Trio Cafe Bar

You'll find yourself on Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate—yes, that's a real York street name—ducking into a place that does the whole continental café thing without any faffing about. Trio is where locals go for proper croissants (the kind that actually shatter when you bite them) and espresso that doesn't taste like it's been sitting under a heat lamp. The vibe is unpretentious; you're just as likely to see someone in work gear grabbing a quick pastry as you are a tourist who's stumbled off the beaten path. It's the kind of spot that makes you feel like you've found something before everyone else has written about it online.