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Categories: Coffee & Tea, Bookstores [Edit]
Neighborhood: Capitol HillMon-Fri. 6:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sat. 7:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
"A tiny jewel box of a store. Small but solid inventory (all killer, no filler). Great, oddball titles near the checkout desk. Watch your…" read more »
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Several months ago while in NYC, I went to starbucks for fun. I figured it would be better than diner or dunkin donuts' blends. I ordered the pike place blend and I could tell it was burnt before it got to my mouth. I asked the barista why it smelled and tasted charred - she said "That's how people in Seattle drink their coffee!" My response? "....oh? I'm from Seattle and this is rubbish." I threw it out in a huff and climbed on my high-horse and rode home.
How is it that I've lived here so long and spent so many mornings walking to my dear Bauhaus without reviewing it?!
All failures aside: This place is wonderful. More often than not, I'll bypass the coffee I have in my very own kitchen for the warehouse windows, local art, rows and rows of macs on the bar and the ever-present road construction outside bauhaus.
I've traversed this fair soggy city by bus, car and foot, and have yet to discover a better drip within a reasonable distance of my house.
I am here now, using their wifi, drinking my coffee and listening to the 2001 remix of Lady Marmalade (and construction). People are sitting outside in the red, white and blue chairs enjoying our elusive sun. This is no starbucks, folks. THIS is Seattle coffee.
I was promised a coffee shop so hipster that visiting it would be like taking an irony supplement.
Ding-dongs and Kool Aid? Yeah, promise fulfilled.
It's a nice joint with friendly (well, not unfriendly) staff and a great atmosphere. The massive wall of books gave me a literary hard-on, which was only amplified by the fantastic rice milk latte I ordered.
I must give one warning. There were a fair number of feral hipsters lounging outside the cafe, eyeing me hungrily. Or, resentfully. Or ironically. Whatever.
When I make my way up the I-5 again, I'll definitely be returning to Bauhaus to get a fine cup of Kool to aid my thinking.
On a trip to Seattle, it is IMPERATIVE to stop by a coffee shop -- so here I am! (Chillin with my friend who's residing here, and yelping). This place is just 2 blocks from his place, so convenience...check!
(As you continue reading, keep in mind that I'm comparing this coffee shop to no other in Seattle -- just those I've ventured in the Bay Area).
First step into this place and I get an instant "cool" vibe. Everyone here is in the their mid-20's to early 30's. I feel very comfortable.
There are tons of books -- mostly encyclopedias, etc. that adorn the whole left side wall, and a ladder you can even use to climb up and get a book to read while you're here. (Though...I'm not sure if it's more for decor purposes...either way...really cool). It's really dim in here, almost like a bar, but so soothing when you're actually inside and wanting to get away from the 45 degree chill weather.
8 oz latte -- $2.35
12 oz latte - $2.95
12 oz mocha - $3.25
What a deal! Plus..my latte totally hits the spot -- the foamy top is so rich and creamy. No latte art though =/.
The place closes really late (1am-2am), which makes it even better.
Other Highlights:
- FREE Wi-Fi
- Plenty of seating to go around (upstairs, by the books, etc.)
- Great latte's/mocha
- Very chill, cool vibes.
Only complaint is...dang...the music can get wayyyy too loud here at times!
If I lived in this area, I'd definitely hit it up more often!
Finally, yes -- you can see the Space Needle from upstairs -- I see it right now! =D
I would say this is the quintessential Seattle coffeehouse. A must stop for out-of-towners who are into the cafe scene. Coffee is good, not great. Hours are late (open till 12:45am every night). The scene is ridiculously hip and ironic, but so is most of Capitol Hill. Music is generally good with a few slip-ups (one of the late night baristas likes to play the *entire* Lady GaGa album from time to time... W... T... F?).
Snacks are decent, but nothing to write home about. The atmosphere is fantastic with the books, upstairs, view/location, people watching, etc. The staff is generally nice enough, if quiet. There are a few employees who should never be in any customer service position. If you come in late at night to find the asian girl or the gay guy behind the bar, just turn around and go somewhere else.
