Needed a little escape from the craziness of Times Square, and what better (close-by) place to go then downtown Brooklyn! Still in the transitional stage, you avoid the tourist crowds of Park Slope and Williamsburg, while frolicking amongst locals in their neighborhood.
My new happy place there delivers just what it promises: The Little Sweet Café (TLSC) on 77 Hoyt Street does its name justice.
If it wasn’t located in NYC you might even want to say this coffee-pastry-brunch-lunch-spot is tiny, but then size/space is defined differently in the Big Apple. With 4 tables inside and a bench upfront, there is no way you would feel as being part of the crowd here and on Saturday morning, there were even moments when it was just us and the two gracious hosts. Excellent coffee to start with and lots of little things and art to explore. The lattes were strong, with fresh-ground local beans, and served in ceramic mugs.
If I hadn’t been sold already on TLSC, the icing on the cake was when after the usual Brooklyn crowd of more or less hip young professionals and families, an older man came in – slowly, since he was waking on a cane – and got greeted with the biggest smile get and a genuine: “How are you today”. HE was a regular, and my kind of regular, as whenever I travel abroad I seek out those spots frequented by the locals and have quickly found out that the best lunch spots especially in Southern Europe are those full of single old men (but that’s a whole other story). The gentlemen ordered his coffee (no questions asked how he likes it as that was already clear) and then, before sitting down on the table by the wall with the mirror, asked for a croissant: “Warmed and with butter.” Just to make sure, the barista checked: “You want extra butter on the croissant?” And guess what the gentleman said with a smirk: “Absolutely!” I am still smiling… 
I’ll add some more pictures and share the travelicious crêpes we had at a later time as there is more to explore still!
Just a quick tip: Walk up and down nearby Smith Street, too! Lots of great cafés, restaurants and some unique shops, too!
For reference: The Sweet Little Cafe