Cardoon — Restaurant in Seattle

I was delighted and thrilled to find a brand new (opened three weeks ago and still in soft opening) cafe in Ballard right next to Solidcore on NW Market Street. I've already been back twice in a row and will continue to be a loyal patron! We got to meet two of the owners, Tiffany and Alex, and they are really nice! The menu has a fusion of Scandinavian and Asian influences, and they make some very unusual, unique and delicious specialty coffees! My husband and I always enjoy speaking with owners, and especially appreciate when the owners are often present at their establishment, because it shows they care about the experience their patrons have. Their rose cardamom cookie is something dreams are made of - it transported me directly to India with each bite. I can't wait to come back and try every coffee creation on their menu.

The space is beautiful and minimalist with a Scandinavian design and beautiful blue and white tiles. As soon as you walk in, the vibe reminds me of a cafe in Europe. They're not pretentious, which I really appreciate (because many cafes in Ballard are unfortunately this way). They previously ran the coffee shop in the Nordic Museum, so they're not new to the area, but this is their first actual standalone location! Welcome, Cardoon! We hope you stay...

March 2024 edit: Soft opening at their gorgeous new location (next to Solidcore) as of March 16, 2024. Happy to see my fave the seaweed latte back on the menu and some delicious new treats, including NA cocktails!

Super excited about this spot! Great drinks including local roaster Kuma and they had Tim Wendelboe when we visited. Sounds like they plan to feature coffees from other Nordic countries in the future as well.

The food menu was small but delicious! We loved both the lava caramel chocolate chip cookie and the hot chocolate! Don’t be scared off by the black licorice, it just lends some saltiness to the sweet nature of the desserts.

Can’t wait to see what they come up with next and such a welcome addition to the neighborhood! Great complement to the Nordic Museum but it’s open to regular folks as well. The space is beautiful with great light and seems like a fun place to catch up with a friend...

My friend and I came here for breakfast on a Sunday and had the most wonderful time! The baristas were so sweet and everything was delicious. I had the sea weed latte, tomato “egg” rice, and strueselkuchen. My friend got the Shanghai fog and bratwurst & brot. I loved the curry-like flavors and the texture of the bean curd in the tomato rice. The struesel was also to die for. A perfect blend of sweet, sour, and a little salty. And it was so moist on the inside but crumbly on top. The Shanghai fog was nice but not really my thing, it’s definitely a more subtle flavor. I’ll be thinking about the sea weed latte for weeks though. It has such a nice caramelized umami flavor. The bench and bar seating is cozy; I wish there were tables but the place is just too small for them. The only downside is that they didn’t have soy milk (they did have oat milk). Not sure if they were just out of it or if they...