Espresso Vivace South Lake Union

Hands down the best espresso I’ve had in Seattle. They never fail to add an artistic flare with their espresso art. Ambiance is also great, making it a fine place to work or study, only thing is they have a limited food selection and close quite early (3pm). But if you’re looking for a fantastic cup of coffee, this is the spot!

Nice venue. Fast and friendly baristas making exquisite coffee. The Cafe Nico Latte is delicious. A nice variety of seating options indoors and outdoors.

My favorite spot in the neighborhood! I've been here quite a few times at this point and the lattes are consistently great. The baristas are nice, there's plenty of seating, and the cozy ambiance is such a nice reprieve from the whole minimalist industrial feel most cafes nowadays have. They're always playing good music, too.

Got a Cafe Latte to go, smooth and balanced coffee. Non dairy alternatives, indoor and outdoor seating are available. From positive reviews, bought a bag each of Dolce and Vita whole beans.

One of my favorite cortados, I have ever had. Everything about it was correct. Temperature. Espresso pour. Ratios. 😌 Well done. ☕️ Then we also tried a cafe Nico—which is a cortado with orange essence and I believe cinnamon! 😍🍊☕️ These are absolutely delicious! 😋 I wish I could enjoy one of those daily! Baristas were knowledgeable about coffee, espresso, proper technique—also friendly and welcoming 😁👏 We took beans back home to Arizona 🌵 with us 🫶 We will return, when we are in Seattle 🌊

Cafe Vivace used to be such a defining institution in the coffee industry for high consistent qualities. My eyes almost popped out when I saw my Cafe Nico as pictured. I regretted recommending it to my friends.

Went there in the morning to grab some coffee for myself and some friends, and their coffee is really delicious. We got the iced white velvet and hot lattes which had beautiful latte art done on them. I got to try both the iced and hot drinks options that we purchased and both were great. I definitely recommend the spot, but I do think that it can be pretty pricey as we paid almost $20 for 3 coffees. I can't really speak for the interior as we took our coffee to go.

The perfect traditional Italian cappuccino, a rare find, indeed. Try one of their specialities, and you won't be disappointed.

We got 2 lattes and a coffee cake. Pros: - Pleasant ambience - Friendly, attentive baristas - Very decent coffee - The coffee cake they had this morning (Aug 5'23) was incredibly delicious. So delicious that we got another piece and I devoured it on the way home. P.S. I make everything from scratch and am extremely picky when it comes to food. The coffee cake was by Makrina Bakery. - I appreciated that they first make the coffee and set out each immediately after it is made, then they take care of the charge. Too often in other coffee places customers are charged first, then coffee is made and only called when the entire order is made. By then coffee is too cold to enjoy. Cons: None so far. Thank you. I will be back!

My friend and I stopped by for the first coffee of the day thus past Thursday morning. Since the name "espresso" is in the name of the cafe, I decided to go for an espresso (3.25) and the barista also recommended it. Overall, I thought the espresso was a 3/5. I liked that they gave me some sparkling water for cleanser and a little spoon to enjoy the espresso with. While it wasn't overwhelmingly bitter, it was still pretty acidic and was on the roast was on the darker side. Also, I might have consumed my espresso too quickly. The service was good and helpful, so I'll bump the review to a 4/5. I wouldn't come back for an espresso, but I may stop by for other drinks if I'm in the area.

Ambiance: SPECTACULAR. Coffee: just ok, but maybe I ordered the wrong thing. I came here to do some work on a rainy weekday, and there weren't too many people inside. I absolutely love the atmosphere here as it's the perfect spot to read, study, do work, etc. There are plenty of windows and outlets, and they even have a closed room where it's a lot more quiet. I chose to sit there, and it was lovely. Onto the coffee - I got the iced white velvet latte, which I had heard so many recommendations about. To me, I thought it wasn't quite what I was looking for. The espresso flavor wasn't strong which is something that I love, and the white velvet flavor just tasted milky without much else. I also tried some of my friend's hot white velvet and felt the same. It was just too much milk. Maybe I'll have to try it again with a milk alternative but for almost $7 for a coffee it's already quite a lot.

