I used to love coming to this cafe when browsing Kinokuniya, for over a decade. Today the staff was unbelievably rude to me and other customers, with an attitude like she didn't even want to be working there and hated everything and everyone that dares to ask a question.The milk tea was room temperature warm and they didn't have any boba or toppings at all in the middle of the day.I'll be skipping this cafe from now on.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
Mint_Meringue
I used to love coming to this cafe when browsing Kinokuniya, for over a decade. Today the staff was unbelievably rude to me and other customers, with an attitude like she didn't even want to be working there and hated everything and everyone that dares to ask a question.The milk tea was room temperature warm and they didn't have any boba or toppings at all in the middle of the day.I'll be skipping this cafe from now on.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
TK
I miss Cafe Zaiya when was located on 41st St. It had better service, more food options and it was way more cozy. Now that is located inside the japanese bookstore, it’s always busy with noisy teens and otakus, less food options and terrible service. They took 10min to give me one coffee. Too bad because I like the bakery and some of the food.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Bakery
Nat C.
This is such a cute little cafe on the second floor of the bookstore. The staff there are very polite and sweet. The selection of goods is wonderful, fresh, and tasty. However it can be very limited due to the small space so try to get there and shop around noon and early afternoon as many of the best treats can be gone later in the day. I enjoy their katsu curry which they have in pork and chicken. Their ham sandwich is good and has a generous amount of ham but isn't too too much. Their big fried chicken sandwich isn't very flavorful but is decent-ish. They have a good selection of hot teas and they have soy milk if you want a warm milk tea. Their desserts are very good and I enjoy their Japanese bread selections. Seating is limited and some sitting areas are communal. There is a microwave for you to heat up your hot meal selection as everything is in a cool display. The pricing is good and you can have a decent filling meal, dessert, and drink for under $20. Overall it's a great place to stop for a lunch or quick snack.
Tony H.
Bought the sandwiches set with the tuna salad/ egg salad/ chicken cutlet and the egg salad was spoiled with a sour smell. I ended up throwing out the egg ones which was 1/3 of the food in order to avoid the risk of getting sick. Freshness and quality control is lacking.
Ashley P.
This cafe is nestled inside the corner of a bookstore right across the street from Bryant Park. Of all the years I've passed by this area, I never knew of this cafe until yesterday. This cafe is a good option for a quick bite. However, don't expect gourmet or top notch dining. I decided to get a white peach jelly, a chocolate mochi donut, and a strawberry sandwich. The seating area was a bit cramped and it looked like the table tops weren't clean, so I didn't stay in the seating area for too long. I'll probably stop by again.
Nate
Great variety of japanese food, love it!
Thomas M.
Bento master of midtown, thy name is Cafe Zaiya. Located on the second floor of Kinokuniya book store, this is a little refuge with drinks, pastries, onigiri and of course bento boxes.The chicken karaage bento box cannot be beaten in terms of quality/value. Huge chunks of well fried chicken. Rice is perfectly cooked. You get the usual bento box sides which has been mac and cheese and potato salad from what I can tell. It is an absolute full portion of a meal for $12 (before tax) and I think it would be hard for you to find better food with better portions at that price in this area of Manhattan.
James B
Cafe Zaiya is supposed to open at 11 am. We went there at 11:15 am to take out food and they still hadn't opened. There was a small line of customers. The woman in charge showed up and said she wouldn't open for another 5 minutes. No apologies for being late and she told the customers she would open when she was ready even though all of the food was set out and ready. She began arguing with a customer and was impolite, unapologetic and hostile. Saying if they didn't like the service they could work there. This is the second bad experience we have had here and we won't go back again.
François S.
What is the purpose of being "open til 7:00" if no made-to-order drinks are served at 6:20? I can't review the quality of the drinks because they were no longer being served over 40 minutes before closing time.It's unfortunate because it looks like a cute cafe spot. A hidden gem if you will. It was difficult to find because on a map, it appears in the spot of another coffee shop on the first floor, but this on cafe is on the second floor of a book shop.
The sweets are either delicious or meh. The savoring food is not worth getting, they are so flavorless.
Micah Miranda
Quite nice that there’s a cafe inside the Kinokunya bookstore. You can shop as you please and then when you need a break, grab a drink or some snacks and chill out over at the cafe. It also overlooks Bryant park while having cool air conditioning. I got the cafe mocha and it was quite refreshing but not too strong on the coffee.
NAOKI KOJIMA
They say they open at 11 but they are not even at 11:30. And people at the cafe are super rude.
Yummo D.
Miss having the original cafe zaiya on 41st St but it has since closed down and this little cafe is all that's left but it's very comforting to find certain items here. The lunch bentos are very affordable.
Teresa Chou
It's a bakery located at the 2nd floor of the Japanese bookstore. Green tea 8” whole cake tastes good with red bean filling and fresh. Red bean fillings with strawberry and chestnut on the top. But the website needs update becuz the price has raised. I ordered the whole cake over the phone and paid in advance. BTW, the cashier is so friendly and helpful!
