12/30/08

good cappuccino, americano

by gelagela7

Good cappuccino, has a nice slight spice to americano. Service wasn't very friendly, kinda icy male barista, but it's okay. The female baristas were nice. Seems overrated, but I love the location, ambience of pioneer square; parking is difficult; if you go there, make sure to try their desserts, seems like they're a better choice than coffee (not that their coffee isn't bad, it's pretty good espresso). I'll give it another try next time, second time ain't going to hurt.

11/09/07

My favorite coffee in Seattle

by limonata

Delicious, well-made coffee, great service, reminds me of coffee bars in Italy (I think the owner is Italian). Love that you get a little square of dark chocolate when you have a drink in the store. And they have wine for lazy afternoons. Tasty sandwiches and salads as well--of the Italian variety--I think it's an unsung lunch place. And gelato! what more could you ask?

08/20/07

Great cappuccino and great chocolates too!

by kimmyinraincity

Caffe Umbria is a favorite haunt for me. What's not to like? The coffee is a perfect medium roast - not bitter or acid-like other coffee shops that can be found on every street corner. The baristas at Umbria actually take the time to clean the machines between use, they offer real sizes of coffee drinks (not the mega size cups offered at other places...read: brown water), no Caffe Umbria is the real coffee experience, a rarity in our city.

And yes I am always on the lookout for fine chocolates and Caffe Umbria is a retailer of the elusive Fiori Chocolates. When they have the Tartufi di Caffe Umbria, a truffle made with Umbria's on beans, ah what an exquisite treat. Actually every truffle that they carry though is a treat and leaves me needing more. They also carry the Fiori chocolate bars which provide me sustenance during the middle of most days. Umbria's selection of gelato (made by Gelatissimo I believe) is really nice and changes with enough regularity that I am always trying something different.

Lastly they have (if you get there early enough) interesting enough sandwiches to make a nice lunch. Great place, great atmosphere...

• Pros: Best coffee in Seattle, great selection of chocolates, other noshes
• Cons: Parking difficult

06/07/07

cold and expressionless servers

by floatc

ok to be fair, this cafe definitely feel and taste like those in italy. But I am not impressed with the servers. Some of them have an expressionless face and are not at all friendly. (I get good and warm service when I visited cafes in italy though. Definitely not cold and hard like what I get here.) Though the sandwhiches taste good, they are expensive. You pay about 6.50 for a small piece of sandwhich and if you need a salad it is going to cost you another 4 bucks. In my opinion, Zeitgeist from across the street, though doesn't feel italian, have good and affordable sandwhiches (and it comes with salad too). Furthermore the people there are alot friendly.

• Pros: tasty food
• Cons: expensive, expressionless servers

04/18/07

Finest coffee and Italian cafe experience in the Pacific Northwest

by leejo

Finally a real cafe. Not your run-of-the-mill corner coffee chain or grunge coffee place. No, Caffe Umbria is actually the type of place worthy of driving out of your way to get to. This is the ONLY place in the Pacific Northwest that you can go and have a real espresso in a real Italian caffe. Now, that's not to say that there aren't other good coffee houses that pull fine cups of espresso, but Caffe Umbria is the only one that gives you the feeling of being in Italy. Whether you choose to stand by the bar, table or sit outside or at one of their indoor tables, this is very much what the caffe-experience in Italy is all about. Whether you go in the morning, afternoon or early evening (they close at 6PM), you are ensured to have a great cup of coffee. Their sandwiches, gelato and desserts are all very much like what you would find in coffee houses (caffes) across Italy. It's a great place and again well worth the trek there from wherever you might be.

• Pros: Atmosphere, coffee, gelato, chocolates, sandwiches...oh did I mention the atmosphere...
• Cons: Few if any, parking a little tough, but available on the streets

08/24/06

Espresso and food

by tangotraveller

Umbria is located in Occidental square and is the latest iteration of the old Torrefazione. The coffee is excellent, and they serve lunch items, as well as beer and wine. It can be very enjoyable to sit outside on the plaza, although the large screen TV inside is annoying. The coffee is excellent, and it is a good spot when exploring the nearby art galleries.

• Pros: Outdoor seating, excellent espresso
• Cons: TV

A taste of Italy in the heart of Pioneer Square offers authentic espresso, gelato and a warm welcome.

by Anna Roth

In Short
Designed to feel like an Italian espresso bar, this elegant coffee shop boasts marble floors, fresco-filled wall recesses, exposed brick and an assortment of small round tables. Italian culture comes through in spades, from the Italian magazines up front to the tourism DVD playing in a constant loop in back. In addition to espresso drinks, the shop also offers panini, baked treats, a range of gelato flavors and imported alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.