Drinks were pretty good and the bakery was tasty. Had croissants and a chai and latte respectively. Service was efficient and friendly. They made great recommendations. Ambiance is nice. Lots of space to sit down and spread out with natural lighting if you want to linger. There's outside tables if your pup is with you. Not clear on if dogs are allowed inside.

This place was on my bucket list since weeks and thought maybe I should give it a try. Ambience (3.5/5) - Looks good for working from cafe! Have cozy vibes Coffee (1/5) - After reading so much and the hyped around café Nico, I had to try. Oh boy, the regrets! I could only taste the syrup (Orange and vanilla), like was there coffee at all? It was like i am drinking simple syrups that too first think in the morning when i needed the coffee hit) Service (5/5) - However, the service was great, very helpful and very friendly!! I was curious, on which grind size setting they grind the coffee beans and to help with that they gave me the sample of ground coffee.

The perfect morning pick me up on a drizzly day. Drinks were a little on the sweet side so I'd recommend doing half the syrup/flavor. I also had the fluffiest blueberry scone ever, highly recommend. There's also plenty of indoor seating, a nice place to work or study.

Based on the reviews, I needed to try out the highly praised caffe Nico, and it was worth it! My barista was friendly and timely, The caffe Nico was a little cup of coffee heaven. Lightly sweet, citrus scented, perfect non-scalding temp, creamy foam, lovely design. A great way to start the day. You'll be glad you did...

Long lines but worth it! Great tasting drinks and love the presentation! Went with two friends and we all loved our drinks! Highly recommend this place!

Being that Seattle's viewed as a coffee Mecca of sorts, it's not hard to find a solid cup of artisan Joe within a 5 block radius. If anything, to open shop and be able to stick around for awhile, you kind of have to be relatively good at it. That's the thing about Espresso Vivace - they just hit that acceptable mark. Their coffee isn't bad, but it's not anything to write home about or even arguably, one of the better cafes in the city in regards to taste and coffee art. Also, as an adult caffeine consumer, the fact that their sizing caps off at 12 oz isn't doing them or customers any favors. The service and ambience are equally fine, but once again nothing exceptional. Saw some reviews talking about the coffee cake being something serious. Although I haven't tried it, my intuition tells me the baked goods will also fall somewhere in the "A-ok" margin and let's be real, a coffee shop should be judged for their in-house drinks not their externally sourced food options. At best, I would say this cafe's an acceptable choice if you have business nearby for convenience sake, but it's not worth going out of your way to visit and certainly shouldn't be a spot jot down on your "coffee bucket list" if you're into that type of thing.

We had time to kill and it was chilly out so we walked in and ordered coffee. The girl was so sweet and prepared our coffee with a smile. Coffee was delicious we ordered regular coffee, as we like to taste the coffee and not all sorts of syrups etc. well done! Very nice place to unwind and relax.

As we were walking into REI across the street, the most amazing smell of coffee wafted into the air. We decided to pop in after our shopping and I'm so glad we did. The caffe caramel is so sweet and delicious. I love extra sweet coffee, so when the barista said the caramel used is the same thing they use for caramel apples, I was convinced. The other barista did some beautiful foam art. Friendly staff, chill music, nice ambiance with lots of open space. I will definitely be back. If you're in Seattle or just shopping at nearby businesses, make sure to stop in for some of the best coffee I've ever had!

This is such a hole in the wall. I love the retro vibes and all the indoor plants around the cafe. The plants are for sale if you like them! Espresso vivace only espresso based drinks. I got an americano and a cafe nico. Both drinks were great but the cafe nico blew me away! I've never had a drink like this before. It's a 4-oz double shot espresso with steamed half and half (I replaced this with oat milk), orange and vanilla syrups, cinnamon, and topped with a real orange peel. The orange flavor was not too overpowering and gave a nice refreshing tangy flavor to the drink. It is so unique and the orange flavors really compliment the espresso. I never would have thought that this would be a good combination. I wish I had more! The cafe nico is a must try!

Hands down the best coffee we had in Seattle. Tried a different place every time twice a day. First sip and we instantly knew. We were shook. The barista made the lattes perfect. I went back in to grab beans to bring home since we were just visiting. I bought 3 bags to share with my coffee loving friends and family as well. I was informed that the Vita beans are good for people who like milk In their coffee. The two customers in front of me told me to try the cafe Nico and I am so glad I tried it!!! They each ordered it as well in their hands. Almost Every customer I saw was buying beans before and after us. The cafe Nico, It's A small shot cup with a little milk in it and there's ground cinnamon and orange zest to it. Omg bbbaabbyyyy was I in heaven. No matter how good the beans are. The barista has to know what they are doing as well, and the barista killed it. I'm going to rave to everyone I know about this place!

