The Great NYC Cawfee Hunt: Bibble and Sip

Bibble and Sip NYC

I really like alpacas. Alpacas make me feel very calm and carefree. They are so impossibly adorable that they almost seem mythical or created with children in mind, like a piñata. (I’m not saying we should hit alpacas with sticks; I’m just saying they’re kind of like Christmas, conjuring up images of carefree childhood.) Naturally, when I saw that Bibble and Sip had an alpaca within their logo, it made my heart melt.

Pair that with the straight up pastry porn on Bibble & Sip Instagram page, and it was more than obvious that I needed to make my way here on my great coffee hunt. Beyond that, since Bibble & Sip starts with “B” and “S,” their slogan is “BS all you want.” Anything that is even the least bit edgy speaks to my soul.

Gym Socks Latte.

It can be really daunting to decide what you want at this place. As pleasant as the staff inside Bibble and Sip NYC may be, I was still met with that “why can’t you figure this shit out and hurry up?” stare as I stood at the counter repeating, “um…um…um…”

For starters, the pastries and beverages are uniquely flavored. We’re not talking about your standard croissant or vanilla cupcake here. Bold, rich flavors of coffee like spice bourbon caramel and Japan apple green tea are available, and it’s easy to feel scared of choosing wrong. Unfortunately, out of panic, I made the worst possible choice. “Durr, what’s a Hong Kong duck?” I asked. I was intrigued by this because I thought perhaps it was made in some capacity with duck fat. Allegedly, a “HK duck” is a mix of tea, coffee, and condensed milk. When I hear condensed milk, I think of Vietnamese iced coffees — loaded with sugary cream and absolute heaven on the palate.

This was not that.

This drink tasted as if someone took gym socks that had been sitting in a middle school locker for years, dunked them in a dirty puddle, and laid them out to dry on a basement radiator for a few minutes before wringing them into a cup. I was really sad drinking my sock sweat.

BUT, I was not sad about the treats, for they are truly exceptional!

The Earl Grey Is Strong in This One.

There are three things that stand out about the treats at Bibble and Sip. First, again, is the unique breadth of flavors. (I’m dying to get my hands on the olive oil and lemon madeleines!)

This time, I got the “lucky hazelnut” which was a superior version of a Ferrero Rocher. It wasn’t too sweet, just the perfect amount. Full of hazelnut caramel and vanilla bean mousse, this treat really felt decadent. Keeping in theme, I wasted no time in snapping a million photos of the “lucky alpaca macaron” filled with red bean milk chocolate and white chocolate matcha ganache. It was a little harder than French macarons, but still delectable.

The absolute star of the show was the earl grey cream puff. I mean, holy fuck. The texture is impossibly perfect, crunchy on the outside, but not stale-tasting in the least bit. The cream? It explodes every which way, so do NOT eat in public! The huge puff is packed to the brim with fresh, sweet goodness. If you’re like me, you’re often disappointed when you order an “earl grey” flavored anything only to not taste it at all. This was so not the case here. The vanilla bean flavor hits you first, but the earl grey part is the taste that lingers. I am astounded.

Fresh to Death and V. Cute.

The second thing that you’ll immediately notice when eating pastries from Bibble and Sip is the freshness. When I received my earl grey puff, it had literally just been made in the back room and brought out. When you visit Paris, as soon as you bite into a pasty, you can immediately tell that the cream, butter, milk, what have you, is natural. Over there, pastries are not full of processed bullshit and solely sugar. The desserts at Bibble and Sip were unmistakably of that same caliber. The earl grey cream, for instance, was light and airy and didn’t leave a coating of sugar sitting on my tongue and in my teeth.

Lastly, we cannot just gloss over the fact that these pastries are, oh, I don’t know, THE CUTEST ON THE PLANET! They are as much of an art form as they are delicious. If you appreciate fine art as much as I do, you’ll feel bad eating the macarons and little cakes. The cuteness makes them a perfect gift for the holidays or attending a small dinner party. I can only imagine the look on the recipient’s face when you hand them the world’s most adorable alpaca mini cake!