The coffee scene in 2018 has never been better: excellent local roasters, incredibly creative baristas, and beautiful spaces to sit and drink and think.
Here are my favorite coffee shops in Minneapolis:
Parallel: This room is so beautiful I want to live here. Hennepin Made (the lighting manufacturers) created this coffee shop in their building, so it’s a showcase for great design. The beans rotate, but they’ve been using VERVE out of California.
Northern Coffeeworks: Another beautiful room within walking distance of U.S. Bank Stadium and the Guthrie, Northern Coffeeworks rotates coffee between Intelligentsia, Sweet Bloom, and Ruby Roasters (from WI). Great classics, but also fun lattes with smoked sea salt or orange lavender.
Bachelor Farmer Coffee: The tile in here is totally Instagram famous, but the coffee might be even better. Bachelor Farmer has its own custom roast from Dogwood, and then they rotate the best beans from around the country. Right now it’s Parlor Coffee (from Brooklyn). Obviously, the food and pastries here are phenomenal, too.
UP Cafe: As the coffee shop for outstanding local roaster UP Roasters, this cafe uses the best expressions of the beans that UP creates. Nice sandwiches and baked goods, but really fantastic coffees, espressos, and lattes.
Urban Bean Coffee: Excellent coffee from Intelligentsia and Four Barrel, beautiful and perfect espresso preparations. Greg Martin’s team is trained in classically preparing your favorite coffees.
Spyhouse: Spyhouse roasts its own coffees, and they are exceptional. I visit the North Loop shop the most, as it’s nestled between some very cool Washington Avenue buildings, and they carry outstanding Black Walnut pastries.
Dogwood Coffee: Dogwood has three coffee shops (East Lake, Calhoun Square, and St. Paul), and Dogwood has always been one of my favorite local roasts. Beautiful quality and bright flavor. Same is true of their coffee shops.
Five Watt Coffee: Five Watt is one heck of a small-batch roaster. In fact, the wild creativity of their coffee sometimes conceals just how good their plain old coffee beans are. A cold-press drink with chicory, a latte with fennel bitters—these drinks are like going to a great cocktail bar, just with coffee.
Peace Coffee – Capella Tower: This is the best coffee shop in downtown Minneapolis (and no one else even comes close). Beautiful surroundings, the only Alpha Dominche Steampunk 2.1 brewer in Minnesota, and great espresso, too.
Penny’s Coffee: La Colombe beans from Philly, at one of the most Instagrammed coffee shops in town. Penny’s does great matcha lattes and activated charcoal. They also have lovely crepes and sandwiches.
Anelace Coffee: This is the best coffee shop in northeast Minneapolis. The room feels good, and they rotate beans, though you can often find Counter Culture Coffee (one of my favorites) here.