Hole in a wall coffee shop~ Perfect place to stop by before or after visiting REI right down the street. Interior is pretty classic, american diner style, connected to an apartment unit next door. There seemed to be more local folks here than tourists. They offer various choices of espresso, lattes, and teas. We got the espresso ($2.75) and caffe nico ($4.00), both came with sparkling water on the side as pallet cleansers. Espresso was earthy, but not bitter at all. Loved the rich flavor. Caffe Nico was a very unique latte, had flavors of vanilla and cinnamon with hints of orange flavor from the orange peel, one of the best espresso drinks I've tried. Service is very friendly and love the quiet atmosphere~ Def a great place to read a book or study. Highly recommend checking this place out for any coffee lover.

Mocha: mid palate, lingering notes of almond thin sauce to enrich the mocha experience Vanilla latte : rear palate with outstanding foam, not too sweet, well balanced overall Fruit coffee cake: bangin

16 years ago, I lived a block from Vivace and would stop by all the time because they had THE. BEST. ESPRESSO. IN. TOWN. Out of town friends would visit, and say "We're in Seattle, take us to the best coffee in town!!" And off we'd go... 1 block down from my apartment. Lattes, Cappuccino's, Americanos, or just a nice espresso. They always delivered. Then, well... Life happens. I moved away. Out of town, out of state. You know the story: I met a girl, settled down, got married. Two kids. Bought a lawnmower. And then 16 years later, we decided our family needed a big change. It was the COVID era.. Everyone was reevaluating, everyone was having an identity crisis. Big career changes, huge life altering moves were all the rage. So... We moved back to the PNW. And it was on a recent weekend where I was walking though my old neighborhood, showing my kids where daddy used to live... And there was Vivace. An old friend. Beckoning me to come in. I'd already had plenty of coffee that morning but... What's another coffee between old friends? I time traveled back to being 23 again... Nothing had changed. Same decor. Same ambiance. Even the same barista. But most importantly, ordering my coffee - I took one sip and was instantly taken back to a time when saying you lived in South Lake Union made people ask "Why?" When there were abandoned buildings and torn up roads, a gritty heavy metal bar. And Vivace. That one sip was a reminder - of why Vivace was so good, and how I had been drinking boring coffee for the last 16 years. 5 stars.

Ordered an iced latte and it was to die for! Not too sweet and went great with my pastry. Service was also outstanding!

I really dig this spot. No matter the time of day or season, it just gives off this really cool throwback early to mid-century art deco vibe, ya know? Oh, the retro feels. The inverted frosted glass cone ceiling lights, thick framed hand clock, antique mural, rock 'n roll diner furniture, the super neat classical cafe timeline artwork along the counter, and the other stuff... ahh. The drinks are pretty good here. With an Oatly stock on the reg and great medium-dark(?) roasts on the espresso bar, I usually rock a decaf oat latte with all the spices behind (cinnamon, nutmeg and/or lots of ginger). Mmm. Oh yeah. Pastry/snack selection is ok, not great with vegan options. The staff is chill, smooth & friendly. Not in a rush? Pull up to a chair outside and stare off in the distance across the street at the mini forest outside the REI flagship store.

I'm not sure why this coffee is considered so good, mine tasted like it came from an automatic coffee machine. I was really disappointed

Excellent coffee, immaculate vibes :) Can't really go wrong with this spot!

Came here after spending 2 hours in REI and it was a good place to recharge after shopping. The place is nicely decorated and has a brown green color scheme. The mocha was good and was sweet. Only negative is that the place was a little too loud.

This is one of my favorite coffee spots in Seattle. The staff always has great recommendations and listen to your requests to make you a drink you love. My favorite lately has been an Iced Caffe Caramel with Oat Milk. Definitely try a biscotti from the case at your next visit as well.

We just had espresso. Not to our taste but overall it was a good coffee shop. The staff was very caring and nice.

