Bellden Cafe — Restaurant in Bellevue

My partner and I have been going here for quite a while (about 3 years now), so I figured I'd leave my thoughts.

1. The food and coffee are all really good. Their drip is impressively delicious on its own. Satisfaction with the food rarely changes, except for the occasional visit where I get a breakfast sandwich and it looks like it was carelessly slapped together and just handed over. Other than that, even presentation is usually great, which I don't really ever expect a counter service cafe like this to pay attention to.

2. Despite my praises of the food, items on the menu (especially the food) are REALLY overpriced. $17 (excluding tip) for a single piece of toast with cream cheese and avocado on top. Like I said, delicious food but way pricier than it really needs to be. In all fairness, it's not like this cafe is unique in that aspect for the greater Seattle area, but some of the items really stand out.

3. Service is very hit or miss. In my experience, it's about 50/50 that you'll get a normal adequate experience OR you'll end up waiting an egregious amount of time for very little. I've had multiple instances where my order has been completely forgotten and wasn't prepped until I reminded them that I was waiting on something. It'd be nice if baristas would at least offer some type of courtesy on top of the wait like refilling my drip since all my drinks are now room temp after all that.

To clarify - I've never really had any issue with baristas being rude or disrespectful, they're pretty much always pleasant and attentive. Just a little show of concern over making customers wait would go a long way though. My service gripes almost purely come from wait time and how that's handled.

4. Atmosphere is nice, and I love all the plants and art. I agree with other reviews that it gets overly crowded very easily (what can you really do about that), but I do like being in this space whenever it's at a lull. However, regardless of how full or empty it is, I would not consider this a cozy, study/work-in type location. There are way better spaces in and around Bellevue for that type of thing.

F) Being completely honest, I'm about 2-3 bad service experiences away from deciding to stop coming here entirely. On the flipside, cheaper prices and shorter wait times would turn my once every 1-2 month visit into a near...

My wife was the one who shared this place with me, so I thought I would stop by and try their coffee. Bellden cafe is located on a street side, so unsure where parking would be located (I walked here), but I'm sure it's located somewhere on their site.

Upon entering, i was greeted warmly by all three baristas. It wasn't too busy (two rooms to the right were occupied but main area open). I like the aesthetics and it's quite quaint, has a Frenchy feel, not that I've been to France, but this is what I would have imagined based on movies.

I'm a big fan of cold brew and iced americano, so I asked which one they would prefer. They recommended the americano so I went with that. It's a solid choice. Not too strong, where it's overpowering, but not too light where you're drinking water. They have 12 and 16 oz options, but rather than upselling me just on the bigger one for cost, they asked if I like more coffee:water ratio and so I went with the 12 oz.

It might be because they're still new and trying to gain favor among their customer base, but they handed me a free salted caramel croissant they made. It was ok, but the gesture was more welcomed than the product itself.

One thing I asked was, "what differentiates this cafe vs others?" and they actually have a cool concept. Long story short, the owner, Claire, loves to partner and give back to the community so they partner with local charities, such as vision house, and have a "drink of the month" where the proceeds (not sure if it all or some) go to that charity. Pretty cool.

Overall, if you're looking for a cafe that offers a calm ambiance, great coffee, great friendly service, this is a great place to check out. It's also conducive to a have a casual meet up with a friend or date, so...

Bellden Cafe is a solid cafe when you're in a rush, need a quick bite, or just need a second to sit down and sip some coffee.

I appreciate that their food menu is both prepackaged, frozen, and fresh made food; like a mini restaurant or a sit-down diner vibe. I recommended the waffles and any crepe like items! I'm not too fond of their sandwiches, but that has nothing to do with them! Just a personal preference.

When it comes to coffee, this is where Bellden shines. Every time I get a coffee here, I get it for dine-in since it comes in a glass rather than plastic. The drinks taste so refreshing with their coffee, giving a satisfying tap/bite back in their flavor profile! Love this.

So, the food is great, the drinks are great, it's a nice sit-down spot, why the three star rating? I am down the middle due to a mixture of customers, location, and the tight space for tables. This place gets loud... Due to how compact everything is, it feels closturphobic and can cause sensory overload; especially for anyone with ADHD and so on. Bellevue is a tight city, but there are cafes with more quiet, open spaces in bellevue that you should seek out before coming here.

I recommend this place when it's a weekday afternoon or if you are in a pinch and need a decent priced...