Philadelphia

Top Coffee Hangouts and Espresso Bars in Philly to Get the Best Drip Java and Pour Over

October 21, 2020
Food & Drink
jason wolfe
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Yes! Philly is known for its cheesesteak, but there’s more to the city than meat and cheese. The metropolis is dripping with historic landmarks and of course, it’s a cool spot to grab a cup of coffee where they serve the best beans and charm this country has ever seen.

In Philly, Baristas specialize in perfectly made espressos, cafes roast their own signature beans, and coffee shops use specialized equipment and techniques to brew amazing coffees. Some joints offer a great space to work, others focus on serving innovative and carefully crafted cups, while others partner with local bakeries to provide the tastiest bites to enjoy along with your coffee.

That said, here are the city’s coziest coffee shops that double as places to relax and work.

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Elixr Coffee Roasters

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207 S Sydenham St, Philadelphia, PA 19102 elixrcoffee.com

Eco-friendly marble and wood café serving single-origin, espresso drinks, and hand-poured brews!

Baristas at Elixr Coffee Roasters have mastered the craft of latte art, which is what makes their already high-quality brews that much appealing. Tucked away on Sydenham Street, this coffee house is popular for serving lighter-roasted unique and exquisite offers. Among the favorites here include the Weekender Blend commonly termed as a darker brunch blend or the Lunar Lavender Seasonal Blend, made to be fruity, light, and taste like candy.

Don’t miss their Kyoto slow drip – a method that extracts more caffeine than your normal hot coffee and also produces more robust flavors thanks to its slow extraction process. While the entire process can take between three to twelve hours, the outcome is totally worth the wait.

In-house or through their website, you can get bags of beans from their BeeKeeper Espresso to roasts from different countries such as Ethiopia. The menu contains plenty of perfect pour-overs along with drip coffee and espresso drinks. You will also find typical beverages like mochas as well as unique offerings such as butterscotch peppercorn latte.

Ultimo Coffee

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2149 Catharine St, Philadelphia, PA 19146 ultimocoffee.com

Specialty espresso and java drinks await you at this industrious coffee house in Philly!

The expert baristas at Ultimo help make this city’s favorite coffee shop a standout. Here, Aaron and Elizabeth Ultimo are committed to brewing and serving only the best coffee with a focus on single-origin beans.

With a couple of locations in Philly, Ultimo has expanded to include their own lab and roaster. They serve blends from countries such as Ethiopia, Columbia, and Kenya with awesome pastries from Dottie’s Donuts, Four World, and Metropolitan Bakery. They offer options such as Americanos, macchiatos, chai lattes, and cortados. To pair, they have plenty of baked goods including polenta citrus cake, brown butter blondie, as well as a crust loaf cake.

If you have never tried a pour-over, this is the perfect place to do it. Every cup is carefully poured by hand to bloom the coffee, which helps extract only the best flavors from the grounds.

Apart from signature coffee, Ultimo also offers hot tea, chocolate, and house-made pastries as well.

Menagerie Coffee

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18 S 3rd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106 menageriecoffee.com

Enjoy artisanal java drinks and quick snacks in this brick-walled space with a homey vibe!

In the historic Old City, sits Menagerie Coffee Shop, a locally owned specialty coffee house. At first glance, the seating space might seem limited, but the spot opens up past the order counter, with plenty of long wooden benches and tables sitting along a hallway that leads to the bar stool-type chairs and high-top tables.

Such a setting provides a welcoming atmosphere to relax or even do some work. And what pairs better with a calming environment than something caffeinated to enjoy? They also have an espresso bar that serves innovative drinks made with Elixr Coffee and hand-poured brews from Dogwood Coffee. They also serve specialty drinks such as Liquid Luck, made with cereal milk and served with Lucky Charms on the spoon. Don’t forget to try their delicious, smooth cold brews or iced lattes, and order a breakfast sandwich with some sweet maple ham on your way home.

La Colombe Coffee Roasters

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1335 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125 lacolombe.com

Trendy coffee shop serving house-made artisanal coffee, snacks, and pastries in a sleek space!

