Last updated on July 24th, 2025
Seattle is known for having amazing coffee! In this blog post, we’re sharing our must-visit coffee shops in Seattle that combine both high quality coffee, cool spaces, and a great experience!
From the moment we moved to Seattle, we have made it one of our goals to explore as many local coffee shops as possible. We are hugeee coffee fans and while it may be impossible to visit every coffee shop in Seattle, we sure as heck are going to try!
After doing tons of coffee research (it’s hard work, but somebody has to do it! 🙂 ), we’re rounding up our top 6 must-visit coffee shops in Seattle. Our criteria for this list includes: coffee quality, service, and having a space that is good for working and socializing with friends.
For us, the best coffee shops are more than just great coffee, but are a great overall experience as well!
Check out the list below and watch our Seattle coffee tour, where we visit 5 of these shops! We also have a Seattle Bucket List full of tons of other coffee shop suggestions.
And if you have any must-visit coffee shops in Seattle that we didn’t mention, let us know! We love trying new coffee shops 🙂
Victrola COFFEE Roasters
7 locations around Seattle–2 Downtown, Ballard, 2 in Capitol Hill, Beacon Hill, and Thomas Street
Victrola Coffee Roasters is another coffee shop that holds a lot of meaning for us. When we visited Seattle for the first time in March 2014, our first stop was Victrola Coffee Roaster (then called Seattle Coffee Works) right outside of Pike Place Market.
We got the cutest lattes and then headed to Kerry Park. The park where Adam proposed years ago! There are 7 locations in Seattle in various neighborhoods around the city.
Our favorite location is the Thomas Street location because the space is very bright, the decor is cute (they have swing chairs!), and there are lots of spots to work! The coffee is great at any location though!
ADA’S TECHNICAL BOOKS AND CAFE
Capitol Hill
Ada’s Technical Books and Cafe is an awesome hidden gem in the quieter portion of Capitol Hill. We aren’t sure how we discovered this spot, but we love it and feel like it is still undiscovered by many Seattleites.
Ada’s is part technical book store, part cafe, and part coffee shop. The space is bright, has tons of cool books and trinkets to look at (including cool trinkets under the table glass!), and has great coffee.
We also hear that their food is very good, but we have yet to try it. This is one of our favorite spots to work in town, although there is a Wifi time limit so keep that in mind!
MILSTEAD
Fremont
We first went to Milstead shortly after we moved to Seattle when they were in their temporary space (while their original space was being redeveloped), which was windowless and pretty dark. The coffee was great, but the ambiance wasn’t our favorite.
Fast forward to the present and they are back in their original space, which is now completely redone, full of windows, beautiful inside, and has a great view of the Aurora bridge and part of Lake Union. Their coffee is still some of the best in town and now they have the environment to match it!
There are a bunch of tables (although they do get busy!) and we have spent an entire day working here. The staff is also friendly, which is super important to us!
STORYVILLE COFFEE
Multiple locations, but our favorite is the one at Pike Place Market
Storyville Coffee is a local roaster that not only has great coffee, but also is on a mission to help end human trafficking. They donate profits to the cause, which is pretty awesome!
There are multiple locations in Seattle, but we personally love the Pike Place Market location, as it overlooks the market and the Puget Sound.
Every drink we have tried there has been awesome, but we especially love their Americanos and anything with their delicious homemade coconut cashew mylk!
ANCHORHEAD COFFEE
Downtown Seattle (they also have a location in Issaquah too!)
Wow, we love Anchorhead Coffee! It’s tucked away on the edge of downtown Seattle, is cozy, and has some innovative and legit coffee and food options!
For example, a quaffle, which is a cinnamon roll croissant waffle and a pistachio matcha latte, which is not only a fun color, but has a nice unique taste too.
The decor inside of Anchorhead is different than the standard bright coffee shops that are popping up everywhere and instead has a cool grey interior, blue accents, and beautiful plants.
It also has huge light up letters that spell “coffee” in the windows, which makes for a nice little photo op. Between the fun drink options and the beautiful interior, Anchorhead is one of our go-to coffee shops in Seattle for a solid drink and cool environment.
And bonus: they have a location in Issaquah that you can visit before or after hiking over in Snoqualmie Pass!
STARBUCKS RESERVE ROASTERY
Capitol Hill
You may be thinking: “Wait, Starbucks is making this list?!”, but this is not your everyday Starbucks. The Starbucks Reserve Roastery is a coffee DREAM and more of an experience than a traditional coffee shop.
The space is gorgeous, they roast their reserve blends right in front of you, they have unique brewing methods, wayyy different (and higher quality) drinks than a regular Starbucks (like their Hazelnut Bianco latte with hazelnut praline-infused milk), cocktails, and fancier food options.
Whenever someone tells us they are visiting Seattle, this is a must on our list–not just for the coffee, but as a full on attraction!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Okay, we know we said this blog was our 6 favorites, but we are going to cheat and list a few more because it’s so hard to choose!
Our honorable mentions go to: Elm Coffee Roasters, Monorail Espresso, Moore Coffee, Sound & Fog, and Street Bean Coffee (a nonprofit that gives homeless youth jobs!).
Ready to get caffeinated?
Pin this list of our must-visit coffee shops in Seattle for your future coffee adventures!
