About Small World Coffee
Small World Coffee has been part of downtown Princeton since 1993, when it opened on Witherspoon Street near the main gates of Princeton University and brought a West Coast style of coffee to the East Coast. It roasts its own beans, sold as blends, single origins and decaf, and the Witherspoon café is still the flagship. A second café opened on Nassau Street in 2006.
The Witherspoon café opens early, at 6:30 a.m. most days, and stays open into the evening, which makes it an easy breakfast stop before a day trip or a coffee break after one. Expect a full coffee house menu, house-made pastries and granola, and grab-and-go snacks. The Nassau Street café is known for scratch-made scones and the house Nola, and it serves breakfast from the grill, with indoor tables and an outdoor space.
The Witherspoon room doubles as a small community stage. Local musicians play on Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. through the fall of 2026, and the walls host rotating art shows; October and November 2026 feature oil paintings by Dan Schlesinger. Beans, mugs and apparel are for sale to take home.
Pleasant Valley Lavender in Morganville is about 30 miles east, around 45 minutes by car, so grab coffee and a scone here before heading to the lavender fields in season.
What to do
- Order a scone and the house Nola at the Nassau Street café
- Catch Saturday evening live music at 7 p.m. at Witherspoon Street
- See the monthly art show on the café walls
- Take home a bag of their own roasted beans
- Walk to Princeton University's main gates, steps away
Season, hours and prices
- Season
- Open year-round; Saturday music series runs through fall 2026
- Hours
- Witherspoon Street (2026): Mon 6:30 a.m.–7 p.m.; Tue–Sat 6:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sun 7 a.m.–8 p.m.
Good to know
- Reservations
- Walk-in
Tips for your visit
- Order ahead online for pickup on busy mornings
- The Witherspoon café opens at 6:30 a.m. most days for an early start
- Check their website for the current Saturday music lineup
Pair it with a lavender farm
Pleasant Valley Lavender · about 45 minutes away
Pleasant Valley Lavender is about 30 miles east in Morganville, so start with coffee in Princeton and reach the fields mid-morning.
Getting there
Questions
How many Small World Coffee cafés are there?
Two in Princeton: the original on Witherspoon Street (1993) and one on Nassau Street (2006).
Is there live music?
Yes. The Witherspoon café hosts local musicians on Saturdays at 7 p.m.; the fall 2026 schedule runs into December.
🗺️ Part of the guide Things to Do Near the Lavender Farm of Marlboro & Monmouth County, New Jersey
Checked in October 2026 against the business’s own website and local tourism pages. Hours and seasons change, so check with them before you go. How we check listings · Is this your business? Claim it free
