Seattle’s buzzing coffee scene

Sebastian Simsch has a theory about what has fuelled Seattle’s thirst for coffee. “It started less with a passion than with a need to compensate for grey weather,” he says. “Coffee is a little sunshine in a cup, and once Seattleites got drinking, they decided they might as well drink really good coffee.”

Seattle Coffee Works, which Simsch founded in 2006, and which has since come under the same auspices as Victrola Coffee Roasters , made a name for itself by sourcing beans directly from farmers and roasting them onsite at its original café by Pike Place Market – opposite the first Starbucks. In this serious coffee city you don’t dash in and call out “two lattes, please”. First you choose your preferred single-origin coffee, then your brewing method (say, Aeropress or siphon) – and then you sit back as a barista prepares your drink with scientific precision. 

This trend of treating coffee as a nuanced craft beverage has been dubbed the “third wave”, and it washed over Seattle, introducing lighter, fruitier flavours.

“Seattle has a deep-rooted relationship with darker roasts,” says Jason Chase of the now-closed Slate Coffee Roasters, citing local European-style cafés dating back to the ’60s. “Coffee drinkers are coming round to celebrating a much wider spectrum.” 

Seattle’s full-blown passion for coffee continues to attract newcomers, and the city is consistently ranked among the best cities for caffeine-lovers in the US. Here are five of the best coffee shops in Seattle to visit next time you’re in town.

Espresso Vivace

Espresso Vivace has been a beloved fixture of Capitol Hill for about 30 years, beginning as a humble coffee stand before opening a roastery café. Co-founder David Schomer is widely credited with popularising latte art in Seattle – particularly the intricate rosetta leaf, considered one of the most challenging designs. His cappuccinos are among the finest in the city, based on a silky foam and northern Italian espresso and prepared with a Japanese steam tip. In addition to its flagship café in Capitol Hill, Espresso Vivace runs a coffee bar in South Lake Union.  

Milstead & Co 

Andrew Milstead exemplifies the new guard of multiroasters – sourcing a rotating selection of 20 coffees that are freshly brewed using an Aeropress or V60 pour-over coffee dripper. One favourite among patrons is a single-estate Honduran from Seattle’s Kuma Coffee that he says tastes of quince, cane sugar and marzipan. Even if you’re not the type to wax poetic, you’ll appreciate Milstead & Co’s light-filled space in artsy Fremont. 

Peloton Café Bike Shop

A tyre pump bolted to the pavement is one indication you’ve arrived at Peloton , an exposed-brick café that combines two of Seattle’s passions: coffee and cycling. Here in the Central District, locals can wait out a bike tune-up over a berry-flavoured Ethiopian roast. There’s craft beer, too, along with nourishing brunch food, sandwiches and salads. Credit goes to co-owner and chef Mckenzie Hart, previously of locavore restaurant Sitka & Spruce. 

Caffe Vita

Caffe Vita  debuted in Lower Queen Anne in 1995, right by the now legendary (and relocated) Laundry Room recording studio. Musicians began coming by for a caffeine fix, including members of grunge heroes Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. Vita now supplies coffee to music festivals and restaurants while operating 10 locations, including in New York and Phoenix. Still independently owned by Seattle-born Michael McConnell, Vita roasts all its own (sustainable) coffee and hosts free monthly brewing classes at its KEXP location.

Victrola Coffee Roasters

Named for the Victrola phonograph popularised in the 1920s, this café opened in Capitol Hill in 2000 with the vision of becoming a vibrant gathering place with a cosy vintage vibe. You’ll find a variety of interesting roast profiles as well as seasonal specials like the pumpkin pie latte. In 2024, Victrola merged with Seattle Coffee Works, further deepening its relationships with farmers and producers, and expanding its footprint to seven locations in Seattle. On Friday mornings, the 310 East Pike location hosts a free weekly coffee tasting, where you can sample Victrola’s excellent single-origin brews.

This story was originally published in February 2019 and updated in November 2025.