This is one of the late open cafes in Downtown Seattle that I spent a bit of time at. I went here on a Saturday night around 11PM and it was open. I ordered a Chai Latte and it was bland but with a hint of spice. I was not a fan of how their Chai Latte tasted but the ambiance of the café was really nice and had a spooky but cool feel to it with the old books/library as a set up.
The cool thing about this place is they sell real Kool-Aid in different flavors.
The only café I've seen to sell Kool-Aide with coffee!
Top Pot Doughnuts are also sold here!
Interior is welcoming and there's a larger second-floor space looking onto the street. Sidewalk seating is limited, but enjoyable on a sunny day!
Great location and a must for an neophyte to Seattle!
Great spot for whatever your needs: a quick fix of caffeine, studying, surfing the net, reading a book, chilling with friends, the list goes on. Chairs aren't the most comfortable, but that's easily overlooked for the otherwise great atmosphere. Music has a tendency to be a bit too loud, so be warned if you intend to watch a TV show online or listen to your own music. But most of the time its music worth listening to anyway.
Great coffee and great atmosphere! These guys and gals know how to whip up a perfect cup of Win. The space is great with a loft seating area and lower veranda and outdoor seating that wraps around their corner property. You have a great view of the city, space needle, sunsets and all the Hill folk that like to wander up and down the block. I love people watching here with a hot raspberry mocha, the people are really where it's at and sometimes it can be better than watching TV.
The service is awesome. No pretentious baristas here! They make nice smooth drinks and even have organic bottle sodas for your liking. (If I remember right they also sell cigarettes.) They also have pretty awesome music (I heart their iPod music lists!) There might be a line but it works itself out quickly and there's a jar of organic doggie treats for your pooch to keep him or her happy too. Want something for yourself? Choose from their selection of organic and regular scones, muffins, bagels and other treats. They even carry HoHos. Yes, that original HoHo in that little foil wrap that looks like a hockey puck. Tastey.
It's open to 1am; combine that with free WiFi and great coffee and it's a perfect study spot for those last minute crunches. I highly recommend stopping in.
Bauhaus Cafe
Tucked on the corner of Pine and Melrose
Greeted upon your entry
with perfumed air of
sweet coffee ground so fine
all distilled
brewed in
one cup
enclosed by walls of
encyclopedic volumes
lingering accents
british, french and german
languid bodies basking in the
summer seattle sun
beautiful people
exchanging glances
laughing in complete abandon
writing, drawing, emailing
sipping sighing
a cup of their
spicy
smoky
flavorful
bold
sweet vanilla cigar
smooth finish
dash of chocolate
cinnamon and clover
best cup
i've had
so far.
PS-The secret is out-
You can enjoy a cup of coffee in a Seattle summer!
the _____ behind the counter didn't serve me a latte even though I was there at 12:45am and they close at 1am. I drove all the way from the eastside to go there. the chick totally had attitude, and my wife agreed. Then she told me there was a 24 hour starbucks at U Village... NOPE! The only 24 hour SB is a drive-thru by Northgate. very annoying and truly inconsiderate. before you send someone traipsing all over town, you should probably have your information correct. beyond that, just be nice to people. Stay open until your HOURS say you close. Don't have your espresso machine shut down a full half hour before. just ridiculous. even bars have more class than that. so disappointing. You should not go here as a matter of principal.
When I want a sugary beverage as a departure from my usual Americanos, I come here to get an iced mocha - the best in town, as far as I can tell. And I'm pretty sure they just use Hershey's syrup (i.e. corn syrup) and Lighthouse coffee, but together, magic is made.
Of course, Bauhaus also exudes the quintessential Seattle grungy coffeehouse vibe, with the dilapidated decor and rows of old books lining the shelves toward the staircase. They even sell individual Hostess Ding Dongs - foil and all - just to convince you of how unglamorously anti-Starbucks they are.
