Lantern Coffee Bar and Lounge

So good! I am never disappointed in the coffee and the people that work there are as friendly as I’ve ever experienced. Great location as well.

The rosemary bagel was heaven. The café miel was tasty too but a four out of five. Great service and cool atmosphere!

Cute little coffee shop downtown. There is more seating downstairs. Seems like a busy hangout for local college students. Coffee was good and I’d recommend it if you’re in the neighborhood.

Great coffee and chai latte, and a very cool space with a variety of seat and table options, from single person couches and desks to tables (high and low) for several people or large groups.

Absolutely one of the best place in Grand Rapids! Atmosphere is peaceful and quiet, you can work, you can read a book or talk with friends… everyone is kind and espresso is really really good!

A nice variety of seating options. Limited drink selections. Nice atmosphere! Barista not too friendly. It is 1545 and the place is full, some loud talkers (missed their coffee house etiquette training) but mostly people working or quietly visiting/​collaborating.
Would like to see an Italian soda option and a little more welcome.

This place is awesome! Go here to try their Chai Latte or their Mocha. They are simple, not overly sweet, and make you feel at home. It’s definately walkable distance wise if you live downtown like I do… and worth it. They are also open Sunday’s until 10pm which is nice as other downtown coffee places are closed.

Great coffee shop. Great location, atmosphere, and provides lots of comfortable places to sit. Not so cramped like I find coffee shops often to be. Besides the rude baristas (I have been here many times and not once have I ever had a barista that looked or sounded happy to help/​see me), it’s a great spot to stop in at.

How have I not reviewed this place?! I pretty much live here! By far far far my favorite place in pretty much all of Grand Rapids! If I could give it an extra star I would!
I think this is the best coffee in GR — though I’m pretty sure it comes from bay city. The lattes and teas are good too!
I love that they’re waste free!
Sometimes I work here all day! It’s definitely the best place to hang with your computer! It’s also great for meeting up with people and there are some comfy chairs too if you’re just dipping in for a quick break!
Ive seen open mic type spoken word and music here, but I’m not sure there is ever a set schedule for it.
The art is always changing and for sale which is a bonus.
They have a small amount of foods, such as pastries and bagels. But they also don’t mind if you bring in food!
Literally the only bad thing to say about lantern is in the summer they were ALWAYS out of ice. I love ice coffee in the summer so that was a bummer. Otherwise definitely my favorite spot in Grand Rapids!

The Lantern has prices that you can’t beat for yummy drinks. I’ve tried several, and also opt for a smoothie from their fridge if I’m looking for a healthier option. I really like eating the baked goods at Lantern. My most recent buy was a cheese crumpet-​style biscuit that was soft, warm, and enormous. There is always seating available, and it’s a good place for meeting up with friends or for business, especially as it’s close to Central Station. The café also is waste-​free, which means they use compostable products or real silverware, mugs, etc.

I go to Latern quite often, as it’s a great place to get work done or to meet up with a friend, and the drinks are very delicious and reasonably-​priced. It’s always an interesting crowd, and the baristas are very knowledgable, helpful and nice, and not nearly as stuffy as the coffee snobs working at Madcap. But most importantly, the atmosphere is perfect. I always feel relaxed, alert and welcomed whenever I’m there.
I suggest going there with a book sometime or try banging out that term paper you’ve been putting off. You won’t regret it. :)

I come here at least once a week because of the convenience. This place is great for meetings and people I bring always comment on how they like the setting and coffee. It has fancy and fun options for people interested in fancy coffee but also has high quality normal coffee.
The wifi is good and the staff I friendly. Definitely. Great place to get some work done or to escape for a change of scenery.

Bottomline: Worth checking out.
Space: Might be the coziest coffee shop I’ve ever been to. They made the lower lever perfect for studying with lots of plugs and desks.
Service: So far, the barista was too hipster to function. Felt like we were bothering her by being there and ordering coffee. I get that your shop is really cool, but you aren’t too cool to smile.
Coffee: I just got drip so it’s too soon to tell. Camille’s cap looked OK but was a bit bubbly and the milk stayed on top of the espresso.

