Storyville Coffee – 1st Ave

Storyville Coffee – 1st Ave

Description on  Storyville Coffee’s website : Find us on the bustling corner of 1st Avenue and Madison Avenue in Downtown Seattle. We are located at the base of the renowned Kimpton Alexis Hotel; a center point to the city’s landscape, just blocks away from the waterfront.

Neighborhood:  Downtown

Address: 1001 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98104

Music Playing:  Same music as their Pike Place Market location-some type of new agey jazzy instrumental spa like music. 

What we ate/drank: Macchiato and Cinnamon Roll($9.76)

Comments:  We dubbed the Storyville Coffee Company in Pike Place Market the Best Coffee Place to Impress Seattle Visitors. This is pretty much a smaller version of their Pike Place Market location and similar to Fonte Coffee Roaster Cafe  because this Storyville is right on 1^st Ave, so it’s very visible to visitors and is nearby a  few hotels.  This one doesn’t have the “secret” nature of the Pike Place Market location though.  While sitting at this Storyville, I noticed it was part of the cashier’s greeting to ask if the person ordering was from out of town and more times than not, they were. The Kimptom Alexis Hotel is right next door and Hotel 1000 is right across the street.

Sometimes you go to different branches of the same café and it’s completely different.  One might be vintage cozy and another branch might be sleek modern. This Storyville on 1st Ave is the exact replica of Pike Place Market version, but smaller.  Like the much bigger Storyville in Pike Place Market, the 1^st Ave version has the same dark wood panels, orange hue lighting and new agey jazzy instrumental spa-like music.  They also have a kitchen in the back. And also similar to the Pike Place Market version, they make a damn fine macchiato and cinnamon roll.

This Storyville Coffee only has one regular table that seats 4. The rest of the drinking area are 3 individual standing only tables, a patio area on the sidewalk that seats 8 at a wooden high counter and a beautiful wood L-shaped counter that can probably accommodate 10 stools. The L-shaped counter looks on to 1^st Ave & Madison through a massive floor to ceiling window that lets in tons of light. The rest of the café is rather dark due to the deep colors of the walls, floor and décor.  Although they are pretty close to Pioneer Square, they are not quite in it, but they do have the prerequisite exposed brick wall that most Pioneer Square cafes have.

There are a couple things that stand out about this location

• They bring you a cup of water as soon as you sit down. This is even prior to your coffee drink being made.
• They bus the dishes/cups for you. I touched about this being a rarity in Seattle cafes here.
• Because the place is so small and due to the acoustics, you can pretty much hear any conversation going on, so having an interview here probably isn’t a good idea. Shout out to the graphic designer being interviewed. I hope you got the job!
• The cashier was super friendly and helpful. As mentioned I heard the cashier ask where most patrons were from to see if they were visiting. (Eavesdropping conversation below)

I find the prices to be a bit on the high side with espresso being $3.65, macchiato being $4.10 and cortado being $4.65.  On average I would say this is about $.25-.35 higher than average.

Ratings(1-5)

Favorite Thing:  They bring a cup of water automatically to wherever you’re sitting and they bus your dishes. Just like a real restaurant!

Atmosphere: 4.25

Service: 5.00

Food Options: 4.50

Overall: 4.65

Eavedropping  Convo:  Cashier(C) asked where the patron was from and he said Philadelphia. The guy(G) said he didn’t drink coffee, but he was getting one for his wife back  at the hotel room. She then asked what he wanted to order.

G- Looking at the drink menu on the wall.  I’m not used to these fancy drink names.

C- Well describe to me what your wife enjoys drinking.

G- I think she just wants a regular black coffee, but since we’re in Seattle she wants something different and better than what she normally has.

C- Well, I think you should get an Americano or a French Press. Both are more flavorful than a normal black coffee, but it doesn’t have any cream or foam or additional flavors like vanilla, you know?

G- What’s the difference between an Americano and French Pass

C- Americano is espresso shots with water and a French Press is a pot with a plunger with a filter on it and we press the hot water through the coffee grounds.

G- Which is quicker?

C- The Americano.

G- Give me the Americano.

C- No problem. You can’t go wrong with either. They are both really tasty.  I hope she likes it.

Related:

• The Best Coffee Place to Impress Seattle Visitors-Storyville Coffee Company in Pike Place Market
• Our Seattle Coffee Shop Thoughts
• Best Seattle Coffee Shops For Each Stage of Dating