Great place. Great and unique food, great service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hudson Stepper
Vegan Sausage Shakshouka has eggs and is actually a vegetarian sausage shakshouka. Something labeled as vegan should not have animal products. If you have allergies do not come here.
Dustin Bell
Super packed and loud during lunchtime so I did lunch take-out which took about 15m. The spicy fried fish sandwich was not the best, the fish was lacking flavor and its breading was soggy not crispy. I felt it was overpriced at $25 with tip for a sandwich that came with small fries, plus a 16oz bottle of water.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Nicky S
Effy's is a nice little tucked-away cafe with great food. For my first time going it did not disappoint. The salmon burger was great. The French fries were cooked to perfection. The service was nice and friendly. The salmon tasted very fresh. This restaurant will be on my favorite list.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Jacqueline Phillips
The ambiance was cozy and inviting.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
J. Gurung
went here on a Saturday morning to grab a quick breakfast. Ordered an over easy eggs and got myself some well done eggs. that my friend is a first world problem for sure. there was even pieces of veggies in my eggs.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Amanda Dame
Amazing coffee and breakfast, and healthy options. Staff was so kind and accommodating!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jasmine H
I really love this place. Non pretentious, great food with a lot of variety. Sometimes I come for a smoothie with a book, sometimes for dinner and wine with my husband. It’s a beautiful small business I’m happy to support.
Katherine Ng
Review: Effy’s Cafe – A Cozy Ritual on the Way to the Park
Effy’s Cafe isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel—and thank goodness for that. It’s charming, dependable, and refreshingly unfussy, which is exactly why it’s become my go-to stop before a stroll through Central Park. Think of it as your neighborhood’s warm hug disguised as a café.
I keep it simple here: a coffee (always solid, never burnt or dramatic) and a classic cream cheese bagel. No gimmicks, no sourdough experiments—just the familiar comfort of a well-toasted bagel with a generous, unapologetic schmear. If that sounds boring to you, you’re clearly not in your breakfast era.
The outdoor seating is non-negotiable for me. It’s where I get to enjoy the real luxury of New York mornings: sipping my coffee slowly while my dog does their highly scientific sniff-review of the sidewalk. There’s something grounding about it—the clink of silverware, the occasional pigeon drama, the steady stream of regulars who also seem to love this little corner of calm.
Effy’s doesn’t try too hard to impress you. That’s its charm. The vibe is consistent, the service is friendly, and the whole place feels like it’s on a first-name basis with your routine.
In short: if you’re looking for a dependable, quietly delightful café to anchor your morning—and perhaps reflect on your life choices over a bagel—Effy’s is the one.
Alan Hale
Visiting a relative who lives on the UWS, we decided to try this place. They had a lot of great menu options. We all got something different. I had the Smoked Salmon Sandwich which came with smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, and tomato. French fries were perfect - crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Every liked their food.
Appetizers like halloumi and hummus/pita were also good.
They brought out the wrong sandwich but quickly fixed it. Then they let us take the other one home (instead of taking it back to the kitchen and putting it in the trash). The server kept our drinks full.
It's a cozy place, with not a lot of room for a big party, but it's nice and comfortable. What was really nice, since it was 98* outside, was that the air conditioning worked.
Stopped for a quick dinner after walking in Central Park. The food was very good and fresh but the atmosphere could be better. The waiter felt rushed and no overly friendly. There was constant noise of very loud slamming dishes and pushing metal chairs around, wasn’t very welcoming to have a conversation. If it wouldn’t be so hot, perhaps sitting outside would be a better option
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 3
David Lipowicz
Amazing food! I've had most of their menu and honestly can't pick my favourite dish. The Effy's Salad, Grilled Cheese, Salmon Bagel, Moroccan Branzino, and of course the fresh juices are some of my highlights. Prices are also very reasonable for the quality of the food. The service can be a bit slow when they're busy, but it's never too slow that it's not worth waiting for such delicious food. I'll be back as often as I can!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
María Guzman
Very good!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Saul Kaiserman
Great Israeli breakfasts and lunch sandwiches. Dairy, fish, and vegetarian - no meat.
