Kaldi’s Coffee — Restaurant in Clayton

Kaldi's is the best coffee in St. Louis. I know they're not as small and niche as some coffee shops, but they've got their art down. My go-to is simply a 12 oz. Mocha with oat milk. With or without whipped cream depending on my mood. For food, I really like the black bean burrito or the egg and cheese bagel.

You will find at any Kaldi's, including DeMun, a very warm and welcoming atmosphere, friendly baristas, and top-tier handcrafted beverages.

Kaldi's baristas are trained to do latte art, and they put effort and care into crafting your beverage. This is in contrast to Starbucks that pumps out drinks as fast as possible to maximize revenue.

The DeMun location has seating inside and out, and you can't beat sitting outside on a nice day, which is right across from a park. It is a smaller cafe, so seating can sometimes be limited inside especially over the weekend. There are also limited AC outlets, so be sure your laptop is charged if you plan on doing a little work from here.

If DeMun is too crowded, you can always try their other locations on Skinker and in the Central West End. Both are very close.

The DeMun location's food selection is also strictly vegetarian, so if you are craving meat, you'll want to choose a different Kaldi's. They do have meat...

While it’s nice to visit the flagship Kaldi’s coffee I grew up with, I miss too many things about the way it was run before it was bought out and turned into a major corporation. The food was tastier, the menu was larger, no Pepsi-Cola products were available, and I knew every barista no matter the time of day. Now it’s got a fairly bougie atmosphere due to the attitude of the staff (none of whom are over thirty or unconventionally attractive), tiny, bland menu (which has been shaved down to the absolute bare bones), and chandeliers (which will always feel distinctly out of place inside a business which once prided itself on being a cozy, unpretentious spot to catch up with your Demun neighbors)....

I’ve been a fan of Kaldi’s for years. I used to go to the KC locations almost daily when I lived there and they were in business. They use the Firepot brand of chai, which is one of the best (along with Roasterie, a KC brand), imo. However, the chai latte I received had no flavor right out of the gate and the texture tasted watered down (even before the ice had melted). To add salt to the wound, it cost $7. If I hadn’t already tried two other places that were out of chai that day, I wouldn’t have purchased it. My policy is to never spend more than $6 on a latte including tip (especially considering you can make it at home using the same brand of chai mix and specialty milk for about $2 per 16...