I've been to the cafe twice, so this review is based on two separate experiences with slightly different products each time. I score all my reviews on multiple criteria then average out the score for a final tally. Location: If you happen to live in this neighborhood the location is great since there aren't many other business areas here. If however you live further south in Ballard the location is a bit out of the way, and does probably not warrant a trip here. Still I think the location deserves a good rating. 4 Stars Appearance: Outside the building is super cute and inviting. The building looks to be from the early 1900s and is in good shape and well cared for. Inside the facility is quite nice and as others have said there is a very nice "backyard" patio. Once disclaimer however, this DOES NOT make you feel like you are on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean. It does make you feel like you are in a well landscaped Pacific NW backyard. The inside is a tad mediocre however. Could be spiffed up a bit. 4 Stars Hours: The coffee house is open early, but the deli does not open until 9:00. I came here the first time around 7:30 expecting to have a coffee and a breakfast sandwich and was disappointed that you can't get a sandwich in the early hours. This is a bummer for me as most of the time I get a morning coffee with breakfast is well before 9:00. 3 Stars Customer Service: I've never been treated rudely nor have I been welcomed warmly. In general the people have been indifferent and the service I get from the employees I've interacted with, makes me feel like I am at a chain. 3 Stars Coffee: There are many reviews on this site mentioning Caffe Umbria. I don't think they use it any more however, which is a disappointment. I am not sure what brand of coffee they are using now, but either way the delivery was average at best. I had a latte the first time I was here and an Americano the second time. The shots pulled for my first latte were way too fast and had a thin bland taste. The milk was heated but not fluffed and also tasted thin and boring. My Americano was a tad bit better, with decent shots, but still not great. In my mind there is no reason to come here with far better coffee in and around Ballard. 3 Stars Pastries: I've only had a croissant. I am not sure if I had one on a bad day or if the croissant is not the thing to get here. It was soggy and super greasy and no flakiness at all. Plus it was giant. It reminds me of those giant packaged Costco croissants. Very disappointing. With Besalu in the neighborhood I can't see a reason to get pastries here. 1 Star Sandwiches: Best part of the experience, but again not close to the best sandwiches in Ballard. Maybe top 10, but not top 5. I had the Italian Sausage on a baguette. It was good. Lots of peppers, good bread and decent sausage. It was a good size (it could have been a tad smaller) and was a fair price. Still it is not a sandwich I'll remember for the rest of my life. There are better sandwiches near here. 4 Stars Overall rating: 3.14 (Pi?) rounded down to 3 read more

Very nice. I came in for coffee and a peach pastry. Staff was great. They have a full lunch menu here and they serve a lot of different kinds of wine. Decent seating and cute decor. Bistro atmosphere. read more

Pico Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Within walking distance from my brother's new house sits Pico Café. It was brunch o'clock, so we split a croissant sandwich with egg, ham and cheese and a couple of pastries. The croissant sammy was good but nothing to cheer about. It was huge - hanging off the plate huge, but it wasn't that good; maybe I would have enjoyed it more if it had been warm? It just seemed a bit dry. I prefer my ham and cheese croissants to have a bit of béchamel or something. A croissant is a calorie splurge for me so I'm extra disappointed when they aren't just little flakes of happiness. The coffee was good and though we didn't sit there, apparently there is also an outdoor seating area. Maybe I would have liked the outdoor seating better than the close quarters of being next to a super awkward Sixties Going Steady internet date type thing happening next to me. read more

The women working at the cafe are very unfriendly and rude. I have been there 4 times to pick up some croissants as i can say there are pretty good (i am french) and everytime i get a very unpleasant service. i think it is unbelievable to hire such bad persons to work in a service industry.... read more

What are you even doing with your life if you're not indulging in Pico's delectable croissant breakfast sandwiches? And what about your scone habit? If you're looking to pick one up, this is your place. I'm not even a fan of scones, so imagine my surprise when allowing myself one sweet pastry, out of my mouth come the words, "One blueberry scone, please!" Nothing about this place disappoints :) read more

What a hidden gem! The ambiance at this place is over the top, and yet the food is excellent and way underpriced. The outdoor space in back is extravagantly lush and beautiful, the front patio is lovely, and the indoor space is bright and lovely--this place feels like upscale old-world Europe. It's in a lovely residential area of Ballard on a cute corner. I'd take someone on a date here in a heartbeat. read more

