The ambiance is old school. VERY cute. I was lucky to go when it was warm & sunny outside and able to enjoy the outdoor seating. My iced coffee was good. I prefer a bit sweeter but I could have added sweetener & didn't. Street parking is free but limited. I think there's a parking garage behind the building but I'm not sure of the deets. read more

See all

I stopped by Narrative on a whim on a Saturday morning. It was pretty busy when I arrived, there were a few people ahead of me and most of the seats were taken. It's a very small place with a few tables and window seating with stools. They have an array of pastries, but by the time I arrived around 11:15 most were gone. I did get a croissant heated up and it was good. I ordered the Nutty X Nature Latte and by the time it was ready, I was able to get a seat. The latte was perfect. The service is great. It's a cool place to hang with friends or sit and enjoy a great cup of coffee. read more

Quick service, delicious drinks, beautiful interior aesthetic. Street or garage parking. More outdoor seating than indoor. I love their seasonal specials. I ordered the banana pudding latte with almond and loved it. Will be back soon to try their seasonal matcha latte. read more

See all

Classy interior and drink offering. Visited this location on a weekday in the middle of the afternoon and it was busy, but service was fast. There are restrooms available (customers only) and additional seating options in an atrium connected to the coffee shop. Loved the matcha latte with Madagascar vanilla syrup and classic black cold brew. read more

See all

Finally a good coffee spot in Durham area within walking distance to the Arts Center! Loved the themed specialty drinks & that they use house made syrups, would've loved for them to be a bit sweeter as it was hard to taste the syrups themselves but otherwise really good. Not much seating indoors (plenty outside) and limited drink menu for non coffee drinkers. Friendly baristas and fast service, would come back again! read more

Narrative Coffee Company - Butterbeer Iced Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

I love Narrative coffee co. I cannot get enough of their southern banana pudding latte. The "she's the girl" is good too. Staff is always welcoming and nice. I absolutely love the cozy and cute shop. My new go-to coffee spot read more

Narrative Coffee Company - Southern banana pudding latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

This was my first time visiting this space, and it is definitely one of the most coffee shops that I've been to in the area. I had a buttery fresh warm croissant. The employee was extremely welcoming and the working space had a great temperament. There was music playing, but it was at the perfect volume to where it was not a disturbance and still created a comfortable working space. read more

Narrative Coffee Company - Front counter - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Stopped in before the Durham Christmas Parade to grab a coffee to enjoy while watching the parade! I got an iced gingerbread latte. It was really tasty and festive for the holiday time. The shop was super busy because of the parade, but the barista's were super efficient and friendly! The shop is cute so I'd love to go back and enjoy the space while sipping on coffee! I'll definitely be back! read more

Narrative Coffee Company - Gingerbread Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Excited to try this relatively new spot in downtown Durham! I sampled a few drinks--they have quite a few seasonal options, overall good quality, though I noticed that the lattes all had a pretty similar taste. I think (as somebody who enjoys a favored, sweet drink) the syrups could be more distinct, since the coffee flavor tended to dominate. Their cold brew was solid. Service was quick, and the space has a nice, quiet work vibe. Though being so close to Google means it can get crowded at certain times of day. Even tho their coffee is not my favorite, I have found it to be a great place to grab a morning coffee and sit outside by the fountain to read or catch up with a friend. read more

See all

In the bottom of a mixed business building so it's very high foot traffic which is fun! Good amount of space to sit. WiFi. Has free two hour street parking across the street that is first come first serve. read more

Narrative Coffee Company - Inside - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

Determined to find a black owned coffee shop this morning I made a pitstop at both locations! Important to check their schedule for Raleigh (Tuesday-thurs). Found my way to Durham and found their sweet brick and mortar. For barely 10 am on a Friday, they were busy. I ordered a seasonal Petal and Spice with almond milk-- delicious. The vibes immaculate & the service fantastic! Thanks so much! read more

Narrative Coffee Company - Petal & spice w/almond milk. Front view of the building. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The decor in the space is very cool. Has a mellow vibe. Smaller space but has plenty of outlets to wfh. I got a spring special coffee with housemade blueberry syrup- Yum! The staff was very kind and welcoming. read more

Narrative Coffee Company - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

I didn't go for food. Just for coffee. But the service was nice and the ambiance was my fave. Modern and relaxed. Which I loved the most. read more

Narrative Coffee Company - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We missed the previous coffee business in this spot (321 Cofee, which employed special needs workers) and were happy to see another coffee shop take its place. We stopped in on a Saturday morning after our weekly trip to the farmers market, ordered two coffee drinks, and drank them at the bar facing outside. Drinks were good, staff were friendly, and the vibe was relaxed and uncluttered. I'm sure we'll be back. read more