When the talk about the coffee scene in Philly comes up, then you know La Colombe Coffee Roasters cannot miss out. Founded in 1994, this coffee house is among the popular local coffee roasters, delivering beans and draft lattes to coffee shops through the city and beyond. It’s the go-to spot for rich Italian-style espressos, excellent macchiatos, tasty cortado, and awesome cappuccino.

Head down to La Colombe’s huge Fishtown headquarters or one of its four other cafes around the city and enjoy on-tap options such as oat milk draft latte, nitro cold brew with lemon, or the black and tan selection.

Apart from coffee, they also offer tea and tisane in form of sachets, loose, and even Iced options. If you come in hungry, they have house-made snacks and pastries that you can enjoy your favorite cup of coffee.

Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books

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5445 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19144 unclebobbies.com

Popular spot that doubles as a coffee shop and a book haven!

If you’re looking for a perfect spot to enjoy unique coffee flavors over a book, then you should head down to Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee and Books shop. It’s a perfect spot for folks looking to browse bookshelves full of books authored by people of color, with a wide selection on offer – for kids, teens, and adults – that is inspiring.

While enjoying your favorite read, go ahead and order an espresso, drip coffee, specialty lattes, and lemonades. You can also try their potato pie and a few of their baked goods to enjoy along with your cup of coffee. If you’re still craving for something a little heavier, be sure to order their bagels, chips, vegan cookies and brownies from Crust Vegan Bakery or assortment croissants and danishes from Au Fournil.

Tea and hot chocolate are also available for folks who are not into coffee. They also hold free author talks, workshops, and other events, including interesting stories for kids. So, the experience will be worthwhile!

Herman's Coffee

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1313 S 3rd St, Philadelphia, PA 19147 hermanscoffee.com

Cozy café and roaster serving coffee and espresso, pastries, as well as espresso cocktails!

Make your way to this sleepy neighborhood of Pennsport for a great cup of coffee and plenty of awesome treats. Herman’s Coffee is a specialty grocery store known for serving only the best selection of specialty drinks. They have plenty of seating options including long tables inside and lawn chairs outside and customers say it’s a great place to relax, socialize, or get their work done.

So what’s on the menu? Plenty of drinks and treats. It features espresso drinks and pour-overs that can be paired with baked goods, which sets this coffee house apart from the rest of the food trucks in the area.

For something unique, be sure to check out their Pennsport Mucle, an iced mocktail with honey, ginger beer, and espresso. Also, don’t miss out on the espresso tonic – two awesome shots of espresso with Fever-Tree Tonic in rotating flavors. Basically, you can spend an entire weekend at Herman’s and you would still not get enough of this great coffee shop.

ReAnimator Coffee

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1523 E Susquehanna Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125 reanimatorpickup.com

Local micro coffee house serving unique brews in a snug, chic space!

If you’re in desperate need of a caffeine fix while in Philly, there is no better place to be than at ReAnimator Coffee. It’s actually a great name for a coffee shop. Here you will find a potent brew, powerful enough to give you that kick you need to push through the day.  All this is made from their Probat roaster and new light, an open industrial-chic coffee shop which makes this coffee shop among the most sought in the region.

Customers can come in and order single-origin drip coffee, iced drip coffee, espresso, cortado, macchiato, latte, and mocha. Carry along your appetite when you come here and enjoy delicious takes such as croissants, cheese Danish, pretzel shortbread cookie, and Dottie’s donuts.

They also sell bags of freshly roasted beans for folks who want to brew their own coffee at home. The staff here is friendly and makes the environment worthy of your time, and they set the bar high in the coffee world.

Philly is home to dozens of unique coffee houses to choose from. Whether you want something to carry along to your work or just step in and relax after work, they have something for everyone. So, which is your favorite coffee shop in Philly? Let us know in the comments!

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Trae Bodge

Trae Bodge is the shopping expert here at GiftYa. Trae helps people find the best deals and ideas on popular new items to purchase.

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