The Violet Crown Wine Bar & Coffee Shop — Restaurant in Austin

I was really looking forward to visiting this cute spot, but unfortunately, my experience left much to be desired due to how I was treated. I brought my service dog with me, and since the sign on the door specifically says no pets allowed except for service animals, I assumed it was fine.

When the barista/owner (a taller gentleman with curly hair and black glasses) approached me, he chose to address the issue in front of an audience rather than speaking to me privately. He informed me that the sign was a mistake and no animals—service animals included—are allowed. He asked if it was my first time there, and when I said yes, he responded, “Since it’s your first time, we can allow it, but if you come back, you can’t bring them.” I politely said I understood and appreciated the clarification. However, he went on to add, “And keep your dog away from everyone else,” even though my service dog was quietly lying under the table, minding his own business.

When I went to order a drink later, he was cold and dismissive, which further soured the experience.

While this place has a lot of potential with its charming atmosphere, how you treat customers is what keeps them coming back. I can’t say I’d recommend this spot based on the service alone. Respect and kindness go a long way, and unfortunately, that was lacking during my visit. I’ll try again without my service animal and other guests in hopes that this was just an off day...

Update to 5*:

Went back and the staff continues to be awesome and genuinely thoughtful. The coffee went from okay to good, the cortado was an 8 out of 10 in terms of taste and texture. They still don't quite know how to do latte art, but coffee itself tasted good. Speaking of the coffee, they also use Cat and Cloud coffee beans which I would say is one of (if not the) best roastery in the US.

I would still love to see a wider selection of pastries and food, but the cheese board and bread service were a lot of fun to pick on with our drinks.

• Previous Review*

I'm 100% confident I'll be changing this review to 5 stars in the future because the staff was awesome and they seem to genuinely care about the experience!

Having said that, there are a few things keeping me short from giving this place a 5:

1. The coffee is okay, but not great. I'm pretty picky about my coffee and the milk in the cortado I ordered just wasn't steamed properly. The crema and foam were just frothy and dissipated very quickly.
2. The selection of pastries and food options in the morning/brunch time is very limited.

The atmosphere and the service were both awesome. I'll definitely be coming back and hoping for it to evolve into better coffee and...

I am surprised that I don't see this fantastic place mentioned more often in the Austin coffee circuit. This cozy yet fancy little place serves wine and coffee, and does a really great job at both!

Service was great and everyone was really friendly! I would say that the decor and overall look and aesthetic of the place is really the big draw for me. I've been coming here Saturday mornings after working out to grab some coffee, and the vibe is really unmatched.

They have a very unique drink selection, and rotate a large amount of seasonal offerings too. Today, I had an iced pistachio cardamom matcha latte (I put a picture with this review), and it was HEAVEN! However, my #1 recommendation is to get a cortado with their house blend. They do this thing where they mix wine somewhere in the process for their house blend, and the result is amazing! The mix of coffee and wine taste that results is like nothing I've ever had!

Really really great place that I would highly recommend. And make sure to come often because they're always coming up with cool new...