14 new Vietnamese cafes to try in and around Seattle

There’s a new wave of Vietnamese cafes in the Seattle area, and with all these spots springing up just in the past few years, there’s much to taste all over the place. Most source beans from Vietnam — from there, offerings vary widely, from the cooling classic that is cà phê sữa đá (robustly brewed coffee plus sweetened condensed milk, served iced) to cà phê muối (salted coffee topped with velvety fluff that’s a sweet-and-sodium sensation) and beyond.

Here are 14 options, listed alphabetically.

Aroom Coffee

3801 Stone Way N., Suite C, Seattle (Fremont); aroomcoffee.com

Ensconced in the ground floor of a new Stone Way development, this sleek, minimalist, high-ceilinged space features a coffee-and-cream color scheme and hosts lots of laptops.

Coffeeholic House and M Cozy Fusion Cafe

3700 S. Hudson St., Seattle (Columbia City), 206-722-3327; 8525 Greenwood Ave. N., Seattle (Greenwood), 206-588-1937; 10000 Main St., Suite 103, Bellevue, 425-590-9916; coffeeholichouse.com

4715 25th Ave. N.E., Seattle (Ravenna); 206-588-2849; mcozycafe.com

Debuting from a husband-and-wife team a week before the pandemic shutdown in 2020, Coffeeholic House clearly has what it takes, with three branches now up and running, plus a fresh spinoff: M Cozy Fusion Cafe at University Village.

Drip & Sip

12930 E. Marginal Way S., Tukwila; 206-353-6122; search “Drip & Sip Café” on Facebook and Instagram

With a fish tank in one corner, a couple of tables and a few window seats, this spot on a quiet corner in Tukwila serves a steady stream of neighborhood regulars and also a very good banh mi đặc biệt (“special cold cuts”).

Hello Em

1227 S. Weller St., Seattle (Little Saigon); helloem.coffee

From James Beard Award finalist Yenvy Pham, this airy, lovely Little Saigon place imports and roasts Vietnamese beans, sold on-site and deployed to make a spectacular cà phê trứng (egg coffee) and more.

Phin

913 S. Jackson St., Suite D, Seattle (Little Saigon); entrance on 10th Avenue South; phinseattle.com

Named after the traditional Vietnamese-style coffee filter, tranquil, inviting little Phin in Little Saigon makes a stellar cà phê sữa chua (yogurt coffee) and rightfully popular crispy, cushy pandan waffles.

Queen CàPhê

2231 Queen Anne Ave. N., Seattle (Queen Anne); 206-457-8998; queencaphe.com

With pop décor and menus on hanging flat screens, this Queen Anne spot swerves more toward boba tea (and food, from banh mi to teriyaki), but sữa đá plus an option decked out with coconut and cheese foam are available.

Saigon Drip Cafe

161 S. Washington St., Seattle (Pioneer Square); 206-280-1797; saigondripcafe.com

If you’d like your cà phê sữa đá infused with durian, ultramodern Saigon Drip is there for you in historic Pioneer Square, with food offerings including pho, banh mi, four kinds of wings and more.

Sip House

5001 Brooklyn Ave. N.E., Seattle (University District); 206-468-5358; siphousewa.com

With soothing contemporary design, there’s something for everyone at this U District hangout, from Viet coffee favorites to boba tea and a mint mojito iced coffee.

Toast Mi

7130 Woodlawn Ave. N.E., Seattle (Green Lake), 206-402-5546; 2602 N. Proctor St., Suite D, Tacoma, 253-245-2246; toastmi.com

Serving banh mi, rice bowls and lots of boba tea for Green Lake goers and in Tacoma’s Proctor District, Toast Mi makes Viet coffee with optional sea salt crema topping — and boba, if you like.

Voi Cà Phê

6105 13th Ave. S., Seattle (Georgetown); voicaphe.com

With just to-go service and a little sidewalk seating on nice days, this Georgetown spot is tiny but mighty, with an educationally excellent website and one of the city’s best banh mis.