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    Uptown Espresso - Belltown

    3.9 (341 reviews)
    Closed 6:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Uptown Espresso - Belltown Photos

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    UPTOWN ESPRESSO - BELLTOWN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed
    Good for working

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    Interior facing south
    Wendy K.

    A few days ago meet work colleagues here to carpool out for a work training session out of town. One of the reasons we met here is it opens at 6am I start work at 6 so it's always great to find coffee shops that open early. I used to frequent to the slu location years ago, and miss the actual uptown location. one thing Uptown does well is they have large welcoming spaces that don't feel stuffy. This space had lovely artwork as well as board games, looks to be a wonderful space to bring family. Service was friendly which I always remember from the SLU location. Breakfast burritos and pastries a available in the morning and sandwiches for later options. it nice that they offer to heat up your pastry. Had a latte and warmed blueberry scone while waiting for my friends. They use Fonte beans. Definitely a spot I would revisit again while in the neighborhood to meet friends or hangout to draw or work.

    scone
    Salome P.

    drink was good, and service was amazing. The vibes were nice and clean, while the food was also good!

    Mocha with whip cream
    Carol C.

    I stopped by after having a Thai lunch nearby. Friendly and prompt service. My 12 oz non-fat mocha w/ whip hit the spot. It was nice to see that they have Fonte sandwiches and wraps in their to-go case along with various baked goods, including bagels. Filing this away for a future visit. This is a spacious coffee shop to hang out to do some work or just to have a break.

    Toasted PB&J
    Larissa J.

    Stopped by to kill time while waiting for a reservation nearby. The shop is large with plenty of seating -- I noticed a good amount of people working on their laptops at the tables. The line was quite long but moved quickly. I ordered a PB&J and it was really good! Which was surprising because I don't think I've ever eaten a PB&J that wasn't made in my own kitchen. The staff were very friendly and patiently helped my family understand the menu, despite the line getting longer and longer.

    Ciara L.

    Most friendly service. Came here at 7:30am and the barista was super sweet. The coffee is great. The vibes are there. Great way to start my day. Was nervous for a job interview and they sent over some great vibes. Honestly glad they were open early for this pep talk. If I'm in the area I'll come back, otherwise what a sweet, sweet memory there :)

    Cold Brew on tap!
    Andrea N.

    The best open air coffee shop in town! Pet friendly! I like how smooth the cold brew is here and you need to hold up the line as it's on tap!

    Raven D.

    Grab and go breakfast burrito was great. Coffee & Tea was great. Chai was spicy, which I appreciate. The staff was friendly and the environment was clean, bright, and welcoming.

    Matcha
    Diana C.

    The service and ambiance are probably 4-5 stars! I think the baristas were excellent and the cafe is a great spot to hang out and work or chill. I got a matcha, which is probably on me for doing that at a place that focuses on espresso, but even though the matcha was well-made, it was just ok. The bakery item I got was interesting but similarly just ok. I'd probably come back and try one of the espresso drinks, but wouldn't recommend choosing a non-espresso option.

    The inside of the coffee shop
    Rachael D.

    I got an Americano ($4.50) and it was great. The ham & Swiss sandwich was decent for what it is ($8). This is a good spot to work remotely from as there is a lot of seating. Music is a bit loud, so bring headphones with you if that bothers you. There are games you can play too, which is fun!

    Uptown espresso coffee cup with their incredible thick foam standing up on top of the cup.

