The espressos ($1.50 single, $2 double) and cappuccinos ($2.25 single, $2.75 double), poured by Ritual's award-winning baristas, all arrive with a thick, rich cap of frothy crema topped with a rosette design. (For the curious: There is such thing as an award-winning barista; Ritual sends its most talented employees to a barista competition held every year.)

The espresso comes out singularly smooth and delicious, with hints of toffee and chocolate. The menu is fairly small and simple; alongside the standard selection of preparations, from a latte ($3 large, add 50 cents for soy) to a plain old mug of coffee ($1.50), there are offerings of tea and hot chocolate. Not on the menu but worth asking for is the Gibraltar ($2.25), a heady mix of double espresso and milk, poured hot into a special glass with a heavy base.

Ritual carries 15 different single-origin coffees that come from all over the world and all the coffee here is French-pressed in small batches. -- Sidra Durst