Panama Hotel Tea & Coffee House

Giving Panama coffee and tea two stars if only for the historical significance of the place. But the rest of our experience was pretty unpleasant. Our tea (white peony) tasted like hot water. Granted white peony is typically mild, but this one was completely tasteless. But the main issue was the server, a young brunette in glasses who kept her back to us when we entered (we were the only people there at the time) and only turned around after about 5 minutes of us standing there. We sat in the second room to avoid her cold stares. After about 45 minutes she stomped into the room and gave another cold look over at us and came over to the piano and banged on each key with her rag while my friend was clearly in the middle of talking (again we were the only people there and we were sitting right next to the piano). She stomped around for a while longer and then turned around flippantly and scornfully said «we are closing, just so you know.» And then stomped off. We would have been more than happy to leave if she had just politely told us she was closing up, but her attitude made us want to leave and never come back. Not sure if she had a bad day, or if she was tired, or what, but her attitude certainly turned us against what otherwise would have been a decent establishment that we would have wanted to continue supporting. Go to Panama to support businesses in the ID, but leave if you see this barista at the counter.

Peony white tea was very bland. I know it’s supposed to be mild, but this was absurd.
I could have overlooked that and said to myself «should have ordered something else» and given them more stars for an interesting décor and the history they are cultivating in the shop, but the downgrade came from the horribly rude employee. I’ll just say there is a nice way to tell customers a shop is closing for the night and there is a rude way. The employee definitely chose the rude way. Left a very sour taste in our mouths, and we’re definitely not coming back.

We had a lovely pot of lavender earl grey tea at the Panama the other day.
The barista was very sweet, asked us what our favorite colors were and then he gave us mugs in those colors. We enjoyed seeing all of the historical memorabilia inside the coffee house.
This would be a great place to catch up with a long lost friend or to study.

The staff are awesome! We made a reservation for a double room, but because we had three people, they weren’t able to give the room to us for fire code reasons. But at the last second, the went ahead and upgraded us to the suite for no extra cost. This was basically at full vacancy during ComiCon weekend, so it was no small feat.
Also, the café is awesome! Very good vibes in there. The entire hotel’s décor was appropriately vintage. I get that a lot of people won’t like the shared bathroom (even though it has a CLAW FOOT BATHTUB!) or the creaky beds or anything, but I heartily enjoyed the change of pace from the usual cookie-​cutter hotel nonsense. We’re planning on staying here again next ComiCon.

Friendly and well kept. Quaint, and carries with it a nostalgic and mellow atmosphere.

I love the ambience and the decoration here! There are a lot of antiques, pictures and stuff since WW II.
They have a lot of variety of teas which I need to go back and try more. I had Matcha green tea latte which was really good. This tea shop is absolutely perfect for meeting, hanging out, doing homework etc. I’d definitely be back!

Love the coffee there. Love the chocolate chip cookie. But the guy behind the counter is just a completely uninterested, unwelcoming jerk. I’m going to have to start avoiding this place if I see him through the window. Just a bad vibe dude. Hopefully management does a better job picking their employees in the future. It’s a shame, too, because the place is so cool.

Very cozy place to stop and relax on your visit to the international district. I recommend a day trip of tea and coffee here, lunch at Jade Garden or Tamarind Tree and sightseeing at the Wing Luke.

My favorite café when inviting someone to the neighborhood. Great drinks and such a warm, interesting space

One of those places to check out for its historical value and its modern day conversion is a pleasant coffee/​tea house. You really get a sense of what this place must have been like during WWII and there haven’t been many places that I have been to on the West Coast that really give you that glimpse of what it must have been like. Definitely worth going to.

A must visit! It’s like a time travel to a different era and place. Get a book, grab a coffee and spend a few hours at the lower level. Definitely coming back again!