See all

Narrative is the latest addition to Durham's vibrant coffee shop scene! I got the iced Berry White matcha latte, which was not on the menu but the barista mentioned it when I asked about seasonal specials. It was delicious- good amount of strawberry and matcha flavor, the white chocolate was harder to distinguish though. There's nearby free parking on weekends and weekdays after 7pm; according to their website, Narrative also validates parking up to 1hr. Service was fast & friendly, ambiance is nice- very modern-looking. 10/10 would recommend! read more

Narrative Coffee Company - Berry white iced matcha latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Beautiful coffee shop with friendly staff, clean interior, and a unique coffee menu. Also awesome to see a brick & mortar built by the owner who started his business with a coffee truck. That hustle paid off big time and turned into Durham's best coffee shop within a few years. Definitely check it out if you're in the neighborhood! read more

This is a great little coffee shop that I accidentally discovered one day. Their coffee was pretty great. I usually don't stray from my usual order, but I tried something new and I got one of their festive coffee flavors. I think it was toffee flavored and it wasn't overwhelmingly sweet or had any weird taste in fact it was really great. I really want to come back just to try that again. I really enjoyed their decor. They have so many plants I need to know where they get them from! The whole place is decorated so wonderfully that I would love to spend more time there. I will mention though it's hard to find seating. They don't have that many tables so plan accordingly. read more

They have so many fun seasonal coffee drinks. I got their Creamsicle Latte and it was very tasty. Very friendly service, they didn't rush me to order (I was the only one in line so I wasn't blocking others). The interior is very modern and sleek, and it seems nice for hanging out/working from if you can get a seat. They're worth the price, and I look forward to visiting again! read more

I stopped by here for a meeting on a Friday morning. I've been hearing good things and had been wanting to try them! It shares space with a large building but the coffee shop itself is cozy with some seating. It has big windows so it lets in a lot of natural light, which is so lovely. I was told by our barista that one of the favorites on the menu was the cookie butter oat milk latte, and it most definitely lived up to the hype. Not too sweet and the oat milk balanced on the bitter of the coffee and sweetness of the syrup. If you stop by here, I definitely recommend this drink. I also grabbed a pumpkin muffin, which was large and tasty. The staff was so kind and got our drinks and pastries out quickly. I also want to give a shout out to their owner/manager. I input the wrong info when requesting an e-receipt so had to call later to ask them to send to me. Rod was able to find and send the e-receipt to me. Big thanks for that extra effort! read more

Narrative Coffee Company - Pumpkin muffin - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

My latte was just okay. I was really excited to try it as I had heard great things, but the specialty drink that I got was an odd combination that sounded good on the menu, but just didn't translate well to the drink itself. I ordered the nutty drink (with hazelnut, coconut and dark chocolate in it). It tasted very artificial. I was also a bit surprised they charged extra for ice, and alternative milk so my latte ended up being around $8 which felt a bit steep for one drink. I'll have to give it another try to see if it was one off. read more

So glad that they have a brick and mortar now! Congrats! Simply put--great coffee, great vibes, great location. I look forward to trying more of their menu items. read more

See all

Perfect cappuccino! When you don't have to ask 'what size is your cappuccino' you know you're in the right place. Lucky me, this place is just down the street from where I live. Fantastic service too. read more

Very cute coffee shop! Well located! However the lattes we got were not the best. The milk frothing was subpar...

Was really excited about this place but was hugely disappointed. Paid over $8 for what tasted like hot milk and a cramped atmosphere.

I came upon Narrative Coffee at the 2025 NC State Fair. I had the Cardamom Whisper hot. It was a truly wonderful tasting coffee! I will definitely be on the lookout for the well appointed trailer or drop into their brick & mortar the next time I'm in the area. read more

This place is wonderful, clean, and cozy. The price is reasonable, location is super convenient (walkable but plenty of parking, too), staff are super friendly and accommodating, and there are lots of great spots to enjoy your coffee in the area. The 'Saturday Morning' is especially good. read more

Narrative Coffee has quickly become one of my favorite spots in the area. I've probably tried every drink on the menu, and I've yet to be disappointed. My top pick for coffee is the Butter Beer Latte with pistachio milk, and for matcha, it's hands down the blue matcha with pistachio milk. There's something about the pistachio milk that takes every drink to the next level. The owner is incredibly friendly and welcoming, offering outstanding customer service. This is definitely a place worth checking out! Be sure to ask for pistachio milk! read more