Retreat is a beautiful, spacious coffee shop with plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors,…read moremaking it a great place to catch up with friends or get some work done with coworkers. The space feels modern, clean, and welcoming, and the staff were friendly throughout my visit. I ordered the salmon lox toast, and it came with a generous portion of salmon topped with plenty of fresh greens. It was fresh, flavorful, and satisfying. I also tried the Afterglow latte, which was an interesting new choice with bright notes of cardamom and black pepper that made it stand out from a typical latte. Overall, it's a great neighborhood cafe with excellent food, unique drinks, and a comfortable atmosphere. I'll definitely be back to try more of their menu!

Retreat is my go-to place in Green Lake anytime I want to meet up with someone for coffee…read more My go-to beverage is the Strawberry Fields smoothie, which is an actual smoothie they prepare with actual healthy things (as opposed to ice, fruit-flavored syrup, and maybe a few frozen strawberries). I love this place because the service is always incredibly friendly, the energy and vibes are always upbeat (so many individuals here just knocking out work on their laptops while lots of other clusters of people seem to use this as a nice, roomy spot to grab coffee and catch up). And it's a fantastic breakfast option for any group that has diverse dietary needs. I've come here with a group that includes dairy and gluten allergies, medically restricted diets, and picky eaters. Between the breakfast bowl options, the smoothies, and the pastries, everyone leaves happy!! One note: if you plan to swing by on a weekend morning, you may have a little wait as the line is often out the door. I'd say more often than not, the wait is worth it.

This is the third Portage Bay I've been to, and I have to say, I enjoyed this one the best. Great…read morefood and really helpful and supportive staff. I had their chicken sandwich with a side of potatoes. The sandwich, loaded with substantial pieces of chicken, almost spilling out of the sandwich, and healthy lengths of bacon. It was so much, I couldn't eat it all, so took half home. It heated up surprisingly well for lunch the next day. My girlfriend got the Mushroom Benedict (a vegetarian option on the menu), and loved it! So much so she finished of every last bite! Our server Melissa was amazing! Competent, but equally a good conversationalist, having done a lot in her life despite her youth It can be a little loud and boisterous in the place--the acoustics aren't stellar-- but still work the good food.

Portage Bay is not quite what it used to be. Great menu, great features (breakfast bar) and they…read moretake reservations. But the food preparation just isn't quite what it used to be-inconsistent and at times slapped together. My omelette at my last visit was a good example-in balance in the fillings, undercooked mushrooms and just a glob of Dungeness crab that was moist and cold. Still a go-to, but no longer great. Raise standards and it will be back to being a place that is hard to get into. Otherwise, it's a good breakfast that is a cut above a greasy spoon with a better menu.

We visited this spot today for a late brunch after a long hiatus because I read that it was under…read morenew ownership. The food had really gone downhill in recent years, but I'm happy to report that our brunch was very good. It was too late for me to enjoy anything caffeinated, but next time I'll go earlier to sample their interesting coffee menu like cold brew lemonade and fruity latte. I had the crab cake Benedict - flavorful and perfectly soft poached egg. My daughters had the Swedish pancakes and French toast, both two thumbs up. The half order of French toast was enormous. We also had a side of bacon which had both crispier and softer pieces, satisfying the differing preferences around the table. It was definitely more expensive than it used to be, but everything is. That's why it gets 4 stars instead of 5.

It was alright! Food came out pretty quick, but wasn't anything too special. The potatoes were nice…read moreand crispy which went well with the burrito. Latte was good too! Loved that they opened up the garage door like windows so that we could enjoy the beautiful day. The staff did seem a little lost with the table numbers and what dishes went where- our food was brought to another table before us twice.

What a gem of a woman! She was able to make me a custom cake within 2 days (which no one said yes…read moreto, besides her) this cake was such a big hit. So delicious and perfect. I would highly recommend and will def be ordering for my next cake needs ‍ I don't even have a picture of it out of the box, THATS how fast that cake was devoured

I had a delicious decaf latte in a ceramic cup this morning while chatting with the owner. I…read morelearned that she makes custom celebration cakes and since I am in the neighborhood I will try to order from her the next time I need a cake. The space looks just the same as when it was da Pino Italian restaurant, small with just a few tables. Her hours are irregular; she said she's usually there 1-4 weekday afternoons but is trying out being there in the morning.

This snowy village location has never failed me when I'm in need of a refreshing sweet treat!…read moreEmployees are helpful and nice, and the inside is clean and has enough seating. The seasonal watermelon bingsoo, strawberry bingsoo, mango bingsoo, all tasted amazing. Their fruit always tastes fresh and the shaved ice is not too sweet. No complaints!

