Caffe Umbria – Westlake

Caffe Umbria – Westlake

Description on the Caffe Umbria website: For over three generations, the Bizzarri family has been evolving and improving on the enduring craft of Italian espresso, combining the harmonious artistry of the blend with the precise science of the roast to create signature blends that reflect the passion and personality at the heart of the Italian caffè experience.. 

Neighborhood: Westlake 

Address: 1201 Westlake Ave N, Seattle WA 98109  

Music playing:  None

What we ate/drank:  Doppio Espresso, Spinach/Cheese pastry

Comments: They also have Ballard and Pioneer Square locations and all are very different styles.The Westlake location has a few tables with four seats to the left, some individual seating along their front window and a two booths on the right side. They also have a standing bar area facing the barista that even has a foot rest. I don’t know if this is common in other coffee places but it’s the first time I’ve noticed it. They have a few sweet and savory food items to munch on. We had a spinach/cheese pastry. One of the things that stood out to me was their Monocle Guide to Drinking and Dining book. I’m a huge fan of the Monocle periodical, but it’s so damn expensive. It was fun looking through the book while drinking my espresso. The other thing that stood out was the handles on their espresso cups. The handle is inverted with a small hole which makes gripping in with your thumb and finger really easy. I’ve not seen these anywhere else. Overall, the décor is pretty minimalist and atmosphere is bright and airy due to the huge windows on the front and south of the location and open floor plan. It’s way different from their Ballard location that had leather couches, comfy seats and big wood community table. The Pioneer Square location is also different with exposed brick walls, really airy and dark wood chairs and tables and what seems like way more variety of food options.

Ratings(Scale 1-5)

Favorite Thing: Caffe Umbria’s education section on their website teaches you the proper way to brew your coffee using a Aeropress, French Press, Moka Pot, Chemex and Hario V60.  I definitely used it to fine tune my brewing using my Bialetti. It gives the educational videos from Victrola Coffee Roasters‘ website a run for it’s money. 

Atmosphere: 4.25

Service:  5 

Food Options:  4 

Overall:  4.25

Eavesdropping Convo:

Gal 1) Guess what?  

Gal 2) What? 

G1) I spent $674 eating out last month. 

G2) Shut up! G1, you really need to stop going out to eat for all three meals! 

G1) I don’t. I swear. Maybe two times a day at most, but most of the time just once. It’s hard for me to eat leftovers and you know my neighborhood has a new restaurant open every week. The real problem is all my friends are foodies. I seriously need to move out of Cap Hill.   

The foodie struggle is real, yo.