Caffe Umbria

Caffee Umbria expanded to Ballard earlier this year and brought this little Italian gem to the neighborhood. After many decades in Seattle and a name change, Caffee Umbria still serves a good Italian style coffee for those who want something different than our normal cup of coffee here in Seattle. You might find an Italian or two sitting in the café.
If you’re into plain coffee they have that. If you want to try something different you have some different choices. From espresso shots mixed with cinnamon, real Italian cioccolato infused mochas, all the way to iced grapefruit. They have a selection of locally baked goods and sandwiches if your in need of a light snack.
The café itself is very nice inside. There is seating inside, outside, or you could even stand at tables like the Italians do. It’s a very bright and open space with chandeliers. There is a loveseat and some arm chairs near the windows for a more comfy seat.
The staff is A+ and won’t ignore you like some places around the city. Quick service and a smile. Prices are really reasonable for what you get.
Like most of Seattle there is parking out front, but you have to pay for it. If you ride a bike there is a place to lock up out front.

Paid a visit to Caffee Umbria the first time I visited Ballard and I was absolutely impressed in every way.
Walking in, I was immediately impressed with the beautiful décor and spacious area. Chandeliers, varied walls and large windows open up to the street. The décor is incredibly beautiful AND welcoming.
At the very front of the store they have a small display of their coffee beans along with descriptions of each, and little bowls of beans so that you can see (and smell!) them.
After looking around for a little bit, Mickey (the café owner) greeted me and helped me decide on a drink. I asked about any kind of specialty and he said that thanks to the café’s genuine Italian heritage, they had a wide range of unique drinks.
I eventually settled on the mocha because, as he said, it was dark chocolate and therefore considered «healthy.» Which was funny.
The mocha came out pretty quickly and it was absolutely stupendous. An exquisite blend of chocolate and espresso without ever being too sweet or too bitter.
It was presented in a gorgeous cup and platter with a bit of garnish chocolate on the side.
I later purchased a cup of their medium-​dark roast for the $ 0.50 refill price, and heartily enjoyed that as well!
Definitely recommend.

Absolute top of the line…
While on a visit to see my cousin from Seattle I had a sudden urge to have done coffee and he suggested this fine establishment. It is truly amazing how a simple cup of coffee can differ from one establishments to another. This happens to have been the absolute best cup of coffee I have ever had in my entire life. I don’t know the extreme nuance of what exactly made it this way but I do know that it was bursting with flavor and made me feel great. It wasn’t just that it had the perfect amount of caffeine in it or that it tasted great and barely needed any accoutrement. There was the fact that the temperature of the coffee as well as the very cool barista all added to the package. With regards to the young, cute female barista (in the truest sense of the word) whose name is escaping me right now; she was both informative and extremely friendly. The ambience was very Italian and very Seattle at the same time, scrupulously clean and very avant-​gard though not at all pretentious at the same time.
I have a feeling that Umbria Will be the first place I check out the next time I am in Seattle. It’s great when you visit a new city and leave with a new favorite place.

Excellent coffee and friendly staff. The space is visually appealing but a little too loud and busy for me.

Great coffee, very cool design and I LOVE the Italian coffee mugs and plates. Amazing quiche and great Italian chocolates. Plus the small piece of chocolate you get with any purchase is wonderful and delicious. Great service and the guy behind the register would so helpful and friendly. Will definitely come again when up in Seattle!

I love their hazelnut latte! Their lattes are very smooth and perfectly balanced. I came on a Saturday brunch-​ish time, expecting it to be very crowded. However, there was no wait in getting my coffee and the baristas were really nice informing me of all of their choices (since it was my first time here). Their ambience is what I like — relaxed, rustic, and cozy. I would love to try their specialty drinks next time.

*inhales freshly ground beans* Mmmmm. Favorite coffee shop in Ballard.
How lucky I am to live near so many great coffee shops, but yet, I think this one is the best. I was invited to visit after meeting the manager in my Italian class, and I was even scolded (and teased) for not having visited sooner since it’s literally down the street from where I live. I won’t make that mistake again.
Open, clean, inviting, and modern space with traditional Italian coffee. I had a breve (served with a chocolate!) and a ham & cheese croissant. Both excellent. Plenty of space to sit and work (and let’s face it, write Unilocal reviews) with electrical outlets and free wifi. Also ample outdoor seating for gorgeous sunny and crisp days (such as today).
Parking is a bit hard to come by in the area since it’s located on Ballard Ave., but if you don’t mind paying, there are a few pay lots and garages nearby.
Buonissimo!

Love this place. Coffee and delish and baked treats are yummy if you can eat gluten. I miss bread!

