Top 17 Best Coffee Shops in Portland (tried and tested)

Coava Coffee started out in roaster Matt Higgins’s garage in 2008, and has expanded into several locations in Portland and beyond.

From its humble beginnings to its current position as one of the best specialty coffee shops in the city, Coava Coffee Roasters has always cared about quality and this is why I’m such a big fan. 

Casual fans and coffee obsessives flock to this coffee shop for delicious brews sourced sustainably. Coava is built on established partnerships with small farmers and focuses on brewing an ethical cup. They have several locations in the city, but I’d recommend checking out the flagship store on Grand Avenue for its cool industrial vibe.

Cathedral Coffee in North Portland is one of the best coffee shops in Portland and I personally love its laidback, relaxed atmosphere. In fact, Cathedral prides itself on being a welcoming café for the neighborhood.

The baristas are super friendly and the environment invites you to sit back and stay awhile.

Cathedral Coffee brews excellent coffee and tea, but its bakery, which produces goods in-house from carefully sourced ingredients, is one of the biggest draws.

The coffee shop has a wide, rotating range of options, including sweet, savory, vegan, and gluten-free treats which I’d also highly recommend. 

Good Coffee’s offerings are simple, but the place more than lives up to its name. All five locations live up to the promise of good, quality coffee.

Stop by a modern, airy coffee shop with your laptop to get some work done in an inviting space, whether you prefer indoor or outdoor seating.

Good Coffee’s claim to fame is its quality coffee, roasted on the premises of its Troutdale location.

If you like Good Coffee’s offerings so much you’d like to start every day with their brews, you can buy a bag of their whole beans or sign up for their coffee subscription that delivers excellent beans right to your doorstep.

Push X Pull is a funky coffee shop that fills the gaps left even in this coffee-obsessed city. The coffee shop focuses on underutilized beans and brewing techniques, including one of the country’s only Moccamaster coffee makers.

Besides good coffee, Push X Pull’s focus is relationships. The coffee shop cultivates relationships with its sources by focusing on sustainable farming and building strong partnerships.

It also cares about its relationship with the community and aims to create an inviting space for the neighborhood to visit. Sit for a while in the turquoise-accented shop!

Albina Press is where Portlanders in the know go for good coffee and a European-style café ambiance.

This artsy little storefront in North Portland helped kick off the Portland café revolution as many owners of Portland’s innovative coffee shops worked here first.

Visitors come to Albina Press primarily for the good coffee and the little details that make the coffee shop a cozy neighborhood favorite. Plenty of seating for people looking to get work done, I’d suggest the delicious and fresh baked goods for a quick pick-me-up, and there’s even a resident latte artist on weekends – I love this feature! 

The fact that Proud Mary’s brews are often served in other top coffee shops in Portland, including Cathedral Coffee, speaks to the quality of this coffee shop.

The funky Australian import sells different coffees tailored to your mood, including “Curious,” “Wild,” and “Deluxe.” You can make your brews at home by signing up for their subscription or stopping into their shop to taste Australian coffee culture in Portland.

Stop by Proud Mary’s Northeast Portland location for precision-brewed coffee and one of the best brunches in town, served all day. We recommend the pavlova.

Never Coffee caters to coffee drinkers looking for something a little different. The innovative coffee shop is like a lab pouring unique coffee, cocoa, tea, and more.

Their special blends and drinks, such as the Rich Kids latte, come with funky names and designs. Whether you order packaged coffee to your home (with a free prize inside) or come into the art-filled coffee shop, Never Coffee is a treat for all your senses.

That does not mean this coffee shop is all style and no substance. The drinks, ranging from traditional staples to flavored brews, are all delicious.

One of the best cafes in Portland is conveniently located by the Portland Art Museum, making it the perfect pit stop after a day of exploring art—and a premium destination in its own right.

Behind the Museum Café specializes in Japanese-inspired café culture. However, it adds a local touch with coffee roasted in the city.

Come to this café for specialty Japanese drinks. One of them is a wide range of teas, a menu that includes savory dishes, sandwiches, and pastries, and a soothing environment full of Japanese art.