This is a very charming and quaint café! Located right next to the historic Panama hotel, this place isn’t too difficult to find. When you first step into the café, it’s like stepping back in time. All around the café were old fashioned décor and on the walls, were interesting historical photos.
As you go a bit further in, you will see comfy couches, seats and tables scattered throughout the café. It was pretty cool to see how much bigger the café was than its outside appearance. This café offered a huge selection of various teas, with some being simple to the exotic flavors that you haven’t heard of. Prices of this place was pretty average. I ordered a simple pastry and a cup of hot black tea (can’t remember the exotic name) and it was pretty good. The tea was served in a glass complete with a tea bag holder. Ambience of the place (morning time) was pretty peaceful. Apparently, if you stay in the hotel, you can swing by the café for a free pastry and drink. Free wifi and overall, it’s a nice café to just sit and relax.

Really loved this funky coffee/​tea house — friendly staff, great selection, underground lounge access, lots of history.
This review is an edit, as I originally posted my review for the hotel here by accident. But both were awesome, and part of a great experience.
I recommend getting takeout and having your coffee at the historic Danny Woo Gardens nearby (combo community garden and park, with a great view of that part of Seattle from the top). We ended up playing music here. It was super nice.

Pros:
Nice management
Clean beds
Cool history
Great tea house
Cons:
Only one outlet in room
Public bathrooms (none are private)
No elevator (pack lightly)
Mouse trap under cabinet
Not a great place for amenities, but by end of trip it did grow on me a little.

This place is well-​worth a visit. This is officially a historical landmark because Japanese Seattleities left belongings here in the basement when they were rounded up to be shipped to internment camps during WWII.
Their belongings are still here, visible through a plexiglass window into the basement. It’s a powerful reminder about the horrible cost racism and war wages on society.
While you’re relaxing in the plentiful and cozy chairs in the large space, enjoy the historical photographs of the international district in it’s glory days.
The café itself is kind of expensive, but they also operate in a priceless piece of real estate so I don’t blame them.
My jasmine pearl tea was delish and the matcha latte was awesome.
Stop by here to get to know a crucial spot of Seattle history.

Family brought us here to show us some WWII artifacts from Nisei (second generation Japanese American families). Who knew there was so much history here? It’s definitely worth stoping by for 10 – 15 minutes to check out everything they found when they were getting ready to remodel the hotel for business. We didn’t stop for coffee or eat anything while we were here, so I can’t comment on that, but the history this place holds is well worth the trip.

Who knew that creepy, old hotels could be so charming?! Not this girl, that’s who! The Panama Hotel Tea & Coffee House is a small, historical site located in the International District (Japantown/​Chinatown area).
It’s really the perfect way to spend a lazy weekend afternoon if you’re not in a rush. You’ll have to pay for street parking, unless its Sunday, but it’s relatively inexpensive. I also like the fact that The Panema is open late until 9 pm. Sometimes you just need a caffeine fix when you need it.
The worn-​out, faded paint on the building adds to its rustic appeal. When I opened the front door to meet a friend on my first visit there, the floors creaked at every step. As people would say, this place has character!
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***CUSTOMER SERVICE ***
The barista seemed very friendly and welcoming. He even offered to help take a picture of a big group of customers. Aww, how nice!
***TEA & COFFEE OPTIONS***
You have tea options galore! It’s great because you get a lot of variety, but bad because it can be overwhelming with so many choices!
I tried a cup of their Lavender Earl Grey Black tea (~$ 4). It was floral and slightly bitter at the same time. Though it may not be for everyone, I enjoyed this tea. My recommendation: Make sure to have it with a baked good. You won’t regret the combo!
***EXPLORING & MY SPOOKY EXPERIENCE***
Take a look at the many black and white photos displayed on the walls — pretty interesting and cool! There’s a small window on the ground that let’s you look into a dusty, abandoned floor of the Panema Hotel. With no other customers around, it adds to the creepy factor.
I’m also a realist, but something spooky happened to me while visiting the Panema Hotel. When I first used the restroom, I heard the door impatiently jangle loudly as if someone was trying to get in but realized it was occupied. No one was there when I opened the door. HMM, the other customer must have been impatient and left, I thought.
Right when I was about to leave, I used the rest room again. The door jangled impatiently once more. When I opened the door, no one. Curious, I asked my friend who was sitting closeby if she saw someone waiting for the restroom just then. My friend replied: There wasn’t anyone waiting.
Spooky! Could I be hearing things? It is an old building… or is this place haunted? LOL, I think I must have let The Panema spark my imagination. I’ll never know! :)
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Overall, I’ll come back to try out their other teas and beverages (like their popular Macha Green Tea Latte). After you’re done at The Panema Hotel, I recommend reserving a table at one of the yummy sushi places closeby (most notably, Maneki!)