Day old baked goods? WTF? and not just once, but twice! Come on! And to add ice-cream knowing that you are already putting walter's out of business. Lame! Day old should be marked 1/2 off and wrapped. Getting home with day old is the worst. read more

We stopped in about an hour before the café closed and as they were transitioning into dinner. In the completely silent café were three people at separate tables all working on laptops which made for a somewhat awkward place to eat with kids - from the other tables about 3 smiles and 6-7 dirty looks throughout the meal. We ordered a pepperoni pizza and caprese panini. Pros: - pepperoni pizza was on more greasy side than most but still pretty tasty - prices seemed pretty reasonable and a relatively cute little place in a nice neighborhood Cons: - I guess they were focused on getting ready for dinner, but staff really had to be bothered for extra plates, napkins, water etc. Felt like we were inconveniencing them to be eating in their café before their dinner rush. - Caprese sandwich was not one of the better ones I have had. Always disappointing to think I could make food so much better than restaurant. Sandwich was dry and didn't taste very fresh. read more

Really nice plac...Umbria coffee, delicious pastries great service and nice sidewalk seating. Also not too crowded and noisy like other Ballard coffee shops. read more

Pico Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I have been coming to the cafe/bakery with my kids almost weekly (sometimes more just for the coffee) since we moved in the neighborhood 3.5 years ago. Hands down they have the best pastries in the area, their scones are so mouthwatering and they use Lighthouse coffee which I crave to have from their coffee shop all the time. The only downfall of the bakery was the barista in the morning time, she was extremely cold and rude and I'm sure it drove away many customers. Thank you for hiring two new baristas. Not only are they a both a complete 180 from the other barista but they are both some of the nicest baristas I have come across. They are extremely friendly and warm and was just what the bakery needed, especially for regular customers that come into the neighborhood. It may be good for business to advertise that you have new baristas!! read more

Not bad, but I'd not come running back. The salad was fine, the soup was good but cold (it was supposed to be hot, but was lukewarm). Besides soup and salad there wasn't much for gluten-free options and the staff here is not tuned into what may be gluten-free, and don't appear to be aware of what that is. Still, ignorance of a section of the population is no reason to down-grade a review, even if it is a food establishment in Seattle which has a high rate of people who want it. My biggest problem was the staff. The woman at the counter began vigorously sweeping the floor and rug at the door, with a broom, sweeping it right at our table. The quite vigorous activity created a huge plume of dust that I could smell. My open food was on my table. I went and kindly asked her to sweep in the other direction, perhaps a little less vigorously. She continued sweeping in my direction afterward. I then asked her again. She said she "HAD to" sweep that area. She did not HAVE to sweep in that manner, regardless of manager instructions, and I'm sure the health department would not have approved either. The fact that she was quite belligerent to me and really didn't care did really bother me. It made me wonder what went on behind the scenes that she didn't care about. There are a few main things that matter to me in a place to eat: quality of food, nice area to eat in, prices, and good staff that is friendly and at least pretends to care about my experience there. Ambiance was good, food was good but cold when it was supposed to be hot, prices, okay in the cafe, so those things made the rating as high as it was when the staff alone would have gotten a much, much lower rating than 3. read more

There was a customer in the restaurant without a mask on talking to another customer. The employees did not insist that the customer put her mask back on. read more

It's now been just over two years since I posted my review. I have to say that the café is now back to the previous standards. I attribute that nearly entirely to the fact that the previous café manager is gone, now replaced by Amber. My friends and I are now back to coming in at least twice a week for coffee, snacks and conversation. So happy that the good vibes are back! read more

Pico Cafe is a great neighborhood staple. The food and coffee are amazing and the staff is really friendly. The soups change often and are always delicious. Some of my favorites are the pesto sandwich, the chop chop salad and the ceasar salad. The pastries are also amazing. read more

This is the spot finally. In order of my needs: 1. Free wifi 2. Delicious brew. 3. Affordable brew. 4. Pleasant atmosphere (ie, quiet music and no vita-mix or bean grinder incessantly howling) 5. Pleasant company (ie, no territorial locals looking down their nose at you for taking 'their' table, nice chill baristas who seem happy to have you stay rather than rushing you out the door) 6. In-house made pastries. Their muffins taste home made in the best way possible. 7. OUT DOOR PATIO: This may be the most frivolous and yet my favorite feature. The back deck teleports you to a village on the cliffs of the mediterranean. With the summer we've been having, you only stand to lose out by not checking this spot out. My only complaint is that there's no power outlets in the back yard. Then again, they may be intentionally getting rid of their new squatter by forcing her to leave after 4 hours. read more

