Kakao

Nice atmosphere and good service. Their hot chocolate is phenomenal (smooth, good combination of milk and chocolate). It is definitely a nice touch having chocolate shavings on the top. Would go again and would definitely recommend to others.

They have a really nice chocolate collection! Ask for their opinion and they would tell you what each chocolate taste like.
And I love the atmosphere! Super cozy and Seattle like. Very nice little getaway place around South Lake Union. Their coffee are tasty as well, would recommend for coffee breaks and Sunday afternoon when you want to read a book at a coffee shop! ;)

Came here after lunch to settle down our food coma and get sweets for dessert. We got Hot Chocolate and the Sipping Chocolate that the barista recommended. The Hot Chocolate is a very classic milk chocolate-​y tasting drink that leans more towards the milky side than the rich chocolate. Perfect complement to the Sipping Chocolate which was super rich (like you melted the richest flavored chocolate I have ever had and sipping in liquid form).
The place is nice, spacious and minimal. Located next to what looks like a startup office space and theater, so has that very forward-​thinking startup feel to it. Overall this is a great place to catch up with friends (coffee dates) or just come by yourself to study/​do work. Would come here again.

Amazing valrhona chocolate drinks, mochas and london fogs (early grey lattes). Their gluten-​free brownies are worth tasting and the ham and cheese croissant, too. The pastries are baked in house…

Great coffee/​work spot! Very open and good music. Also, super nice baristas!

Addictive mocha, so richly smooth and not cloyingly sweet as many mochas seem to be. If you have had a mocha at Starbucks before, and then you have one here, then it may be difficult for you ever to order one from SBs again without experiencing massive disappointment.
Super nice baristas. Cool, modern interior that doubles as an event and meeting space. For how modern and spacious it is, somehow it is quite comfy and convivial. A rarity. Even more so when you consider it’s pretty much in the heart of the hub that is all the SLU and Amazon activity.
Parking can be a challenge, though I’ve gotten lucky west of Westlake, and be aware that a perfect mocha prepared properly can take a wee bit longer if the line is long. Worth it.

Great coffee! Love the atmosphere and the staff is always extremely nice! Sipping chocolate is heaven and a must try! Great place for sit down coffee chats or just grabbing a coffee on the way to work!

Bomb. I was walking down the street when I saw this place, and honestly it just had good vibes. Nice, spacious café with a pretty simple menu. I got the London Fog with what I think tasted like Earl Grey tea base. It was actually one of the best London Fogs that I’ve ever had. A little on the sweeter side which is how I prefer it. The barista made it pretty quickly, and was fun to chat with. Nice café, if I were from the area, I could definitely see myself frequenting this place!
tldr; café with great vibes, would be a good place to catch up with friends, do work, etc.

Delicious beverages, nice ambiance, wonderful service! :)

Staffs are super friendly, chatting with nice baristas there brightened my day when I was there last week. Good coffee, their chocolate chip cookies are tempting.

Had a chance to dive headfirst into many of their beverage offerings, and none disappointed or waned.
For those looking for something less caffeinated but still delicious, the London Fog is an early grey latte, lightly sweetened to perfection without overpowering the flavor of the tea. Filling, this is a great option on a cold and overcast day. They whip out the drinks quite fast, but the espresso-​based ones (cappuccino, macchiato, latte) still maintain a high quality and rich taste.
The cardamom hot cocoa is a must for anyone with a sweet tooth and a distaste for coffee/​caffeinated drinks. A nice twist on an old fashion cocoa. They also have 3oz shots of sipping chocolate made with valrhona, celaya, and guittard chocolate. Also in stock are fall specials like those pumpkin lattes, maple flavorings, etc.
They’ve thinned out their «chocolate library» a bit, making it appear a little more sparse, but easier to navigate without feeling overwhelmed with options. The counter is covered in an array of glass dishes and platters filled with pastries and other goodies like macarons. Don’t let the term «gluten-​free» deter you from trying the brownie. It’s super moist, light, airy, and really delicious.
They’ve updated their music selection since I’ve last visited, and they stream amazing and mellow tunes, enjoyable, and at a comfortable volume so working or holding meetings is definitely an option.
The loft space overhead remains impressive, and in the back, there is a large open area for special events.

Spacious and quiet coffee shop. Shabby chic furniture in a industrial space. I personally think the place needs a little warming up.
Came in at 1pm looking for a cup ice coffee. They were out of regular coffee so substituted for Americano, that works but it was a bit watered down for me. I also wanted a chocolate fix, they had chocolate candy bars, chocolate chip cookies and gluten free brownies. Chocolate chip cookie was fantastic but I was hoping for a larger selection with a name such as kakao. I have read their hot chocolate is good, so maybe I’ll try that next time.

