About
Café Allegro is a coffeeshop in the University District of Seattle, Washington, United States. It is notable for being one of the city's first espresso shops and for its role in the history of Starbucks, as the place where founding proprietor Dave Olsen designed the Starbucks coffee product line. Situated in an alleyway, the cafe features multiple entrances and rooms.
Recommended by
Named as a place to work from by 3 independent sources.
This UW-adjacent hub, accessible through an old alleyway—a real old-cafe-in-Cambridge sort of situation—has strong coffee, tons of tables, and overflow seating upstairs for finals week.
- Indoor seating: yes
Seattle MetArticle, February 2026The Best Coffee Shops in Seattle
on seattlemet.comThere is almost always a table available inside the shop, but there is also a rooftop area with more seating on busier days.
- Seats: usually free
- Indoor seating: yes
- Outdoor seating: yes
Seattle MetArticle, January 20175 Coffee Shops for a Day of Productivity
on seattlemet.comCafe Allegro—one of the oldest coffee shops in the city—remains a popular study spot for UW students.
Seattle MetArticle, August 201612 Great Neighborhood Coffee Shops
on seattlemet.comIt’s still a comfortable place to crack open your books or camp for your mid-terms.
Seattle Coffee SceneBlog post, April 2015Great Seattle Coffee Spots for Studying
on seattlecoffeescene.comThis coffee shop is one of the best study spots if you’re halfway studying (when you truly mean to study but end up catching up with friends instead).
Daily HiveArticle, September 20227 perfect places to study in Seattlemixed
on dailyhive.com
Quoted from the pages linked, which are not ours. If a quote is yours and you would rather it were not here, email us and it comes down.
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- Wi‑Fi fee
- Free
- Takeaway
- Yes
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