There are many reasons why Caffè Reggio is the grand dame of coffee shops in New York City. One of the oldest operating coffee shops in New York City, Caffè Reggio was opened in 1927 by Domenico Parisi, an Italian immigrant.

Located at 119 Macdougal Street in Greenwich Village, it was the first American cafe to serve cappuccino, heralding a new wave of coffee that would take America by storm. Today, Caffè Reggio retains much of its original feel, with tin ceilings and Italian furnishings, and remains a haven for writers as it was in the Beat Generation.