Cafe Dharwin

Cute little, stamp sized coffee shop in north capitol hill! I was suprised to stumblel upon this place and was smitten. The guy working behind the counter was as nice as could be as I gather most folks in the joint were regulars and I was not. My americano was strong enough to give me the kick in the pants I needed to be a productive member of society. Even though it was tiny, it was really nice and quiet too. The limited hours limit me going back to this place with any regularity (opent only til 6pm).

I am sitting at Café Dharwin sipping on my drip coffee and watching traffic on 10^th Ave pass by. I had a Mighty Donut — lemon poppyseed flavored so I have a nice lemony aftertaste in my mouth.
I stumbled upon this place by pure chance. I showed up in Capitol Hill too early for my massage at The Vital Energy Center and needed a place to chill for 30 minutes.
This place seems to be sustained by regulars. The two people working here — a male barista and a female greeter-​type are really good with customers’ names and drink orders. The downside of this is the café is really small and their chitchat gets in the way of trying to read or generally think. As for the donut — yum! The coffee seemed old and was probably a medium roast, but lacking body. I can’t believe it was almost $ 2 for an 8 ounce!
When you go (if you go) make sure to take cash so you won’t be charged the $.25 card transaction fee (applied to purchases under $ 5).
I probably won’t be back based on price and taste of coffee. Service wasn’t good or bad, but they seemed to really take care of their regular customers.

When a friend told me that she wanted to meet me for coffee at Café Dharwin, I was pretty excited. The mind boggles with the possibilities for this establishment: artwork on the wall of man in evolution, starting with cave drawings on one wall progressing to Leonardo da Vinci paintings on the far wall. A menu that comes in a binder with the outside labeled «On the Origin of Species.» A coffee card in the form of a passport; you get Ecuadoran stamps with each purchase. The line for coffee is actually a battle, only the strongest get served.
So I was a bit disappointed to find none of these ideas when I arrived. But it’s actually a nice little coffee shop along the upper edge of 10^th Avenue. The interior is pretty small, but cozy and didn’t seem to be too crowded during the time we there. The tables are close enough that we found ourselves in part of a sprawling conversation across multiple tables; it’s probably not a bad place to meet people if you’re so inclined.
The coffee was good and they use Café Vita beans here. The baristas were quick, friendly and called out your order promptly. Parking is a little bit easier here at the frontier edge of Capitol Hill with a number of open hour slots adjacent to the shop. It’s also probably convenient for the bus travelers; there’s a stop right in front of the place.

This café is a small neighborhood café in North Capitol Hill. I enjoy the coffee that they have (I think someone mentioned Café Vita beans?). Anyways, I think their coffee is good… much better than Starbucks. Of course Victrola’s coffee is my main coffee squeeze but Café Dharwin is more convenient so I tend to go here more. And I like the cute foam art (is there a better word for this?) that they draw on top of my mocha.
The pastries are really good. I normally get the berry croissant or the almond croissant. I wish they would have more of either but apparently they only get one of each flavor per day… so me and the bf always have to duke it out to see who gets the berry croissant and the other one has to settle with the almond croissant (I mostly win of course but I play nice and share: p)
Service is mostly pleasant. Now that they know I’m a regular, they say hi and ask me how my day is going etc… For the most part, they leave ya alone since it’s one of those small places where you just go to get your coffee and get out. There are about 4 small tables that you can sit and read or use your laptop. They do get kinda hot in the summer though so best to go in the morning if you plan to do some readings.

Cute little coffe shop with good coffee and great pastry. If you like almonds, try their almond croissant!

Café Dharwin is the single greatest coffeehouse in Seattle for the following five reasons:
#5 — It’s quiet enough to read a book. No clanking of plates and no blaring music overhead. Some nice house or jazz is usually on. They might even make you a mix if you like what you hear and ask nicely.
#4 — It’s small. IF YOU HAVE TO HAVE SPACE TO ENJOY COFFEE, GO TO BAUHAUS, COCKSUCKERS.
#3 — People who use Morrissey in their review of a café are unlikely to come here because there is no parking for their ten speeds. Real people come here – not pasty hipsters, not elitist capitol hill types, not gutter punks, not cell phone yapping turds – real people from the neighborhood.
#2 — The coffee is not just good, it’s an otherworldly experience. It’s not enough to serve a proper shot of espresso anymore. Everything from the choice of cups to their sugar/​cream facilities to their restroom to the way the sun creeps through the window in the late afternoon is just perfect.
#1 — Dharmi, the owner, is a true Seattle treasure.

i work across the street from Dharwins and often run across the street for a pick-​me-​up.
Maybe because they’ve seen me before and know I’m from the neighborhood, but I have always found them friendly and the coffee good. They know by heart what my co-​workers order so I don’t have to remember when I get coffee or tea for them. I always take it «to go» so the size inside is not an issue for me.
Seattle Prep is right around the corner, so you might take that into consideration — they may get swamped by high school kids several times a day and that might be affecting their mood/​friendliness quotient as mentioned in the other reviews.

I finally stopped in yesterday after my pilates class.
I wouldn’t call the staff friendly by any standards, but they weren’t rude. I got a cup of americano (they use Café Vita beans), which I liked.
It’s tiny. I think there were about four small tables. When I went in, there people sitting at all of the tables, so I had to grab my coffee and go.
It’s also located a little away from the center of Cap Hill. I wouldn’t make the effort of coming out here just for a cup of joe, but I would consider coming here if I were in the area.

I’m speechless by the rudeness experienced at this little café. I find it slightly comical however, but, not enough to return. No one in town, no hipster, no elitist, no one in town dished it out like this caf did. I am embarrassed because I took someone with me to this spot and we went out of our way to get there. Who better than the Mozzer to speak about maladjustment… maestro if you please:
Morrissey — Disappointed
Our unsleepable friend
gets the message on an ill-​wind
’all your friends and your foes
would rather die than have to touch you’
To say the least: truly disappointed
truly, truly, truly
Drank too much
said too much
and there’s nowhere to go — but Down
young boy — I wanna help you
See these lines?: truly disappointed
truly, truly, truly
Don’t talk to me now
about people who are «nice
’cause I have spent my whole life
in ruins…
because of people who were «nice
This world may lack Style, I know
but each bud must blossom and grow
Young girl one day we really will be old
but the thing is: I love you now
This is the last song I will ever sing
No I’ve changed my mind again
GOODNIGHT
AND THANK YOU

Really small. Really, really small. With small small tables. Really little more than a sidewalk coffee stand that just happens to have a nicely decorated building around it. But if you’re of a mind to get out of the house on a Sunday morning and walk down to the corner to get a latte and read the Stranger (or do the NYT crossword if you’re into that sort of self-​flagellation) then you really couldn’t ask for a better place. You’d better not be hungry, though, because the small selection of pastries and Mighty-​O donuts aren’t going to do much for you.