Everyone knows that Seattle has long been a major coffeehouse city. Besides the big chains (Starbucks, Tully's, SBC) there are feisty, smaller (and better) local contenders like Vita, Vivace, and Lladro, not to mention notable one-offs like Capitol Hill's B&O, Bauhaus, and Victrola. This page is a place to put together some quick notes on notable Seattle coffeehouses past and present; try to keep it to no more than a paragraph on each, you can always link out to another page and write a whole article.
Some people say that a "coffeehouse" and a less elaborate "espresso bar" are two different things. We say some people make too many distinctions for their own good.
You may also want to see the coffee page for a description of the different types of coffee typically served at coffeehouses.
On the list below, the † symbol indicates a now-defunct coffeehouse.
Ancient history (founded before 1965)
- † The Eigerwand (University District)