Yemeni Coffee Shop Opens Late-Night Cafe Hangout In West Village

WEST VILLAGE, NY — A new spot opened in the West Village this week that promises to be slinging cups of coffee and chai late into the night.

No, it's not a diner. It's Qahwah House, a Yemeni coffee shop that specializes in coffee beans from the country and in creating strong community ties.

"It's finally here!!!" read one TikTok user's post with nearly 30,000 views. "Qahwah House by NYU bout to go crazy."

Yemen is considered by some to be the birthplace of coffee — the Arabic word qahwah is the origin of the word coffee — and some consider brews from their distinctive beans to be the best in the world.

But it's not just the delicious coffee that brings customers in — its the community.

Owner and eighth-generation coffee farmer Ibrahim Alhasbani opened the first Qahwah House in Deerborn, MI in 2017, followed by a Williamsburg outpost in 2020. And in two short years, that Bedford Avenue spot has become a major gathering place for the Muslim community, according to Insider.

Co-owner of the Williamsburg shop, Talal Alsabdi, told Insider that the coffeeshop is "more like a community place for people to come and hang out, family to sit down. It makes us very special."

Saud, a 25-year-old dentist, told Insider that Qahwah house had a "natural slowness to it."

"Almost like you can sit and don't feel that pressure," Saud said.

One customer told Middle East Eye that it feels like "a piece of home away from home."

"It's an environment where you can meet someone new, whether it be a friend or potential spouse," said another to the magazine.

That last point is a sort-of joke in the Muslim community, not one officially endorsed by the cafe, because it's a place where Muslim men and woman feel comfortable making new friends and talking with strangers, Insider wrote.

If you want to enjoy a cup of Yemni coffee — or make some friends — head over to 13 Carmine St.

Or, as one TikTok user put it, you can try your luck at "husband hunting."