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Philadelphia’s coffee scene is hot (and cold)!
Cafes roast their own signature beans, baristas specialize in perfectly engineered espressos, and coffeehouses use specialized equipment and methods to brew amazing coffees.
Coffee fans in Philadelphia have plentiful options for delicious brews, including Australian flat whites and carefully made cold brews.
Check out a few of our favorite coffee shops and espresso bars in the city, below.
This popular East Passyunk cafe is a neighborhood go-to featuring local favorites including coffee from La Colombe and a variety of homemade pastries. Vegetarians and vegans will find plenty of delicious options here for breakfast, lunch or an afternoon snack.
Where: Black N Brew, 1523 E. Passyunk Avenue
This Aussie coffeehouse has a street-level cafe in The Warwick Hotel in Rittenhouse Square, and another shop near City Hall. Melbourne roaster Niccolo beans are brewed into specialty drinks, and the light menu of daytime eats includes an avocado smash toast, lemon ricotta pancakes and more.
Where: Bluestone Lane, 1701 Locust Street
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Bluestone Lane, 1 S. Penn Square
The eco-friendly reclaimed wood paneling and cool marble countertops are only a backdrop for the main event at Elixr Coffee: the superb Synesso Hydra-brewed espresso.
Where: Elixr Coffee Roasters, 207 S. Sydenham Street
Elixr Coffee Roasters, 3675 Market Street
Fair trade and certified organic coffee is the foundation at all three Center City locations of Good Karma Café. At the cafe, guests find coffees made with rich flavors like dark chocolate, malts and mild spices.
Where: Good Karma Café, 2319 Walnut Street
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Good Karma Café, 928 Pine Street
Good Karma Café, 331 S. 22nd Street
Espresso the way Italians intended it thrives at Gran Caffe L’Aquila, where the beans are roasted by Michele Morelli, an Italian coffee celebrity. For an added bonus, the menu features gelato, pasta, sandwiches and house-baked pastries.
Where: Gran Caffe L'Aquila, 1716 Chestnut Street
With an emphasis on coffee and community, Green Line Cafe serves its patrons not just fair-trade coffee and healthy fare, but also a friendly space to enjoy performances by Philly’s improv artists. Bonus: Green Line has seven locations throughout the city for coffee-lovers to check out.
Where: Various locations including Green Line Cafe, 4239 Baltimore Avenue
The tiny Spruce Street shop that Greenstreet Coffee Roasters inhabits is emblematic of its ethos: small and sustainable. The single-origin, responsibly sourced coffees are roasted in the company’s South Philly headquarters.
Where: Greenstreet Roasters, 1101 Spruce Street
Herman’s calls South Philly’s quiet Pennsport neighborhood home. The small-batch roastery and coffee shop — which Food & Wine named as one of the best coffee shops in America in 2019 — uses the bays of a former auto repair shop to create an open-concept space that spills onto the sidewalk. Herman’s coffee is also available at restaurants around the city and surrounding area, including Martha in Kensington and Chaddsford Winery in Chester County.
Where: Herman's Coffee, 1313 S. 3rd Street
Its espressos have been given top ratings, and the two Mt. Airy locations of High Point Café boast a mean menu of pastries of the same quality. Bonus: The coffees served up at the cafe are ethically sourced and locally roasted.
Where: High Point Café, 602 Carpenter Lane
High Point Café, 7210 Cresheim Road
Inarguably the originator of Philly’s first wave of coffee, La Colombe remains the go-to spot for rich Italian-style espressos and excellent macchiatos, and restaurants and eateries around the city pour the beloved blends. Head to La Colombe’s gorgeous Fishtown headquarters or one of its four other cafes around the city and countryside for light bites to go with your perfect cup of coffee, including lattes on tap.
Where: La Colombe, Various locations including 1335 Frankford Avenue
Neighbors of Menagerie Coffee in Old City come for the full espresso bar, hand-poured brew from Dogwood Coffee and locally sourced small eats. The shop’s outpost at The Bourse Food Hall offers coffee, pastries and breakfast sandwiches seven days a week.
Where: Menagerie Coffee, 18 S. 3rd Street
Menagerie Coffee, 111 S. Independence Mall East
This Brewerytown cafe partners with local roasters like ReAnimator and Square One to serve fresh coffee alongside muffins, pastries and other sweet and savory snacks. The nonprofit shop also serves as a job and life skills program for local youth who’ve aged out of the foster care system.