Looks like they got the message. Genuinely friendly service (that might be the biggest surprise). The many decaying fixtures have been mostly fixed, store looks cleaner, and perhaps most importantly, the brilliance in the cup that was once their hallmark, the artisan edge that was their calling card, has apparently returned! Oh, how I hope it's here to stay! How awesome is it that almost 30 years since they first blew my mind with a simple latte at their Broadway stand, I can be astounded once more by the level they take their product to. Get in here and get some before whatever put them on my S#!% list for almost two decades happens again. :) Seriously though: Good coffee. Recommended.

This was the first coffee shop I visited in Seattle. It was a very traditional, old style Italian vibe with jazz music playing in the background. I tried the cafe nico which is a 6 oz combination of espresso, vanilla, orange, cinnamon and other spices, it was truly excellent from the flavor to the texture. Highly recommend.

Fav fav coffee spot in the city! No trip to Seattle is ever complete without grabbing a cuppa here. It's always Cafe Nico for me. The best drink there ever is. I've also tried their cappuccino, flat white and latte. The cafe interior is also supercool. And, brownie points for all the indoor plants they have and sell.

We came here relatively late at night, when most other coffee shops were already closed. The barista that helped us was incredibly kind and when I mentioned that my birthday was the day before, they gave me a very generous discount - so sweet! I ordered a soy latte and my bf got an americano. Both were delicious!

Delicious cappuccino, chill retro vibe, and great service. Yelp requires more, but that's all there is to say! Get your coffee fix here. You won't regret it.

Great coffee shop with relaxing vibe. The cafe is spacious and it could be a great place to study, work or just simply chill out. The coffee has a bit of chocolate taste. The baristas were very friendly. There are outdoor seating. The bakery was okay but not special.

Ordered 12oz Oat Latte. The latte art was very delicate; the oat milk was unsweetened but had a strong yet pleasant oat flavor; the coffee was delicious. It was definitely not cheap tho - $5.50 after tax. Although compared to the other mediocre/below-average coffee shops in SLU, it was decently priced coffee.

If you can make it over here, it is almost inarguably the best coffee in Seattle. That's a strong statement in a town known for its coffee but I believe we'll earned. It's a 15 minute walk from central 'downtown' but absolutely worth it. This is one of the things I most look forward to when visiting Seattle once a every couple of months. The pastries are also excellent and good seating inside and in the quiet street. So happy these guys made it through Seattle's lock down and not surprising given the devoted following of customers.

Cute coffee place in SLU that opens on weekends! A lot of businesses in SLU don't open on weekends like how it is in Westlake. I am glad to have found this place for a quick coffee and they have great selections and cool ambiance. I got matcha milk tea.

The best coffee I've ever had and I am no coffee drinker. I've dabbled into coffee here and there. However, none tasted like this one. It had just the right amount of sweetness. It was bold but not overpowering. It was piping hot and all around good. They say Seattle has the best coffee and that is the ultimate truth.

I love going to coffee shops and getting work done... so much so that I spend $200+ a month on tea and tips. With Vivace, I do enjoy their tea, and the presentation of it. Although I won't ever return to this location due to customer service. I went in one day to get homework done and got kicked out 30 minutes early so they could start closing. I thought this was rude but I gave the benefit of the doubt and returned. This time to be kicked out 40 minutes early by a different employee. This horrible customer service must be a policy to occur multiple times by different employees. I take up a tiny corner of the room they close early, I wouldn't even mind if they cleaned and closed around me, but this isn't the case. Sad to say I won't be returning and I'll be taking my coffee funds to a respectable cafe that honors their hours of operation.

This has been on my wish list for awhile, and I finally made it to this side of town to try it out and I'm glad I did! I got a basic latte, and it was great! The baristas were super friendly and got the drinks out quickly. After I ordered they mentioned they make their own chocolate and caramel sauce, so I'll have to try that next time. The atmosphere is kinda retro which makes it unique from the typical modern coffee shop vibe. They have outside seating and a ton of space inside.

Some of the best cold brew I've had. Wife said her latte was one of the best she's ever had.

The Nico coffee was tasty and unique . Pastries are not much attractive, but I think people enjoy the beverages here. Ambiance was ok. If you have things to do, worth to get a coffee and work. Ambiance is old school but Overall I enjoyed the customer service and coffee.

