4214 University Way NE
Seattle,
WA
206.633.3030
The city’s oldest coffeehouse, Café Allegro originally served a proprietary blend made from Starbucks espresso beans. (Founder Dave Olsen became a senior Starbucks exec in the late ‘80s.) The small shop tucked in an alley off “the Ave” is still going strong, with a clientele that leans heavily in the Husky direction (thanks to location, location, location). The series of connected rooms-each of which seems like an afterthought-is charmingly hodgepodge and always packed with people on laptops or heavily involved in highlighting textbooks. On sunny days, the east-facing upper deck and outdoor benches provide ample warmth, and on cloudy days, customers curl up with sweet treats from Essential Baking Company and Mighty-O Donuts.
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