This coffee shop/bookstore is so fun I just love it!! It's located on Capitol Hill with plenty of street parking and accessible by bike too. There's lots of seating both outside and inside. Inside is the coffee shop and a bookstore with new books, fun puzzles and plenty of space to read or get some work done. Staff were friendly and orders came out quickly. They had fun fall seasonal drinks when my gf and I were there and the cold brew with salty cold foam was soooo good. We also had breakfast which was amaze. Prices were reasonable even though they were adjusted so that workers have an appropriate wage instead of relying on tips, which is super cool! Lots of vegan options. This place made me so happy and I can't wait to come visit again! read more

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Such a cute bookstore café!! Love the cozy ambiance and interior layout. There're more seats next to the counter, with additional seats on the balcony & courtyard, and a huge table at the center of the reading room in the back. Great place to get coffee, grab a quick bite, and do some work/study! Abundance of outlets and easy to access, but the only downside would be the 3-hour-limit of wifi access. We got a cappuccino (with oatmilk) and a french toast latte (seasonal). Amazing blend of rich espresso flavor and the hearty texture of oatmilk. The french toast latte is on the sweeter side with a nice toasted cinnamon flavor! Would definitely come back again for the food. read more

Ada's Technical Books and Cafe - Reading Room - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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We stumbled upon this shop while venturing elsewhere in the Capitol Hill / Volunteer Park neighborhood. What a fun and welcome surprise. I love a well curated bookstore and this place did not disappoint. Although it bills itself a specialty bookseller with an emphasis on science and other technical books, they had a lot to offer almost anyone, with staff picks and other highlights throughout. We didn't sample any of the food or beverage offered by the café, but would return on the strength of concept alone. A fun local business that adds a lot to the community! read more

Finally getting out during a lull in the pandemic, stopped by Ada's to order one of their veggie sandwiches. This was my second time there, over a year separated the visits, last time I ordered a couple of lunch bowls and picked up a couple of the staff picks' books. This time, looking through their bookshelves at their diverse selection, I returned to the counter asking about purchasing Marie Yovanovitch's new autobiography and was met with "we wouldn't have that," in a way that made me embarrassed that I asked. I'm not sure what falls in the exact description of what counts as technical books here, but the story of the daughter of refugees from Nazi Germany and Soviet oppression, herself an immigrant who faced years of misogyny while rising to the highest ranks as a U.S. diplomat only to have a career-ending hit job by the president of the United States, to courageously defend herself in front of U.S. Congress and the world, and to have fought for the people of Ukraine for a chunk of her career (I would go on but haven't read the book yet (!))- seems like a timely read as well as somewhat in the definition of the social justice books Ada's likes to advocate. It just seems like a weird thing to be flatly told "we wouldn't have that" in the context of the books offered at this venue. So, buyer beware, if you don't see it, perhaps best not to ask if they carry it. read more

Love the coffee and vibe. Wish the breakfast menu was a little more expansive vs. a few years ago but it doesn't detract from my opinion of the place. Been a neighbor for 19 years and Ada's is still where I always take my out of town friends for coffee and to start the day. read more

Unique place. Nice to stop in for a small bite and a good conversation. Food is good and the presentation is awesome yet there is a tad missing in the flavor. Overall very pleased, and would consider coming back if in the area read more

Ada's Technical Books and Cafe - Blueberry something - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Tea and vegan food options + books?! I'm sold! I'd been wanting to check out Ada's for a while so I was very happy to have the opportunity to meet a couple friends here on a rainy Sunday (late) morning. There aren't a ton of seating options inside so my friends and I sat around a covered outdoor table on the sidewalk. Good thing I brought my puffy jacket! I just ordered a cup of herbal tea but after seeing my friend's food I wished I'd ordered something! They have scrumptious looking treats in the case up front, as well as more substantial menu items, like vegan breakfast burritos mmm. Next time, of course. We were chatting it up so I didn't have a chance to peruse the books but I loved the clean, bright atmosphere of the cafe/bookshop. Basically I can't wait to come back! read more