    Decaf coffee in NYC is almost always a watery mess. One thing I look forward to every year when I come to Seattle for Thanksgiving is the chance to get excellent decaf coffee and mocha. When I tell you that the decaf mocha at Uptown Espresso's Belltown location (centrally located near the Space Needle, the pop culture museum, etc) is probably the best I've ever had, I'm not exaggerating. The coffee flavor is strong, even when I added chocolate. And the foam. THE FOAM! I don't know what kind of witchcraft they practice here, but I've never had anything like it: thick, luscious, and depending on who pours it there are times when it stands up in all almost whipped cream-like peaks. Seriously, this decaf mocha was so delicious that I just ignored all dietary sense and drank my dessert every morning I've been here, buying one and sometimes two 20-ounce mochas every day. That would be more than enough reason to come here, but the baristas (Chris, Jess, Megan, and one other guys whose name i don't remember) are so friendly, so helpful -- and, in keeping with the witchcraft theme -- they all seem to have memories like international spies! By the second or third day I was coming they already all knew my order and treated me like a regular before. I even could tell them what I wanted. Over the 10 years that I've been coming here for Thanksgiving, I never knew this place existed before 2024. Each trip before that, I hunted for great decaf in what felt like a bazillion different coffee shops, some with excellent reputations, some just drive-thru coffee sheds... the cups ranged from excellent (one random shed in Renton called Sorrento's), to OK (Victrola in Ballard -- great sometimes, mediocre others; very barista-dependent), to utterly mediocre (many others). They also seem to do this with everybody who came in regularly. They knew people's names, they joked around with them, they just fostered a really comfortable and welcoming environment. Also, I cannot express enough how much I appreciate that they have three outdoor tables and chairs even in the winter. I am still practicing covid precautions and I can't do any indoor dining because I have a couple of pre-existing health conditions that would make Covid pretty dangerous for me -- so many other places have taken away their outdoor dining in this 40-45degree weather, But they still make it possible for me to sit outside and drink my coffee in a relaxed way. They even didn't mind when I would get takeout from nearby tilicum Place Cafe and eat my breakfast or lunch at their table because Tillicum doesn't have outdoor space. It may be cold, but it's an incredibly helpful accommodation for people who have health disabilities. And the benefit is that when you sit here, you get to make friends with all sorts of neighborhood dogs that are being walked nearby! Honestly, I'm kicking myself that I only found this place this year. I've been staying at The Maxwell hotel every Thanksgiving for nearly a decade and they didn't put it on the "food/coffee nearbt" lists, and so I was constantly hunting for the experience I've had here. I wasted so many $5/$6/$7 on meh decaf over they years. It may be weird to say, but one of the highlights of my visit this year was being able to start each day off with delicious mocha, and such cheerful and friendly mini conversations with Chris and Jess. It set each day off on a positive tip, even when I was sleep deprived. Thanks, Uptown Espresso! I'll definitely be back next year. PS: The inside of the coffee shop is spacious, with plenty of comfortable armchairs, tables, and I think outlets, too. I didn't eat inside, but anyone who wants to will be comfortable. I also saw the baristas be compassionate to an unhoused person who came in, which I was grateful to see at a time when too much cruelty is spreading against vulnerable people.

    Clarice the Belltown Barista
    Richie D.

    After 5 long years (and Covid pandemic made it feel even longer), I FINALLY got my lips on a mug of Uptown Espresso's famous "Velvet Foam." During my 4 years living in Seattle, I never found anything like it, regardless of all the competition. Back in the day I would caffeinate with it on the daily prior to work. After moving to Santa Barbara, I longed for the day I would be able to have it once again. Today was the day! I had to Yelp where Uptown Espresso now exists. Sadly the OG location in Uptown on lower Queen Anne that first opened its doors in 1984 has closed, however, now there is a new one here in Belltown. The downtown Pier 70, Magnolia and two West Seattle locations are still thriving. While this Belltown store is much fancier than what I previously knew, I quickly noticed that they maintained the relaxed, dog-friendly and board game vibe. The original owner passed in 2018 and they were acquired by Fonté Coffee. Thankfully I've always been a fan of this roaster so I don't mind this acquisition. Clarice was my wonderful barista who invited me in with a smile. Little did she know my enthusiasm of returning to a mere coffee memory. We chatted it up and her persona and positivity radiated. She was a master by being able to multitask while making coffees, ringing me up and sharing friendly conversation. She steamed me up a Hazelnut Oat Latte with that dreamy, fluffy velvet foam. So much so that I had a second drink, this time my second favorite: Caffe Generra (Mocha with a zest of fresh orange). Sean the manager mastered the foam using tricky oat milk. I appreciate his focus on perfection. Now I find myself with the jitters as I write this review with excitement. Thank you for keeping it real and welcoming Uptown!

    Peppermint mocha
    Elaine T.

