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Image: Stuart Mullenberg Cathedral Coffee Can rocks make the coffee taste better? Something keeps me coming back. There are rocks and gems throughout the entire interior, hanging shelves heaving with quartz and amethyst, gem displays everywhere, books for sale for the geo-curious. There’s just something about this place, a microroaster and single cafe location so entirely unpretentious and of itself, glowing under the citrine-yellow UV rock lights and serving a classically straightforward menu of teas and coffees with a couple of unusual inclusions, like a Lyle’s Golden Syrup drizzle on your cappuccino. My personal favorite cafe in the city, a gem in the marly schist, a coffee bar like no other in Portland (or really the country), Carnelian Coffee is equal parts coffee bar and rock-hound haunt, a hub for amateur geologists and stone enthusiasts to gather, drink coffee, and soak in the million-year-old vibes. MTĥ012 SE Hawthorne Blvd 4637 N Albina Ave Carnelian Coffee

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At either end of town, expect a room full of people catching up with friends or rattling off the afternoon’s emails until closing hour, 6 p.m.

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Both spots host an impressive rotating series of shows by local artists in their cozy, living room–like cafes. Today, the cafe’s straightforward espresso drinks and French press by the cup are made from Coava beans. Its influence spread to coffee shops around town: Billy Wilson, who went to open Barista, and Matt Higgins, now the CEO of Coava Coffee, worked there. But Albina Press, open since 2004, was a leader in Portland’s third-wave coffee scene.

JMīoth the Hawthorne and the namesake Albina location are true “neighborhood-neighborhood” coffee shops, with a patched floor and tagged bathrooms vibe. This is an excellent new addition to Portland’s coffee scene, one the city is just getting to know as a cafe with room to grow and delight. All the coffee here is roasted by Abba the brand started roasting in 2019, but did not open its first proper cafe until early 2023, a light and airy space in the heart of the Pearl District with ample seating to read, study, or hang out with friends. Think black sesame lattes, creamy and sweet and topped with a dusting of black sesame powder, or an excellent pistachio latte, where earthy greenness blends beautifully with espresso.

One of the newest cafes in town, Abba’s menu is influenced by Korean specialty coffee culture. Explore, have fun, and order what you like.

This is our focus, rather than the local mini-chains you might expect to find. Right now, you can visit a shop every day and never have the same experience twice, even at the same shop.Ĭonsider this your guide to the wealth of places, new to old, remaking the case that Portland is a great indie coffee city. The upshot: Never have the options been greater or more dynamic, including food that goes way beyond typical coffee shop snacks, from Japanese shaved ice to the perfect fried egg sandwich.

Snobbery is out a democracy of drinking is in. The city’s vaunted third-wave coffee scene, with its bearded, tattooed baristas and parody-level seriousness, has given way to a post-wave moment, open to new approaches and flavors. In a companion essay, our project collaborator, James Beard–winning journalist and Sprudge cofounder Jordan Michelman, argues why Portland coffee still matters in 2023. Bottom line: The conversation is shifting. For months now, we’ve scoured the city for a fresh definition for Portland’s independent coffee scene and where to find it, exciting newcomers to the once-buzzy artisan roasters still defining neighborhoods.

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