Barista Coffee Shop is Portland’s best café for coffee nerds, run by coffee nerds.

This business collects the best baristas in the city. It lets them work their magic on various coffee drinks, including classics such as macchiatos and signature flavored drinks such as honey marzipan lattes.

Barista has locations all over Portland, but all of its locations start with quality beans and techniques. If you are serious about your coffee, this is the place to go in Portland.

A famous institution in the city that first opened its flagship store in 1999 has since opened many more stores across the city, including one in the famously trendy hotel The Ace (as well as other locations in other cities such as Seattle). 

They have even been credited with the rise of craft coffee popularity, which is quite the accolade! 

They cater to a discerning coffee-loving crowd and are said to be famous for sourcing and serving some of the best coffee, espresso, and cold brew in the world.

Try their famous hair-bender blend, their standard espresso – it’s not bitter, just very tasty! 

Upper Left Roasters is the home to premier roasted brews in Portland. The café roasts its own coffee, which it uses to create excellent single-origin espressos and pour-over coffees.

While the coffee is Upper Left Roasters’ primary draw, this coffee shop is also a great place to come when you are hungry. The Ladd’s Addition location, in a sleek, light-filled space, serves up excellent pastries, open-faced toasts, and brunch dishes.

They accommodate dietary restrictions by offering gluten-free bread for all brunch dishes.

Heart Coffee Roasters is one of the best coffee shops in Portland, according to neighbors and prestigious critics such as Conde Nast Traveler.

While all three locations serve precision-brewed coffee, the flagship location, the Eastside Café, is worth a visit to look at the giant coffee roaster that is the shop’s centerpiece.

Heart Coffee Roasters is a true coffee nerd’s paradise, with sleek Scandinavian-inspired design, quality beans, and precision brewing methods such as Chemex.

The coffee shop is committed to sharing the love of coffee and even shares tips on the best brewing on its website.

A gorgeous and charming Dutch-inspired cafe that originated after the owner fell in love with Holland in her youth and wanted to introduce a bit of their culture when she eventually settled in Portland. 

Their onsite kitchen serves all sorts of baked delights such as bagels, pastries, and sandwiches, but they’re famous for their stroopwafels (a waffle with a caramel filling) and their excellent fresh coffee! 

Case Study Coffee has multiple locations throughout the city, serving up Portland-roasted brews sourced from the best beans worldwide.

Whether you go for one of their stalwarts or switch up your routine with a seasonal blend, you can’t go wrong with a cup of coffee from Case Study Coffee Roasters. Check out unique flavored drinks, such as the jasmine matcha latte.

Any of the Case Study outposts is a great location to study and work—this coffee shop is a favorite with PSU students. While you’re here, check out their lovely baked goods.

Most coffee shops in Portland are excellent but often feel as if they cater to a particular clientele. Not Deadstock. Deadstock’s mission is to brew “snob-free” coffee.

The coffee shop aims to create a welcoming environment, even for people who may not be coffee fans, with a chill environment and sporty décor.

Beneath the unpretentious exterior is a coffee shop that still cares about what it serves. Check out an excellent range of drip coffees, vegan lattes, and cakes the owner’s mother baked. There is no formal menu, but the baristas will help you figure out what you vibe with.

Tov Coffee & Tea tastes Egypt in one of Portland’s most unique locations—a red double-decker bus. However, don’t dismiss this place as a gimmick.

Once you step inside, you’ll be treated to fragrant coffees and teas drawing on American and Egyptian traditions. If you’re hungry, be sure to check out the traditional pastries.

You can’t go wrong with Tov if you’re looking for a place with delicious coffee, funky décor, and great vibes to share with your friends.

Water Avenue Coffee specializes in quality, ethically sourced brews roasted on its premises. It has unique beans, for example, Mexico Guienashi sourced from indigenous communities in Southern Oaxaca.

While you can get a subscription to their stalwarts and a rotating cast of seasonal brews, visiting their flagship location is well worth a trip.

Water Avenue Coffee is located along the Willamette River in what used to be an industrial area. Marvel at the modern industrial décor, but the real draw is the extended, toasted roasting process that leads to the shop’s signature espresso.