Bauhaus, as a result of the aforementioned grungy coffeehouse thing, has a few pitfalls. The lighting is very sparse, especially in the evening. So if you're like me and like to read in well-illuminated surroundings, you may want to plan on engaging in some activity other than reading. Socializing, for instance. This place is great for that.
Also, it can get very hot, especially in the summer when the sun blasts through their west-facing windows.
One last thing: the Internet can be very fickle and is often so slow as to make the process of computing nearly suicide inducing.
In the end, it's about the coffee, the late hours, and a dose of Capitol Hill coffee culture.
WIth Mrs. T working and me being off for the summer, I have found myself frequenting many of the old coffee joints I used to haunt during my "younger days".
Bauhaus still serves up a good caffeine fix. I love to sit upstairs right above the cash register so you can listen in on the banter of the baristas.
They also serve old school Coke in a glass bottle a la Mexican style..with the added sugar and caffeine. If you don't mind a few unruly hipsters, Bauhaus does the trick for a lazy morning of laptop, newspaper, book, and coffee.
Listen, I know my coffee. You MUST go here at least once. I googled the highest rated coffee shops in King County and went to the top ten. This one had the best view in my opinion. Staff can be either fantastic or cold. Unpredictable. Coffee, latte and shots here are fantastic. If it is a sunny day, try to get a table outside for a view of the Space Needle and Olympic mountains! If you want to do some homework late at night with a view of the Seattle lights, sit upstairs. Wonderful place. Been going there since 1993.
Love me some Bauhaus :)
we over slept Sunday morning so we decided to save time we would walk down to the parade and stop at Bauhaus on the way.
even though the place was packed the service was quick and prompt, an they make a good Iced Americano
Plus were else can you go in town for some kool-aid and a Ding Dong on a hot summer day
so previously I had avoided Bauhaus because of the smattering of hipsters smoking outside and the fact that they did not take credit/debit cards for the longest time! I was thinking damn, why can't they join the 21st century because I'm a modern girl and modern girls don't carry cash!
however, when recently faced with the fact that Stumptown doesn't open till 7am and I'm quite often walking to work earlier than that, I needed to find an alternative. Starbucks, well, you know, their coffee is a last resort.
my soy mocha is always good and consistent at Bauhaus, and the people seem okay to me, especially the more often I go there and the more they get to know my friendly, early-morning, coffee-deprived face.
I'm definitely not a hipster or whatever, but I find that there's a variety of customers here and I never feel like it's "not my scene". after all, I'm just getting a cup of coffee and going on my way.
they also have this cool coffee card thing - you pre-pay for 10 of your favorite drinks and get two free! even without this perk, they seem less expensive than Stumptown (which I still love), and in these trying times I need to save money wherever I can.
Good coffee. Not great... good. (But it could always depend upon the barista.)
Love the decor. Shelves stack high with out books. You're tempted to grab any one of them in order to enjoy the cozy downstairs, upstairs, or outside (whose view of downtown/Space Needle/mountains is unparalleled by any other Seattle espresso joint).
Plan on visiting again; laptop and/or book and/or journal in-hand. Love the fact that they're open until 1 AM.
Well... let's see here.
Is the coffee still good? Yes.
Do they still sell Ding Dongs? Totes.
How about the pastries? Delish.
Than what's the problem? They're snark-i-licious.
I am one of the happiest- go- luckiest people you'll ever meet and man, do i try to see the good in everything. Unfortunately when I was in here last the barist-o dude was pretty rude obviously had better things to do rather than to be nice to me.
I've been in here so many times over the years. The place is always packed. It's unfortunate that they've succumbed to the whole, "We're always busy so we can treat you however..." attitude that I cannot stand.
Not comin' back. I'll be buyin' my Ding Dongs with my Safeway Club card from now on, thank you very much!
Woohoo! I get to be their glorious 100th review.. Man, do I feel special!
