Seattle Coffee Scene’s Top Capitol Hill Cafes
Last cup standing at Bauhaus Coffee, Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA.
In a blow to the Capitol Hill Coffee Scene, Bauhaus Coffee & Books, the venerable coffee shop will be shutting its doors next summer (2013). This isn’t necessarily “new” news, but I recently had been hearing rumors that they were staying put. It turns out those were simply high hopes. Bauhaus Coffee & Books are picking up and moving to Ballard and leaving the space to be used for mixed-use after the spot was bought by a local real-estate developer, according to employees. “The building will be gutted out,” the barista tells SCS.
I must admit that the change will be heartbreaking for the Capitol Hill regulars who use the space to meet up with neighbors or even get a little work done in their upstairs loft.
Here are a couple more pictures I took today and their Capitol Hill location. Read more about it below.
Ah, now this is a coffee shop that encapsulates my idea of what makes the Seattle Coffee Scene so wonderful. This bustling cafe has plenty of seating, good music that non-obtrusively fills the air, giant glass windows – and you are surrounded by books, lots and lots of books! Oh yeah, this is a coffee shop bookstore.
I really, really like this place. I believe that coffee and books were made for each other. This library-like space is extremely comfortable and is great for studying or heart-to-heart conversation with your best friend. And I think every neighborhood across America would be better off with a Bauhaus Coffee & Books or something similar.
Their coffee, brewed with their own beans, is near perfect, but it’s the ambiance of the place that makes this spot so appealing. I mean it’ nice enough to take your sweet ol’ grandma to after a Sunday breakfast walk and yet cool enough to take even your most pretentious tatted alternative rock friends for a double shot of espresso.
With large windows, it’s a great place to people watch or watch the rain. There is something about being wedged up against a giant wall of books in the Seattle drizzle while enjoying my coffee that makes me feel like dangling my feet in a cool stream on a summer day.
Sit upstairs and you can soak up the energy of the city and get a direct view of the Space Needle and downtown Seattle. The old red brick building used to be a motorcycle repair place a generation ago, but it fits today’s purpose quite well.
Their baristas seem cool, focused but cool and down to earth. While they got the coffee and the digs down, their food offering is a little scant. They make up for it by offering a kid-favorite of mine – Ding Dongs – to help seal the deal that this is one of the best coffee shops in Seattle. As much as we resist at times, coffee shops come and go – coffee shop leases expire or coffee shops simply move. This is the case with Bauhaus Coffee & Books.
The Bauhaus Coffee & Books sets the tone what great coffees should aspire to be. If you get the opportunity go visit them, I doubt you will be disappointed.
Update: Bauhaus Coffee & Books moved to Ballard – check out their new location and read our review here.
Location: 2001 NW Market St, Seattle
Neighborhood: Ballard
[mapsmarker marker=”165″]
FREE WIFI (You need to ask for the code)
Parking: Street, Paid, & Bike Racks
