Cafeography
Seattle · South Lake Union & Eastlake

Cafés in South Lake Union & Eastlake

Espresso Vivace’s Alley 24 bar on Yale Avenue, Danish-style Café Hagen in Cascade, weekday cafés around the Amazon offices and Eastlake’s houseboat shore.

Photo: dumitru bumbu, Pexels License

South Lake Union, at the southern tip of Lake Union, was sawmills into the early 1900s, then warehouses and car services from the 1930s.1 Amazon announced in December 2007 that it would consolidate its offices here, began moving in in 2010 and in 2012 agreed to buy its headquarters for more than $1 billion; the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and the Allen Institute have also made it a life-sciences hub.1

Eastlake runs up the lake’s east shore along Eastlake Avenue East, from the northeast corner of downtown to the University Bridge, with Interstate 5 as its eastern edge.2 It has Seattle’s highest concentration of floating homes, made famous by the 1993 film Sleepless in Seattle.2

Local tip: Many South Lake Union cafés close at weekends; Alley 24, Victrola on Thomas Street and Caffè Umbria on Westlake Avenue North stay open on Saturdays and Sundays.

At a glance

29Cafés listed
19With opening hours
06:00Earliest opening
22:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Eastlake Coffee & Cafe, from 06:00 (Mon–Fri 06:00–17:00 · Sat–Sun 07:00–17:00).
  • Closes latest: Citizen Cafe, until 22:00 (Mon–Thu 07:00–21:00 · Fri–Sat 07:00–22:00 · Sun 07:00–15:30).
  • Most listed streets: Eastlake Avenue East (4), Fairview Avenue North (4), Westlake Avenue North (4).
  • Most common features: wi-fi (14%), outdoor seating (14%), wheelchair access (14%).

Nothing matches those filters here. See all cafés in Seattle.

Coffee chains in South Lake Union & Eastlake

Getting around the lake

The South Lake Union Streetcar has run since 2007. Lake Union Park, opened in 2008 and completed in 2010, holds the Museum of History & Industry, which moved into the former Naval Reserve Armory in December 2012.1 Gourmondo, the café at MOHAI at 860 Terry Avenue North, serves daily 10:00–17:00 with outdoor seating.

King County Metro’s route 70 runs along Eastlake to the University District.2 Denny Park, also in South Lake Union, is described as the oldest park in the city.1

Espresso Vivace’s Alley 24 bar

Vivace still runs two bars, the Capitol Hill flagship and a shop in South Lake Union.3 The second, at 227 Yale Avenue North, is what the company calls its grand bar; it has indoor seating and takes no cash.4

Vivace lists its hours as 06:00–16:00 on weekdays and 07:00–17:00 at weekends.4 The bar, in the Alley 24 block, also has outdoor seating and Wi-Fi.

Café Hagen in Cascade

Café Hagen’s first café, at 1252 Thomas Street in the Cascade neighborhood, had just opened in February 2020, with ribbed wood paneling around the bar, wooden tables and blankets for the chairs.5 Its owner, Maria Beck, described hygge to Daily Coffee News as “a Danish way of life”; the menu had a Mocha Flight with a bar of Theo chocolate.5

At first the café roasted on the 5-kilo Diedrich belonging to Conduit Coffee while it built its own roasting plant around a 12-kilo Probat.5 It opens at 07:00 on weekdays and stays open until 18:00 on Thursdays and Fridays.

Office cafés and Eastlake

Most South Lake Union cafés keep office hours. Zoka at 351 Boren Avenue North, Kakao at 415 Westlake Avenue North and Café an’ Clair on Thomas Street open only on weekdays, while Victrola at 1130 Thomas Street and Caffè Umbria at 1201 Westlake Avenue North also open at weekends. Citizen Cafe at 706 Taylor Avenue North serves until 22:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Along Eastlake Avenue East, Eastlake Coffee & Cafe at 2245 opens at 06:00 on weekdays and Le Fournil at 3230 at 07:00 Monday to Saturday. Fram, on Fairview Avenue East near the houseboat docks, where a slip alone often sells for more than $1 million, serves daily 06:00–20:00.2

Sources

  1. South Lake Union, Seattle, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. Eastlake, Seattle, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. Espresso Vivace, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  4. Alley 24 (227 Yale Ave N), Espresso Vivace, accessed October 2026
  5. Coffee Meets Hygge at Danish-Inspired Café Hagen in Seattle (February 25, 2020), Daily Coffee News, accessed October 2026
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In South Lake Union & Eastlake, also browse: Specialty coffee Outdoor seating Wi-Fi Bakery cafés Open by 6am Open late

FAQ

South Lake Union & Eastlake cafés: questions

Where is Espresso Vivace’s Alley 24 bar in South Lake Union, Seattle?

Alley 24 is at 227 Yale Avenue North in South Lake Union. Espresso Vivace calls it its grand bar; it has indoor seating and takes no cash. Vivace lists its hours as 06:00–16:00 on weekdays and 07:00–17:00 at weekends. The company’s only other bar is its flagship at 532 Broadway East on Capitol Hill.

What is Café Hagen in South Lake Union, Seattle?

Café Hagen is a Danish-inspired café founded by Maria Beck, who is from Denmark; its first shop, at 1252 Thomas Street in the Cascade neighborhood, had just opened in February 2020. It is built around hygge, with wood paneling and blankets, and opens at 07:00 on weekdays.

Are there houseboats in Eastlake, Seattle?

Yes. Eastlake, on the east shore of Lake Union, has the highest concentration of floating homes in Seattle, made famous by the 1993 film Sleepless in Seattle. New floating homes are going up along Fairview Avenue East, where a slip alone often sells for more than $1 million; Fram, a café on Fairview Avenue East, serves daily 06:00–20:00.

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