The BEST coffee houses in Seattle

Bauhaus – admittedly one of my favorite coffee houses in all of Seattle. The coffee’s great and the people watching keeps me coming back for me. If I’m ever looking for entertainment with my coffee, Bauhaus would be the place to go.

Pros: Great location, perfect for people watching, lots of seating, and late night hours.

Cons: Shoddy wifi connection, crowded, very loud and noisy.

Yet another coffee company with multiple locations in the city – Uptown isn’t typically my first choice when looking for my morning mocha. Though they do have delicious pastries, I find the decor of the coffee shops to be somewhat bland leaving me to feel like I’ve just stepped food into a second hand shop.

Pros: Multiple locations, delicious pastries, very quiet locations.

Cons: Unwelcoming interiors, inconvenient hours at many of their locations.

Vivace is yet another coffee house which ranks highly in my book. With multiple locations in the city and a truly delicious cup of coffee, you’d be crazy not to stop by if you find yourself in the neighborhood.

Pros: Large and spacious, you can almost always find a table, great coffee, great atmosphere.

Cons: Always busy, which often times means the place will be quite loud. I would not recommend coming here if you needed to get some serious work done.

One of Seattle’s newest buildings in the city has also become home to one of the nicest yet unknown espresso bars. The coffee is great, and between the cafe and urbane (the bar across the lobby) one can experience happy hour from 4-8 and 10-12! I recommend stopping by later on in the evening and making sure Gina takes care of you, she’s an absolute doll.

Pros: Great coffee, quiet setting, happy hour for majority of the evening, and a central location downtown.

Cons: Feels a little bit like a hotel coffee bar (because that’s essentially what it is).

With locations scattered throughout Seattle, Ladro is a great coffee house you can always rely on – without the stuffy feeling of a Starbucks. Slightly more intimate than the rest, I tend to find myself heading to Ladro if ever I need to stay focused or am pressed for a deadline.

Pros: Delicious coffee, quaint neighborhood feel, multiple locations, reliable wifi, open late.

Cons: Small, and sometimes impossible to find a seat.

With two locations in the city, Stumptown comes to us after much success down in Portland. I’ll admit I’ve not spent two much time at Stumptown primarily due to the locations being inconvenient for me.

Pros: They know how to make a good coffee, and the atmosphere is typically pretty mellow, lending to a more relaxed place to go.

Cons: Both coffee shops are somewhat small and have very few places to sit. Definitely a better setup if you’re looking to grab your coffee en route to work.

I’m never one to approve of corporate chains but Peet’s has one my heart over, and for that I must recommend it. With only a few locations in the city I highly suggest you visit Peet’s on top of Queen Anne, and make sure you have Angela (pictured above) take care of you.

Pros: Delicious coffee (from a corporate chain), friendly atmosphere, barista’s who remember your name AND drink.

Cons: Small and cramped, not the best hours, and wifi only available for 90 minutes with any purchase?!