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Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Wine Bars
Neighborhood: Downtown5-7 pm $3 Food/Beer/Wine Happy Hour!
6-8 am Breakfast Happy Hour!
Mon-Thu. 6:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fri. 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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Fonte far exceeded my expectations. We dropped in for lunch being that its so close to the office. I had a good macaroni and cheese and an exceptional heirloom tomato salad and a tremendous Americano. My dining partner had a tuna salad and the gougeres which were light and brilliantly cheesy. This place is a tremendous value -- the food is well proportioned and the service was impeccable. I hope they have a lot of folks trying them out and becoming regulars in the next few weeks because I'd like to see them stick around for a good long while.
On my way out I ordered another Americano and a rather life changing strawberry scone. Excellence...
It's a perfect place to stop by and have a cup of coffee, or mimosa in my case, and flavourful breakfast (mmm, Spanish omelette), while you're in Seattle downtown.
The décor is very chic, modern, and well thought through. Kudos for the interior designer. I'm guessing, it gets even nicer with the evening light.
Coffee is really good. Coffee maniacs come here to get the dark, steamy, fragrant liquid dosage. The true addicts get the coffee flight, and literally leave the place flying, from all that tasty-tasty caffeine.
I've been to Fonte a few times since they opened, but haven't tried their non-coffee stuff before today. However, I'm happy to report that their espresso is consistently wonderfully flavored. It's a bit darker than average, but not so much that the flavor is overwhelming (i.e. not Starbucks!).
Their happy hour runs all the way until 9 PM on Sundays, which makes it a good place to hang out at the end of a weekend. This entails a good selection of beer/wine/food for $3 each, color-coded with good pairings between them. I tried the sangria, which wasn't as strong as I was expecting, but on the other hand was fairly fruity. I also got the pork sliders, which weren't that big but were quite tasty (they had some sort of orange jam/blue cheese spread).
The service here is kind of strange since you can buy coffee at the bar and drink it at your table, or order everything from your table like a normal restaurant. The servers tend to leave you alone for the most part, but are usually available if you need something.
Lastly, Fonte may very well have the most comfortable seating out of any cafe in the city. Most of their chairs are padded, and they have several single-person swivel chairs that are pretty nice to sit in.
I am Very impressed with this place
so i was on Twitter and saw a couple people asking if others had been here yet as it was on a blog, so I looked on yelp and figured why not go check it out I needed some coffee anyways :)
so I told the other half lets go check out this Coffee and Wine bar downtown, so we got dressed and headed downtown
next time I will take the bus down tho as it is on 1st Ave Across from SAM (Seattle Art Museum) there is not a lot of street parking, and getting turned around can be a bitch with all the one way streets.
but one we got parked and headed into Fonte, the pain of parking was forgotten, very nice place with a good feel to it, it is a high end joint with out the snobbery of being high end, the Staff here rocks they are very easy to talk to and very helpful at answering questions
I got a Doppio, that's a double shot of Espressos and the BF had a Latte it was very good, I also got a iced drink they had advertised on there board Latin Love, so I went up to see what that was all about, it is a Espresso shot with Mexican Chocolate powder and Cinnamon with a little Whipped Cream on top, it was very tasty just wish it had been bigger with half to get two next time as I shared it with my Partner
they have listed that they have Breakfast Happy hour specials 6-8am $3 for a Croissant and Cup of coffee is a deal, there were other specials also but that is the one that sticks in my head
also they have a very impressive looking regular Happy Hour food Specials, like Sliders and Lamb burger
will definitely go back to try out the Happy Hour Specials and see what the evening is like here
I have yet to discover anything closer to my loins than excellent coffee. Fonte has made the lewdest, and thus best, attempt thus far by opening a coffee shop on first avenue in Seattle. The lewdness is heightened by their proximity to the Lusty Lady, making it even more appealing to me.
The interior is modern and has a big, disgusting, intrusive, annoying, irritating, boorish, flat screen television on the wall. The croissants are the best I have had in Seattle. I asked about them and was told that they have the dough shipped from France.
Other than the interior and croissants, it is the coffee that sets it apart. The espresso is divine. They pay excellent attention to the grinding, extraction, steaming of milk and presentation.
The whole beans are fantastic! I recommend the bin 16 blend. Check out this joint! Thrill your loins!
Very impressive interior. The coffee is absolutely top notch. The staff is great. Nice fast free wifi. Plenty of outlets for laptop users. The only gripe is that I was in there early in the morning the other day and the music choice was much to rock-in out for the early morning vibe.