I don't come here enough..…
Read more »
In the heart of Seattle, Bauhaus is a coffee shop with great atmosphere. While my boyfriend and I scooter here for free Wi-Fi, I can say their coffee/lattes is the super suck! I mean honestly, how in the hell are you going to serve my vanilla latte in a freaking glass? Where the heck are the mugs or to-go cups?! Their Vanilla Lattes don't come close to a true vanilla taste. It's way way too strong and not worth the 4 bucks. Always crowded and great place to get free wi-fi. Lots of outlets for plugging in your lapie tops :)
Open until 1 am.
That puts Bauhaus in a class to itself. Outside of corporate coffee, Seattle has a severe shortage of late-night coffeehouses.
As if that weren't enough, Bauhaus gets your order out incredibly quickly and it's a nice place to hang out. The coffee isn't the very best, but it's incredibly solid and something I'd choose anytime - not just because it's open late.
But as one of the only late night coffee places in town, it should be on everyone's list.
Walking in from the (unheard of) heat and sun last week, I felt positively UNDEAD after drinking an iced Americano here (ouch, ouch, I'm sorry, it had to be said! I'm an elder goth, give me a break!) for the first time.
Although Zeitgeist's coffee is the best in Seattle, and Cloud City is a close second, Bauhaus is an EXTREMELY CLOSE THIRD (baristas are capable, but not as approachable, I mean, downright NICE as Cloud City). I love the layout of the place, the books lining the wall, and the chill vibe.
Bauhaus is so cute! Yet, keeps its cool.
I remember years ago feeling like a literary simpleton. I was sitting around a sea of people discussing the latest heady books they were reading. It was a few months later that I realized something. A lot of people in this coffee shop were reading the same books. Hmmmm, then the light bulb clicked. I read for enjoyment, these guys are reading because it's their homework. How cute! They are also talking as if they are literary giants. HA! I read Don Quixote because I am a masochist or maybe a sadist, you read it because your teacher is.
What is really fun, is going to Bauhaus in September and looking at all the lost new students. Awe, they are like little cubs. In a year they will be unbearable snobby hipsters but for now they have no idea where Value Village or the Comet is.
The coffee is good, the atmosphere excellent, service by some very nice folks. Nice little view of the space needle. Sit there long enough you will run into someone you know.
Really awesome coffee shop right above the Downtown core. Bauhaus features your typical coffee shop menu and yummy pastries. The staff are really quick and definitely know how to make a good cup of coffee!
The cafe features outside tables which are really nice to sit at on a good day! Also an upper level which is a great place to swing by and read or study. As others have mentioned, bring your own mp3 player (I'm trying to be unbiased by not saying IPod) with you since it can get loud between the music and the conversation. Can get busy and tables can be hard to come by at times, but people come and go, so just be sure to wait a few minutes before leaving! In either case, stop by for coffee!
I love this place. It's not so much the coffee, it's the memories of past times. And it is such a great people watching location.
Dear Bauhaus,
I love your top pot doughnuts, coffee art and the proximity to my pad. However the internet leaves much to be desired. QWest DSL really?!?!? 80ms+ lag! Victrola's internet feels way faster.
Favorite coffee and coffee place in Seattle, for sure. I especially love their Americanos, decaf or regular. The views are incredible, the staff has always been friendly to me (and more so now that I've been there so often) and on warm sunny days, it's a great place to people watch. It also has free wi-fi and lots of outlets for computers.
And like Joi B, Being an eldergoth, I can't resist a place named Bauhaus.
Love the hours.
Love the coffee (12 oz. soy vanilla latte for me!).
Love the music.
Love the people.
Dislike the lack of outlets.
Dislike how loose the sockets are (my Mac charger kept falling out).
Dislike how difficult it can be to find a table.
Overall, it's actually one of my favorite places to sit and do work - when I can find the space!
