Milstead has always been my favorite coffee shop. If you live in the Seattle area and have never been there, you should try it out! They want you to focus on good coffee so they don't serve anything larger than a grande and don’t serve decaf. They recently moved out of their original building and are staying in a temporary place which is only a minute away.



This coffee shop is tucked away in north Fremont in a quiet little neighborhood. Lighthouse is one of Seattle's most famous coffee shops. They focus on serving you good coffee and coffee beans, so there are just a few seats for you to drink up your coffee and there's no wifi. You don't need internet to taste good coffee, right? They roast in the house (literally in the shop) and they distribute their coffee to the coffee shops all over town.



They roast their own coffee downstairs so you can buy their beans here. If you like deep/bitter taste coffee, you'll love their coffee. Like the outside, the inside of the shop is like a house. It's divided into many small rooms and it doesn't feel like you're having coffee at a cafe, but rather at a friend's house. My favorite thing about this coffee shop is that the baristas here always make a funny latte art: demons, skulls, cats, Pokemon, Pac-man, Hello Kitty -- you name it, they can probably draw it.



Slate Coffee is a newer coffee shop in Seattle, but when I talk to people who are in the coffee business in other cities, they all say they want to go visit Slate when they are in Seattle. Baristas are super friendly and laid back. I always feel like I'm visiting a friend's place. Oh one more thing, they serve their coffee in wine glasses!



This is a new coffee shop on Roosevelt, not too far from Greenlake in Seattle. They have their own coffee beans too. The shop is pretty clean and baristas are friendly and kind. I overheard a barista explaining the difference between cappuccinos, latte, and flat white to a customer. He was very very kind and I was impressed. :)



I like Zoka because it's super cozy! People enjoy their coffee while they study, chat, play games. Expect some fancy artwork in your latte foam, and I highly recommend grabbing coffee and then taking a walking around Green Lake.



Elm Coffee is a new hip coffee shop in Pioneer Square. Pioneer Square is now getting lots of good restaurants and this place is a nice new addition. The interior is super slick, huge, and clean. They roast their coffee in the back of the shop with a huge roaster, so the whole place smells fantastic.



Analog Coffee is located in the quiet neighborhood of Capitol Hill. This place is like a hidden gem in the housing area. This coffee shop is small, but very straightforward and simple: Good coffee, good music (they have a record player), that's it!



Stumptown is not a Seattle native coffee shop (originally from Portland), but it blends in well with the Seattle coffee scene. I love the PNW style of the shop and of course their coffee never disappoints! I also adore their merchandise.



Ada's is a unique coffee shop. It's actually in the bookstore (which sells only technical books!). Their coffee is great and I love the atmosphere there. Who doesn't love coffee and books together? They also have lots of talks and workshops in the backroom. I had my signing there, too:)



When you ask people in Seattle which coffee shop they recommend, 99% of them would say Vivace. There are 2 shops in Capitol Hill and 1 in South Lake Union (across from REI). The owner of Vivace is credited with developing and populating latte art in the U.S.



I know you would want to say you don't like Starbucks, BUT trust me. This place amazes you for sure. It's like a coffee science lab. They actually have great selection of single origin coffee and you can chose beans and the method to be brewed with. I really recommend you to stop by even if you don't drink Starbucks.



This is one of the first coffee shops I fell in love with after I moved to Seattle from Japan because it's a really cute cafe in the middle of a neighborhood you would never expect a cafe to exist! Their coffee is good, food is good, and the cozy atmosphere is great. You can walk to Bruce Lee's grave from here with your coffee.