The vibe is definitely European, a very modern Italian feel with a urban hipster injection (due to the swanky cool interior). Good wine and beer selections. Some nice gourmet food pairings. And lastly the coolest thing they do is serve up Pabst Blue Ribbon 40 ouncers in a champaign bucket and with champagne flutes. Can't wait to come back with friends and suprise 'em with that one.
Highly recommended.
It appears, to be a good yelper, one must update one's review.
I dig this place more and more. Love it. Do it. Go for a $10 dinner (if you don't have a wine) cause it's like Europe in Seattle for cheap.
Facts:
Modern French Cafe
Wine
Beer
Coffee, French Pressed, or any other way
Apps, Simple, like $3 Cheese…
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Went for happy hour (which is 5-7) on a Tuesday night, and was very impressed with the food and happy hour wine.
Haven't tried the coffee, which many people have said is very good.
I have to say, I was quite pleased with the decor inside. Its cozy and romantic at the same time...I went with my boyfriend for date night and we sat in comfy chairs at a high table with a candle, situated near the window so we could people watch. Even though we were enjoying the more intimate setting of Fonte, I would also feel perfectly comfortable sitting alone, drinking coffee, and doing research on the internet. I love the versatility!
Pretty store that is very inviting. That is until you run into the staff who could care less if you are there. Had to repeat parts of my order 3 times and felt like I was talking into a drive through order box at Burger King given the blank passionless stares of the staff.
My order was made well but I won't be back.
I have to say, I was pretty excited when a young man outside of Fonte handed me a sample of macaroni and cheese--it was gooey, and flavorful, and the noodles were nicely al dente. Their ploy worked because soon I was at home reading up on the new cafe/bistro in the Four Seasons. I learned that Fonte is a local coffee roaster, and that several well known chef/restauranteurs are involved.
The next day I went to try the gazpacho, while my companion had the spanish omelet. The gazpacho was very nice; the omelet lacked seasoning. As for beverages, I was impressed with the beer selection, although the pint I had seemed to be from an old keg. However, they did throw in a beautiful cup of espresso.
My feelings on this place were mixed so I went back for breakfast. I had the french toast, my companion had the egg and bacon on flat bread, and we shared the french press. The server recommended the type of beans/roast based on our preferences, but the coffee lacked flavor and richness. The toast was very sweet and wasn't the nice type of french toast that is crispy on the outside and custardy on the inside. The flat bread sandwich was offensive to look at and the eggs were improperly cooked to the point that they were raw. A few bites were taken and it was set aside. The table next to us also had problems with their food and they sent their omelets back to be recooked.
If you've read some of my other reviews, you know that nothing pisses me off like poorly cooked eggs. They have a lot going for them, but as excited as I was over this place, they made it very easy for me to determine a rating for them.
Different. Very casual.
The chilled chicken curry salad was very good. Eclectic cuisine.
Don't order the "cheese balls" _ not worth it.
Wine selection and pairing very good. I was pleased there was so much to offer from so many different regions.
Great coffee. Such a wonderful change from Starbucks. Cool ambiance.
We went there Sunday afternoon (around 4:45) after visiting SAM and surprised to find the coffee is great. I had a latte and Frank had americano, I find the med/dark roast tasty but Frank think it's still a little lighter than Starbucks. The store is beautifully decorated, sitting by the window and watch people walking on the street or just let your mind wonder is a treat.
The girl at the register told me they are opened about 3 months. I really like to see they get into a better working rhythm... because they are not exactly friendly or making us feel inviting. Maybe because there's a private party starting in 15 mins?! Nevertheless, we will visit the store again to try their food and another cup of coffee because it's such a beautiful shop in downtown Seattle.
We glanced at the early bird breakfast and the happy hour menu and they are very interesting! and 3.00 beer? That's pretty awesome... We will definitely come back here to try the food.
Fonte is an oasis of calm on 1st ave. Seriously. Step inside, and the sound of the city melts away - traffic, construction, loud tourists... it makes Fonte the perfect place to recharge in the middle of a long day. Or, y'know, charge up at the beginning of a long day.
Fonte is serious coffee. They roast it themselves, and they use a rather bold, complex espresso in their espresso drinks. But it's not so dark and overwhelming that it tastes burnt and/or bitter, like some places it town... just... complex. If you've ever wondered what people are talking about when they talk about tasting notes in coffee, Fonte is a good example. Fonte is also awesome in that it looks like they make all of their own flavoring syrups - the squeeze bottle of vanilla has real vanilla beans in it!
The bakery items are of similarly high quality. Unlike so many other coffee places, they don't outsource for their baked goods. Instead, they have a pasty person onsite. And she's awesome. I highly recommend the scones - ingredients change seasonally, but the strawberry ones are fabulous and I'll be very sad to see them go.
