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Categories: Desserts, Coffee & Tea, Italian [Edit]
Neighborhood: Pearl DistrictMon-Wed. 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Thu-Sat. 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
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Caffè Umbria is the quintessential Italia-cum-Portlandia coffee shop. Not competing with the small, indie boutique coffee houses, Caffè Umbria instead appropriately provides the Pearl with a clean, but not completely corporate (i.e., non-Starbucks) café.
Set under a Pearl loft, the interior is both sterile in the neighbourhood fashion, but also made warmly inviting, with its back wooden banquettes. The front inside and outside areas is perfect for lively conversation, families and people watching, while the back areas provide guests with more quiet for subdued conversation, studying and reading.
The drip coffee there is much more European-oriented. It tends to be on the bitter end (but not overtly so) and darker--much how you'll find in caffès in Rome--rather than bright, citrus tones. Every cup of coffee comes with a delicious morsel of dark chocolate and a tiny spoon. Traditional espresso drinks here are well-made, but I avoid the less-traditional drinks at all costs--except the granita. I could down a few of those during the heat wave.
While I have yet to eat lunch here or experiment with their (delicious looking) gelato and pastry cases, I honestly find it to be the best café when I'm in this part of the Pearl, and don't feel like walking to the 10th Stumptown or BARISTA.
Ever heard that saying YEABOO!
yea for the body, boo for the face.
thats kinda what this place is like.
Yea for the coffee, BOO for the pastry case.
Unpretentious despite its shiny exterior, Cafe Umbria delighted my taste buds with its bresaola, mozzarella, and spinach panini.
I know, I know, you're thinking, "panini!? Everyone makes panini," but this isn't your average Safeway panini (ew!), this was a sandwich filled with fresh, delicious ingredients on perfectly toasted pieces of bread. Their iced tea (it was a warm day) was equally as superb.
A piece of Milan in Portland.
As odd as this may be, I'm a Portland native who does not drink coffee (don't be a hater), so this review is about the food & ambiance of Caffe Umbria. I had a really delicious toasted ham & cheese sesame sandwich. Ohhhh, and the chocolate gelato. Heavenly! The service was spectacular, as was my little visit with one of the owners, the lovely Pasquale. The decor was minimal, but comfortable. I highly recommend Caffe Umbria!
This review is strictly coffee related. I'm a coffee addict, if you screw up my coffee, I will let you know about it. Service here is amazing to say the least, and the latte I ordered, superb. The barista that took my order was a little quirky, nothing to start the day than a little awkward interaction with the person that makes your liquid of life.
Why, why can't we have a place like this in Phoenix area? I just tried a double espresso, but had so much taste!! it took me back to Italy! Nice location, near the temptation for readers and other places.
A grown up coffee shop in the Pearl where you don't have to be cool. Most patrons are senior citizens, Italians, those bike guys in shiny unitards, and Pearl District residents so no one is paying attention to you. Don't get me wrong, I miss the disgruntled, groggy, Grizzly Bear loving' staff at the former Acorn Cafe (now Barista), but it's nice to walk into a place that makes you feel barely noticed (especially before the caffeine kicks in.) I don't care for espresso, I like black drip coffee, and I have to say Umbria has the best in the Pearl.
Wanda
I spent my lunch break here today and overall, I liked it. I had a really good croissant. It was nice and buttery, soft and flaky. So good. I also was a big fan of the chocolate I got with my espresso. That's definitely the way to my heart.
Now that being said, I went there specifically for the espresso, because I've read good things about it. But it was a disappointment. It was bitter, acidic and tasted burnt instead of being smooth and delicious, the way it is meant to be. But I have yet to find a good espresso in Portland. They're truly a rare thing, so it didn't weigh too heavily on my rating. The prices did though. The before mentioned croissant was way overpriced, as was all of the food.
I'm fresh off my Italian honeymoon so I was very excited to try this place.
My new husband and I agree......we're fans! Great coffee. A great cappuccino actually. I recommend that.
Fancy little sandwiches that are tasty and the perfect snack.
An Italian man is making my coffee!!! Woohoo! And he made a damn fine cup. The waitstaff is very nice and move at a very european pace. Love it!
Nice atmosphere too. Complete with a little plate that you slide your change onto. Very euro indeed!
The only downside is the music. Every time I go, I notice how totally annoying and loud it is! Because of this, I almost never stay to sit down.
Other than that, it's a great addition to the Pearl and I reminisce about my honeymoon every time I go. Works for me!!
What a lovely little spot to have a cup of tea! Walking home from a sale- shopping excursion at Pioneer Place, I cut through the Pearl and went into to this little gem to get some peppermint tea.
Their tea was a brand I haven't heard of before, but I had the "peppermint leaves" and on the tea bag's paper-end it said, "They couldn't help but love her." (Or something equally as sappy that I just loved...) There were students studying around us, and two people really chatting in Italian (planted by management perhaps?), and many other seemingly happy customers.
They also gave us a little piece of dark chocolate with our tea, gaining a star right there in my book. The only thing I kind of wished was that they gave us a little pot of hot water, or a bigger cup for a tea. As my friend pointed out, our little teabags packed a lot of punch, they could have produced some more tea. Very cute spot, I am looking forward to going back.
I've been wrong before, and now is once again, a time I was very wrong.