Revisited briefly at least twice since Feb 2014, but today is the first time in ages to be able to sit and linger in Ada's Technical Cafe and Books (7/3/17). Too loud at Hi Spot in Madrona, passed on the rebranded former Renedy Teas, too full at Victrola, and didn't want Caffe Ladro. Found the sweet spot along 15th Ave E at Ada's. Ordered a pair of 16 ounce mochas, a blueberry ricotta mini bundt cake, and a Not Tart. All were on point and delicious. The last item was a playful twist of what a mass produced pop tart, wished it could be. Lovely assortment in pastry case! Nice balance with overhead natural light, a variety of seating available, normal conversation levels, eclectic music playing, and with a very pleasant cafe counter crew. Even a mishap with broken glassware, cups, and saucers was handled without further incident. And of course the bookstore is chockful with science, tech, engineering, STEM selections, cookbooks (!), children's titles, and other cafe, science, and literary kits, jewelry, and accessories. An oasis after an earlier medical procedure and a loud brunch. Nice to revisit and see that Ada's Technical Books and Cafe continues to be well established and better than ever! read more

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what a cute little cafe bookstore! except its a lot bigger than I expected LOL it's a great place to sit down and work for a while; almost like you're at a library but they have a cafe to fuel you too haha I will mention though, their coffee isss mediocre? and their hot chocolate too. pastries seem average as well. I kind of thought their coffee would be pretty good because I expected it to be like a cafe main plus a bookstore?? but I guess it's actually more like a bookstore main plus coffee. read more

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Had never been here before but passed it when I was in the neighborhood and thought it was so cute! The exterior looks like a small house and they have great decor inside that is well set up for a bookstore and cafe experience. It is pretty quiet in here so it is a great place to work. If you need WiFi, you do need to get the password when you order. I tried their plum and cardamom cruffin (it was okay, but they had many types of pastries) and a tea (in a pot) for around $12. I highly recommend coming in and checking it out. I will definitely be back to get some reading in or work done in the future. read more

I can't imagine a better place for cs lovers than Ada's. All the decor is stem themed - from the circuit board tables to the mobile of technical drawings hanging from the ceiling. The espresso is pretty acidic, but here you're mostly paying for the setting. The array of books is quite impressive - if it's STEM-related, odds are it'll be at Ada's. I've purchased some cryptography books here that I've been unable to find at the library or elsewhere. read more

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Fun and cute atmosphere of a specialty bookstore. The cafe space was curated nicely with unique table designs. Had the potato galette which was flavorful and well made. The caramelized onions were just the right amount of savory and complemented the soft egg and crispy pie crust. As for the coffee, it was alright but not memorable and rather pricey. They do have a large selection of latte syrups if you're into that. Maybe we were expecting this to be more of a hangout space with books to browse while enjoying the cafe, but the cafe and bookstore were not really integrated, as in the cafe was very much a study area with food and drink, quite separate from the rest. This seems like it would be a nice place to study though! read more

Ada's technical cafe is truly unique--a nice mix of cafe and bookstore, with a tech-y twist that added a lot of personality. My favorite part of the cafe was definitely the ambience. Each table is decorated to highlight some aspect of science or nature, and even the number that you get after ordering your food is themed. I also thought the food was pretty good. I got the avocado toast with egg, which was one of many vegetarian options on the menu. My only critique is that a few of the technical books in the back seemed outdated, but there was also a large enough selection that it didn't matter. read more

Ada's Technical Books and Cafe - The avocado toast was delicious! :) - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This place is one of the best places for coffee and food in the city. The staff is awesome and the chefs are aces.