Great place. Great and unique food, great service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Vegan Sausage Shakshouka has eggs and is actually a vegetarian sausage shakshouka. Something labeled as vegan should not have animal products. If you have allergies do not come here.
Super packed and loud during lunchtime so I did lunch take-out which took about 15m. The spicy fried fish sandwich was not the best, the fish was lacking flavor and its breading was soggy not crispy. I felt it was overpriced at $25 with tip for a sandwich that came with small fries, plus a 16oz bottle of water.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Effy's is a nice little tucked-away cafe with great food. For my first time going it did not disappoint. The salmon burger was great. The French fries were cooked to perfection. The service was nice and friendly. The salmon tasted very fresh. This restaurant will be on my favorite list.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
The ambiance was cozy and inviting.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
went here on a Saturday morning to grab a quick breakfast. Ordered an over easy eggs and got myself some well done eggs. that my friend is a first world problem for sure. there was even pieces of veggies in my eggs.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Amazing coffee and breakfast, and healthy options. Staff was so kind and accommodating!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I really love this place. Non pretentious, great food with a lot of variety. Sometimes I come for a smoothie with a book, sometimes for dinner and wine with my husband. It’s a beautiful small business I’m happy to support.
Review: Effy’s Cafe – A Cozy Ritual on the Way to the Park
Effy’s Cafe isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel—and thank goodness for that. It’s charming, dependable, and refreshingly unfussy, which is exactly why it’s become my go-to stop before a stroll through Central Park. Think of it as your neighborhood’s warm hug disguised as a café.
I keep it simple here: a coffee (always solid, never burnt or dramatic) and a classic cream cheese bagel. No gimmicks, no sourdough experiments—just the familiar comfort of a well-toasted bagel with a generous, unapologetic schmear. If that sounds boring to you, you’re clearly not in your breakfast era.
The outdoor seating is non-negotiable for me. It’s where I get to enjoy the real luxury of New York mornings: sipping my coffee slowly while my dog does their highly scientific sniff-review of the sidewalk. There’s something grounding about it—the clink of silverware, the occasional pigeon drama, the steady stream of regulars who also seem to love this little corner of calm.
Effy’s doesn’t try too hard to impress you. That’s its charm. The vibe is consistent, the service is friendly, and the whole place feels like it’s on a first-name basis with your routine.
In short: if you’re looking for a dependable, quietly delightful café to anchor your morning—and perhaps reflect on your life choices over a bagel—Effy’s is the one.
Visiting a relative who lives on the UWS, we decided to try this place. They had a lot of great menu options. We all got something different. I had the Smoked Salmon Sandwich which came with smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, and tomato. French fries were perfect - crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Every liked their food.
Appetizers like halloumi and hummus/pita were also good.
They brought out the wrong sandwich but quickly fixed it. Then they let us take the other one home (instead of taking it back to the kitchen and putting it in the trash). The server kept our drinks full.
It's a cozy place, with not a lot of room for a big party, but it's nice and comfortable. What was really nice, since it was 98* outside, was that the air conditioning worked.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Stopped for a quick dinner after walking in Central Park. The food was very good and fresh but the atmosphere could be better. The waiter felt rushed and no overly friendly. There was constant noise of very loud slamming dishes and pushing metal chairs around, wasn’t very welcoming to have a conversation. If it wouldn’t be so hot, perhaps sitting outside would be a better option
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 3
Amazing food! I've had most of their menu and honestly can't pick my favourite dish. The Effy's Salad, Grilled Cheese, Salmon Bagel, Moroccan Branzino, and of course the fresh juices are some of my highlights.
Prices are also very reasonable for the quality of the food.
The service can be a bit slow when they're busy, but it's never too slow that it's not worth waiting for such delicious food.
I'll be back as often as I can!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Very good!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great Israeli breakfasts and lunch sandwiches. Dairy, fish, and vegetarian - no meat.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Coffee was very watery and weak
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
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