I really like Umbria. It’s one of the newer cafes popping up in Ballard and usually quite busy on weekends. I usually get a drip but I also have tried their lattes. The coffee is smooth, rich, and strong. I particularly like the small piece of dark chocolate that they give you to go w/​your coffee. If you come later in the day, it’s likely that they may be out of certain pastries since it’s such a popular place. Another plus, if you dine in, your coffee is served in these colorful cups that really are quite pretty.

Café Umbria makes my favorite coffee in Seattle. Every drink is made to perfection. Was glad they opened this spot in Ballard in addition to the Pioneer square location. The space is comfortable to relax with friends or sit outside.

First time in here was late-​ish on a Monday night 30 min before closing once, and i was immediately sure I’d be back. Felt really lowkey, like a library, and really welcoming — usually when I’m the only person in a place (and so close to closing) I feel a weird subtle pressure/​tension to leave asap, but this just felt like I was chilling with the guy behind the counter (curly haired dude) while i sipped my chai — good flavours but could’ve been hotter. Kind of luke warm. but the service vibes were so nice I honestly didn’t even care. When I asked for the wifi password he didn’t even make me feel like a nuisance! which is, i mean, rare.
Oh but, yeah — this lowkey understated placid ambiance was an aberration. It’s packed and (c)rowdy normally.

I’ve returned a number of times to Caffe Umbria in Ballard since October 2014 and today (3÷30÷15) got a pair of mochas and eclairs to go. The husband and I sat outside briefly to savor the mochas. Later the eclairs were inhaled by him and the kiddo afterschool. Bummer no photo taken to post.
I can report though that during our visit about 2pm, the counter staff (including the same café manager) remain friendly and efficient (made spot-​on mochas), eye pleasing pastry case filled with a variety of baked goods, folks seated indoors deep in conversation, and still love those beautiful chandeliers.

Great group of ppl working. My latte was made so well. The expresso was not dead and the froth was delicious. Also tried their cannoli, what a treat!

It does live up to its 5 stars. I’m visiting Seattle for the week and found this place to be popular on Unilocal so I gave it a shot. It was great! Loved the décor, friendly staff, really good selection of snacks & breakfast goodies! And to top it off, my fave drink, the soy latte was delicious! I also like their touch of giving a small piece of chocolate with each drink. Yes you should go!!!

Very cool café with great ambience. Awesome place to read or study. They play really chill jazz music in the background. Their coffee taste and pricing is what I’d consider standard for a higher end café. Probably the cleanest tasting Americano I’ve ever had. Overall, good coffee and great ambience.

I am a life long Seattleite (we know our coffee) and this is my favorite coffee shop! I have even managed to go to all three Café Umbrias in one day ;) That is right, Ballard, to Pioneer Square to Portland! In a short amount of time I have found this newest location to be my most beloved.
You really should not skip this place if you are looking for a wonderful coffee experience. It really comes down to the quality of their bean for me. It is consistently good whether it is bagged or not. Also, they seem to really put good effort into their shop experience and service. It is always very clean, presentable and quiet enough to study in.
++ They give you an adorable little chocolate when you drink in.
+++ Ham and Cheese croissant is legendary, yum!

After wandering through the market, I needed a latte. Enter, the soy vanilla latte from Caffe Umbria. The latte was pretty flawless, but what really got me excited were the plethora of sweetener options. They give you your latte with a spoon and you can add honey, agave, sugar, sugar substitutes, brown sugar, cinnamon… and more! Seriously, I’m pretty sure they have everything you could possibly want to sweeten your beverage. Sadly, when you order a soy vanilla latte you don’t have much need for this so I could only stare at all of these options and plan for later visits.
Also, a shout out to the coconut macaroons… yummo!

This spot is definitely my favorite coffeeshop!!! The glass they use is super light, customer service is excellent and the baguette is superb!

Great new café in Ballard next to Miro Tea. I dropped in to pick up an espresso to go this past weekend. The shop is so gorgeous, I’m looking forward to coming back here on a lazy day and actually sitting down to enjoy a coffee and a pastry next time!

This cool, new café opened in Ballard (next to Miro Tea) on October 7^th. They serve Italian style espresso, Chai tea, and assorted baked treats. They also happen to roast pretty darn good coffee beans. I am so finicky about my coffee. I usually favor Lighthouse Roasters above all else… but this coffee surprised my palette and won me over as well. I also like how tastefully they decorated the space. I asked the barista what blend they had used for my espresso and I picked up a pound of the Gusta Prima blend for $ 11.50 on my way out. This café is a nice addition to Ballard. :)