Didn't get to try any of the real good because they closed their kitchen early): Drinks: plenty if coffee and tea options! Only lemon-y type drink would be their lemoncoco and unfortunately no juices/: Tea was really good, and I hope to be back for try their coffee! Pastries: tried their biscotti and savory scone. Biscotti was a good size and had pistachios and stuff, slightly sweet and not too hard/crumbly like others can be! Liked it a lot. Savory scone: on the smaller size, looked more like a biscuit but the texture and taste was good. Atmosphere: relatively quiet, as it seems more like a study cafe than a hanging out cafe. Some seating in the front as well as the back! Tons and tons of books and they also have cute little wooden puzzles for you to play with! (They are pretty hard by the way) read more

Ada's Technical Books and Cafe - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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This place is magical--and the food is great, too. I stopped by for a snack and left 45 minutes later with five books, a delicious, warm, "Hawt Pocket" (ground beef, black beans, cheese and other good things stuffed inside a Cornish pastie), and the best, moistest, blueberry-banana muffin I've ever tasted. (I also like the rigorous COVID protocol. Masks and proof of vaccination required.) Beautiful space, too. I was born a geek and was just fascinated by their collection of fascinating books about science and technology. If I'd stayed another 30 minutes, I probably could have spent $300! I'll be back. read more

I was hoping to find any old cafe to sit down and study at and I happily stumbled upon Ada's. As soon as I walked in, I immediately fell in love. The inside is brightly lit and the walls are lined with books and intricate touches of art. The atmosphere caught my attention and provided a lovely time here, but the drinks are also phenomenal! They have a large range of options so whatever your drink preferences are, they will be able to provide for you. I didn't know exactly what to order due to my unfortunately picky preferences so I asked the barista and they were kind enough to recommend the "black cauldron" which I absolutely loved!! I was sad to hear this was a seasonal drink but they were kind enough to let me know that as long as they have the ingredients they were always willing to whip it up for me. This coffee wasn't too sweet but still had great, subtle flavor. The workers here are also super friendly and seem to enjoy their time at work which makes a noticeable difference for me as a consumer. I will definitely be coming back to make this my designated study spot from now on! read more

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This is such a fun place! They have puzzles, food and of course so many books! It's a very welcome environment. There is a seating inside by the cafe and in another room towards the back of the bookstore. It's a great place to stop by for some coffee, grab a book and spend an evening. read more

Ada's Technical Books and Cafe - Inside - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Ada's has easily become my new favorite coffee shop & bookstore in Cap Hill. The coffee is quite good (although a tad pricey, in my opinion), the atmosphere is great for browsing through books or enjoying a beverage, the service is friendly and helpful, and there are lots of neat little gizmos and gadgets for science-lovers. Unlike a lot of Capitol Hill coffee shops, it's very well-lit and tastefully designed. There's definitely still a hipster aesthetic to it all, but it doesn't feel like a dark dungeon. I also really like their monthly AEnigma, which is a puzzle you can solve for a free (non-alcoholic) drink! One thing I noticed, however, is that on the two occasions I've visited, the wifi has been spotty and inconsistent. It wasn't a huge deal for me, because I didn't necessarily need it, but I could see how it could be an inconvenience for some. read more

Ada's Technical Books and Cafe - Coffee, tea, and neat tables! - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This was an awesome find! It's probably one of the most epic fusions of coffeeshop cafe & bookery, if there ever was a category for that. Up front, they had a great display of snacks and pastries. Taking a look around, just the sheer selection of knick knacks, paddywacks and products you can purchase is intriguing! I think there was some coffee lil thing from Japan? Hmm. After enjoying a tasty latte and/or chai latte with some tasty nibbles I wandered around everywhere my eyes took me. LQQK at this! LQQk at that! _So_ many neat things to find here; books and besides books! "Whoa, what?! A string with STROBING lights?! o_O" "Hey, AutoCAD 2014 and, dude, trippy puzzles!" They also have one of the best cup stamps. Evarr. Wonderful unique and rare breed of a space. Handicap access ramp alongside, as well, with neat limited landscaping. read more