    This is the first cafe my friend and I went to hours after landing in Seattle, and already I could see why this city is known for its cafe culture. We stopped by on a Friday afternoon in search of a place to just grab a coffee and sit until we could check into our where we would be staying, so were pleasantly surprised to find out that this is actually a board game cafe! Maybe this is quite common in Seattle, but we were both shocked by the large selection of board games available at our disposal. In our experiences, board game cafes have an extra surcharge to play the games and/or they're super crowded so oftentimes you don't get to play the game you want to, but here there was lots of seating, an expansive and untouched selection of games, and a calm and peaceful ambience with other customers there working or just chatting. Also unlike most board game cafes I've been to, the menu items were actually very good. My peppermint mocha was delicious, and even though I normally don't like whipped cream I really enjoyed their homemade version. We also split the amaretto snickerdoodle and that was delicious too. The cookie was soft and chewy and I especially appreciated that it wasn't overly sweet. A couple caveats are that the bathrooms are quite gross, and that they mistakenly upcharged me for alternative milk when I ordered my drink with regular milk, and unfortunately I didn't find out until afterwards. Regardless this is a solid five stars in my book. A great first impression of the coffee capital, and we will surely try to come back!

    Vanilla latte (hot) & iced mochas

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    3 months ago

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    9 months ago

    Service was great, fast and coffee is delicious. The atmosphere is relaxing. Came here twice during our short stay.

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    2 years ago

    Bomb vanilla lattè. They always do a good job with my orders and never mess them up.

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    Page 1 of 9

    Ask the Community - Uptown Espresso - Belltown

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    Caffe Vita. - Business Hours

    Caffe Vita.

    3.8(203 reviews)
    1.3 miQueen Anne
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    After a late lunch in Belltown/LQA and wandered around the W Highland parks (Kerry Park viewpoint,…read moreMarshall Park/Betty Bowen viewpoint, and Parsons Gardens), The Homie and I were looking for refreshments (4/24/26). I remembered that there was a Caffe Vita near 2nd & Galer. Nice retail stretch with pizza, sandwich, ice cream choices, plus a French cafe nearby too. Lucked out with parking right at the corner. Several folks were seated outside enjoying the pleasant spring sunshine. I've been to other Caffe Vita locations in Capitol Hill, LQA w/KEXP FM at Seattle Center, Fremont, and Caffe Fiore on Sunset Hill/Ballard. There are other spots in Seattle, plus expansion to New York and Arizona. This was our first visit to this specific site. I liked the interior - wood, mirrors, art prints, and of course the wrap around counter with merch, coffee roasts, and Macrina pastries. Variety of indoor seating available, as well as, outdoor sidewalk seating. The barista team during this visit were very welcoming and efficient. I had my usual 16oz iced mocha and The Homie had a 16oz iced Arnold Palmer. I was happy that my accrued points resulted in a significant discount with this transaction. One of several indies in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood and has remained consistent and welcoming.

    Everything you'd expect from a Seattle coffeeshop--sipping amongst the rustic cozy vibes with the…read moredrizzly weather outside. Service is really good here--typical counter service but the baristas are neighborly without the corporate robotic hustle of a well-known larger chain. Food options are not bad with a selection of basic pastries but not much else. Within walking distance of Kerry Park if you want to include the best view in town of Seattle's cityscape. No dogs allowed inside. But a decent number of folks are crunching away on laptops if that is your thing.

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    Sugar Bakery

    Sugar Bakery

    4.3(414 reviews)
    0.6 miLower Queen Anne
    $$
    Hipster vibe
    Locally owned & operated

    Fantastic pastries! Wife and I walked down from our hotel and found some of the best pastries we've…read morehad in some time.