Kakao Chocolate is a spacious, coffee shop with an industrial feel. They sell a small handful of specialty chocolates, though I’ve seen most of them before (Theo, Dandelion) and many you can also purchase at Whole Foods.
I decided to order an Americano with chocolate to get a taste of both their coffee and chocolate, as I wanted something not too sweet or rich. The barista was really friendly, but I felt that even with a little chocolate it was too sweet and had to throw it away after a few sips.
Not super impressed by their chocolate, espresso, or by the bar or pastry selections. I bet their drinking chocolate and hot chocolate are great, but as a choco-​holic I think that would be too overwhelming for my taste buds.

Kakao has a very cool event space in the back. I’ve attended a few events here and always find them to be quite lovely.
But, I’ve recently discovered Kakao’s other little secret: the cheapest Americano in SLU. At $ 2.75 for a 16 oz Americano, this coffee addict couldn’t be happier!
I won’t go here for my lattes because I love Uptown’s velvet foam, but this more than does the trick for a nice Americano! Yum!

Friendly staff. Convenient location. Open space. Seems like a good place for group meetings or just getting personal work done. Minus one star because I was pretty cold while I was there and they also have essentially no food options for people with food allergies (namely gluten and dairy intolerances). Didn’t try any of the chocolates but they looked divine!

If you like quiet, spacious and industrial chic coffee shops, then add this location to your work flow repertoire.
Speaking to the drinks, I selected the cardamom lavender hot chocolate — and I’m a die hard coffee drinker. I was skeptical at first given the stand alone strength of each on the palate, but the chocolate proved to be a worthy mediator; bringing each subtly to the taste bud table with every sip. If the flavorful pairings don’t bring me back for a go at the coffee, the chocolate alone will.

Love this place.
The staff is always friendly and takes great care of me.
The chocolate selection is fresh and includes some of the up and coming craft chocolate makers that are difficult to find.
The sipping chocolate is so thick! Drink it fast or be prepared for it to thicken enough to eat with a spoon (yes they provide a really cute little spoon).
Clean spaces, meeting room available. Tons of natural light. Comfy furniture and tables close to outlets for recharging those mobile devices.
Free wifi!
A few parking spots are available then there is always street parking too.
Looking forward to my next visit.

WOW.
I don’t often or perhaps ever say this. BUT dude. Kakao has the greatest hot chocolate on earth. What makes it so great you say? Let me describe to you my hot chocolate experience at Kakao.
TASTE: Its chocolate but its delicious chocolate. Not too sweet and not too bitter. Kind of a semi-​sweet chocolate yet not overpowering.
THICK: I like my hot chocolate thick and this place has got it going on. The chocolate is full both in flavor and in volume. The chocolate’s definitely got great texture.
SMOOTH: The hot chocolate is smooth. Its got a nice thick consistency but flows like no other.
VARIETY: I’m usually the guy to go for a normal americano, or plain vanilla ice cream, but I decided to be adventurous and order the Barista’s special. My drink was a lavender, cardamom hot chocolate verona and it was amazing. I had the chance to sip my friends straight hot chocolate verona and it too was good. I’ve only been once now but I really enjoyed the base hot chocolate and the additions. Feel free to be adventurous and not be disappointed!
Happy eating friends :)

Cool, bare bone, laptop friendly place.
Good selection of chocolate! Chocolate snob me was impressed.
Came in with a mocha itch, the barista tried too hard selling the valrhona hot cocoa, but the mocha turned out watery… not nearly enough chocolate flavor.

Coffee AND chocolate?! Yes please.
Free wifi and natural light?! Yes yes please please.
Now you know the details of this place in a nutshell, let me tell you a bit more…
Big open space, high ceilings, and large windows turned into a café. Super industrial and simplistic. Doesn’t have a coffee shop feel because it’s so big, but I like the vibe and how private each area is no matter where you sit. You can’t really overhear conversation or are bothered with noise.
The music here is awesome! Seriously, all the coffee shop favorites that are smooth (like the coffee), and easy listening that you can tune in and out of enjoyably while you work.
The coffee is delicious and well made. They have a variety of hot chocolates you can add fresh spices to (cardamom, cinnamon, etc.) and they have sipping chocolate. SIPPING chocolate. It’s a must try.
They have an event space in the back, too.
One thing though, it’s really, really cold in here. Even if the heat is on, it’s such a big space it probably just doesn’t heat up well. Brrrr. Hot chocolate will warm you up though, so give this place a shot.
I’ll be back!