Macrina Bakery & Cafe — Restaurant in Seattle

Poor café layout , customer service, and seating. Food was mediocre. As others have pointed out, the large space is not well-configured for maximum customer seating ,comfort. and ease of ordering. I was there shortly after opening on a weekend, I had to ask a counter staffer how the system works, there was no signage. I soon discovered that the only visible menu in the order line , closets to door on Roosevelt side, was posted high on top of a display case, and was a "regular" menu with small font . In other words, as a shorter person, I could not read it, and items displayed in the cases had no prices or ingredients listed. As someone who needs to avoid high-fat pastries, I chose a demi-baguette with my coffee drink. The staffer offered to toast it with butter & jam, and I declined butter and asked about the jam offering. Turned out the only jam is strawberry, which I am allergic to. Strawberry allergy is pretty common, a big enterprise like Macrina could offer alternatives. So I got a plain baguette, (for which toasting was not offered,) and expected it would be fresh bread. Big mistake, it was not fresh at all, was tough & chewy, hard even to break off a piece. It was served in a paper bag, not on a plate, although I was dining in.

The staffer also seemed surprised when I told her I could not manage to carry a very full coffee cup together with the baguette to my seat. Coffee was just average, and not very hot.

Seemed to be too many people using the space to study or work on their computers long after they had finished any food or beverage, further the shortage of seating.

There are much better places for coffee , snacks, and food in the...

Lovely bright airy space with lots of mixed seating. Prepare to share tour table as it is community seating. Lots of folks meeting to catch up or work on their laptops/ work meetups.

Good solid coffee with very poor latte art- doesn’t take away from the taste though. You line up to place your order at the counter- they take your order and then walk over to billing. Service for this portion was efficient and friendly. The baristas and waitress seem overworked and not as happy as the first counter staff. Takes a little away as it’s almost a lackluster, check off the order ( think mcdonalds) type of service.

They are known for their bread, pastries- stick to those and you wont be disappointed. That would be 5 stars for food. If you get any of their lunch or other menu items which are made to order- would put it at 2 stars for taste and likely not worth the money when you have so many other options nearby for good food. We tried a slice of cake- excellent, latte- excellent ( sans art), chicken pot pie- very buttery/ oily with mild flavors, verdura sandwich- lacked salt or any flavors, the olives on the side provided most of the flavor, bread was good but you can likely make something better at home.

Great place if you are meeting someone for coffee and a snack or want to work. Might get busy and tougher to find a spot during meal times or...

Update 2025: Still coming nearly every week and still enjoy it very much. Menu changes aren't always our favorites, and the downsizing of portions and options well...that's the world we live in. Still love the staff, the vibe, and tasty treats. Often wish the place were a little bit bigger, as during busy times there is literally nowhere to sit. Price of popularity!

Original review: We have been coming here weekly since this place opened over Summer 2023 for a date-brunch, and we just love it here. It is very popular, and while it is sad that items on the menu are often out when we get there, we always find something to enjoy regardless. My recommendation: always have two back-ups for whatever you want to order from the menu.

The staff is so friendly and helpful, and it's just such a pretty place to hang out. I also meet here with my American Sign Language social group weekly, and it is so welcoming for all of us there to sip coffee and chat....