Ada's Technical Books and Cafe - -c_c- - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is a great local gem in the neighborhood. The bookstore specializes in scientific/technical (e.g. nerdiness) based of all kinds. It's actually quite a charming place with many nerdy, quirky things to it. The bookstore also has its own coffee shop/bakery which sells either homemade goodies or local items (like Kuma coffee). Ada's also hosts various sciency based events, too (one of them I believed they had George Takei visiting the store as well!). I attended a puzzles event and it was actually quite fun. They put out various puzzles of different levels of difficulties for those with curious minds to solve. Even though I didn't solve any, my SO ended up spending hours and hours playing, while I waited and read up on interesting sciency booksabout food (e.g. history of breakfast, lunch, teabreak, etc). Definitely a great place to just sit down and read up interesting place by yourself, meet up with someone (hopefully who likes science/tech) for coffee, or just to grab a bag of books full of knowledge back home to read! :) read more

The thing that stands out about this place is the ambiance. I think it's part book store, part coffee shop? It's really bright with white walls and shelves of books. It's pretty nice chillin inside. 4.5 stars. Coffee wise, it was good, but not too distinguished. Pretty normal priced at $4ish for a tall vanilla latte. 3.5 stars. I also got the vegan tomato soup for $6.50. Not bad but kinda expensive no? I thought less $2 would be more reasonable. read more

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This place is too precious. It's geeky on all sorts of levels but classy at the same time. Like a clean cut nerd in suspenders. Bottom line, the decorations are out of this world. The food and the drinks though are satisfying but outrageously priced. As creamy and delicious as the mac and cheese was, I paid over $9.00 for a dish I devoured in 5 bites! And I don't know if it's because baristas in general are touchy about the latte art, but when I had asked the barista what she was planning to make for my latte, she snidely remarks, "Anything I feel like! " Okay lady, I was just curious. She made a leaf. Bathrooms are available. No key necessary. read more

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Weren't expecting much but the bahn mi was amazing and the breakfast burrito pretty solid. Got the lemonade which was very refreshing in the heat. Cute back patio with shade. read more

The coffee is amazing, food is amazing, and the energy of the place is so calming. I love that it's a STEM focused bookstore. Even the kids books are mostly STEM. So rad. I constantly dream about going there. read more

Seattle is FULL of cafes. In downtown, every other corner of the block will have a cafe. And they close early too, at like 5 PM. But not Ada's. Perhaps influenced by the ever growing tech community in Capitol Hill, Ada is a techie's dream cafe. There are books dedicated to science and engineering. Anything science and math related, there's a book about it. It looks like a house from the inside and maybe once upon a time, it was a house. Since then, it's been converted to a spacious cafe with a patio area and beautiful dark wooden floors. The tables here are art. Glass overlays with maps and compasses underneath. It's mesmerizing and now I want those kinds of tables in my future home. There is also food-real food, not just snacks. It's alright price, not super expensive. I would move to Capitol Hill, high rents and all, just so I could come to Ada's every weekend. read more

Ada's Technical Books and Cafe - Shashuka and tea - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Three of us stopped for coffee. All-around great experience. AMBIANCE: 5.0. Inside is books, puzzles, and seating. Mostly folks quietly reading books or their PC, generally with a coffee and pastry. Quiet. Inside is not a place for loud discussions on politics or sports. There is exterior seating in front, but the jewel is the outside seating at the side of the building. Three tables, each with a heat lamp available. Though the small patio is surrounded on 4 sides by buildings, it was very pleasant and shaded when we sat there on a warm summer day, with a cool breeze coming in between the buildings. Street noise is muffled. SERVICE: 4.0. Professional and friendly. COFFEE: 3.5. Americanos were quite good. read more

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Great bookstore. The baristas aren't snobby or elitist, the coffee is good, and they serve brunch. While the tables and chairs are limited, there's also an outdoor (back and front) patio. read more

