Raphael DiBenedetto, a second-generation Brooklyn local with a decade of experience in the coffee industry, opened No Filter Coffee in June 2024 with the goal of providing a welcoming and friendly environment for those who enjoy anything and everything gothic.

Inspired by his love of metal music, Gothic art and literature, and a desire for the best coffee he can make, No Filter is the first of its kind in Brooklyn. Local artists’ work (gothic-themed, of course) is on display throughout the café. Specialty drinks each boast a name that pays homage to major works of Gothic fiction and poetry, with favorites from Sylvia Plath, Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Shelley, and more recently, Anne Rice with New Orleans-style chicory cold brew lovingly named “The LeStat.”

This recent addition to the menu marks a momentous occasion for No Filter: Raphael is excited to partner with Rêve Coffee, a Louisiana roaster, as the new house roaster for the shop. Post-pandemic, Raphael moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he discovered Rêve—which quickly became his go-to coffee spot. A taste of New Orleans-style coffee is wholly unique to Brooklyn, and No Filter’s selection of Rêve roasts is a decadent experience for any coffee aficionado.