Just because Seattle is the birthplace of Starbucks, it doesn’t mean your coffee choices are limited. Next time you’re visiting the city, look to the city’s burgeoning independent café scene to understand why coffee is synonymous with life in Seattle. Here are some of our favourites.
Seattle and coffee, they go together as well as…well, Seattle and grunge. Yes, the weather, which can be glorious during summer but pretty bloody wet the rest of the year, probably has something to do with it – when it’s raining outside what else are you doing to do but drink good coffee and listen to Nirvana?
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However, the city has always been a supporter of grassroots development and while it might be synonymous with Starbucks, probably the largest coffee company in the world, it is also home to a host of awesome boutique coffee shops, where passions run red hot, where coffee takes time and patience, and where the end sipper is part of a long, curated process.
Milstead & Co
Among those in the know, Milstead & Co is thought to serve the best “craft coffees” in the city. Along the way, it has also acquired a reputation for being one of Seattle’s “snobbiest” cafes. Though relatively young in the coffee scene, Milstead & Co has amassed an army of fans who will vouch for its attention to detail. This includes fastidiousness when it comes to brewing methods.
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Elm Coffee Roasters
Dressed in blonde wood, with plenty of big picture windows for people watching, Elm Coffee Roasters is home to coffee purists, who roast house-sourced beans in the back of its Pioneer Square cafe. This isn’t the place to ask for fancy flavoured lattes – go hard with a double espresso, or go home.
La Marzocco
Once the primary supplier for Starbucks, Italian espresso machine maker La Marzocco opened its first café and showroom in Seattle last year. Here, coffee takes centrestage, and a monthly rotating roster of coffee brands ensures a refreshing experience for regulars.
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Espresso Vivace
Espresso Vivace has been around since 1988, and its name loosely translates to mean “great enthusiasm and excitement for espresso.” This is where you go for one of the best espressos in the city, where superior taste is guaranteed by the chief quality controller a.k.a. owner David Schomer. In his words: “I’m very unhappy if there’s any bad espresso coming out of the machines.”
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Tougo Coffee Co
Think of Tougo Coffee Co as a place where you can be yourself, and be accepted. Eater Seattle commends the decade-old café for being a “nerdy-not-jerky haven,” where even coffee novices will feel right at home. Tougo is said to be as equally focused on community building as it is on its coffee, so remember to strike up a conversation with your friendly barista.
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