It’s been about two years since we published our original “Seattle Coffee Shop Thoughts” post.  Things change a lot in two years. New coffee shops open, we revisit shops and gain new perspectives, our own tastes change, so we’d thought we’d update this post.

One thing has not changed. Per our earlier post, according to Bustle, Seattle was ranked #1 for The Best City for Coffee Fanatics. And just earlier this year Wallet Hub ranked Seattle the #1 Coffee City in America.

So we can once again confirm that Seattlites having the stereotype of being coffee drinking fools is no stereotype, we take our coffee seriously. We can also confirm as before, if you ask 20 different locals what their favorite coffee place is, you’ll most likely get 20 different answers.

When it comes to price there’s not much differentiation between cafes. We would also say that the places we’ve decided to review all have quality coffee.   Although we did visit some cafes where the coffee was subpar(and we choose not to review for that reason), we don’t think a coffee shop can survive for very long in Seattle with the abundance of quality choices.

In our previous post we pointed out there were two types of coffee shops, the cozy and the modern minimalist, but we’ve refined it to 3 types of coffee shops:

1. The Neighborhood /Community Coffee Shop – We’re not saying the quality of the coffee is not a priority in these shops, but there really is an effort to make you feel comfortable(warm lighting and colors, comfy seating) and creating an environment that makes you want to stay awhile and come back. There’s a steady stream of regulars and interacting/small talk with the baristas who know your name and drink before you even walk in the door is common.  Locals meet up here to talk and catch up, read a paper or book or just relax.

Examples: Analog Coffee, Lighthouse Roasters, Seven Coffee Roasters , El Diablo Coffee(RIP), Preserve and Gather, Cloud City Coffee, Café Allegro, Zeitgeist Coffee, Anchored Ship Coffee, Bauhaus, Venture Coffee, Mabel Coffee, Eastern Cafe, Fuel, Kaladi Brothers Coffee, Realfine Coffee, Armistice Coffee – Roosevelt, Santo Coffee, Ada’s Technical Books Cafe, Vif Wine | Coffee

Our Favorite: Analog Coffee

2.The Coffee-Centric Shops – It’s all about the coffee first and foremost. Sparse walls, minimal and simple décor and knowledegable baristas are the norm. The baristas want to engage with the customer about the beans and it’s origin. They’ve got options-Chemex, Moka Pot, French Press, Aeropress, Hario V60, Pour Over. They’ll have their own theories on perfect espresso extraction.  This is a craft, a way of life and they are serious. You’ll be assured of a very nuanced espresso tasting.

Examples:  Slate Coffee Roasters, Elm Coffee Roasters , Broadcast Coffee, Milstead & Co., Ghost Note Coffee

Our Favorite: Broadcast Coffee,

3. The Seattle-Based Roasters – They all have multiple locations around Seattle and no matter what neighborhood you’re in, you’re likely to find one of their branches. When searching for coffee, there’s a sense of relief when spotting one of these roasters due to our familiarity with them. We know we’re getting fresh batch beans and it’s nice to support our local roasters.

Examples: Espresso Vivace , Caffé Vita, Caffe Ladro, Caffe Umbria, Herkimer Coffee, Storyville Coffee Co , Victrola Coffee Roasters, Coffee Works(Seattle Coffee Works, Capitol Coffee Works, Cascade Coffee Works, Ballard Coffee Works), Zoka Coffee Roasters , Cherry Street Coffee.

Our Favorite: Caffe Ladro

The Outliers – They don’t fit in any of the categories, but are still quality coffee shops.  Most are not in neighborhood areas and located in places like downtown/Belltown/Pioneer Square.

Examples: Mr West Café Bar, Pegasus Coffee, Caffe Senso Unico, Tempesta Coffee (RIP),Street Bean Coffee Roasters – Belltown, Evoke Coffee, La Marzocco Café & Showroom, Convoy Coffee.

Our Favorite: Mr West Café Bar

Our favorite coffee shops by neighborhood: 

Ballard-Anchored Ship Coffee, Bauhaus, Venture Coffee, Mabel Coffee

Belltown-Tempesta Coffee.

Capitol Hill-Victrola Coffee, Ghost Note Coffee, Analog Coffee, Capitol Coffee Works, Kaladi Brothers Coffee, Realfine Coffee, Ada’s Technical Books Cafe

Downtown-Mr West Café Bar, Anchorhead Coffee Co, Pegasus Coffee, Caffe Senso Unico, Café Magliore, Cafe Hitchcock, Victrola Coffee Roasters – Downtown , Seattle Coffee Works **New Location**

Pike Place-Storyville Coffee Co  

Eastlake- Armistice Coffee

Fremont-Milstead & Co., Lighthouse Roasters 

Georgetown – Brother Joe

Green Lake-Kitanda Espresso, Revolutions Coffee

Greenwood-Preserve and Gather

International District – Eastern Cafe

Maple Leaf-Cloud City Coffee 

Pioneer Square-Convoy Coffee, Cherry Street Public House, Caffé Vita, Slate Coffee Roasters, Elm Coffee Roasters, Zeitgeist Coffee , Caffe Umbria

Queen Anne- La Marzocco Café & Showroom, El Diablo Coffee

Ravenna- Seven Coffee Roasters 

Roosevelt-Broadcast Coffee, Armistice Coffee – Roosevelt, Santo Coffee, Caffe Ladro – Roosevelt

South Lake Union-Espresso Vivace , Evoke Coffee, Cascade Coffee Works

Tangletown-Zoka Coffee Roasters 

University-Café Allegro(Seattle’s oldest coffee shop), Herkimer Coffee

Wallingford-Fuel

Westlake-Caffe Umbria

Related:

• Part 1 – Best Coffee Neighborhood, Most Popular, Most Underrated
• Part 2 – Best Coffee Shops for Groups or You Want To Be Alone.
• Part 3 – Best Seattle Coffee Drink Sets, Best Views
• Part 4 – Best Seattle Coffee Shops to Impress Visitors, Impress Visiting Coffee Snobs, Make Visitors Feel Like Locals.
• Part 5 – Best Seattle Coffee Shops for Food Options, Friendliest Service 
• Part 6 – Seattle Coffee With Most Character, Best Seattle Coffee Shops Overall.