Pause Cafe – cafe

Moroccan-inspired café at Clinton and Houston on Manhattan's Lower East Side, opened in 2011 by Moroccan owner Amine Sadki. Zellige fountains and handicrafts turn the small room into a transporting escape, where açaí bowls, sandwiches, fresh juices, and well-priced pastries like the chocolate croissant fuel long conversations — laptops are pointedly no longer welcome. Staff remember regulars, halal-friendly options widen the table, and weekend waits testify to the following. It suits unhurried catch-ups, LES wanderers craving calm, mint-tea people, and anyone who thinks cafés should encourage talking.

Rating: 4.6/50

Cuisine: cafe

Price range: $

Currently closed