Arrow Coffee is airy and clean, and feels like it is more than the two stories it is above dingy Manhattan traffic. The coffee does not poke holes in that sense. It is rich and true, allegedly because of its measured, purist brewing techniques.

Arrow’s Vanilla Latte swells in the back of the throat with a woody, full taste. It is complex: earthy, chocolatey and bitter tones also intermingle. The coffee’s flavors taste genuine. One disclaimer is the latte’s strong, distinct aftertaste, which could be too much for some.

Arrow’s Cafe Au Lait, on the other hand, is the opposite of complex. It is a single origin coffee (made of one bean from one place) with no added flavors. The Cafe Au Lait also differs from the Vanilla Latte because it slips down the throat instead of swelling. It tastes pure, clean, and, if taste had a color, dark brown.

Arrow Coffee is extremely expensive for a high school student (the total cost of the coffees above was over seven dollars), but at least in Manhattan’s relatively limited selection, Arrow’s pure, rich brews stand out.