Abbotsford Road Coffee Specialists

Australian meat pies and sausage rolls do not turn up in most American coffee bars. Abbotsford Road Coffee Specialists runs the Red Hook outpost of that Australian cafe-with-food tradition on Van Brunt Street, roasting its own beans in a brick-walled room with a row of about a dozen power sockets along one wall and a waterfront view some customers describe as exclusive. The latte arrives with a thick microfoam that takes the kind of practice they teach in their own coffee preparation courses, which is itself something to know about: the shop offers actual classes on how this stuff is supposed to be made. Order an iced mocha, a cold brew, the latte if you want to see the foam done right, the pumpkin spice in season, and pair any of it with a meat pie, a sausage roll, or a slice of cake. The brick keeps the room quiet. The fresh, sleek feel customers reach for in describing the space comes from a deliberate design choice, and the seating plus sockets make a real argument for a long working session. The laptop crowd has caught on. The catch is human. One weekday visit found the staff on the gruff side, and a one-star account reports a customer was refused service when arriving with a service dog, which is worth knowing if you would be the one trying to bring one in. Coffee buyers and laptop people stand to gain the most here, and the Australian food side is what separates this from the half-dozen other Red Hook cafes within walking distance. If you want a Red Hook stop with sockets, microfoam, a meat pie, and a view, this is one of the few places running the whole combination at all. The location is far enough off the subway that you'll likely arrive with a plan. That's the right way to use the place: walk in with a few hours and an appetite, take a seat by the windows, settle in, eat, work, refill.