And, just a note on the people who work here - despite having Serious Coffee, they are not Serious People. As in, you won't feel like you're totally ruining their day by trying to inturrupt their conversation to order something. Two thumbs up.
This would totally be a 5 from me, if only it were a bit less premium price. As it stands, Fonte has to be more of a treat for me than a regular thing. Which is sad, because I'd love to try them for lunch, but I'm pretty sure that that would cut too far into my scone budget.
Very good French Coffee house, the atmosphere the people it was wonderful. I only wish we had this type of place in Miami. We had breakfast omelet, one Spanish and one Northwestern Garden Omelet. They were both very good.
We opted to try the Ethiopia Beloya coffee, which was said to be one of the best. My boyfriend drank it with no sugar, as for me, well I don't drink coffee much so I did add two stevia's which made it just PERFECTION!
I would definitely go back here.
The food is fantastic and worth the walk from the W. Butternut squash will warm you up on a cold day. Lamb pasta spot on good. Great vibe to dine in. Not formal at all but a great place for tasty food without the pomp and circumstance.
My wife and I visited Fonte, along First Avenue right outside the Four Seasons, today and were very impressed.
First, the staff were amazingly friendly and accomodating. The manager, who hails from the Loire Valley in France, took time to talk to us about wine and food choices and brought us complementary gougeres, a French cheese treat. He has clearly trained his counter help well, as all were friendly, helpful and - amazingly - stopped by to say "goodbye" as our lunch stretched into a two-hour affair and they went off duty.
As to the food... the chili-braised pork sandwich was delicious, with a compote of onion and cherry ($9). The Mirth chardonnay ($7) and the Costieres de Nimes red ($9) we had were both quite good. We both enjoyed the beet salad and the heirloom tomato salad. And of course - as befits a restaurant formed by a coffee roaster - the espresso was perfect.
I will definitely be a regular at Fonte given the staff, the food and the very reasonable prices.
I'm not a coffee connoisseur by any stretch, but when I drank Fonte coffee I was blown away. I think it is by far, the best coffee I've had in all of Seattle.
The entire Fonte experience is great:
+ good location (with landmarks like across from the SAM and next to Lusty Lady, it's so easy to find)
+ hip, modern decor
+ exceptionally knowledgeable servers
+ amazing menu - coffee, food, wine, beer
+ great escape from the downtown crowds
This is a MUST TRY place.
Cool new place downtown. Food is totally great and really cheap for what you get. Sat out on the cafe this afternoon and soaked up some sun and a plate of dates (a MUST have) and gazpacho with almonds.
Coffee is amazing, and they make those cool designs in the lattes!
Best thing about this place is that they serve giant bottles of PBR in champagne buckets! My kind of joint!
everything i tried there was awesome. one of the most unique coffee houses i've ever been to. i love that they call themselves a micro coffee roaster, which describes them perfectly.
they offer a flight of three different small french presses which you gotta love. their regular drip coffee is out of this world but from what i understand they change it out all times the day and seasonally. i got some espresso beans for the bf which i got to try and was excellent.
for food the blt was surprisingly light and a great combination of a gruyere bread, smoked bacon and butter lettuce. the best blt i've ever had...possibly? got to try their gluten free gruyere and herb bread and forget the fact that it is gluten free, it was uhmazing. their prices for their food are very reasonable. can't find one thing to complain about.
Figs with Balsamic vinegar was so good it made me hallucinate. If this little gem was in a hotel lobby, you might pay $70 for lunch, but its not! Patio seating with a full carafe and bread made me feel like I was sitting in Paris, food made me think heaven.
The food is amazing and visually stunning, the coffee is perfect, the atmosphere is very comfortable and the internet is the fastest wifi in any coffee shop in Seattle. I love this place.
I am blessed to have both Fonte and Stella Cafe right next to where I work. They are both great places with totally different styles. As soon as you walk into Fonte, it is warm, inviting, and takes you out of the 1st Ave hustle. The staff is very sweet and knowledgeable about all their offerings. They recommended the strawberry scone to go with my vanilla latte and both were amazing. The vanilla for the latte is their own and the scone with the cream cheese and jam on the side was great. Definitely get your order "for here," have a seat, and relax for a few minutes....
cheese platter = $3. dates stuffed w/marcona almonds & pancetta =$3. glass of 2007 fougeray de beauclair (pinot noir) =$9. glass of 2007 comerc (garnacha)=$7. chic oasis after sightseeing in seattle for the first time=priceless. it's so lush i'm yelping even as i sit here, relishing this buttery, stinky blue cheese and apricot lavendar preserves that are in my mouth right now. it's like really lusty, dirty sex with the hot guy who's not only easy on the eyes, but smart and humurous, too. will probably also order a latte before we leave.
