Cafe Arta & Pub at Third Place — Restaurant in Seattle

I've been going to Cafe Arta consistently for about three years. The food, the service, the drinks--they are all excellent. They make you feel like family, and it is the reason I always return. I do not understand the negative reviews that consist of something like, "I was told I had to order food or I had to leave. How rude!"

The first thing to understand is that Cafe Arta is a separate business from Third Place Books. They are physically connected, so most people think they are one and the same business, but they are not. You might purchase a book at Third Place and think that entitles you to sit for hours at a table in the cafe while ordering nothing or perhaps just a small coffee. I can understand that impulse. Many coffee shops, even those connected to a bookstore, exist on the premise that you can come in, order a coffee, and sit for hours while reading.

However, Cafe Arta is not a coffee shop. It is a full-service restaurant. It serves meals to customers. It is expected, especially during busy hours, that people who come into the restaurant will order a meal. If you don't want to order a meal, there is a smaller space in the bookstore with smaller tables where you can order a coffee and read. But in the restaurant itself, it is expected that you will order a meal. This fact doesn't make Cafe Arta a bad place to go. It just means it's a business that can't afford to give up tables to someone who wants to come in and sit for a few hours at a table and read. When I want to eat a meal, I sit in the restaurant and eat. When I just want a coffee, I go to the smaller cafe area in the bookstore, and I sip my coffee and read.

But if I came into the restaurant, sat down at a table, pulled out a book, only ordered a $4.00 cup of coffee and told them I intended to sit there for an hour or two while reading, and they told me I needed to actually order a meal to stay in the restaurant, I wouldn't be offended. I'd say okay, then order food, or else leave and not complain. I simply cannot understand going to a RESTAURANT and getting upset when they ask you to order food in order to stay. The problem in that instance is not with the restaurant, but with the customer. Giving a negative review of a restaurant on that basis is not actually a review, it's a misunderstanding of the function of a restaurant and how restaurants...

I initially left a one-star review last year due to poor customer service. The owner, Edi, reached out to apologize, and I decided to give them another chance to support a local business. Over the past few months, my family became semi-regular customers, visiting once or twice a week for coffee and leaving generous tips, even for takeout orders.

Today, I decided to meet a friend there for coffee and arrived early with my 2-year-old daughter. While waiting, I took her to their play area. A staff member ( not the main woman/female server) approached me and, in an aggressive tone, said, “Can I get you something?” I explained that I was waiting for a friend and planned to order once they arrived. She then loudly informed me multiple times that I had to order something to use the play area, saying, “That’s how things work here.”

If this is the policy, it’s entirely reasonable, but there’s no signage at the play area to indicate it, and the way it was communicated felt unnecessarily rude and confrontational—especially in front of a young child.

I suggest the business implement clear signage and train staff to address customers with respect and professionalism. This kind of experience is disheartening, particularly when we’ve gone out of our way to support them in the past. Unfortunately, after two negative interactions, we’ve decided not to return.

Update:

Hi Arta Management,

Thank you for your response. I’d like to clarify a few things:

My family and I have been paying customers at your establishment on multiple occasions, and we’ve tipped generously in support of your business.

On the day in question, I did plan to order and was waiting for my friend to arrive before doing so. I wasn’t aware that simply sitting in the play area required an immediate purchase, as there is no clear signage to that effect.

My issue isn’t with the policy itself, which is completely understandable. The concern is the manner in which it was communicated. The interaction was unnecessarily aggressive and could have been handled with more professionalism.

I’ve shared my honest experience to help your team address these concerns and improve customer interactions in the future. Businesses thrive on respectful communication, and I hope this feedback is received in the constructive spirit it...

Great, cozy neighborhood cafe with a wood-clad gastropub downstairs that’s easy to miss if you’re only familiar with the bookstore/cafe level. The Mediterranean menu is full of fresh ingredients (the "meze" plates are a favorite), and the espresso is high-quality (Fidalgo) and on-par with the high-end coffee bars in the area. The microbrew selection is also pretty impressive—I haven’t seen as large a selection anywhere else in the neighborhood, and several handles rotate often.

The European couple that run the cafe and bar are very outgoing and really give the place an old-world, mom-and-pop feel. Some other reviewers have complained about the seating policy in the full-service/coffee-only areas, but it seemed reasonable and uncomplicated to me. I’ve always felt welcome and well taken care of. In general, the service is casual, but warm and attentive.

Other pub patrons mentioned that the pub has been a local haunt for decades. The craftsmanship and vibe of the space is pretty incredible (a placard and mural in the back explain the history of the spruce tree used for the wall panelling). There’s table seating and full-service dining for more intimate, private hang-outs and solo bookworms, or bar seating where patrons alternate between conversation and reading/writing. Several local authors are regulars there.

Overall, both the cafe and pub are two of my favorite spots in the neighborhood to grab a solo beer or coffee, or hang out with friends/family. Can’t...