Uptown Espresso

Just went there for the first time since our office moved to this part of downtown.
In a moment, I was in love with it. Cute, quiet, friendly — the kind of place you’d like to go sit for an hour or two on a rainy day and trade off between reading your new book and people-​watching out the window while you sip your velvety-​foam latte. Helpful staff who acknowledge you the moment you step up to the counter. Fast — my drink was done in 1 minute or less (Caffe Mocha with the foam + whip — yes, it was that kind of day).
Lots of seating at large, accommodating tables. Tall ceilings. Plush carpeting. Friendly mix of regular/​business folk, awesome art, and lots of light from the floor-​to-​ceiling windows.
In short, sold! I’ll be back to try the Caffe Viennese (cinnamon latte!)

Service is exceptional– but my iced americanos often taste burnt. Maybe I’m not a fan of the roast they use?
Oh well, I’ll keep coming here because it’s 1 block from my boyfriend’s apartment and the baristas are all friendly!

Great coffee, friendly and good service — maybe the best anywhere. The barristas are so consistently good here. It’s gotta be a great training program, as even the newbies very quickly learn to make any drink well, with very, very few exceptions. The snickerdoodles are pretty amazing as well.

Mmmm, I’m craving me some more of that velvety foam!
Uptown makes fantastic espresso drinks. The friendly, spunky, and unpretentious baristas could steam you the perfect milk with their eyes closed. And the coffee itself? Aahhhhhhhhh :)
I like the big words magnets on their machine, and the few things I’ve tried from the pastry cabinet have all hit the spot.

Went back for a second visit, again on a weekend. Ordered a cookie — the person behind the counter warned me that some of the cookies were «bad» and overcooked, so advised me to get a different type than the one I ordered. But the recommended cookie was still hard as a rock, hardly edible.
Wondered why they even put the cookies out, if they knew they were practically inedible.
Coffee was better this time.
Still a disappointment; seems like kind of a clueless place.

Uptown Espresson in Belltown. Here is where they make the really foamy marshmallow-​tasting soy lattes I so adore. Here is where you can get unpretentious coffee and quick service, where the line is never out the door.
+ The savory scone is the best: cracked pepper, tomato and cheese.
— The coffee by the pound is not very good. It’s around $ 16, but has an odd sort of sour taste, then gets flat as it cools. I put it through a Melitta filter. I’ve also pressed it. Maybe it’s just better out of a regular ol’ Mr. Coffee.

Uptown is a couple blocks from my office, so I often stop in for an espresso drink to go. Service has always been quick and friendly. I see that they do chat up the regulars that seem to want that interaction. They have a great espresso drink menu. I’m completely forgetting the names write now, but they have a mocha with an orange peel which is my favorite (Café Gennesse? or something like that) and they have a combination Americano and latte (brilliant). The baked goods are not very tasty. They don’t have anything savory, except the savory scone which is not good. I would be so grateful if they would carry some kind of breakfast sandwich

Satisfying. Not the best coffee downtown but better than average, an interesting space, and not-​terrible service.

Still love Uptown. I finally started drinking the cappuccino and they are splendid! The foam is so great! I like to take a packet of splenda and sprinkle it into the foam to have a sweet treat. It is almost liked homemade whipped cream.
My complaint to drop a star is that they only have 1 kind of mug. I really wish they had the wide mugs so I could enjoy my cappuccino and foam a but easier. :(
Perfect spot for a chilly rainy day or a hot summer day! Free Wifi and several outlets

Best. Latte. Period. These people know what they’re doing when they pull your shots and steam your milk. No messing around. For the best coffee around, they’re surprisingly unpretentious. The baristas (and baristos) are laid back and friendly.
The place is big too. Plenty of tables and comfy chairs. People on their laptops and reading. Always great music playing. I really miss living across the street from this gem. Le sigh

Gosh I really like this place a lot. It’s home of the velvet foam, and that includes soy milk. The space is very big and comfortable — perfect for a larger group meeting.
They have ok tea. But… they could have loose leaf. They also have zero vegan snack options. Not one. Wish that was a little different, since one of my best friends lives conveniently located upstairs in the Sidney Apartments, I find myself needing a vegan snack from here occasionally.

