New York has always been a coffee drinker's town, in the sense of “regular, no sugar, to go”, but only recently has it become a coffee connoisseur's town. There's a virtual expressway of espresso and a whole lot of latte. Hundreds of new coffee bars - which vary from one-of-a-kind neighborhood hang-outs where lingering is encouraged and magazines and newspapers are strewn about, to sleek, brightly lit chain operations - have made New York a place where a cup of top quality cappuccino is as easy to find as a newspaper.

With the coffee, sandwiches and pastries - not your usual deli fare but a more sophisticated version, often involving mozzarella cheese, roasted peppers and chocolate hazelnuts - have made getting a good, quick meal simpler than ever.
Coffee bars have even spawned a genre of reading material - pick up free copies of the literary magazines Cups or Literal Latte at many of them.

You won't have much problem finding a STARBUCK'S, the Seattle chain that has invaded Manhattan with 15 stores - and plans 95 stores in New York City by the year 2000. The biggest of all Starbuck's is at Broadway and 87th Street.

NEW WORLD, COOPER'S and TIMOTHY'S are some of the other major coffee bars you're likely to encounter. While at New World, which has over 20 locations in Manhattan, you can pick up a pound of Ethiopian Yergacheffe beans - or sweet Sulawesi from Indonesia.

Favorite local java joints include EUREKA JOE at Fifth Avenue and 21st Street, which has couches and armchairs and is a popular place for business meetings, and the vast, loft-like JONATHAN MORR ESPRESSO BAR in Soho, furnished with 1950s leftovers. One can linger there half the day for the price of a cup of coffee. "9," on St. Marks Place in the East Village, is a cheerful spot, with hand-painted tables and chairs. BIG CUP is a laid-back hangout in Chelsea, with overstuffed couches and a stay-all-day attitude..

The point is: you needn't settle for a cup of brown water any more. New York has joined the ranks of the coffee sophisticates.