I'm a huge fan of their cap hill locations, so I was hoping to find similar standards of great coffee here. Needless to say, it does not disappoint. Some of my favorite coffee in the city, and I'll be sure to return in the future next time I'm in this part of town. I got a 12oz latte, was extremely smooth. They offer ample outdoor seating, and plenty of dairy alternatives if needed.

The setup inside is great for flow. They had someone handling pastries and then the barista would take your order and make it immediately with another person handling the register. They seemed to be setup to do two of those lines at the same time, I thought this worked much better than the normal order and then wait for your name to be called. The coffee was good. I had a cappuccino, it wasn't the best I'd ever had, the espresso was on the milder side of things. Not my favorite, but still well above average.

A really nice and spacious cafe across from the REI in Seattle. Great for a quick espresso and pastry!

Came across this coffee shop while we were wandering in South Lake Union and we loved it. It's northern Italian style coffee! The staff there is very friendly and helpful. As we have been there for the first time the staff recommended to go with their most popular coffees. So my husband got their signature cafe nico and I got their iced white velvet. We both loved loved our coffees. The cafe nico had a wonderful flavor of cinnamon. We will definitely return and recommend to anyone who is a coffee enthusiast!!!

Ambiance is perfect for work, reading, hanging out, chatting, general cafe ! Service is good. Very drink oriented..not much in the east of food choices. Everything I have had here has been great. About 20% more than a comparable Starbucks same size drink. Fun staff!

Vivace is a pretty good coffee shop in SLU area. Kind of in a tight area across from REI and some new apartments etc. Located on ground floor of Alley 24 apartments, so look for that near a golf shop and Life Float. I do like the space here, good amount of tables, stools, ledges and they are open later at night if you need a spot to wait for someone or meet someone to make a shady deal off Craigslist. It does get pretty busy in the morning and weekend afternoons but they will open a second line on the other side of the counter to help with the crowd. Smart thinking Vivace! They do make a pretty mean latte so whichever flavor you get, it will most likely be pretty tasty. Only small gripe about that is I wish they made it a little hotter in temperature. Definitely warm to hot but not hot-hot or hot as hell. Good amount of pastries from their counter, a lot of sweet treats on top of the counter to pick & choose yourself as well. Staff has been pretty nice & friendly if you choose to chat. Pretty efficient to get your coffee drink made up as well. They do offer substitutes if you don't drink milk such as Almond Milk, Soy Milk and even Hemp Milk. Good coffee shop to come check out.

I have been going to vivace for over 20 years. It's the only place I have never wanted to sweeten my latte. David Schomer is a roasting genius, I have yet to find anywhere in the world that has better roasted beans. I live all the staff too. They are so friendly and knowledgeable always. Never less than a 5 star rating .

The barista was really nice and knowledgeable about the drinks when we asked for advice. I got a macchiato and I've forgotten what my boyfriend ordered. But they were both delicious. I'm not a coffee connoisseur yet, but the quality of their espressos are . Definitely worth a try! And don't be shy about asking for advice if you're also a coffee noob like me. :P

Classic Seattle coffee shop, complete with latte art and sea wolf pastries. Had a caffe caramel which was well crafted & not too sweet. Accompanied by a butter croissant which was good- light and flaky. Will be adding to the weekend coffee shop rotation...

Stopped by here while waiting for my husband to finish shopping at REI - went with a basic cafe latte. Service was quick and cordial, latte was sublime - honest to goodness perfection. Price is comparable to most coffee shops, would definitely recommend!

This place was our first stop into Seattle, and it WOW-ed our tastebuds. I had the hot apple cider with ginger and the flavor was quite deep with real flavors and my friend had the cafe nico. i dont remember all the details, but it was a citrus cappuccino with real orange zest and orange syrup? Nonetheless, the flavor was subtle and it was pleasantly sweet. Street parking was also plenty, but granted we came during the week, daytime. The actual space of the coffee shop was also super sweet with huge windows and lots of comfy spaces to study. If I lived here, I'd be here often and I don't even love coffee! Also, the baristas know what they're doing, but not all are snobs, which made the place more hospitable!

Ordered a London Fog yesterday at Espresso Vivace and it's the best one I've ever had!! The barista added cinnamon, vanilla, and an orange peel. Amazing!!!