In just two weeks, I’ll be heading west to Seattle for An Event Apart. The event, as with any AEA show, will undoubtedly rock. It’s also on the brink of being sold out, so act now if you’d like to attend. You can also save an extra $100 off the registration by using the discount code AEACEDE.
And that reminds me. If one were looking for the best coffee in Seattle, where would one go? Let the debate begin, fine folks of the Pacific Northwest.
An Event Apart Seattle
CSS3 For Web Designers Paperback + eBook A Book Apart
Bulletproof Web Design Third Edition New Riders 
Handcrafted CSS Book and DVD New Riders 
Web Standards Solutions Special Edition Friends of Ed 
Dribbble What are you working on? 
Instapaper Icon design
26 Comments
Stumptown Coffee is reported to be the best — I hail from the Bay Area, and this is what I’ve heard from locals here.
Coffee: Stumptown, Cafe Vita, Victrola, Caffe Fiore, Monorail Espresso, to name a few.
I’m not making it to AEA, but might show at some of the after parties.
-isaacw
I highly recommend Seattle Coffee Works – Located right next to Pike Place Market, between 1st and 2nd. It’s only been around for a couple of years, but they have a huge variety of blends, and the owner (Sebastian) is hugely knowledgeable about coffee and will help identify what you’ll like best.
Other folks may also suggest Monorail, which is on Pike and a bit further up (between 4th and 5th, I think), but that’s just a hole in the wall place. Nowhere to sit down and relax and use the free wireless (which you also get at the aforementioned Seattle Coffee Works).
Have a fun trip!
Easily Stumptown. Replied on Twitter too but didn’t know if you would get it. They are from Portland, OR but I see they have two Seattle locations.
http://stumptowncoffee.com/
When we visited Seattle last fall, we hit up Zeitgeist Coffee, and we enjoyed it immensely.
Oh wow, hadn’t realized Stumptown is in Seattle. Had visited them in Portland a while back (and loved it).
Vivace is my favorite by far. Plus, their website has a splash page! How could you possibly go wrong?
Stumptown is great, but if you’re staying near Bell Harbor Convention Center, not really convenient. Cherry Street Espresso is pretty good on 1st. Many great places in the market. Umbria (nee Tariffazione) and Zeitgeist in Pioneer Square are tops. Uptown Espresso (“Home to the velvet foam”) is pretty good, too. In Ballard or Queen Anne, Caffe Fiore is delicious.
The thing about Seattle is that most of the bad coffee is still pretty good, and you can hardly walk a few blocks without finding a place to try.
Yes, Stumptown is fantastic! I’m biased as I live across the street, but Vivace, Victrola, and Bauhaus are also local favorites.
+1 for Vivace.
Uptown Espresso is the answer to the question. You can close the comment thread now.
Bonus: There is an Uptown right next to the Edgewater, where you’ll probably be staying.
When in Seattle, I’ll walk blocks out of my way to visit Monorail Espresso. Been giving them my business since early 80′s.
Stumptown, Vivace, Victrola, or Lighthouse.
Stumptown is so pretentious. It’s always full of hipsters.
+1 Trabant
Truth is everyone in Seattle has a coffee drink and an opinion on how to make it, and you really can’t go wrong in what you pick. It’s like buying chocolate in Belgium.
So long as you avoid the U District, you’ll be fine. I think the five worst cups of coffee I’ve had have all been in the U District or from a Tully’s on campus.
The only good one I don’t see on the list so far is Zoka in Tangletown.
Oh wow, hadn’t realized Stumptown is in Seattle. Had visited them in Portland a while back (and loved it).
Like the folks mentioned above Stumptown is pretty darn tasty, Vivace, Vita, Victrola are all good as well. If you go to the Cafe Vita in Freemont be sure to grab a Cuban sandwich at Paseo from across the street. They are extremely delicious.
Hey, you should arrange an event apart in Europe some time! That’d rock!
Lots of good coffee. I echo all the Uptown endorsements. I also like Diva.
And remember that tastes vary. I hear people rag on Tully’s (as one of the commenters did), but I like it fine.
In the U District, I recommend the cafe inside the University Book Store, which is well worth visiting for the other stuff like, um, books.
This is a really intense, subject I mean we are talking about Seattle. I lived there for three years(so I don’t really know much)and this was my fave; “Victrola” like isaacw already said. Checkm; victrolacoffee.com
Have a great trip. Seattle is always an awesome city to be in.
Safe travels(and good java).
When we visited Seattle last fall, we hit up Zeitgeist Coffee, and we enjoyed it immensely.
An Event Apart in Europe would rock!
yeah stumptown is the best. vivace is also a good one.
stumptown and vivace are really good. lighthouse is also nice.
yes i agree they are very good
Easily Stumptown. Replied on Twitter too but didn’t know if you would get it. They are from Portland, OR but I see they have two Seattle locations.