Café Hagen Modern European Cafe — Restaurant in Seattle

I wish I could give this place a 3.5/5 because it's not a 3 but not really a 4 either. I'll also start by saying I didn't order any food, but the menu looked delicious. I ordered the coffee flight and a cardamom bun.

Let's start with the good: The vibes! The vibes are amazing. Plants everywhere. Lots of natural light. The music is a little loud and a little boppy for my taste, but that's personal preference. Lots of seating areas and free wifi with outlets along the walls. Great place to work.

Now to the things that could be worked on: The lattes. I didn't order any food, but I did get the latte flight to try their 4 specialty lattes: one with cardamom, one with rose, one lavender, and one berry. Only half were edible. The rose was very very sweet. Un-drinkably so. It also had a smell of fake rose rather than pure rose syrup or extract, which isn't hard to find or expensive. The berry coffee was entirely too sweet as well and honestly I couldn't take more than a sip. I guess it's what I expect of a berry latte because it tastes like a kid's candy. Like a fruit gusher or something. Fake flavor and mounds of sugar made two of the four beverages inedible. But the cardamom was delicious! Not sweet and quite flavorful. And the lavender was alright as well.

Another area that could use some work was the reception. The employees behind the counter, though they made eye contact, didn't smile or say welcome. The person checking us out at the register was also a bit cold. Not much smiling or greeting before we got to the ordering. You could say this is nitpicky, but I find it to be an important part of the coffee shop-going experience no matter where you are.

Some things that would make a great addition to Hagen: napkins not wrapped around silverware for people who need just a napkin glass cups for the water, because it's a nicer experience than plastic check-ins from the employees if people have been sitting for a while, maybe to offer water or napkins, etc.

Overall, I'd recommend Cafe Hagen to others while noting these caveats/issues, and I would come back to try something...

I have been by Hagen a few times, all in all the coffee and food are great. However, I have encountered a similar issue two of the times I visited.

The only time I tried the food here, I ordered an avocado toast with side of bacon. I had explained my allergens to the barista taking my order, and was assured an appropriate bread option would be used granted I cannot have sesame seeds, as well as no seasoning that the toast is normally topped with. I had to return the toast twice, as the first one was made on bread containing sesame in the crust, and after politely asking them to remake it and reminding of my allergy, I received the second toast with seasoning on top, containing sesame. Once the toast was remade for the third time, I received a drink voucher and an apology for the mishap(s).

My last visit, a few months ago, I had ordered an iced vanilla oatmilk latte. As always, I noted my severe allergies. I took the first sip after stepping out of the cafe, to realize either a whole or a nut milk was used. When coming back to ask that my drink be remade, I was assured I was wrong and that they had used oatmilk, but would remake the drink if I really wanted them to. Sorry, but my starting allergic reaction told me otherwise, and the drink did not taste of oatmilk whatsoever. I am thankful I barely had a sip, and my reaction did not progress past a slightly puffy throat and lips, as I am anaphylactic - and I had clarified this when placing my order.

I respect establishments not guaranteeing cross contamination, this is completely understandable. But to consciously and deliberately include the foods asked to have avoided, when they are clarified as an allergen and not just a preference in an order, and then being told you're wrong when you feel the familiar start of an allergic reaction, is disrespectful and belittling.

This could have just happened to me, but I would be mindful and cautious ordering here if you...

Saturday turned out to be a nice sunny day in Seattle. And a nice sunny day also draws the crowd out of their cabins. Cafe Hagen was so busy that the line was long and not moving. So I returned again on the Sunday next day. The cafe is very well designed, it's very welcoming. The pastry shelf/cabinet was small relative to the cafe size. The pastries all looked inviting. The good: Coffee was relatively good. Not the best. The Chai was nice flavor but drenched in sugar syrup. I would suggest if cafe owners want to serve chai, dont serve from a container. Find someone from Indian sub continent and they will show you all the different ways to make chai. So chai was thumbs down. Waffle breakfast- nice presentation and not bad.Actually quite good. I had asparagus pastry ( probably with goat cheese) and a raisin snail/ croissant. Both were simply wonderful. Minor note, I asked them to be warmed( not in a microwave) but the staff told me it is best without warmed. I couldnt have the pastry as the butter/fat in the beautifully layered pastry was hard. I took it home and heated it in a Panasonic toaster for just about 2 minutes and voila, it was the best pastry. So plus for the pastry and minus for the staff. Staff: They were very happy bunch, laughing and really having a good time. So plus there. The bad: Loud music and noisy, the very antithesis of a Nordic cafe. Plus the staff had to yell the customer's names so loudly when the food was ready that it simply shattered my ear drums. Would I come back, certainly on a quiet day and time of the day. And ask my pastries be warmed. Lastly, it's a nice cafe, nothing Nordic about it though!! ( I have been to Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Helsinki...it's missing few pastries from...