main cafe, i placed a cold brew order to-go via a food app before i got there. low-and-behold— when i arrived my cold brew was ready. the pick-up window is obviously for delivery order pickups not casuals. anyways, the window service person was very friendly and quick. the cold brew was really good as all the coffee options that i have enjoyed at Pause Cafe over the years. smooth cold brewed caffeine with enough coffee flavor and no overly bitter taste. as much as I enjoy the cafe vibes--sometimes life has you in a rush and having this "line hack" saved me a few minutes on a strangely packed day. however, if you have the time, grab a drink, a bite, and seat the. enjoy a respite from the insanity of life, here.
The café has a distinct Moroccan charm. The coffee and cappuccino were delicious, and the Moroccan cookies were amazing—my favorite was the almond one. I loved the round mosaic tables, the beautiful paintings, and the large decorative vases—such thoughtful details. Friendly staff, cozy atmosphere, and lovely vibes make it a perfect spot to relax. We’ll definitely be coming back to try more!