Cloud City Coffee — Restaurant in Seattle

tl;dr - overpriced, stuck in 2020

had heard good things about this coffee shop and I’m new to the neighborhood so I came to check it out, after seeing tasty hot sandwiches on the menu and google maps.

I show up and it feels like I stepped back in time to winter 2020. It’s an unseasonably cool summer day in the 50s. Tents and seating set up outside, entrance/exit only signs and ropes set up to direct traffic accordingly, with no seating indoors.

Oh well, I’m still excited for a sandwich and espresso. I buy an italian and a cortado, it comes out to $20. I know things are pricey these days but that seemed excessive But for a good lunch it’s worth it, and it comes with a side! My sandwich shows up immediately, so I’m confused. Turns out it’s a cold sandwich. Cellophane wrapped and tossed in a bag.

The wait for the coffee was a decent bit longer. Someone before me had to have his drink remade twice. It finally shows so I take my lunch to eat in the cold on a wobbly table out front.

My cortado is pretty solid! No real complaints. A bit darker roast than I go for but that’s a preference thing.

The sandwich tastes like you’d expect, out of the cold case from somewhere like Ken’s Market. The kale slaw is pretty decent.

Overall, I’m left wanting more. Save your money and grab a sandwich from PCC for a deli experience. If you want a good sandwich there are better options...

This place is awesome. Aside from the name tractor-beaming me in right off the bat, (It was the first coffee places I went to when I first came to Seattle four years ago) I have come back sporadically to experience the cloud city coffee phenomenon and it never disappoints. With delightful fall specials such as the Maple Leaf Latte, or a Vegan pumpkin muffin, (both on point) you can't help but fall slightly in love. There are people working dutifully on their laptops or planners, floating vigorously in this city in the clouds. Surrounded by a fairly small but open room, you feel cozy but not crammed. With the slight feeling you are in the story time reading area in a children's library, you still feel like an adult because you are here for more important matters! The staff is super friendly and efficient. With only a few of them working, they can handle the long line very effectively, without sacrificing charm. So whether it be on a rainy winter afternoon, or a sunny but brisk fall morning, or anything in between or outside the boundaries set by those two examples, cloud city coffee is a must-experience haven for good coffee, food, and environment. (equipped with an outside seating area as well, that even has a tent to shade you from the glaring gaze of the sun, or shelter you from one of those persistent trudging...

I have mixed feelings about this shop; I always come here when I'm in the area as it feels cozy and the outdoor seating area is wonderful. The food is quite good and reasonably priced for the area, and the semi-open kitchen is nice.

The barista at the register is usually very kind and friendly, but the barista on bar tends to only talk to regulars and doesn't acknowledge non-regulars waiting for their drinks outside of announcing their order.

When I come here, I usually order a latte iced and with sweetener added, because the steamed milks are really frothy rather than smooth in terms of microfoam, and the espresso shots are...intense. (My typical order elsewhere is a 12/16 ounce hemp latte with a tiny splash of vanilla - I love the taste of clean, well pulled shots of espresso.)

(Disclaimer: I have exceptionally high standards as a business owner, former lead craft coffee barista trainer and Air Force vet, and place tremendous value on 1) how I observe and experience customers being treated and 2) as the quality of food and drink preparation and presentation. I'm an extraordinarily observant, critical and honest reviewer, as one of my jobs was to visit shops using my roaster's espresso and retrain their baristas on etiquette and how to create consistent excellent speciality...