Bay Street to Van Vorst Park

Jersey City · 5–6 hours · any

Eight stops, which is far too many: seven cafes from a wine-shop corner to a backyard patio, then a dim cocktail bar to close. Pick the ones you like. Open every day except Monday, when the bar is shut.

The route

1. The Butler Café
Downtown Jersey City
A small cafe inside the CoolVines wine store, cozy with a warm barista. Order a pastry and skip the cortado, which was flat and under-pulled. Closes at 3pm on most days, so it comes first.
1 min walk to the next stop
2. Lackawanna Coffee Warren St
Downtown Jersey City
A bright room with a high ceiling, a few steps from the wine store. Take a table upstairs, where the wifi is and where people were working. The latte is pretty decent. Weekends get busy.
1 min walk to the next stop
3. Daily Provisions
Downtown Jersey City
The roomy stop: plenty of seats, wifi, and a long breakfast menu from 7am. Order the salted caramel cold brew, steeped for 18 hours. It is 130m to the next stop, so this is where to sit down.
2 min walk to the next stop
4. Hidden Grounds Chai & Coffee House
Downtown Jersey City
Masala chai or a classic espresso drink, and the avocado toast if breakfast is the point. Limited seating, so a weekday morning beats a weekend rush.
6 min walk to the next stop
5. Lackawanna Coffee
Downtown Jersey City
A basement cafe on Grove Street with an extensive drinks menu. The latte is decent but pricey, and the backyard patio with a ping pong table is the reason to stay. The queue is long at weekends, and it closes at 5pm.
4 min walk to the next stop
6. SOBER SHOT
Downtown Jersey City
The signature Sober Shot, sparkling espresso under a white top of whole milk and condensed milk. Quiet enough to read in, but not a place for a laptop.
3 min walk to the next stop
7. Cafe Tabarka
Downtown Jersey City
Sit down for the Turkish-inspired brunch and desserts, and skip the latte, which came out flat and milky. Closes at 4pm, so come before heading to the bar 144m away.
2 min walk to the next stop
8. Dullboy
Downtown Jersey City
Finish with a cocktail in a dimly lit room. Order the Corita, mezcal and a rum blend with red bitter and pineapple, and take the backyard patio if the weather allows. Opens at 4pm Tue and Wed, 11:30am Thu to Sun, and is closed Mondays.