    My boyfriend and I were super excited to try a new place for breakfast and loved the variety of…read morepastries available at this bakery, especially since a lot of nearby cafes don't have a lot of great food options. I ordered a 16oz iced oat milk mocha and loved how perfectly the chocolate was incorporated into my drink! It tasted sweet and the coffee added the robust flavour I love in my mochas My boyfriend had never tried a Moroccan Fog before and he loved how sweet it was without him having to add sugar. He especially loved that it had just the right amount of mint flavoring without being toothpaste For breakfast, I ordered their fruit danish! I love that they had different options of fruit to pick from and I chose blueberry! The pastry was perfectly flaky and I loved how fresh the blueberry tasted. My boyfriend ordered the chocolate croissant because he was excited at the idea of the chocolate being piped through the croissant and also drizzled over the top, but it turns out the dark brown parts on top are just design and not more chocolate. Still, he was pleased with the amount of chocolate in the croissant and the bite I had was heavenly. The champagne cake caught my eye as I was ordering and I just had to try a bite, it was absolutely delicious and fresh. I loved how light the cake was and the layers of flavour through the whole dessert! I love how bright and airy the cafe is! My boyfriend and I were easily able to find seating by the windows and enjoyed the gorgeous view of the space needle and people watching as we shared breakfast. The staff here was also patient and welcoming. We'll definitely have to come back and try more of their pastries!!

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    Chaco Coffee & Tea - Interior

    Chaco Coffee & Tea

    4.8(51 reviews)
    0.2 miSouth Lake Union

    Under the Tea Lattes section, I tried the Osmanthus Oolong Tea (Golden Bloom) and the Phoenix…read moreOrchid Oolong Tea (Crimson Mist). Both were delicious and definitely on the lighter side rather than a dark oolong. Crimson Mist leaned more earthy, while Golden Bloom was noticeably more floral. I mainly came for their premium kung fu tea, and honestly, the menu is overwhelming in the best way possible. I wanted to try everything. This time, I went with the Mountain Haze Green Tea. Grown at high altitudes, it's very light, smooth, and low in bitterness. The tea is steeped for you and served in a pot, and you can request multiple cups if you're sharing, which is a nice touch. Since green tea is a popular choice, here are a few extra notes. Dragonwell, typically from Hangzhou, has a nutty sweetness with subtle chestnut notes. Taichi Sprouts is milder and more grassy, but still carries a gentle sweetness. And if you're unsure what to order, Jasmine Green is always a safe bet, you can't go wrong with its classic floral aroma. Huge shoutout to Jessie for taking the time to clearly explain the different tea categories. I'll definitely be coming back, and next time I want to try their ice cream as well.

    I got the da hong pao tea latte. It's not often you find this tea! It's pretty light, so not as…read moreflavorful as I would have liked (minus 1 star), but it was good and refreshing overall! Good and convenient location near the space needle! Street parking is hard and paid but doable after circling around during peak hours. Nice spot to hang out! The service was good and friendly.

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    Cafe Hagen - scramble

    Cafe Hagen

    4.1(132 reviews)
    1.5 miQueen Anne

    We visited Cafe Hagen in Queen Anne on a Sunday morning. It was fairly quiet before 11 a.m., but it…read morefilled up quickly right after. They offer plenty of indoor and outdoor seating (note that pets are not allowed indoors). They have a great selection of hot brunch items, plus pastries and cakes. The whole place is modern and bright. The coffee tasting menu is unique, offering latte and espresso flights, and pour-overs. We tried the latte flight, which comes with four adventurous, creative flavors--including a miso latte! Overall, they were a bit on the sweet side for my taste, but very fun to try. The pour-over, however, was phenomenal: deep, rich, and full of berry notes. For food, we had: * Almond Croissant: Perfectly crispy on the outside. I loved that the filling was distributed all the way to the edges, so you get some in every single bite. * Chicken Avocado Salad: A wonderfully light meal featuring grilled chicken breast and a light dressing.

    I visited Cafe Hagen in Queen Anne on a Wednesday morning to get my coffee fix. It was a fairly…read morequiet lunch rush after 11 am, and there were a couple of people working from their laptops. As soon as I walked in, I noticed the selection of pastries, hot brunch items, and coffee drinks. The coffee tasting menu looked enticing. If I had more time to leisurely work or talk with company here, I would have opted to go this more adventurous route. However, I did end up trying one of their seasonal menu items - the Sakura Blossom Cloud Latte. I customized this drink with oat milk, even though the foam has to stay as dairy. The oat milk added a nutty creaminess that I particularly enjoyed. There were notes of the sweet Sakura syrup with a slight saltiness from the cream foam that gives the drink its perfect balance. It was a refreshing drink for a pick-me-up and they only had it for a limited time! My only thing is that I felt some coffee beans at the bottom that may not have been grinded as finely but other than that, the drink was amazing and I would recommend as a good backdrop for a spring walk!