I used to love coming to this cafe when browsing Kinokuniya, for over a decade. Today the staff was unbelievably rude to me and other customers, with an attitude like she didn't even want to be working there and hated everything and everyone that dares to ask a question.The milk tea was room temperature warm and they didn't have any boba or toppings at all in the middle of the day.I'll be skipping this cafe from now on.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
I used to love coming to this cafe when browsing Kinokuniya, for over a decade. Today the staff was unbelievably rude to me and other customers, with an attitude like she didn't even want to be working there and hated everything and everyone that dares to ask a question.The milk tea was room temperature warm and they didn't have any boba or toppings at all in the middle of the day.I'll be skipping this cafe from now on.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
I miss Cafe Zaiya when was located on 41st St. It had better service, more food options and it was way more cozy. Now that is located inside the japanese bookstore, it’s always busy with noisy teens and otakus, less food options and terrible service. They took 10min to give me one coffee. Too bad because I like the bakery and some of the food.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Bakery
This is such a cute little cafe on the second floor of the bookstore. The staff there are very polite and sweet. The selection of goods is wonderful, fresh, and tasty. However it can be very limited due to the small space so try to get there and shop around noon and early afternoon as many of the best treats can be gone later in the day. I enjoy their katsu curry which they have in pork and chicken. Their ham sandwich is good and has a generous amount of ham but isn't too too much. Their big fried chicken sandwich isn't very flavorful but is decent-ish. They have a good selection of hot teas and they have soy milk if you want a warm milk tea. Their desserts are very good and I enjoy their Japanese bread selections. Seating is limited and some sitting areas are communal. There is a microwave for you to heat up your hot meal selection as everything is in a cool display. The pricing is good and you can have a decent filling meal, dessert, and drink for under $20. Overall it's a great place to stop for a lunch or quick snack.
Bought the sandwiches set with the tuna salad/ egg salad/ chicken cutlet and the egg salad was spoiled with a sour smell. I ended up throwing out the egg ones which was 1/3 of the food in order to avoid the risk of getting sick. Freshness and quality control is lacking.
This cafe is nestled inside the corner of a bookstore right across the street from Bryant Park. Of all the years I've passed by this area, I never knew of this cafe until yesterday. This cafe is a good option for a quick bite. However, don't expect gourmet or top notch dining. I decided to get a white peach jelly, a chocolate mochi donut, and a strawberry sandwich. The seating area was a bit cramped and it looked like the table tops weren't clean, so I didn't stay in the seating area for too long. I'll probably stop by again.
Great variety of japanese food, love it!
Bento master of midtown, thy name is Cafe Zaiya. Located on the second floor of Kinokuniya book store, this is a little refuge with drinks, pastries, onigiri and of course bento boxes.The chicken karaage bento box cannot be beaten in terms of quality/value. Huge chunks of well fried chicken. Rice is perfectly cooked. You get the usual bento box sides which has been mac and cheese and potato salad from what I can tell. It is an absolute full portion of a meal for $12 (before tax) and I think it would be hard for you to find better food with better portions at that price in this area of Manhattan.
Cafe Zaiya is supposed to open at 11 am. We went there at 11:15 am to take out food and they still hadn't opened. There was a small line of customers. The woman in charge showed up and said she wouldn't open for another 5 minutes. No apologies for being late and she told the customers she would open when she was ready even though all of the food was set out and ready. She began arguing with a customer and was impolite, unapologetic and hostile. Saying if they didn't like the service they could work there. This is the second bad experience we have had here and we won't go back again.
What is the purpose of being "open til 7:00" if no made-to-order drinks are served at 6:20? I can't review the quality of the drinks because they were no longer being served over 40 minutes before closing time.It's unfortunate because it looks like a cute cafe spot. A hidden gem if you will. It was difficult to find because on a map, it appears in the spot of another coffee shop on the first floor, but this on cafe is on the second floor of a book shop.
Restaurantji Recommends
The sweets are either delicious or meh. The savoring food is not worth getting, they are so flavorless.
Quite nice that there’s a cafe inside the Kinokunya bookstore. You can shop as you please and then when you need a break, grab a drink or some snacks and chill out over at the cafe. It also overlooks Bryant park while having cool air conditioning. I got the cafe mocha and it was quite refreshing but not too strong on the coffee.
They say they open at 11 but they are not even at 11:30. And people at the cafe are super rude.
Miss having the original cafe zaiya on 41st St but it has since closed down and this little cafe is all that's left but it's very comforting to find certain items here. The lunch bentos are very affordable.
It's a bakery located at the 2nd floor of the Japanese bookstore. Green tea 8” whole cake tastes good with red bean filling and fresh. Red bean fillings with strawberry and chestnut on the top. But the website needs update becuz the price has raised. I ordered the whole cake over the phone and paid in advance. BTW, the cashier is so friendly and helpful!