Ada's Technical Books and Cafe - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This was my favorite cafe during my stay in Seattle. The charm of a local bookstore merges perfectly with a quality restaurant that turns dining into an experience. The food menu is very inclusive and allergy friendly, with gluten free, vegan, and vegetarian options easily available. And the coffee is wonderful too (I drink black coffee). The staff is friendly and genuine, but not overbearing. They are easy to talk to and comfortable giving recommendations on what to eat and books to read. The most unique part of this experience might be the way they assign orders to customers. Instead of order numbers they assign a card to each customer with the name of someone of historical significance. So neat! I ordered the tartine with gluten free bread (delish) and my order was assigned the astronomer, Edwin Hubble. I loved everything about my experience- I'm definitely coming back again before I leave Seattle. read more

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I love this place! It's cozy and charming, a great place to get some work done on your laptop or a read a book. They have an interesting selection of seasonal drinks and I highly recommend the chorizo empanada. It can be tricky to snag a seat in the afternoons as it gets pretty busy, but so worth it if you do. read more

A neat, fun, well-executed combination of two things I love: a bookstore and cafe. Not nearly as dry and sterile as the name would suggest; in fact, I would heartily suggest that the proprietors rename this cool, inviting boutique store. Not only does the bookstore offer much more than just technical books, but the cafe offers amazing specialty coffee varietals and beautiful house-made pastries. That, and the name causes the store to not even appear in a "Coffee & Tea" Yelp query... Interesting window tables offer tech and science-themed collections for your amusement. Browsing the books, there is indeed a variety of informational, technical and scientific non-fiction works, but also a focused, quality selection of science fiction, speculative historical fiction, children's books and even young adult literature, sans the usual "sparkly vampire" and most "awkward pathetic romance" varietals. They offer short and long-term offices, meeting spaces, workstations and conference rooms for rent as well. Worth a look, even if you're not a scientist! read more

Ada's Technical Books and Cafe - Not sure what this is, but it's interesting! - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Awesome cute cafe with technical books, a little patio area, and lots of seating. Mocha was yummy. I would definitely come back here next time I'm in Seattle. read more

Ada's Technical Books and Cafe - Mocha - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Best pumpkin coffee I have ever had in my life I think. Nice atmosphere and selection by the looks of it.

This is a cute spot! I went in with a friend in the middle of the day on a weekday, so there were a few spots left to sit. It pretty quiet and a good place to work or study. I ordered an iced latte-- and it was alright. I wouldn't come back just for the coffee because there are better places around the area. As for the bookstore portion, it's just like a standard bookstore which is interesting. read more

Cute bookstore/cafe. Both sandwich and drink were surprisingly great, definitely exceeded expectations.

If you are into geeky books, this is your new home. There is a bias towards computer and DIY books, but there's a little something for every geek here. The feng shui is great! Plus it's a cafe! And there is a coworking space upstairs. Wifi: 42/45 megabits down/up Plenty of power plugs read more

Ada's Technical Books and Cafe - Latte and books - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This place was a hidden gem! From the outside you would not guess there are countless books and delicious vegetarian treats inside! Single origin drip coffee comes with a refI'll, the croque madam was decadent and filling - which could have been maybe offset by a side salad but it was still amazing. The sweet onion jam is a great addition to this classic. Variety of seating but was 90%% full, maybe since it was a snow day so many were looking for WiFi and warm beverages. read more

Ada's Technical Books and Cafe - Drip coffee and the croque madam - Bookstores Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Such a fun little place to go for a coffee, a snack, and a book! What more could you want? Friendly staff, fun seasonal drinks, and nice indoor and outdoor seating. One of my favorite places to wander to on the weekend read more

Uniquely themed bookstore and cafe. Great place to meet up and linger. Decent menu of snacks and baked goods, delicious coffee.

Food is ok. Books are political. Most staff are very friendly, but there are a few who are instrusive. During Covid they had their customers put on their masks between bites of their food, which was silly. read more