Coperaco

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Coperaco
Location visited: Harrison, NJ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]

Few coffeehouses have a jaw-dropping physical presence. Given the cost of real estate and the rather boring architectural options developers create for retail, most shops end up working with your standard rectangles and visual cues. But some cafes are fortunate, able to capitalize on beautiful and/or unique concepts, adding a glorious third space for their local community.

One such rarity is the voluminous Coperaco cafe within Harrison's Urby apartments. Offering a lush, gigantic shop unmatched in the region (it has a mini-house and full-size tree within its walls), this behemoth boasts gorgeous furnishings and enough tables to handle even the largest rush of laptop squatters. And if the posh interior wasn't enough, the space spills out to a sunny back patio for warm days and summer relaxation. 

As for the coffee, Coperaco roasts their own beans nearby, offering a few ongoing blends as well as a rotating list of seasonal single origins. During my visit, I ordered an espresso of their espresso blend (I think it was their Maestrale but the barista didn't specify) and a filtered coffee of a seasonal Honduras. The espresso, pulled to a medium volume with blonde crema, proved a tad over-extracted but still tasty, with zesty notes of vanilla, pretzel, pear, licorice and a little pepper. As for the drip coffee, the Honduran brew proved fairly flavorful, with notes of corn chip, white grape, mineral water, peach, malt and arugula in a medium-heavy body.


For the NYC region, especially on the Jersey side, Coperaco stands as possibly one of the nicest places one could slurp their morning coffee. If you're in the area, take a respite in their cafe and check out their coffee.




These wonderful folks made this visit possible in part. Make sure to check them out!