Mocca Lounge is a Tribeca mecca for those seeking perfection in a glass. During the summer, grab an outdoor table and try a thirst-quenching Italian Soda ($3) or Mocca Milkshake ($6.50). When it’s chilly, enjoy the comfy banquettes inside and get a coffee drink from their full page of hot beverages ($2.50 and up). Or indulge in alcoholic concoctions any time, such as a champagne cocktail made with fresh passion fruit puree ($11).
But Mocca is more than an espresso bar. The kitchen offers a wide variety of appetizers, salads and entrees, including a number of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern dishes, such as Moroccan Cigars ($7.50), haloumi (grilled Greek cheese) Salad ($9.90), sabich (tahini, roasted eggplant, potatoes) and humus Marrakesh ($9.95).
My friend and I arrived too late for the daily two-for-one happy hour (4-8 p.m.), but loved the diverse apps list. We ordered chicken samosas ($9)—“You can smell the curry, these are beautiful!”—and Bite Size Crab Cakes ($9). We couldn’t stop ogling the menu and ended with bruchetta ($8), which, thankfully, were not overloaded with ingredients so we could actually taste the flavourful parmesan cheese.
Whether drinks or eats, if you dine al fresco in windy weather, be swell and give the friendly servers a hand with the flying napkins.
78 Reade St. (at Church St.), 212-233-7570