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    Caffe Vita at KEXP - Sevilla

    Caffe Vita at KEXP

    4.5(75 reviews)
    0.6 miLower Queen Anne

    This spot is very cool. Located near Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle Center, Cafe Vita at KEXP is a…read morehuge cafe with hipster vibes and great music. The menu here is great. Lots of interesting choices. The merch selection is also killer. We stuck with a basic matcha and iced americano. The staff was efficient, pumping out drinks like no one's business. Both drinks were great; however, the matcha comes unsweetened, so adding some free simple syrup from the bar was needed. The americano was well-balanced. Pricing here was very reasonable. The best part of this place is the space. Shared with a radio station, it's a large space with plenty of seating. The music is bumping, and there is even a record shop right in the middle of the room. Very cool. This was a great and unique stop during our Seattle trip. Glad we made it to Cafe Vita at KEXP!

    We visited Caffe Vita as part of the first Friday of the month free cupping experience, which they…read morehold monthly for I believe 25 guests in total. The event is held on the tables right behind the cafe in the KEXP building. It's open to the seating area, so it's a bit loud especially with the music and conversation, not to mention all the chaotic energy with the employees trying to lead around a large group in a rather crammed area; it's not exactly the ideal environment for a tasting, but I can't complain given that it's free! At any rate, for this event, we got to try 7 different types of coffee. First, they ground up the beans and we single file went through each set of three cups, giving each a series of short sniffs before ambling over to the next one. There's not much time devoted to each coffee, maybe 5 or 10 seconds, so it's difficult to take notes or develop much of a thought consensus for each one. With that being said, my personal notes are as follows: Sweet Dreams (Light Roast Bolivian) - Sweet smell, not quite fruity Wild Heart (Light Roast Colombian) - Super fruity like red berries Norwester (Light Roast Blend) - Some lighter fruity notes compared to the Wild Heart Caffe Del Sol (Med Roast Blend) - Balanced roasty smell KEXP Blend - Very toasty and dark Passionfruit Coferment - smells like passionfruit, exactly as the name suggests Dragonfruit Coferment - smells like dragonfruit extract/powder, very concentrated smell, way more than the actual fruit itself. It smells natural though. They then brewed each cup for a couple of minutes, broke the crust, and got the top crust grounds out. Actually sampling the coffee took awhile given the amount of people. Apparently in the past, they would have participants dip spoons into each cup and directly sip from the spoon. Now that we're in the COVID era, they provide paper cups, so we spoon the coffee into the cup and then sip. (Note: I caught a cold two days afterwards. I can't definitively say it was from this coffee cupping, but I have a strong suspicion, especially since I saw other people store their spoons in their cups between sippings). Again, since there's a line of people, there's not much time to spend on each coffee. My notes: Sweet Dreams - Surprisingly fruity, like peach or other stone fruit, which I didn't get from the smell at all. Wild Heart - No fruitiness, instead is rather chocolatey, which again, doesn't match the smell of the grounds. Norwester - Not much here, tastes like a nice coffee blend. Caffe Del Sol - Roasty with some sour tang at the end. KEXP Blend - Tastes like dark roast, I couldn't get much out of this one with the time I had. Passionfruit - Actually really good, tastes like passionfruit green tea from a boba shop, but a bit more complex and less artificial. Dragonfruit - I loved this one the most. Strong dragonfruit essence. I actually asked if I could buy this, but they don't sell it. They told me the got it from Black & White Coffee Roasters in Raleigh. I'll definitely be looking them up. For snacks, they had some cut up pastries from Grateful Bread. Very nice gesture to end the cupping with! Overall, I found this cupping to be very chaotic without nearly enough time for me to develop strong opinions on each coffee. I think it was a certainly a good experience overall (especially with the fact that's it's free!) but it's not something I would do again. Bathrooms - Larger all gender restrooms with multiple stalls.

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    Caffe Vita at KEXP - Cardi rose latte

    Cardi rose latte

    Caffe Vita at KEXP - The Vita cafe.

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    Caffe Vita at KEXP - Cafe seating area near the KEXP studio.

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    Cafe seating area near the KEXP studio.

    Uptown Espresso - Belltown - coffee - Updated May 2026

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