They were out of the pumpkin masterpiece that we walked there for. Bummer. The americano was a bit better this go ’round as the barista actually seemed to know what she was doing :)

Ended up here because: it was my first time in Seattle and having built up tremendous coffee tolerance, I wanted to experience the best coffee houses in the city. Uptown was DEFINITELY the best, at least in their Lattes.
Must try! the: LATTE, the so called velvet foam latte. Cupcake is NOT the only thing that can taste velvety.
The atmosphere was: pretty average, but spacious and interesting. But all this doesn’t matter because it’s been months and I am still craving Uptown’s latte. Seattle anyone?

This has become my go-​to place for studying these days.
The good:
1. There is always at least one table available, no matter when you go (I prefer to study in the evenings)
2. They are open till 10pm almost every night
3. Street parking isn’t such a royal pain in the a** in that part of Belltown, unlike some of the other great coffee shops in Seattle (I’m looking at you, Capital Hill); it’s free after 6pm, of course.
4. Coffee is fantastic and goes down smooth (the foam is to die for). I’m a soy latte person myself.
5. The noise level is usually a low buzz with some background music coming from the stereo the baristas keep on. Generally ignorable, but loud enough to keep me awake.
6. Overall ambiance is nice; I love the high ceilings and big open windows.
7. Free wifi.
The bad:
Neighborhood is becoming more and more skeevy by the day, thanks to the crackhead spillover from 3^rd Ave (commonly known as crack ave). I’ve encountered plenty of bums hanging out in front (and sometimes inside… although that’s never bothered me).

I absolutely LOVE Uptown Espresso, the atmosphere is great for studying, reading, being on your laptop, or casually chatting with friends. The furniture is nice and comfy, and the drinks are great!
Personal faves are chai latte and café latte. One of the things I miss the most about living in Seattle is UE, go there every time I visit :)

I have been here twice and had a good experience both times. It’s right around the corner from me so those days when I don’t feel like working from home I can go here for a change of scenery.
Rarely ever do I drink coffee but I will buy it so I don’t feel bad about using the free wi-​fi. There are tons of people in here during the day so grabbing a seat can be impossible at times.
One night after a date we went here to get some coffee and I was turned onto a new dream pop /​indie band that I have come to love: Beach House. You should check them out.
If you’re ever in here and hear someone cursing at the «horrible approach to object-​oriented programming» of another developer while shaking his head at the monitor it is probably me. Feel free to come over and say «hai».
Four stars because they say that there is a 4 hour limit for the wi-​fi.

The velvet foam is indeed delicious and pillowy and silky and a gaggle of other good adjectives, but working through it to find the coffee in my drink was a genuine Where’s the Beef? moment. Both my caffe Viennese and O.‘s cappuccino were seriously lacking java. Which is a shame, because from what we could discern, Uptown has a great dark yet smooth espresso. Great mouth feel, but will leave you feeling full and not exactly jolt-​y.
Additionally, I could have done without the cinnamon on top of my Viennese. I love the stuff, but it tasted particularly foul in my coffee… maybe it was cassia?– though many places use cassia instead of cinnamon, and I have no complaints. I like a plain Viennese: just a sprinkle of sugar on top of the whipped cream, swirl it into some strong espresso, and what a beaut.
The foam is definitely luxurious, but venture elsewhere if you are seeking a strong cup of joe.

Has anyone noticed that the tables are too short when you are sitting in a regular chair? And that they are too tall when sitting in one of the brown wing backed chairs? It is impossible to be comfortable for any extended period of time.
This is some of the better coffee in the 3-​block radius of my office, thanks in large part to that velvet foam. I must agree with the other reviewers who are calling out their crap pastry selection. I always get my coffee from Uptown and then stop at Starbs or Pamela’s Fine Foods for a bagel.
If their fro-​yo machine worked regularly, then I would give them a whole extra star, but unfortunately, it always seems to be broken on hot days.
I wish they’d gut this place and redesign the interior. What is with that column next the the counter that you are always having to lean against as you place your order? And WHO are those tiny women painted on it?

For the size of this Uptown, it’s quite oddly laid out.
Of course, what ARE you suppose to do with an icosidodecahedronically-​shaped store front? Not much you can do, except sell good coffee and hope people find a nook and/​or cranny to sink into.

Mmmmm– velvet foam! 4 stars for that, but the baked goods, not so much.
Despite the corner location and large windows, this isn’t my favorite place to linger. Must be the dark paint and carpet.
Still, this Uptown is on my way to work and conveniently located.