I had one bad experience, but given the circumstances, it is hard to justify a second try. I will go to Walters across the street. When my son ordered a croissant, the barista rung up the wrong item by mistake. That happens, but when I pointed out that the price was higher than the item he asked for, she told me that the prices posted were wrong and they had not updated them yet. I was skeptical, because typically a filled croissant is more than a plain one. Regardless, if she was being honest, that meant everyone was unwittingly being charged more than they expected. Since I walk by every so often, I looked in a week later and the prices were the same as before. My assumption is that she overcharged us and then lied. The tough thing for me is that I love the restaurant associated with this coffee shop, but do not want to give any money to a place where I was cheated and lied to. read more

I loooove this place! I come here most morning to get food and I've only had not mixup EVER! The food is great, and so are the drinks. Easy five stars from me. read more

This is one of those places I'm reluctant to review because it's so perfect for me, I don't want others flocking here. The service: friendly. The pastries and breads: delicious and expertly made. The sandwiches and salads: just the right size and price. The atmosphere: low-key, uncrowded, and good wi-fi. In summary, they deserve your business, but please go elsewhere so it stays just the way I like it. read more

I really like this place- tend to visit it a few times a week. Love love love their ham and cheese brioche and spiced iced chai tea. Great customer service too! read more

Found this cafe and bakery when we were on our way to the Nordic Heritage Museum. Stopped in a couple of times and got the usual coffee, tea and breakfasts goodies. Sis tried the potato and onion quiche,and it was ok. Unfortunately if you order something it has to be nuked, so not as good as right out of the oven. The garden where we sat was charming and cozy. And although it is outside, it is fully covered, so if there is a little precip, you won't mind. read more

Just what this microhood needed. And quite marvelous pastries in a beautiful setting. I don't remember what I had, since I delayed this review for too long, but I do recall it melted in my mouth, and was both sweet and savory. Get it to go and go hop on the slide or swings at the playground at the Nordic Heritage Museum. This scenario equates to a joyous day. read more

This is a great spot. Some of the best baguettes in town. A regular and consistent shop.

If I lived in the neighborhood, I would come here because it has a beautiful old-world feel. But they seem sort of dazed during lunch, and I waited a half hour for a fairly cold Panini. Worth hanging out if you don't care much about the food, but otherwise I'd look for a restaurant nearby read more

Excellent place to hang out and get some computer work done while eating some high quality baked goods. The croissants are very good and the Wi-Fi signal was constant, I will definitely be back. Another reviewer said there were no power outlets, but I found one for my computer just fine. read more

Picolinos is a great Cafè/restraunt! The baristas are all very friendly and the food is delishious! Everyone would be happy to eat there!

Good coffee, good bakery stuffs, and being walking distance from my house is pretty cool. No credit/debit is a downside but not a big deal.

Love this place. same three baristas are always there. good food, good drinks, fun place.

well like you walk in there is either a girl or guy and they hey what do u want and bullshit with you and order your whatever then perhaps the owner comes in and messes with the ordeal of everything plus... ever notice how there are new people working there almost every other day have someone there work full time or something and have someone dress better its a coffee shop yes but come one least have your workers dress better like come one read more

Good coffee, great service, walkable from my house. Yay!!

This is my favorite coffee shop/cafe in Ballard, hands down, and (so far) my favorite in Seattle. Why is it my favorite? 1. The coffee and tea is excellent. 2. The pastries and deli food are amazing. Almost too amazing, because they make it hard to choose and to stop buying more. The "everything" cookie is a favorite, as are the ham and cheese brioches. The soups are hearty and flavorful. Basically, I haven't had a bad choice yet. 3. The atmosphere is very warm and friendly, a congenial feeling created by the great baristas, deli workers, and the owner. You can get work done here or spend a nice couple of hours talking with friends. Pico captures the feel of a neighborhood favorite while maintaining a certain very appreciated level of professionalism. There are a lot of good cafes in Ballard, but many are surprisingly cold and sterile. Cafe Picos stands out as a place where you feel welcome. read more

Great fresh homemade pastries. Delicious sandwiches. Open space with tons of sitting. The garden is great!

I work near by and walk to this cafe often. They bake the best croissants I've found in Seattle. They sell freshly baked bread loafs at good prices. Their Capese Panini is extraordinary! read more

Absolutely delicious, adorable place, nice staff. Such a great place to pop into on weekend afternoons.