I have really grown to love Caffe Umbria for its simplicity and elegance. Drinks (in a cup for there) come with a tiny metal spoon and a sliver of dark chocolate. They have a lovely water pitcher so you can stay hydrated while you hang out for hours chatting, reading, or studying.
People are friendly and the customers are perfect for people-watching and are often from another country. Its the best bustling down-town coffee shop ever. And they have very cheap gelato (which is tasty and satisfying).
This is a modern dressy version of an Italian cafe which claims 'authenticity' but feels forced and… Read more »
Honestly, I was all prepared to dislike Caffe Umbria when I walked into it's clean bright atmosphere. Brights lights, shiny metal, clean floors, a sharp dressed staff? What the!? I just know I'm not going to be able to relax here and this staff is going to have attitude! Can we go now!? But wait, a friendly welcome by a staff member, a nice fresh selection of many types of Italian sandwiches (the piadine w/mozzarella and olives hit the spot), an awesome decaf soy mocha, and a deceivingly relaxing atmosphere (bright lights usually aren't my thing unless it's summer time)? Sorry to judge you prematurely Caffe Umbria, I shoulda got to know you first.
Caffe Umbria definitely pulls off the bustling Italian cafe vibe, and with a manager named Giuseppe Lagana, they do it well. While I could see how someone could feel the atmosphere a bit forced, let's have a chat about exactly where it is located, mmmmkay?
For this, I must tip my hat - they must have done some incredibly in depth market research before selecting their location, because they hit the absolute center of the bulls-eye. There is little doubt in my mind that this shop would not do as well in any other part of town, but considering that it sits in the heart of the Pearl, conditions are perfect.
The coffee is delicious, the treats are both sweet and savory selections that you would grab from a storefront in Rome, and the service was with a smile. Next time I want to vicariously transport myself back to Florence, I'll be sure to stop by.
The drip coffee here is made just right, not bitter, like a number of other Portland coffee houses. Their biscotti is really good too, delicious dipped into that coffee. I have also tried a few sandwiches and all were good. One of my favorite drinks is the double 8 oz latte, perfect.
Just what the Pearl needed: a stylish Italian cafe where you'll want to spend some time enjoying a coffee, sharing a laugh with a friend or just reading the newspaper and witnessing the collapse of your retirement fund. Fresh from Seattle, Caffe Umbria is everything you hope it will be and then some. It's large, open, stylish and sophisticated. Who needs Starbucks [or even Peet's] when you've got this Seattle/Pioneer Square transplant in the heart of the Pearl. Great freshly baked Italian pastries, sandwiches and a top-notch espresso.
Really cool little Italian cafe that we stumbled upon while looking for food to eat prior to heading to Powell's. They don't have a huge selection of food but Paul and I loved what we got. I got a panini with tomato, basil, and mozzarella on it and wow, was it good! Paul got this cool piece of 'pizza' which was a large piece of flat bread with all sorts of stuff on it: mushrooms, tomatoes, prosciutto, and a few other toppings that I can't remember. Each of them came with a little cup of delicious olives, which was a nice bonus.
They also serve desserts, gelato, and assorted beverages. I will totally go back there, my sandwich was really great!
Elegant, bustling cafe. Nice for meetings and apparently where everyone in the local-food biz runs into everyone they know.
Good coffee (we had double espressos), and if they are serving grapefruit sorbet, definitely order it - It may be the best sorbet I have ever tasted.
Very cute place! I like the choice of indoor or outdoor seating. Kind of reminds me of cafes in New York. I had the half tomato, basil and mozzarella pizza paired with a regular drip coffee. YUMMMYYYY.... the chocolate piece at the end was the perfect dessert.
I felt that the atmosphere was way too serious and that made it awkward. It was expensive and the food wasn't anything special. When my roommate and I sat down to eat our lunch, our moods got very strange, and then went right back to normal after we left!
Was excited to try this place. Love the coffee (loved Torrefazione even more) and was happy to learn that this company was strated by the same folks as TI.
The place was slick, well designed. Unfortunately, the service and food was poor. The servers were pretentious and unfriendly. i don't think their style of dress had anything to do with it. The bread for the panini I had was mealy and the cheese hadn't even melted.
The coffee was good, but no way am I returning. This is Portland afterall - there's good coffee everywhere. I don't need the attitude.
Love the coffee, but especially love the little sandwiches-Trammenzinis. (SP?) Dense white bread from St. Honore Bakery in NW. The crusts are cut off and they are filled with either incredible tuna or mushrooms. OK, there may be other fillings, but those 2 are my favorites. Then they give you a little cup of great salty olives. Don't let the small size and cheap price fool you-these are the best sandwiches in town! They are wrapped and ready To-Go!!!!
Stumbled upon this place when I was in town for a conference and needed some caffeine at 7 am on a Sunday morning. I wasn't staying in the heart of downtown, so I crossed my fingers and walked over to the Pearl district. Caffe Umbria had just opened, and the very friendly staff made me a perfect latte, which I had with a hot croissant fresh from the oven. The little dark chocolate cube that came with my coffee was a pleasant surprise. My husband and I went back a few days later, and the coffee and pastries were perfect again, but they were playing some very annoying and loud techno music at 9:30 am., which I thought was just a tad early for that sort of thing.
Neighborhood: Northwest
Category: Pet Boarding/Pet Sitting
Neighborhood: Pearl District
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Southwest Portland
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Pearl District
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Pearl District
Category: Coffee & Tea
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