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March 2024 by Adele McConnell
Just the best. Been around for ages!
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October 2023 by My Cafe Report X.
Little Zelda is a café unlike any other. This is a fact as much as you (you!) are unlike anyone I have ever met. But when I absorb you into my globby sticky brain, I will liken you to other people you remind me of. In other words, I will make you less unique in my head to understand you better, to like you better. I think the things I have more familiar associations with are more special, paradoxically.Return to the top. Little Zelda is a cafe unlike any other. Here are the things it reminds me of: Toulouse-Lautrec paintings; my moody high school soundtrack filled with Rachmaninov, Ravel, and movie soundtracks; my tumblr back when I used tumblr... My brain has a stock of so many images that connect to Little Zelda, particularly nostalgic ones, that I can't help but like it. This web of images exists alongside my real memory of visiting Little Zelda. This real memory starts with arriving at Crown Heights, then seeing people scattered across patio tables. As I walked up the path between the tables and slipped inside, I remember thinking of Paris, of people sitting facing the street.The inside was diminutive. I liked it immediately. It felt like a nook that embraced being a nook. It used rich colors and low lighting to shrink itself further, the reverse of real estate listings that use tricks to make rooms look bigger. The paneled walls were painted mustard yellow, with a stripe of brick red at the top. A bench upholstered with ripped emerald-colored fabric ran along the curves of the left wall. Individuals, or at most pairs, sat along the bench, under a shelf of variegated punch cards and faded prints framed in glass. A tidy blackboard read: Community Roommate Apt HuntNo BrOKersThe café offerings were scribbled on two mirrors in white marker (flash to the scene in the French film Amelie where Amelie writes the dish of the day on the glass, while the mysterious man she is too shy to approach sits in front of the glass she is writing on). One of these mirrors hung right by the door and was lined with photobooth photos of unknown people and children (flash to the scene in Amelie where the photobooth in the train station breaks and... I'm not going to explain it. Just watch the movie -.-). Below the mirror was a ledge; this was where I sat, perched on a stool. Its paint was peeling. For some reason, there was a pencil sharpener installed on the right edge; it was the manual kind that would be attached by every blue classroom door in my old elementary school, and which even back then, had already fallen out of use. I sipped on my americano and listened to the barista hum along to Joe Hisaishi, their head hovering behind the bar, behind cups holding mismatched utensils and espresso cups. Above the coffee grinders, a large black shelf jutted out from the wall; between its braided columns were bags of beans and a black and white photo of a just-married couple. At the far back of the café, a frosted glass window emitted light, sparse and cool. A pothos (sigh) hung by it, below a muted medieval landscape.I finished my americano. Two pairs of people situated along the emerald-colored bench whispered simultaneously. Their murmured words mingled like a church hymn. Rachmaninov Symphony No. 2 began to play, taking me back to high school orchestra (flash); one of the four speakers uttered "situationship," and I came back to the present day.I sat idle. I looked out the front window. Locked bikes and a crowd of trash cans sat at the edge of the sidewalk. There was a large potted plant crowned with the most golden yellow dandelion. Gnats played over it. A man in red wearing headphones and a gold chain strode by, slowly clearing out the trash. Little Zelda was all familiar and not familiar at all.
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August 2023 by Frederick Phillips
I have been here for their selection of organic wines. A lovely and relaxing place to sip wine on a summer night.
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August 2023 by Juliet Lim
This cafe is sp cute! I love the barista who works there during the day! She brings such good energy and always has such a bright smile on her face. I’ve tried a few different lattes and they’re all good.
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June 2023 by Aja Brandman
Small cute little coffee shop that serves coffee till late! Always friendly service
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June 2023 by Mohammed Alsalman
Their coffee is very okay, really nothing special about it i honestly would go there again unless i’m passing the areaWouldn’t recommend
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May 2023 by Gokul D.
Amazing hot chocolate! It was exactly what we needed when it started to get a little colder at night. The staff was kind enough to let us hunker down in the cafe while we waited. This shop also has a great family feel and wholesome founding story!
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May 2023 by Inma Zanoguera
one of few coffee shops that will stay open late in CH, and there's much to love about this place besides: low key ambience but without the pretension of other (many) coffee shops, great for work, good music. first-class baristas at night shifts, super nice and crafty with the latte art.
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April 2023 by K D.
Used to really like this place for my morning coffee, but there's a wet dog smell that is off-putting. I love dogs but the smell was overwhelming. Customer service and my drink were great. I asked an employee about their policy on dogs inside a cafe and they said they were dog friendly which I thought was illegal in the city..
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March 2023 by Gab G.
Stopped in for an afternoon treat after a trip to the Brooklyn Museum. I had a hot chai latte with oat milk, which was delicious. Tiny spot with super limited seating.
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March 2023 by Sophie Schildhause
No pricing on the wall. Every time you go there the drink is a different cost dependent on the barista or something (?) Also the quality and cleanliness totally varies. It seems like the turnover rate is high.
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March 2023 by Molly Chambers
I love Little Zelda! Cute, nice staff, let you take your dog in. My only complaint is the pink lids - they leak and I’ve had 2 pop off burning me and spilling coffee everywhere. Small complaint but please fix it!
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February 2023 by Rebecca Ross
this place always slaps. coffee is great, baristas are lovely, vibe is cozy and has character. favorite coffee shop in my neighborhood.
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February 2023 by Emily Rosenkrantz
Just my favorite place to be. The charisma and magnetism of this place are hard to quantify. The baristas are warm and engaging and delightfully sardonic. The tables inside are tiny, but in a way that feels rooted and comforting. Plus, the promise of a Little Zelda cappuccino is what finally got me going back to yoga, at the place next door. A little neighborhood treasure.I just wish they stocked a gluten free pastry. The tahini choc chip cookies are tasty, but they’re no replacement for an actual croissant or scone. I’m really fond of Little Zelda, and I’m hoping they can adopt a GF breakfast treat into their repertoire.
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January 2023 by Lauren Dagar
Just went into Little Zelda for the first time and absolutely loved it. The barista was so kind and so knowledgeable regarding everything I had questions about and was the definitely the nicest barista I've ever had since moving to New York. The coffee she made me was so delicious and I can't wait to go back and try other things.
