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    Empire Tea & Coffee

    4.0 (68 reviews)
    ModerateCoffee & Tea
    Closed 6:00 am - 6:00 pm

    Empire Tea & Coffee Photos

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    EMPIRE TEA & COFFEE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Empire Tea & Coffee

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    Gluten free blueberry muffin
    Rachel O.

    I've been to the Newport location of Empire Tea & Coffee many times, but I just visited the Bristol location for the first time. 1 - The location of this shop is everything. It's right on the gorgeous Bristol Harbor & within walking distance of all of the cute offerings of downtown Bristol. It's basically connected to the Bristol Harbor Inn, so if you're staying there, you'll have caffeine just a few steps away. 2 - It's adorable. I've never seen built in mini "booths" quite like these before. There are outlets EVERYWHERE & a good, strong wifi signal. I sat & worked for a few hours, & it was comfortable & stayed at a manageable noise level. There are huge windows facing both the harbor & the street & they let in a wonderful amount of light. I can imagine this spot being a super cozy option to get your caffeine fix & your vitamin D fix in the winter. 3 - There are so many drink options & specials. I stuck with my usual (iced vanilla latte with oat milk & cinnamon) & it was the smoothest & maybe even the best latte I've ever had. 4 - There are plenty of options for meals & snacks, but as soon as my eyes found a gluten-free blueberry muffin, that's all I wanted. I asked if they could heat it up for me & they did. Phenomenal. 5 - Sweet staff! Efficient & kind. Tip your barista!

    The Bee Sting and plant based brekkie
    Kristen C.

    Stopped in before seeing the ships docked at the pier for 4th of July. Ordered the Bee Sting latte (Summer special) and the plant based brekkie. Everything came quickly. I've ordered this latte before at the Newport location and it came out different. I think it was missing the cayenne pepper and some other ingredients because it did not taste the same which was kinda disappointing yet still good. The brekkie was excellent and I would order it again! Vibe: Relaxed, Casual, Cozy Service: Attentive, Friendly Pricing: Budget-friendly Special Features: Small outdoor seating in the back with a view of the harbor. Located right in downtown.

    Nice views!
    Destenie V.

    First time at Empire, and I'm hooked. Vanilla Iced coffee was chef's kiss! The berry tea was impeccable. Customer service was top notch. Vibes were all positive. Please stop by! It's a great establishment with great offerings. You will love it. Trust me!

    Harbor view
    Jennifer D.

    A sweet coffee shop in a great location. A nice variety of drink and food options for such a small place. My vanilla latte was delicious. Service was great. I had a yogurt bowl that was also great. Not a ton of seating but certainly enough.

    View from inside to the water
    Jenna L.

    It's a great spot to stop for an iced tea or coffee on a hot day. They even sell bags of coffee to go which make great gifts if you are in town visiting.

    Pomegranate Bubble Tea
    Maya B.

    Empire Tea & Coffee is a quality cafe that never disappoints! If you are a huge bubble tea lover like I am, then you will love that Empire offers various bubble tea flavors (which is difficult to find around here!) The coffee and food menu selection is fairly limited compared to some other cafés, but the staff are incredibly friendly and the coffee is delicious! Empire Tea & Coffee is on the water, where you can easily access the docks to walk along Bristol Harbor. There are many local businesses in the area, and various areas for public parking.

    Toni T.

    Very small - but powerfully good. We stopped in on the way to Newport. I wanted to use my RI Food Fight Iced Coffee Celebration coupon at this location, though, based on other Yelp reviewers' comments (thank you, Morgan C!) and wasn't disappointed! I like the interior, with its combination stark and welcoming interior. My husband & I thought the private two-tops were ingenious: very comfortable, which they wouldn't seem to be at first glance, and with adequate room despite their limited use of space. My iced coffee was excellent, and the pastry solid. I may actually have to visit one of the Newport outposts too, even though it was my goal to use coupons every day & not pay for an individual cup of coffee all month.

    Lucky Charms Latte
    Kristen S.

    Super quick, super small-gorgeous views. Too small but it was a beautiful day so took my lucky charms latte down to the water and sat on a bench.

    Coffee Fiend
    Chris M.

    First visit to this fine coffee purveyor left me feeling both caffeinated and happy/amused. The coffee on brew was fresh and paired nicely with their bakery choices. The staff was friendly and entertaining. Everything you would expect when visiting beautiful Bristol RI. Definitely recommend giving this charming business a visit. Also, offers GF options too! Offers indoor seating and mobile charging.

    Alissa D.

    The day has finally come and I've been able to stop by after they've gotten over their new hiccups. This is an awesome coffee shop in a prime location. There is some funky seating, but enough. Very conducive to working or studying, and they have charging outlets at nearly every seat. Staff was friendly and quick and they made our orders with ease. I would definitely come back again. This is an excellent addition to Bristol!

    Whole grain croissant
    Nicole G.

    This sweet coffee spot offers delicious light breakfast and lunch options (including sandwiches) with marvelous matcha and latte combinations as well. The whole grain croissant is a unique favorite! You may order ahead using their app or grab and go. The small seating area inside is not yet available.

    They have these really cool sitting cubbys made from bamboo

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    10 months ago

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    7 months ago

    I thought I had ordered online but it hadn't gone through. Luckily it didn't matter because service was so quick. It was great!

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    3 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Good coffee. Good breakfast sandwiches. A stone's throw away from the boardwalk on the waterfront.

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    4 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Snagged a London fog latte here on a windy and chilly day and it hit the spot! Hoping to try some of there other lattes soon!

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    5 years ago

    The online ordering has made this place even better for me. No longer have to wait, and the coffee and food is still great. Love it!

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    8 years ago

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    Borealis Coffee Company - Chocolate cheesecake

    Borealis Coffee Company

    4.5(51 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    Borealis has been a regular stop for me for years now, and I'm overdue writing a review. The…read moreBristol location is the newest and is tucked into a converted mill building on Wood Street. Tt has everything you'd want from a great coffee shop: comfortable seating, plenty of room to spread out and work, a rentable conference room, and something you would not expect from a coffee shop, the Aurora Bar, stocked with a nice selection of local spirits and other favorites. My partner and I stopped in for a quick nibble for lunch on Sunday and this was perfect. My partner went with the Caprese sandwich, which is served on a pressed ciabatta with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, spinach, pesto mayo, and balsamic. It was simple and tasty, and I was lucky enough to get a couple bites! I went with the Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap, which was also simple, but packed with flavor. It had all the obvious ingredients with the addition of pickles, which added such a nice briny little punch and really hit the spot. Something worth noting: both of our items were ordered from the laminated menu at the register, not in the beautiful leather-bound Aurora Bar menu, which appears to be an evening menu with cocktails and other tasty food items. For drinks, I went with an espresso tonic; the slight bitterness of the quinine plays really nicely against the bold espresso, and it's one of those combinations that's refreshing in a way that's hard to explain until you try it. One small note for the team: the Riverside location has always had a real warmth and cohesion to the staff that I haven't quite felt at Bristol. It's not a dealbreaker by any stretch, but a little more energy behind the counter would go a long way. Still a five-star spot, as the coffee and the space more than make up for it.

    I came here to see a friend of mine play live jazz music with his band and it was such a cute and…read moreawesome experience! The vibes were great, there was plenty of room for our party (we had 7 of us), and it didn't feel crowded at all despite the number of people that were in the coffee shop. I think that the only downside that I would say for our experience is that the drinks at the bar took FAR too long, although they were good! We came here in the evening, but I would definitely love to pop in at some point during the day because I do think that this would be a wonderful little study spot!

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