Reviews - Illy Caffe
Reviews summary
In Williamsburg, Illy Caffè serves outstanding Illy coffee — from cold brew to bespoke espresso drinks — alongside tempting gelato, sandwiches and pastries that range from flaky and fresh to reheated and uneven. Charming European décor (including espresso-cup chandeliers), Wi‑Fi and outlets make it a handy spot for tourists and laptop users, though prices are on the higher side and service can be inconsistent. Worth visiting for the coffee, but expect variable pastry quality and occasional inattentive staff.
Reviews from various users
Last update : 19.05.2025
Good coffee, pastries are alright but are clearly being reheated from frozen, not even sure if they get defrosted ahead of when they get in the oven. So they turn out a bit soft and aren?t your real European crisp croissant etc. Also their ??Europeanvibes?? music is annoying. Edit: dude, the pastries were cold on the bottom and warm on the top, and clearly you?re heating upall of them in the oven before you serve them. Fresh pastries don?t need to be heated. These were about on par with what you canget at your average Dunkin Donuts or grocery store. If you?re really using a local supplier you should consider switchingbakers.
Loved the espresso cup chandeliers which caught my eye the minute I walked it. My partner and I each got a coconut foam cold brew and a sandwich- a caprese sandwich and a frittata with turkey sausage on a croissant. Everything exceeded my expectations.The coffee was a perfect strength for me and my caprese sandwich was the right combination of creamy mozzarella, fresh tomato,and perfectly salty pesto on a light, beautifully braided focaccia bread. My lunch partners frittata was light and fluffy withcheesy goodness and little pieces of sausage on a light crispy croissant that held the sandwich together nicely. Worth thevisit!
I visited Colonial Williamsburg earlier this week and needed to find a good coffee shop for my stay. My boyfriend and I stumbled upon this little gem only because the place we planned on going to happened to be closed! It was such a blessing because theirhot lattes here at Illy are AMAZING! Their baristas are so friendly, and wow, their warm pastries are perfect! We not onlyhappened upon it one morning but made sure to go back (twice! . My boyfriend ordered their donuts, and I ordered both thechocolate croissant and the blueberry and cream cheese pastry! We both ordered the hot and iced lattes, which were terrific, butI liked the hot ones more!
While the coffee is great?being that this is an illy after all?the staff were not so great. Now, I don?t expect a full blown production when I?m interacting with the staff of any business, but I do expect at least some general positivity coming fromthem: baristas here seemed so down and depressed. They were not inviting or friendly when I ordered, putting me off. Maybe theyhad a bad day? However, I would come back again, just because the coffee is so delicious.
The amazing Illy coffee in a coffee shop?!?!? This is awesome! Cortado wasn?t on the menu, but they made one for us. Lungo wasn?t on the menu either, but the managing barista asked us if we trusted him and made a delicious one. Also, we found avariety of Illy coffees that you cannot find in the store.
Last update : 09.11.2023
I normally love Illy's. The food and coffee are to die for. However, this morning was much more frustrating. Instead of the usual staff I interact with (who are lovely), there were what appeared to be 4 to 5 college students who seemed to be more interested in talking to each other than taking orders. I had to repeat myself a few times when ordering (though it was pretty busy so I can understand that), and as soon as I was finished paying, the cashier went right back to her conversation with her coworker. I had my receipt printed and tried asking for it, but it's like I wasn't even there anymore. Then one of the employees noticed me and I asked for my receipt but she kept telling me to go to the other end of the counter and wait for my food. I finally got her to hand me the receipt.The coffee I recieved was phenomenal, great job as always. But my sandwich was extremely cold and still very chewy (not in a good way). I had gotten my order to go so I was not there to be able to ask for it to be heated up, and based on the experience I recieved, I did not feel like driving back.I'd like to reiterate that Illy's is delicious and delightful, I always go there for a morning cold brew and I still plan to. However, whoever they had working today was just not it for me.
If I could give zero stars I would. I walked in because I saw that someone had just left and that let off the impression they were still open, One of the male workers looked me dead in the eye with a mean look and rudely said “Hello we’re closed” After reading a few other reviews I now realize that this is not uncommon, because of this Illy Cafe will never receive business from me or anyone I know.
The service of the staff was not satisfactory, perhaps because it was a tourist destination, the staff was not very friendly, the coffee was the basic taste of Illis, so it was all the more real, I guess I had too high expectations for Illis....
A great spot to cool off and enjoy a refreshing drink. The restrooms are also well-maintained.
Decided to try since Aromas like was out the door. Big mistake. Came in and ordered hot coffee and a chocolate croissant. The sign in the pastry container said $4.95 but it rang up as $5.60 When I pulled it out, the cashier checked the sign, turned it around, and came back to say it's wrong. Then asked if I want it or not with a rude tone. Coffee tastes burnt, they didn't leave room for cream like I asked (and receipt stated) but did give a refund for the coffee.
