On my first trip to Seattle, I stuck to an iconic coffee shop: Starbucks. I sipped a pistachio latte at the Reserve Roastery and paid homage to the original Pike Place store.
When I returned in spring 2025, I wanted to dive deeper into Seattle's coffee culture. So, I embarked on a personal journey to explore Seattle's third-wave coffee scene, visiting independent cafés that elevate craft and flavor beyond the big-brand experience.
Over a week, I visited some of the city's most respected shops, from cozy neighborhood institutions to modern roasters. Each had something special to offer, from Anchorhead Coffee's comfortable seating to Victrola Coffee Roasters' innovative brewing techniques.
In this post, I'll introduce you to "third-wave" coffee and share my experiences from a half-dozen of Seattle's best coffee shops.
Table of Contents
What Is Third-Wave Coffee?
Third-wave coffee is a new way of thinking about and enjoying coffee. The first wave was about making coffee widely available, like the cans in grocery stores.
The second wave brought café culture to the masses through chains like Starbucks and Peet's. But the third wave is different. It's about treating coffee like art, focusing on where the beans come from and how they're roasted and brewed.
The movement emphasizes transparency, craftsmanship, and appreciation of the bean's origin and flavor. In third-wave cafés, the emphasis isn't on speed; it's on quality. Baristas are trained like sommeliers, and every cup is brewed to showcase the bean's distinct character, from fruity Ethiopian naturals to chocolatey Guatemalan blends.
Intelligentsia Coffee (Chicago), Stumptown (Portland, OR), and Blue Bottle Coffee (Oakland, CA) are some of the early third-wave chains that hit it big (they've all been acquired by larger companies).
Key characteristics include:
- Single-origin sourcing: Highlighting the region or farm where the beans were grown.
- Direct trade practices: Ethical, often personal relationships between roasters and farmers.
- Light-to-medium roasts: Roasting to preserve natural flavor complexity.
- Manual brewing techniques: Pour-over, Chemex, AeroPress, and siphon brewing.
- Clean, minimalist design: A calm, curated environment to enjoy one's drink (and, maybe, a good book).
Seattle's Coffee Evolution
Seattle's coffee culture has come a long way from its humble drip roots. It gained fame in the 1990s as the birthplace of Starbucks, ushering in the second wave of coffee with espresso drinks and the McDonaldization of café culture.
As the industry matured, local roasters and independent cafés began championing the third wave's hallmarks of quality, sustainability, and innovation. Today, Seattle coffee shops combine expertise with creativity, offering everything from single-origin pour-overs to housemade syrups and rotating seasonal menus.
Top Coffee Shops
Ghost Note Coffee
Ghost Note Coffee is relatively new to the Seattle scene, opening its first cafe in Capitol Hill in 2017. It offers all the usual espresso drinks plus black, green, and herbal teas. Scandinavian-inspired Byen Bakeri, one of Seattle's best bakeries, provides most of their pastries.
Ghost Note stands out in a crowded market for its inventive signature drinks, such as the Sun Ship, which combines espresso, smoked grapefruit rosemary syrup, coconut water, lime, and sparkling water. Other housemade syrups include vegan caramel, chai-spiced honey, and rose lavender.
Rotating seasonal drinks drift into mixology, like the Spring Tonic, which combines espresso, tonic water, Pentire Coastal Spritz (a non-alcoholic spirit), and pink grapefruit bitters.
The Capitol Hill coffee shop felt friendly and welcoming despite its industrial interior. Abstract paintings hang on the walls, and open shelving near the entrance displays coffee beans and craft chocolates for sale (including Marou, a Vietnamese chocolate I discovered while cafe-hopping in Saigon).
When I dropped by on a Friday morning, "Ripple" by the Grateful Dead was playing. I was delighted by the Lush Life, a signature espresso drink with almond milk, orange blossom honey, and grapefruit aromatics. 1623 Bellevue Ave, Seattle, WA, ghostnotecoffee.com
Espresso Vivace (Capitol Hill)
Espresso Vivace was founded in Seattle in 1988 by David C. Schomer (a former Boeing engineer) and Geneva Sullivan. Its charter has always been to "research, develop, and prepare caffe espresso as a new culinary art." This has included pioneering precisely calibrated temperature control, Northern Italian roasting, and latte art.
Vivace is credited with popularizing latte art in the U.S., drawing baristas from across the country to learn its techniques. David Schomer's book, "Espresso Coffee: Professional Techniques," became an industry standard, influencing coffee professionals globally.
It was a cool, sunny, and quiet Thursday morning when I walked to Espresso Vivace's primary location in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.
The first thing I noticed while standing in line to order was the chalkboard menu hanging behind the counter. In addition to espresso drinks and iced lattes, the menu briefly described key coffee-making techniques and technologies since 1988.
