Espresso Vivace Roasting Plant

The service at Vivace near REI sucks! Customer service must not be part of their training. The barista was rude and pushy. No wonder people go to Starbucks -- at least the baristas there are trained in treating people with respect. The "conference room" also tended to be very loud -- conversations from the outer portion of the business seeped in through open space near the children's play area. more

A friend of mine brought me here one night... and I proceeded to slam my first ever Espresso shots... straight. No americano, no latte, no sugar.... just 2 shots in a tiny cup i could barely hold... and i was hooked. I've never tried that anywhere else yet... not sure I want to. As the other reviews said... Vivace takes coffee seriously and thank goodness for that. One look at the foam art covering the walls shows how proud the barista's are. Atmosphere is pretty good... a little loud, but plenty of space and that meeting room is great. Decent parking down the street usually and it's right near an amazing and newly renovated park. This place is legendary. It should be on the tourist map, not the stupid '1st Starbucks ever" in pikes place. come on... more

Don't make the mistake of ordering a grande, or vente, or tall anything... I stood in line behind a guy who made the unfortunate mistake of ordering a grande latte or something. The heavily tattooed barista looked like she was going to jump over the counter and kick him in the n*ts. He realized his mistake and ordered correctly. Reminded me of the infamous soup Nazi. These people definitely take their coffee seriously which is evident in the latte art and the never-bitter blends. I dig the 50s diner-style tables w/ mixed-matched chairs as well as their tempting selection of pastries. Try the nico and white velvet, you will not be disappointed. more

This place has great coffee. Possibly the best in the city. It also has some of the most attitude in the city. These people take their coffee very seriously. The pastries are good, the wifi is free. Just don't *ever* talk on your cellphone in line. They get really annoyed at you when you do it - short calls when not in line are ok, and longer calls never are. It's kind of a weird attitude to have, but the coffee makes up for it. more

Espresso Vivace Roasteria sits just off Broadway, the main drag through Capitol Hill. Beyond the unassuming door at the side of the building are crafted the most attractive lattes and cappuccinos in Seattle. “Una bella tazza di caffe” is the Vivace motto. It translates roughly from the Italian into “a beautiful cup of coffee” and they mean it. This is no average cup of joe. At Vivace the seating, décor and ambience play polite chorus to the virtuoso performances of the espresso, loose-leaf teas and fresh lemonade. This is the café to take mom and dad to. It's caffeine with class. If proof is required, turn around before placing your order and see photos of the marbled foam swirls executed by the Vivace servers. Want to relive that romantic moment you had when that first Vivace sip touched your lips? A few blocks north on Broadway is a Vivace to-go cart where you can get one for your baby and one more for the road. more

Vivace's barista's are wonderful—they remember your favorite drink, and make it perfectly every time (with their own espresso blend, which is caramel-y sweet, in my opinion). The cafe is cozy, with retro kitchen tables and chairs for seating, huge windows overlooking Cal Anderson Park, and lots of marble counters for solo visitors. There's also free wifi (except during ultra-busy weekend days). But the best part of Vivace, I think, is their pastry case: They've got the best selection I've ever seen at a coffee shop, with everything from vegan, grainful rolls, to iced-pink (with sprinkles!) donuts. It's all delicious. more

Vivace takes espresso very, very seriously. Founder David Schomer literally wrote the book on preparing espresso (from bean choice and roasting, to grinding, to the perfect brew) and can be seen holding seminars in the back room. The baristas here are very skilled, and proud of the quality of their work. They should be. Of all the espressos I've tried, theirs is not only excellent, but consistently so. Great flavor and depth, beautiful crema, perfectly steamed milk, if you go for that. The cafe has a nice open atmosphere, with comfortable chairs as well as tables that invite you to open a chessboard or bring a book. Little cookies and nibbles are also available but really, here, it's all about the coffee. more