Faire Cafe in Seattle, WA: An Instant Classic

While Faire is a relatively new addition to Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, it has become an instant classic. Located in a turn of the century brick building, the atmosphere is comfortable with a great view of the street through the two-story floor to ceiling windows. At the right angle, you can see all the way to Lake Union! Faire is a great, multi-purpose space. It is an equally good place to get a quiet moment to yourself, meet friends and hang out, or work on your latest project. This is fairly rare in a coffee shop, and is one of the features that sets Faire apart on the Capitol Hill coffee shop circuit.

While ostensibly a coffee shop, Faire also serves delicious sandwiches and salads. Their grilled cheese is possibly the best I've ever tasted: melted brie on ciabatta with tomato and mustard. So good! Another must try is the house specialty, the nutella mocha - delightfully sweet and savory. Only try it if you're not counting calories this week! Faire also has a wine and beer menu, which is unusual but great in a coffee shop.

There's always a daily special for both food and caffeinated beverages. I advise you to order according to the specials. Everything at Faire is great, and while the prices pretty good as well, it doesn't hurt to save a few dollars while you try something new. One word of warning for when you order: the service can be rather slow, especially if it's busy but even when it's not. This isn't a problem if you plan on spending some time there, but if you need your food or drinks to go, remember to put in a word about your time restraints.

Faire also hosts numerous nightly events. They almost always have a weekly reality show night, hosted in front of the big screen TV in their second floor loft space. There are also at least two or three musical events a week, and once a month they host Comedy Underground, a local group of stand-up comedians. The owners, Liz and Matt, are a local fixture in and of themselves. They are friendly, helpful, and very involved in the neighborhood. Say hi if you get a chance and tell them how great their business is!

Faire is conveniently located on the corner of Olive Way and Melrose, right before Capitol Hill ends at the I-5 freeway. It is a coffee shop for all seasons and all times of the day or night, at least during operating hours. Faire is open until midnight Sunday through Thursday and until one in the morning on Friday and Saturday. They open up at seven on weekdays and nine on the weekend.