Tucked away on the corner of Commerce Ave. and Oakes St., Lantern offers single-​origin coffees, classic pour-​overs and a few different baked goods (gluten-​free /​vegan options available). Inside, it’s spacious and trendy. Take your pick of drinks and head down the stairs into an exposed brick basement with sidewalk-​height windows, which allow just enough shafting light. Take a seat in one of their comfy armchairs and enjoy.
As for the coffee’s quality, I was impressed. I tend to be a little set in my ways and will almost exclusively choose Rowster New American Coffee for my cappuccino fixes but this was good. Light, not overly bold though still flavorsome.
One of the better coffee shop atmospheres in Grand Rapids. Warm, inviting and perfect for a lengthy stay.

Overview: MUST try!
Typically in my reviews, I give a star for each of these categories (Service, Food, Drink, Ambiance, Parking) and then add up to rate my experience at a particular business.
Service — very good service from different baristas, both times I visited
Food/​Coffee — didn’t order any food but coffee was FANTASTIC! See picture.
Drink selection — real artisan coffee shops have small menus and that is actually a good thing! Love the menu, just enough but not too many of the frilly drinks.
Ambiance/​Cleanliness — very city like feeling, small space but has character, cozy!
Parking — sucks! It’s all street parking but what isn’t downtown GR. I would not hold it against these guys but it is an issue in the winter months if you can’t find a spot close by.

The capp wasn’t anything amazing but the atmosphere was incredible. I loved the chairs at the window as did our son! Thank you for an incredible afternoon for our family.
Tip: The barista could be a little more friendly…

4.5 star latte, huge fan of the mug it’s served in, too
5 star blueberry scone — fresh explosions of blueberries in every bite and a fluffy, moist interior. Obviously made with love and a perfect complement to a latte.
4 star ambience — love the exposed brick walls and upcycled furniture. It was quiet when we first got there but it quickly turned into a gathering place for friends and classmates, which was nice. Not a huge fan of the big band/​jazz they’ve got going on but it fits with the theme.

What I love about the Lantern is the two slightly worn, but obviously beloved, teal, high back arm chairs in the front window. They look just perfectly placed there. There is a little side table and a rug that sits between both chairs, making it a cute little seating area for two.
however since I’m mostly solo when I go to a coffee shop, I’ll leave those chairs for the love birds and get to work downstairs in the lower level.
The lower levels offers tables and a couch area. Noise level is quiet and they they are open relatively late (10pm) with free wifi when you purchase a drink.

Had a lovely little work sesh here when I was in town last. Made for a really comfortable environment and the fact that they’re open later (10pm) was also a bonus since I had lots to do and I got into town late to begin with.
Since it was late and I didn’t want to be bouncing off the walls too much I just ordered a small latte and gotta a bottle of lemonade from the cooler to quench my thirst. The latte was great and the barista that whipped it up was really friendly and helpful. There’s also a self serve water station if you need some hydration plus some pastries and bagels if you are feeling peckish.
Two levels – the first has the counter and a bit of seating if you’re just looking to get in and out. Downstairs is where the more lounge «pull up a seat and get crackin’ kind of set up. That’s where I spent my time here and I felt right at home.
Other cool things of note: they’ve got a commitment to being waste free so they only have cloth napkins, use resuable glassware when in house, and stock compostable cups, lids and straws for takeout, plus no prepackaged sugar or creamer. As someone who tries to be as ecofriendly as possible this made me happy to see. They partner with other local businesses to provide the eats in house (Bartertown Diner and GR Bagel for eats, for example) many of which are vegan and/​or gluten free and their coffee is from Populace Coffee in Bay City. Definitely eco and Michigan biz friendly!

Excellent coffee and wonderful place to lounge, relax and do work. I love the building, the downstairs area allows for a great study place. There are some old school desks in the corner as well that seemed nice. I sat on the couches and took advantage of the quiet atmosphere and the free wifi.
Ordered a cortado, which they provided a soda water alongside as a palate cleanser. Very good form. Friend ordered a café miel which proved to be great for those with a bit of a sweet tooth. My cortado was well made and smooth. The drink sizes seem to be on the large end, which I appreciate.
Friendly staff, wonderful ambiance.