My Favorite Coffee in Seattle

[Updated September 2019]

I truly love living in a coffee town. I’m spoiled by the choices around here, and I’m always on the lookout for new, good places to go. Sometimes that’s in search of a good place to write, and other times it’s solely about the coffee itself—often the two intersect.

If you’re just visiting Seattle, or you’ve just moved here, or if, like me, you want to expand your coffee knowledge, here are some of my favorites as of January 2019. This isn’t a comprehensive list—just the favorites off the top of my head. Feel free to ping me on Twitter if you’re looking for more recommendations.

Seattle Coffee Works, Ballard Coffee Works, Capitol Coffee Works

Originally, Seattle Coffee Works near Pike Place Market was a tiny shop that had coffee beans from dozens of local roasters, but then they expanded the place and started roasting their own. The espresso is consistently good, and the Ballard location can be a great place to work.

Located downtown, in Ballard, and a new shop on Capitol Hill.

Elm Coffee Roasters

I discovered Elm Coffee Roasters while I worked in Pioneer Square and try to get there for a macchiato or cortado when I’m in the area. Although other shops are nearby, such as Zeitgeist, which is also good, Elm’s light roasting appeals more to my palate. And if you’re in need of a distraction, you can watch them roast the coffee in a big Probat roaster on one side of the cafe.

(Note that they don’t have any public power outlets, so make sure your laptop is charged if you’re planning on working for a bit.)

Located in Pioneer Square near the fire station.

Milstead & Co.

Milstead & Co. is a little out of the way from the main core of Fremont (where you’ll find other good coffee shops, such as Fremont Coffee Company), but it’s worth taking the left on 34th and walking a couple of blocks.

Located in Fremont, down the hill from the famous Fremont Troll.

Anchorhead Coffee

Anchorhead Coffee competes with a lot of other coffee in the downtown area, but I’ve always enjoyed consistently good coffee there.

Located downtown, across 7th Avenue from Pacific Place.

Other Good Coffee

There are many, many other spots in town. Stalwarts such as Espresso Vivace and Victrola Coffee are worth visiting if you’re up on Capitol Hill (but I don’t get up there often enough). And, of course, for spectacle there’s the Starbucks Roastery, which is visually magnificent and also has much better coffee than what is normally found in the stores.

If you know of particularly good spots, let me know in the comments!

[Update, September 2019: I regrettably removed Slate Coffee Roasters from the list, because of multiple reports of a “toxic work environment” that led to a mass exodus of talent.]

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