Top Coffee Spots in Philadelphia

A new wave of coffee has officially hit Philadelphia and The Countryside® like a red-eye with an extra shot. Included in the craze are cafes roasting their own signature beans, baristas who specialize in perfectly engineered espressos and coffeehouses that use one-of-a-kind La Marzocco machines. From an Australian flat white to a Chemex-brewed cuppa, the possibilities for delicious caffeination are endless.

Here are just a few local favorites:

Signature Beans

Burlap and Bean

Offering its own Fair Trade Certified, Certified Organic beans roasted in-house, Newtown Square’s Burlap and Bean distinguishes itself as an ambitious independent spot with a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. 204 S. Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, (484) 427-4547

Chestnut Hill Coffee Company

Patrons can catch a whiff of caramelizing beans at the upstairs roastery at Chestnut Hill Coffee Company. Downstairs, the coffee bar turns out well-pulled shots and elaborate swirls of latte art. The alt-rock soundtrack and homemade soups are a bonus. 8620 Germantown Avenue, (215) 242-8600, chestnuthillcoffee.com

Garces Trading Company

Celebrity chef Jose Garces is as serious about coffee as he is about his food, so it’s no surprise that the signature roasted beans at Garces Trading Company lend themselves to a memorable French press. 1111 Locust Street, (215) 574-1099

La Colombe

Inarguably the originator of Philly’s first wave of coffee, La Colombe remains the go-to spot for rich Italian-style espressos and excellent machiattos. 130 S. 19th Street, (215) 563-0860; 1414 S. Penn Square, (215) 977-7770

Old City Coffee

With two high-traffic locations—one in Old City, the other in the Reading Terminal Market—Old City Coffee has produced fresh, tiny batches of high-grade Arabica coffee for more than 25 years now. 221 Church Street, (215) 629-9292; Reading Terminal Market, 12th & Arch Streets, (215) 592-1897

Rocket Cat Café

Amid the well-documented Shepard Fairey mural, thrift-store furnishings and vegan snacks at Fishtown’s Rocket Cat Café is a worthy fair-trade espresso roasted by Norristown’s Fonseca. 2001 Frankford Avenue, (215) 739-4526

Live & Wired

Gryphon Café

Serving up house-roasted, organic coffee along with a weekly schedule of independent music acts and open mic-nights, Wayne’s Gryphon Café keeps its visitors awake and entertained. 105 W. Lancaster Avenue, (610) 688-1988, gryphoncafe.com

Milkboy Philly

Milkboy Philly, which first built its following with Milkboy Coffee outposts in Ardmore and Bryn Mawr, has opened in a Center City location, making its coffee, table-service veggie-friendly meals and live music available to the downtown crowd. The new rock venue has a liquor license to balance out any espresso-induced jitters. 1100 Chestnut Street, (215) 925-6455, milkboyphilly.com; 2 E. Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, (610) 645-5269; 824 W. Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, (610) 527-0690, milkboycoffee.com

Coffee, With Food To Match

Chhaya Café

The organic, fair-trade espressos and lattes at Chhaya are served alongside fresh meals of seasonal salads (peach and fig with honeyed walnuts), sandwiches (prosciutto, apple and mozzarella panini) and a full menu of creative waffles like Nutella/strawberry and veggie chili/cornbread. 1823 E. Passyunk Avenue, (215) 465-1000

High Point Café

While its espressos have been given top ratings, the two locations of High Point Café in Mt. Airy also have a mean menu of quiches, baked goods and crepes to match. 602 Carpenter Lane, (215) 849-5153; 7210 Cresheim Road, (215) 248-1900

Town Hall Coffee Co.

GimmeCoffee and Counter Culture supply the beans for Town Hall Coffee Co., and pear and chocolate scones, croissant bread pudding and New York-style bagels are the ideal accompaniment. 358 Montgomery Avenue, Merion Station, (484) 270-8041

The Shot’s The Thing

Lovers and Madmen Coffee Lounge

University City coffee lounge Lovers and Madmen offers short-pulled espressos from its La Marzocco FB80 in a friendly, collegiate atmosphere. 28 S. 40th Street, (215) 243-9851

Shot Tower Coffee

Between its Stumptown and PT’s Coffee Roasting Co. beans and its one-of-a-kind La Marzocco machine, Queen Village’s Shot Tower Coffee turns out impeccable espressos. 542 Christian Street, (267) 886-8049

Spruce Street Espresso

Simplicity is key at Spruce Street Espresso, where the single-origin Counter Culture beans are reverently transformed into well balanced, expertly pulled shots. A second location is in the works. 1101 Spruce Street, (215) 609-4469

Ultimo Coffee

Its espresso was rated number one in the city by Craig LaBan, and rightfully so: Ultimo serves Counter Culture coffees, ground and brewed to perfection—for serious coffee lovers only. 1900 S. 15th Street, (215) 339-5177

Sustainable Sips

BODHi Coffee

At BODHi Coffee in Society Hill, the café proudly wears salvaged materials, the Stumptown coffees are available in pour-over and drip styles, and the food is fresh, organic and local. 410 S. 2nd Street, (267) 239-2928

Good Karma Café

Fair trade and certified organic coffee are the foundation at both locations of Good Karma Café, but owner David Arrell’s best-practices philosophy is underscored by green construction and corn-based plastics. 331 S. 22nd Street, (215) 546-1479; 928 Pine Street, (267) 519-8860

Grindcore House

The vegan lifestyle is celebrated at Grindcore House, a Pennsport hangout where coffee drinkers can choose from a variety of non-dairy creamers (soy, rice, almond, coconut) and a meatless, eggless, milkless menu of pastries and sandwiches. 1515 S. 4th Street, (215) 839-3333

Mugshots

In its Fairmount and Brewerytown locations, Mugshots has made a commitment to sustainability via recyclable packaging; vegan, vegetarian and organic snacks; fair-trade coffee; and the opportunity to shop for local food. 2100 Fairmount Avenue, (267) 514-7145; 2831 Girard Avenue, (215) 717-3327,

One Shot Coffee

Built from reclaimed wood and tile, Northern Liberties’ expansive One Shot Coffee showcases its socially conscious heart with Stumptown’s direct trade coffee and seasonal organic fare—of which some ingredients are grown in customers’ gardens. 217 W. George Street, (215) 627-1620

International Brews

Ants Pants Café

For anyone curious about Australian coffees, Ants Pants Café in Graduate Hospital is a great place to be indoctrinated into flat whites and long blacks—not to mention iced coffees made from espresso ice cream and whipped cream. 2212 South Street, (215) 875-8002

Café Fulya

Dark and sweet, pot-brewed Turkish coffee is on offer at the charming Café Fulya, and the Turkish pastries and specialties like manti complete the Ottoman experience. 727 S. 2nd Street, (267) 909-9937

Ray’s Café and Tea House

Long before the current pour-over and Chemex fever began, Chinatown staple Ray’s was serving international by-the-cup Hario siphoned coffees, as well as a full range of teas from around the world. 141 North 9th Street, (215) 922-5122