Yes, we live in Seattle. Yes, our city is full of hipsters. Hipsters like Capitol Hill and they like coffee. No matter which cafe you go to, you will run into a hipster or ten. I have always loved Bauhaus, while it is hard to find a spot where you can charge your laptop, I've always found the people there to be nice. Also, whenever I go in, there always seems to be an eclectic blend of people in there. I've never had the baristas be rude at all and have found many nice people there who weren't afraid to start conversation.
All in all, I like Bauhaus...a lot. Although, I do have to agree about the Hershey's. Upgrade, please?
The Bauhaus is a quaint medium sized coffee shop, that feels both roomy and crowded all at once. It has a studious atmosphere with bookshelves filled to the ceiling, but an alternative climate where tattooed baristas blare and sing along to rap music. There are several seating options: an upstairs loft, bar seating along the window, mainfloor seating, and a couple of nooks. The outlets are ample in parts of the shop, but it is pretty busy at times so going with intent to plug your laptop in is a gamble. Also, as coffee is a diuretic, try not to put yourself in a situation to make any more than a brief stop to the restroom, if you get my drift.
The service is friendly but a little on the slow side. I'm surprised that I found the drip coffee to be a little strong, as I'm a fan of bold blends, unless it is just the quality of the coffee. However, their lattes are very creamy and smooth, and they have a great ginger apply cider. They also sell pastries that are pretty fresh from what I can tell. The prices are very good, but I don't like not being able to get at least one free refill on drip.
If I lived closer I would visit frequently, but I will make the occasional trip to drink coffee with a friend or study with a classmate.
Hipster
Old Hipster
Teenager Hipster
Stinky bum
And me
I usually don't feel out of place but I did here, and they were such dip shits there... And this isn't the first time I have gotten coffee there. But the reason I came back was because it was the only coffee in radius of my destination. So here I go again to get shitty service and decent coffee.
Coffee is quite important to me and it makes or breaks my day. And at bauhaus it did not make my day :( it ruined it. Yes I know a little dramatic but I hate it every time I come here yet I do :(
Uhm, for those complaining about this being too hipster for them... its on MOFO-ING CAPITAL HIL! The Hill is kinda one of the unofficial hipster capitals, doncha know? *wink and enter failed Palin impersonation*.
Im immune to hipsters- they see that my clothes dont come from a second hand shop, and they avoid me like Norwegians trying to avoid the Black Plague in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. BUT! The ladies I see there when I occasionally pop in are always nice, always friendly, and used to give me any leftover NY Times from the previous day (those things last forever, I tell you, always takes me two days to read them anyway!). So, Kudos for coffee, kudos for the awesome pie pastries, and awesome for having sugar sweetened soda there too. And for being clean and well light.
Me gusta-ing the well light part... when the sun makes an appearance.
Bauhaus
a. a community of people smaller than a village
b. A small, usually rural community situated at an intersection of two or more roads.
c. a main center of activity.
This is the watering hole of capitol hill. The crossroads. The heart of capitol hill.
When I visited Seattle I wanted to get the whole coffee experience, so this was one of my stops. It's a nice place with a good environment to sit down and relax for a little while. The cappuccino I had was alright, though a little on the bitter side.
Since it's called "Bauhaus Coffee," I was expecting it to be a little more design and artsy and bauhaus-y in general, but it was mainly just a nice coffee shop.
So I'm set to meet a friend for coffee at 7:30, and we decide that we'll head to Victrola. I walk in at 7:30, and my friend comes up to me and says, "They close at 8."
Seriously? 8pm? Where do they think they are, Redmond?
Since we were planning on talking for longer than 30 minutes, we went around the corner to Bauhaus. And what a good move that was. I love the cozy environment, even though it was a little crowded (but hey, can't fault them for being popular). Plus, they were open until 1am!! Now, *that's* what I expect from a Cap Hill coffee shop. I thoroughly enjoyed my chai as well! So all in all, a good time.
I. love. this. place.
The coffee snobbery has become less pronounced (I didn't get the evil glare when I asked for a tall last time without thinking about it), but the coffee quality remains the same. Add that to the fact that they're open late, serve COFFEE, I can work there on wifi, and did I mention they serve yummy COFFEE?! Yep, this is a good place for me.