I ordered a macchiato and a hot spiced cider with ginger and nutmeg. The former paid homage to Espresso Vivace's 37+ years of influence in Seattle's coffee scene. The cider was simply delicious. 532 Broadway E, Seattle, WA, espressovivace.com
Victrola Coffee Roasters
Victrola Coffee Roasters has been part of Seattle's specialty coffee landscape since 2000. It's known for its welcoming cafés and commitment to quality, small-batch roasting.
The brand's flagship café on 15th Avenue East in Capitol Hill captures its community-focused ethos with its vintage charm. At the same time, the downtown location on Pine Street offers a more modern vibe.
Their roasting philosophy highlights each bean's characteristics, employing lighter roast profiles that showcase origin-specific flavors. Victrola has invested in building strong relationships with small, sustainable coffee farms to ensure exceptional quality.
Regular public cuppings (tastings) embody Victrola's commitment to education and sharing coffee culture, solidifying its prominent role in Seattle's thriving third-wave coffee scene.
I fell in love the moment I stepped inside Victrola's Capitol Hill café. Morning light poured through the front windows, illuminating a welcoming space. There was plenty of seating, including a circle of five leather chairs, each with a small side table just big enough for a cup and saucer.
I leaned into spring with a hot, eight-ounce cherry blossom latte garnished with dried rose buds (points for presentation!). The latte art was lovely, and, as the menu promised, it was "floral-forward with hints of vanilla."
Additional drinks of the season included a Cherry Blossom Cloud (an iced latte with cherry blossom cold foam) and a Blueberry Matcha mixing housemade blueberry syrup with matcha. 411 15th Ave E, Seattle, WA, victrolacoffee.com
Elm Coffee Roasters
Note: Elm's cafe is temporarily closed. They continue to sell coffee online.
Elm Coffee Roasters opened its flagship micro-roastery in downtown Seattle's historic Pioneer Square in December 2014. I like its industrial aesthetic, with exposed red brick walls and tall ceilings.
Roasting equipment and large bags of coffee beans on pallets are in the back for all to see (and smell). Roasting happens Monday through Thursday. Elm is known as a barista-friendly coffee hub and a destination for craft-focused drinkers.
The business aims to highlight origin-specific flavors. Light to medium roasts bring forward bright, fruity, floral notes. Beans are sourced ethically in collaboration with growers. They sample dozens of lots to select a rotating mix of single-origin and moderate blends.
When I walked in the door on a Wednesday afternoon, light jazz was playing. A sleek marble counter extending toward the gear in the back beckoned me to sit. Tables are also available near the front for those who prefer more sunlight or space.
The hot coconut latte I ordered was served in a white custom mug with Elm Coffee Roasters in elegant gold font. Pastries by Seawolf Bakery are available in the mornings and disappear quickly. 240 2nd Ave S #103, Seattle, WA, elmcoffeeroasters.com
Herkimer Coffee
Herkimer Coffee opened its first café and micro-roastery in 2003 in a converted Greenwood storefront under founder Mike Prins. Known for prioritizing relationships between baristas and customers, roasters and growers, Herkimer Coffee maintains a boutique size with multiple locations across Phinney Ridge, Ravenna, and downtown Seattle.
Herkimer is celebrated for its thoughtful, employee-first culture (many team members stay five to ten years), direct-trade sourcing relationships, and focus on consistent quality over rapid growth. The menu is focused and unpretentious, highlighting high-quality ingredients.
For convenience, I stopped by Herkimer's downtown coffee shop, a small space with floor-to-ceiling windows and a few outdoor tables. "Deceptacon" by Le Tigre, the Kathleen Hanna-fronted 90s punk band, was playing when I ordered a cortado to start my day. 2101 4th Ave, Seattle, WA, herkimercoffee.com
Anchorhead Coffee
Anchorhead Coffee was launched in 2013 by former audio engineers Jake Paulson and Mike Steiner, who started by roasting beans in a garage and bottling cold brew for local farmers markets.
In 2015, they took home top honors at the America's Best Espresso Competition, and a brick-and-mortar café in downtown Seattle followed. In addition to their award-winning coffees, they served a signature quaffle pastry (a cinnamon roll, croissant, and waffle hybrid).
Recognized in 2020 as part of the StarChefs Seattle Rising Stars Awards, they've since expanded to Capitol Hill and Pike Place Market.
The morning after I arrived, I left my hotel on foot for Anchorhead's flagship cafe at CenturyLink Plaza in downtown Seattle. Inside was a short queue of customers, a handful of tables, and some leather chairs.
I ordered one of their original drinks, a 12-ounce Honey Bunches of Cold Brew (burnt honey syrup, cinnamon, maple, oat milk, and cold brew). The creamy concoction was a fantastic way to start the day.
Additional Anchorhead Coffee originals include an iced blueberry matcha and a blackberry caramel latte. Pastries are supplied by Macrina Bakery. 600 7th Ave Ste 105, Seattle, WA, anchorheadcoffee.com
