Caffébene - NYC - Restaurant Review A strawberry and whipped cream waffle at Caffébene, near Times Square. 1611 Broadway (49th Street), (212) 586-2010, caffebeneny.com. When it comes to coffee, scaling up usually means bringing in super-automatic espresso machines that grind, dose, tamp and extract coffee with the push of a button. A super-automatic won't ruin a drink, but it will never make an outstanding cappuccino. At least not until computers learn how to love. Which is why the espresso setup at Caffébene's vast shop in Times Square, the first American outpost of a South Korean franchise that opened 750 stores in four years, is such a surprise. It looks like a supersize independent shop: two hulking Marzocco GB5s are staffed by baristas who skillfully pull shots, steam milk and serve drinks with a cheerful "Have a bene day!" It's one of dozens of small touches that make Caffébene so appealing, and bewildering. On the appealing side: it's open from 5:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.; drinks are served in a proper cup and saucer; the coffee beans are from the Metropolis Coffee Company, the well-regarded Chicago roaster. Waffles are griddled to order in a glass-paned room that looks like a potting shed, and come with a range of toppings, from the sweet caramel and banana ($5.95) to the savory goat cheese and peach compote ($6.45). And the sweetened misugaru latte ($3.95 to $5.25), made with toasted barley, brown rice, black rice, black bean and black sesame seed, is as comforting as a hug. On the bewildering side: so many pastries, so few worth it. A pillowy blood-orange doughnut ($3.25) tastes like a glazed Orange Julius, but you can skip the rest. If only Caffébene didn't try to do so much, with an overstimulating menu of frappes, smoothies, hot chocolate (dark, white), fresh juice, hot panini and more. Better to keep it simple. Get a waffle and a misugaru latte, or an Americano ($2.25), the order of choice in Seoul. And let Caffébene think big. Another 50 shops are planned for New York.