How I heard of this place: When I first moved to Seattle, a new and soon-​to-​be good friend of mine wanted to show me around town, and some of his favorite cafes. We made our way to the ID, the historic and picturesque Panama Hotel and I was hooked!
Type of cuisine: «The Panama Hotel Tea & Coffee House, a visual feast, serves grilled Panini sandwiches and fresh pastries.» Known for the plethora of unique and aromatic loose-​leaf teas, the cozy, amber-​toned space is inviting, spacious and warm.
Ambiance: «While the palate enticing aromas quench your hunger your eyes may wander to the pictorial museum adorning the walls, or linger on the beautifully preserved original wood flooring.»
What I ordered: A pit-​stop in our day of sightseeing to show off my favorite city, café by café, I left the choosing up to my sister. We delighted in the fragrance and soon indulged in the steeped comfort of our Tangerine-​Ginger infusion pot for two ($ 11.28).
What I loved: Everything from the quirks of entry, to the calming ambiance, from the history captured in photographs lining the brick walls, to the soothing infusions consumed give life to the Tea House.
Why I loved it: See above. There is little wrong with this Tea House, and everything right about it.
Cost: Average to high ($ 3 — $ 12 per cup or pot to share)

With a heavy heart, I’m downgrading Panama Hotel Tea & Coffee House to 3.5 stars. For a while, this was my go-​to place to take out-​of-​town guests while waiting for dinner at Maneki or after dimsum. The staff are always so helpful and friendly, the place is simultaneously cool and eerie (it was built in 1910 and was designated as a historical site a few years ago), they serve cute Japanese sweets from Tokara, and they have hojicha latte that I really like.
I dropped by today after dinner, about an hour prior to closing time. The place was pretty empty with only another table occupied. I felt bad for the barista for having to man the shop alone until closing time in the shady International District. She helped us pick a good herbal tea by making a couple of recommendations and showing us a few canisters of tea sample so we could see the leaves and smell them.
We sat at the table closest to the back wall. I put my hands down on the table and saw that the table was all sticky! Annoying but minor detail, I guess the previous customers didn’t clean up after themselves and the barista hadn’t gotten around to wiping down the table. We got our pot of tea shortly after and I noticed that the pot cover was missing, replaced by a saucer roughly the size of the cover — how very McGyver-​ish… when we flipped the saucer over, we saw that it was really dirty (yellow-​brownish rings around the bottom, as if it hadn’t been washed in a while and it was definitely not the color of our tea!). There was a piece of green thing (matcha? Wasabi? Do I want to know?) stuck to it (see picture). *shudders* Last but not least, the tea was lukewarm at best.
While my less-​than-​enjoyable experience might be an outlier (I probably came on an off day, plus they were an hour away from closing), I felt that too many things went wrong in one visit for it to be just a one off problem. *still shuddering at the thought of the dirty saucer*

Great place! By the way, some have mentioned Chinatown — the Panama Hotel Tea & Coffee House is in Japantown. Historically, and presently, it makes a difference. The area is rich with history which I won’t go into too deeply here.
I’m unlucky with parking here so I tend to walk from my office. I come here when I want a beautifully prepared cup of tea. I’ve never had the coffee here and I have been known to eat sweets. I prefer white tea, iced in warmer months, preferably with fruity tones. I’m not a big green tea fan but I’ve been known to have that from time to time. As others have mentioned, they have green tea lattes (which I’m not a big fan of) but I think they do a good job with it. My taste buds simply lean in a different direction.
A friend and I were in recently, am I’m not exactly sure how I missed the mochi before but I did. In general, I don’t eat mochi much in Seattle because my brother has spoiled me forever. Basically, other mochi doesn’t compare. The mochi here is good and a bit spendy for their size. I have no complaints — good texture, color, and flavor.
I think I stay away from this place because it’s «too nice.» It really is a beautiful space — everything from the chairs, to the walls, to the art. I’m just not a tea house kinda gal I guess but if I was… I’d be here!