The upstairs is also good for informal meetups with small groups to talk about a project or just hang out. It gets hot up there in the summer, but this time of year it is a great perch.
Love their coffee and pastry.
Love their relaxing atmosphere.
Love their convenient location.
Bauhaus is a cool cafe which is located at the border of cap hill and downtown.
First of all, I have to say that they have a very good coffee.
Even after living in the area for 4 years, I can say that the coffee is in my best 5.
Also, they have a reasonable variety of pastries to satisfy your stomach.
I like their interior too.
The huge book shelf with a bunch of books is just fun to look at ;)
People working there are mostly nice, and I have never had any bad experience dealing with them.
The worst and only problem there is finding a table.
It gets pretty crowded especially at night, and it becomes pretty hard to find a table if you were a group of more than 3 people.
Also, power outlet is limited on the first floor, so you might wanna charge up your laptop before you go.
Plus, there's a minor problem with availability of their pastries.
They often run out of pastries by night time, but eating sweets at night is bad for you anyways.
Since school started, i will come back there very soon to do my hw.
This is the first time here and was intrigued by there name with Books and coffee in the title. I Imagine a Mini Powels with hipsters....just like Powles from Portland.
Well it's nothing like that....at all. Well maybe hipsters,but the books that they sell are few and looked like they were found in a box found in Grand Aunt Patty closet or a Yard sale. The books there are like the fake books found at furniture stores or at red lobsters just for decor.
They also sold two packs of gum and they did not refer to them as Bauhaus Books,coffee and Gum emporium do they? so nor they should add books to their title because their not a book store, as having two packs of gum does not make them a Gum emporium. So moving on..I tried their Americano....which tasted like old stale black coffee from earlier that morning,with some sips I re-ordered moments later but they never asked why i was ordering again or is there something wrong? even though the girl said "didn't I just ring you out?",but I decided and paid to get the Italian soda that was descent.
I wanted some treats,so I ordered their Ding Dings that were like stale hostess cakes that they were trying to past as their own and wrapped it in tin foil to add to their ruse.This place was a disappointment.I wanted to love you Bauhaus,but you were not worth the time to find a parking spot. If your in Capital hill or a local who needs a wi-fi spot and/or to get out of the apartment/house,perhaps this is the place for you,But to be fair it had a great view of the Space Needle
I always forget that Bauhaus is RIGHT THERE. You know, on that corner that you walk or drive by on a regular basis.
I was walking to work yesterday and BAM! There it was, screaming @ me to get a coffee from there.
So I did.
I forgot how good a cup of coffee from Bauhaus is. So. Freaking. Good. I think this might be my new semi-regular-on-the-way-to-work-coffeehouse.
I come to Bauhaus to enter a time warp. Through a well crafted coffee, outstanding view, eclectic clientèle, and an individualistic barista, I can suspend reality---banishing a modern Seattle---and returning to a more interesting, less egotistical city. Seattle circa 1998.
Even though I'm sipping on a triple iced latte, I swear, the experience lowers my blood pressure. Just being somewhere that feels, well, real, is so reassuring. Add in a little well-selected music from the 80's or 90's and it's perfect---like everything from ugly townhouses to Clay Bennett never existed.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.....
Awesome.
It happened to be "one of those days." You know the one where your day just starts so badly that you think to yourself it can't get any worse, but of course, it does?
Having started my day with my car breaking down, going to get transcripts at a community college (and suffering through horrible bureaucracy with its lines and incompetent employees...), then getting stuck outside in the cold rain for half an hour due to somebody pulling a fire alarm, and to top it off I'm late for my next appointment? It was just "one of those days."
But Bauhaus helped put my day back on track. Perhaps it was the cheerful baristas, or the wonderful caffeine from the soy vanilla latte, or it was the comforting sugar rush I got from the pastries? I don't know what it was, but it all helped.
I'll definitely come back -- even if I'm not having "one of those days."
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