- Why is Seattle famous for coffee?
- Seattle is renowned as the epicenter of craft coffee, home to the original second-wave coffee giant, Starbucks, and a hub for numerous second- and third-wave coffee roasters.
- How can I explore Seattle's coffee scene?
- The city offers an official Seattle Coffee Heatmap, tracking all the top coffee roasters and cafes to explore.
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1. Victrola Coffee
Victrola Coffee is a lovely regional coffee chain offering three locations throughout the Seattle urban area, including locations in Capitol Hill and Beacon Hill. The cafe, which is named for the popular 1920s-era phonograph brand, has been a longtime local favorite, prioritizing single-origin coffees sourced from around the world. Visitors can get an education on their favorite coffees at public cupping events every Wednesday morning at 11:00am, teaching industry tasting methods and introducing coffee lovers to a wide variety of world-class brews. A variety of cold brews and espresso-based beverages are also served up at all three locations, along with kombuchas on tap and a selection of delicious pastries and cakes.
310 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122, Phone: 206-624-1725
2. Caffe Umbria
Caffé Umbria is a famed Seattle-based coffee chain that traces its history back to an Italian roastery of the same name, founded in the 1940s by Ornello Bizzarri. Today, the chain is operated by his third-generation relative Emanuele, offering locations throughout the Pacific Northwest and Chicago, including three locations in Seattle's Pioneer Square, Westlake, and Ballard neighborhoods. Traditional Italian coffee and espresso-based beverages are served at all of the cafe's locations, along with the company's acclaimed upscale hot chocolate beverages. Visitors can also purchase packages of fresh-roasted coffee at all of the company's locations or snag baked goods from regional bakers such as Le Panier and Macrina. In addition to the company's public cafes, coffees are also sourced to some of North America's finest dining destinations, including the world-renowned Bellagio Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas.
320 Occidental Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104, Phone: 206-624-5847
3. Sound and Fog
Sound and Fog is an elegant minimalist coffee bar in West Seattle, serving up an excellent multi-roaster program in its airy, spacious cafe setting, a perfect location for the city's laptop warriors. A permanent selection of beans from Portland's famed Heart Coffee Roasters is available, along with rotating selections from regional and national favorites such as Calgary's Monogram Coffee Roasters and Omaha's Archetype Coffee Roasters. International coffees are highlighted, with beans traveling from as far as Copenhagen, Gothenburg, and Galway. Cafe beverage selections include espresso sodas and nitro cold brews on tap, flavored with an assortment of housemade syrups. Beer and wine are also served up during the evening hours, with a focus on craft brews and Pacific Coast fine wines.
4735 40th Avenue SW, Seattle, WA 98116, Phone: 206-618-1444
4. Elm Coffee Roasters
Elm Coffee Roasters is a delightful and hip cafe offering a modern flagship location in Seattle's Pioneer Square, located near Occidental Park. The cafe, which was founded in 2013 by New York City coffee veteran Brendan Mullally, serves up its own signature light-roasted beans prepared in house, served up in unique coffee shop beverages such as the company's espresso and tonic, a refreshing spritzer option for caffeination during the warmer months. Teas are provided by regional company Harbor Herbalist and San Francisco favorites Song Tea, with pastries delivered from Sea Wolf Bakers and neighboring company The London Plane. Visitors can hone their coffee tasting and brewing skills at cupping and brewing courses held throughout the month in the cafe's roasting area.
240 2nd Avenue Ext S Ste 103, Seattle, WA 98104, Phone: 206-445-7808
5. Mr. West Cafe Bar
Mr. West Cafe Bar is a hip midcentury-styled coffee shop and eatery in Seattle's downtown district, serving up an extensive menu of cafe fare and classic coffee shop beverages throughout the day. Diners looking for their caffeine fix can choose from simple drip coffees, classic espressos and cappuccinos, or gourmet beverages such as coffee egg creams or latte-style Seattle Fogs, blending Earl Gray tea with milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and honey. Mint lemonades and Mystic kombucha are served up on tap, along with an impressive menu of craft beers and fine Pacific Coast wine offerings. During the morning hours, diners can enjoy craft toasts, gourmet grilled cheeses, or fresh pastries sourced from regional bakeries. At dinner, a full bar menu of charcuterie boards and bar snacks is served, along with delicious desserts such as Nutella mousse and matcha affogatos.
720 Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98101, Phone: 206-900-9378
6. Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room
Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room is a must-visit for fans of the famed international chain, which was founded in Seattle in 1971 and is considered to be the prime example of distinguished and upscale second-wave coffee. The company operates its flagship location within Seattle's historic Pike Place Market, but its Capitol Hill tasting room offers up some of its most interesting concoctions, worth a visit even for tourists who have grown weary of its more than 28,000 locations worldwide. Specialty beans are roasted on site, with exclusive beverages served that are not available at most Starbucks locations. The roastery and tasting room is also home to the high-end Italian-style bakery Princi, which serves up delicious pastries and cornetti croissants.
1124 Pike St, Seattle, WA, 98101, Phone: 206-624-0173
7. Empire Espresso
Empire Espresso is one of Columbia City's favorite caffeination destinations, recently named by Seattle Met Magazine as the neighborhood's best coffee shop. The charming neighborhood cafe partners with regional bakers Amandine Bakeshop to serve up a delicious variety of pastries and goodies prepared by executive chef Sara Naftaly, including macarons crafted in unique flavors such as guava and cajeta or Indian blood peach. Coffees are brewed via AeroPress or French press, infused with housemade cashew milk or clever ingredients such as matcha and cayenne. The cafe is noted for its Instagram-worthy latte art, which tops all hot espresso-based beverages. Cafe fare includes gluten-free waffles, clever paninis, and health-conscious hummus plates.
3829 S Edmunds St A, Seattle, WA 98118, Phone: 971-328-0048
8. Dubsea Coffee
Dubsea Coffee is a friendly neighborhood spot on Seattle's 8th Avenue, serving up cafe beverages prepared with beans from North Carolina's widely-acclaimed roasters Counter Culture Coffee. The cafe strives to be a neighborhood gathering and meeting space, offering free wireless internet for all diners and ample space for community meetings throughout the month. Displays by regional artists are rotated on the cafe's walls, with expansive windows providing natural light and opportunity for people-watching along the city's bustling business corridors. Standout beverages include cardamom lattes, served up alongside a selection of Rishi teas, Morning Glory chai beverages, and bottled Italian sodas. Pastries and bagels are sourced from a variety of regional bakeries, with gluten-free and vegan sandwich options prepared by Molly's and White Knuckle.
9910 8th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106, Phone: 206-708-6806
9. Caffe Vita
Caffé Vita has been a Seattle staple since 1995, offering 13 locations today throughout the Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, and New York City metropolitan regions. The cafe, which roasts all of its own beans on site at its Pacific Northwest and Brooklyn locations, is a pioneer of the coffee industry's Farm Direct movement, which strives to maintain fair-trade relationships with private coffee growers throughout the world. 11 distinct cafe locations are offered in Seattle's Fremont, Queen Anne, Pioneer Square, Capitol Hill, Seward Park, Alberta, Old Town, Olympia, Silver Lake, Phinney Ridge, and Lower East Side neighborhoods. Customers can watch in-house roasting processes while sipping on unique brews such as the cafe's Theo blend, which infuses local Theo Chocolate with excellently-roasted beans.
1005 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122, Phone: 206-709-4440
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