#30. Nutty Squirrel Gelato - Phinney Ridge
- Rating: 4.5/5 (154 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7212 Greenwood Ave. North Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Gelato, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

From the first coffee houses in the Ottoman Empire to Boston's famed London Coffee House, cafes have always been an egalitarian place to gather, sip, and share ideas, many of which have changed the world.
During the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, cafes regularly entertained the likes of Voltaire, Rousseau, Thomas Jefferson, and Isaac Newton. Later, Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre would spend hours in cafes, pondering their works and holding court alongside other intellectuals.
Needless to say, coffee and cafes beget some revolutionary ideas; sipping a cup may even be a political act. When settlers dumped tea into the Boston Harbor to send a message to the British in 1773, tea became a British loyalist's drink, and coffee became a popular substitute.
Boston's London Coffee House, which had opened nearly 85 years earlier, was soon renamed the American Coffee House. Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, Merchants' Coffee House hosted the likes of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Paul Revere.
Many other coffee shops steeped in history abound in the United States, including New York City's Caffe Reggio. Founded in 1927, it was the first to serve cappuccino in the country. New Orleans' Cafe du Monde, founded in 1862, is a fixture in the French Quarter for its coffee and beignets.
Whether it's for a cup of Joe, a heady conversation, or simply a place to start the day, cafes have become landmarks of our daily lives. But where's the best one to find refuge and that perfect caffeinated cup near you?
Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated cafes in the Seattle area based on diners' reviews on Yelp as of February 2025. Cafes with at least 20 reviews tagged as "coffee" on Yelp within a 10-kilometer radius of Seattle were included. As a result, some cafes featured may primarily serve other items besides coffee and tea. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 25 locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Keep reading to see if your favorite cafe made the list!
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- Rating: 4.5/5 (154 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7212 Greenwood Ave. North Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Gelato, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.5/5 (171 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 168 Lake St. South Kirkland, Washington
- Categories: Bubble Tea, Coffee & Tea, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.5/5 (110 reviews)
- Address: 10002 Aurora Ave. North Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Coffee Roasteries, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.6/5 (605 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1499 Post Aly Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.6/5 (157 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7420 Southeast 24th St. Ste 3 Mercer Island, Washington
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp
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- Rating: 4.6/5 (108 reviews)
- Address: 1811 Queen Anne Ave. North Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Salad, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.6/5 (2432 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 94 Pike St. Ste 34 Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Bakeries
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.6/5 (716 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 510 Pike St. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.6/5 (320 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 425 15th Ave. East Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Bookstores, Coffee & Tea, Vegetarian
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.6/5 (135 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 913 South Jackson St. Ste D Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Desserts, Coffee & Tea, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp
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- Rating: 4.6/5 (134 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4001 Gilman Ave. West Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Sandwiches, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.6/5 (302 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2711 3rd Ave. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Coffee Roasteries
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.6/5 (263 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1600 South Roberto Maestas Festival St. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.6/5 (411 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3801 Stone Way North Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Vietnamese, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.6/5 (111 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2201 East Union St. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
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- Rating: 4.6/5 (212 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1125 East Olive St. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.6/5 (130 reviews)
- Address: 3507 Southwest Henderson St. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.6/5 (185 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 826 Thomas St. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.6/5 (105 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2801 South Hanford St. Ste B Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Desserts, Coffee & Tea, Bakeries
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.7/5 (113 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 722 East Pike St. Ste 110 Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Chocolatiers & Shops, Coffee & Tea, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
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- Rating: 4.7/5 (772 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3700 South Hudson St. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.7/5 (132 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7148 Martin Luther King Jr Way South Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Vegan, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.7/5 (157 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1220 East Jefferson St. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Bike Repair/Maintenance, Coffee & Tea, New American
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.7/5 (183 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4343 15th Ave. South Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Cafes, Coffee & Tea, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.7/5 (141 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 524 Broadway Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Salad, Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
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- Rating: 4.7/5 (208 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4735 40th Ave. Southwest Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Cafes, Coffee & Tea, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.7/5 (133 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 9828 16th Ave. Southwest Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Desserts, Coffee & Tea, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.7/5 (202 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1325 Northeast 65th St. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.8/5 (201 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1906 North 34th St. Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Mexican, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
- Rating: 4.8/5 (180 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 500 Mercer St. Floor 2 Seattle, Washington
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Bakeries, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Rasha Aly and Carren Jao, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 313 metros.
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