I liked Snowy Village. The bingsu was good, but what stood out most was the fresh fruit. The mango…read morewas sweet and actually fresh, not frozen, which made a big difference. The space is cute, staff were nice, and portions are pretty large. Parking is a bit annoying. It does seem a little pricey, though. Only downside is the shaved ice isn't super consistent. The top is sweet and fluffy, but the bottom gets more compact and less flavorful, so we had to add condensed milk. Still a solid spot overall.

TLDR: MY NEW FAVORITE BAKERY & extra stars for it being a super close drive. Good coffee, great…read morepastry variety, a good amount of seating, good food options AND longer hours compared to other cafes. Came to try the bakery because I fell in love with their bread (discovered at PCC) and I'm ECSTATIC. Prices are on par with my other favorite bakery (Rosellinis in Whittier Heights). Everything I had was delicious. This will be my new spot from now on. Need to go back to try the things they ran out of when I visited ! They have locations in West Seattle, 2 downtown, & Capitol Hill as well :)

Stopped by Macrina Bakery & Cafe and had a really nice visit overall. I loved the cherry and almond…read morescone, which was definitely the highlight for me and such a good bakery treat to pair with a casual coffee stop. The latte was just okay and a bit mediocre for my preference, so I probably wouldn't come here specifically for the coffee. That said, the vibes were very cute and cozy, with that neighborhood cafe feel that makes it a pleasant place to pop into. Service was fast too, which I appreciated, especially if you're just looking to grab a quick bite. Overall, a cute neighborhood cafe with great pastries, and I'd come back to try other pastries.

yet another day of delicious coffee!! friendly staff and cozy atmosphere. it's our favorite…read moreneighborhood coffee hangout.

Enjoyed the cappuccino! Also snagged a t shirt that is pretty cute. Would return if I'm in the area.read more

I was excited to come here and enjoy some simple tapas and speak Spanish with my family. I love…read morethe concept, and the intent. The service was also great, considering there were many people and only one server. The coffee was good and people were all making an effort to speak Spanish, which I very much appreciated. The tortilla de patata, was also fine. That was the good. Overall, the food, as simple as it was, was really, really dissapointing. First, they rely exclusively on a microwave and a toaster oven. This should probably mean they serve only a few premade pastries and maybe come fiambres and call it a day. But I did not realize this when I ordered churros con chocolate for the whole family. Instead of having freshly fried churros - the only way to serve these, and the only way you will ever have them in any cafeteria in Spain - they preheated some pre-baked abominations along with a schmear of cold fudge sauce in a saucer. For a place so infatuated with Spain to serve something so wholly inauthentic really surprised me. Is it that hard to make chocolate a la taza? Is it that hard to have a frier and serve up some fresh churros? That's what we thought we were getting.... The ensaladilla was also a poor imitation of a Spanish classic, with mostly mayo, hardly any tuna, and punctuated with a smattering of pale peas. Even the pan con tomate, jamón y queso was bad. I confess that I've never understood the Catalan tendency to grate tomato on bread for these montaditos, but Ole doesn't even do that. Eschewing this easy opportunity to use a fresh ingredient, they squeeze some cold tomato sauce on a slice of toast instead. Almost as bad, the jamon serrano they use is cold and presliced (meaning that the salt is brought to the surface of the meat), instead of room temperature like jamon needs to be, rendering it dry and hard instead of warm and tender. In short, Ole cuts corners at every turn, relying on premade dishes for nearly everything, a decidedly un Spanish approach to food. Seattle desperately needs an authentic little Spanish cafeteria where folks can get good, simple freshly made tapas made with love. This place doesn't even try. With all that being said, if you want a good coffee and to be surrounded by people who love the language, Ole offers this. And that's pretty good too..

Little cafe with a novel concept. This is a 100% Spanish language business. Step inside and…read moreyou're teleported half way across the world into a little Spanish bar. You hear and read only Spanish, and if you're well versed in the language, you will spot everywhere the signs of Castilian Spanish from Spain. Watching people struggle a little bit ordering drinks and tapas brought back similar memories from travels to Spain with one big difference. Here, the owner is also a Spanish teacher (there was a class in session in the back room while I was there), so she helps you through the experience without breaking the spell by resorting to English. It wouldn't be fair to comment on the food barely 24 hours after opening. We'll see how that develops. Their intention is to provide a rotating selection of Spanish tapas. They have no kitchen, but neither do many Spanish bars. The beauty of classic Spanish tapas (jamón, queso, boquerones, pan, aceitunas, etc.) is they don't require cooking. The key is quality ingredients and as they say in Spain, "poca floritura." Olé café is the perfect remedy for Spanish nostalgia. As I stepped outside and returned to Seattle, USA, I marveled at how small our world has become.