Where: The Monkey & The Elephant, 2831 W. Girard Avenue
With three high-traffic locations — one in Old City, plus two booths in Reading Terminal Market — Old City Coffee has produced fresh, tiny batches of high-grade Arabica coffee since 1985.
Where: Old City Coffee, 221 Church Street
Old City Coffee, 51 N. 12th Street
Built from reclaimed wood and tile, Northern Liberties’ expansive One Shot Coffee serves up Stumptown’s direct-trade coffee, brunch favorites and seasonal organic fare.
Where: One Shot Cafe, 217 W. George Street
A Chinatown institution serving Hario siphon brews long before it was trendy, Ray’s Café & Tea House pairs its wide selection of international coffees (Jamaican, Japanese, Ethiopian) with snacks like dumplings, noodles, fried rice and more.
Where: Ray's Cafe & Tea House, 141 N. 9th Street
A roaster with national recognition, ReAnimator Coffee serves its own beans in espresso drinks and pour-overs at sleekly minimalist cafes in Fishtown, Kensington and West Philadelphia.
Where: ReAnimator Coffee, 1523 E. Susquehanna Avenue
ReAnimator Coffee, 310 Master Street
ReAnimator Coffee, 4705 Pine Street
What happens when a chef and a coffee roaster (lifelong friends) join forces for the good of espresso drinkers? Rival Bros. is what — a full-service cafe with all the classic espresso drinks, plus The Derringer, a riff on the cortado that’s made with a bit more milk and the house single-origin espresso. Don’t miss out on the nitro coffee — cold-brew coffee that’s pressurized with nitrogen and served on tap to create a creamy, almost Guinness-like pour.
Where: Rival Bros., 2400 Lombard Street
Rival Bros., 1528 Spruce Street
Rival Bros., 1100 Tasker Street
Saxbys Coffee, a locally based cafe with more than a dozen locations in the Philadelphia region, takes special pride in its cold brew iced coffee. The smooth, sweet, rich drink is made by a method that involves steeping ground coffee in cold filtered water, which slowly coaxes flavor from the beans.
Where: Saxbys Coffee, Various locations including 2000 Walnut Street
Queen Village’s Shot Tower Coffee turns out impeccable espressos and coffees with Counter Culture Coffee. The shop also regularly hosts live storytelling events for guests.
Where: Shot Tower Coffee, 542 Christian Street
A Lancaster-based micro-roaster with a farmer-centric approach, Square One Coffee caters to downtown workers and residents with a Center City location on 13th Street. Small-batch coffees from Ethiopia, Colombia, Ecuador and beyond complement local dairy products, loose leaf teas and locally sourced pastries.
Where: Square One Coffee, 249 S. 13th Street
Ultimo’s espresso was rated best in the city by The Philadelphia Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan and best in the country by The Daily Meal, and rightfully so. Counter Culture Coffee, perfectly ground and brewed to order, thrills even the most serious coffee lover.
Where: Ultimo Coffee, 238 S. 20th Street
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Ultimo Coffee, 5901 Wayne Avenue
Ultimo Coffee, 2149 Catharine Street
Ultimo Coffee, 1900 S. 15th Street
This Germantown coffee shop and community space is named for the uncle of Philadelphia native and national news commentator Marc Lamont Hill. La Colombe coffee, sandwiches and soups are on the menu, which is available for cafe service and during events like children’s story time, Friday night movie screenings, book discussions and more.
Where: Uncle Bobbie's Coffee & Books, 5445 Germantown Avenue
James Beard Award-winning chef Greg Vernick’s coffee bar is more than a cafe. The full-service 40-seat spot in the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center offers breakfast, lunch and snack options, as well as in-house baked goods and pastries.
Where: Vernick Coffee Bar, 1800 Arch Street
Guests can enjoy a variety of delicious drinks at W/N W/N Coffee Bar. In addition to Elixr-roasted coffees, the cafe and bar serves chai lattes, teas and house made sodas.
Where: W/N W/N Coffee Bar, 931 Spring Garden Street
The Visit Philly Overnight Package — booked more than 190,000 times since 2001 — comes with free hotel parking (worth up to $100 in Center City Philadelphia), overnight hotel accommodations and choose-your-own-adventure perks.
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