The ambiance and location were quite nice. I originally wanted a double chocolate croissant, but they were out of it when we arrived, so I went with a chocolate croissant and a latte instead. I asked for my order "for here," but it was still served in a disposable cup, which was disappointing if I wanted it to go, I would have said so. It's frustrating that you have to specifically ask for a proper mug these days. The croissant was just okay not bad, but not particularly good either. The chocolate itself was nice, but the sugar glaze made it a bit too sweet for my taste. The service also felt a bit uninterested. Overall, I don't think I'd return. Just a note for cafes: if someone asks for their order "for here," serving it in an actual mug or cup really adds to the experience that's part of why people visit. The coffee itself was underwhelming, so I'd rate this lower mainly due to the overall experience. read more

Cloudy Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I've been here several times since I live just down the street, and every single visit has been consistently amazing. I honestly haven't had a single item I didn't love. What really sealed it for me, though, was an experience my family and I had recently. My dad was placing an order for Saturday morning pickup so I could bring everything to Whidbey Island for Easter brunch. He had a few questions, and the owner personally called him back right away--even while they were in New York visiting family. Not only that, but they made a point to leave a special note for their staff allowing me to pick up the order later in the morning so I could "sleep in." Normally, pickups have to happen within 15 minutes because of how in-demand their pastries are, so this was incredibly thoughtful. It genuinely made all of us smile. That level of care and consideration--especially while they were across the country with their own family--says everything about the kind of people they are. Truly above and beyond. read more

Cloudy Cafe - Almond croissant - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I love the coffee, even the decaf! and the cafe food! Plain croissants, paris brest, and pistachio tiramisu are also top favorites for something more decadent. The service and vibe are chill. Quiet on weekdays which I appreciate. Often busy for weekend brunch so i appreciate the sound dampening they added. I often enjoy the music they have playing and the lack of laptops. My only wish is that breakfast service started at 8 or 8:30am weekdays. read more

Cloudy Cafe is an interesting Indonesian-inspired bakery and cafe with some really unique treats that I don't believe can be found elsewhere in Seattle, or at least not in an identical format. While the cafe has actual meals for lunch, we were more interested in the delectable looking pastries sitting in the display windows. When we visited just past lunch time on a Saturday afternoon, they still had everything in stock. We ended up with four items: Double Chocolate Croissant ($7) - This is a inky dark brown cocoa colored pastry with chocolate leaking over the side and caramelizing over the baking surface. The texture, with the addition of cocoa powder, is completely different from a normal croissant. It's overall denser, drier, and doesn't feel as flaky as normal croissant dough due to the layers kind of sticking together. The top layer has an interesting kind of harder, thicker, more toothsome crisp and is still plenty flaky. The pastry is not too sweet and tastes like butter and tons of chocolate and cocoa powder. (5/5) Goat Basque Cheesecake ($9) - This slice uses a tangy, sweet, and very smooth cheesecake base. There's no base layer, instead the entire slice is pure cheesecake, as is integral to the Basque style. There is the smallest hint of a goaty element which is more apparent retronasally upon swallowing the bite. The cheesecake has a pleasing dark brown burnt-looking topping which carries a well developed caramelized taste. (4/5) Pain au Caramel ($7) - Wow, this thing is HEFTY, probably at least half a pound of croissant dough and caramel filling. It's difficult to discern lamination quality in a filled pastry, but this one seems nice with compressed honeycomb layers flattened by the heavy caramel. Unlike the chocolate croissant, this pastry has the typical baked croissant flaky crispness on the exterior and the interior, while a bit on the denser side thanks to the filling, is buttery and chewy. The caramel is not just pure sugar. It's rich and thick, sweet with a tangy tropical fruit-like flavor mixed with molasses. There's just a slight bit of graininess, which indicates possible use of tropical fruit pulp, processed until as fine as possible. Overall a delicious pastry, albeit very heavy. (5/5) Paris Brest ($9) - This resembles more of a cream puff, cut and filled, than a Paris Brest. It's not wheel shaped and is filled with stabilized vanilla bean cream rather than being praline flavored. It's very rich and has a good sweet flavor. The top of the pastry adds a bit of a cookie crust. It's a great cream puff but not a good Paris Brest. (4/5) Overall I found the pastries and desserts to be very good. I'm not in Ballard too often, but I'd love to come back and try more. Bathrooms - Two unisex rooms. They use high end paper towels here, like ones that a typical fine dining establishment would use. read more

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I saw that Cloudy Cafe was opening in the former Watson's Counter site via the My Ballard blog and IG. The cafe owner has a really awesome pastry chef and restaurant background. Quite the professional pedigree. Coffee and baked goods, I'm in! I decided to check it out on this blustery Sunday morning (10/19/25). Glancing through the windows, I am amazed at the transformation inside. This is the third business at this site, so I'm hoping that's third time's the charm. There are items mentioned from the online menu that give me sticker shock. However, seeing prices in Maui nearly two months ago, overall inflation, and dining prices in Seattle, one just has to be judicious with those culinary dollars. Definitely, I will have a mocha. I just have to decide to go big with Chicken & Waffles at nearly $25 - boneless Indonesian fried chicken, pandan waffle, fried egg and roasted potato? Or cobble together à la carte items with baked goods I saw in the pastry case? Soon to find out as it's nearly 9am. I ended up doing the latter since they are in soft opening / training mode at the moment. Here's the rundown: *16oz mocha - paper cup, cool latte art ($6) *Bacon Quiche - nice & custardy with pickled onions or shallots, crust for structure ($11) *Plain Croissant - decent lamination ($5) *Chocolate Swirl ($7) *Candied Ginger Palmier - nice addition ($5) Tax & tip was under $43. Thank goodness for takeout boxes. I was one of the first in the door this morning, but soon the line got longer and tables filled up. I purposefully sat at a corner two top to observe the cafe vibe for over an hour. Well staffed, popular, family friendly, lively overhead music. Various seating configurations: two & four top, banquette, and counters. One counter also allows a view of pastry production, as I spotted a sheeter & speed rack. Also, Cloudy Cafe is located along Metro bus route 40 and with the usual street parking in Ballard. Pro tip: come early for better menu selection & seating availability especially once they transition to grand opening and full production. Ran into another Yelp Elite and Ballard resident, Wendy K and her friend. 4 to 4.5 stars, but raised to 5 stars with my initial visit. Recommended! read more

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Cloudy Cafe might be one of fav bakeries in Seattle! Came by on a weekday and weekend, and I'd def recommend the weekend more bc they had way more pastries. They had I think 4 on a Thursday but on Saturday they had way more plus quiches. The pastries are so good!! I've never seen a double chocolate croissant but it's delicious esp fresh bc the chocolate is still gooey inside. The regular chocolate croissant is my partner's fav he's had in Seattle. The quiches are great too! I had the mushroom one and it comes with some pickled shallots that are incredible. They also have a brunch menu online, but I'm not sure they're serving it quite yet bc I didn't see it in the bakery. Whenever they do, I will be so excited to try! read more

Cloudy Cafe - Double pain au chocolat - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I have been eyeing the baked goods through the glass window when I walk past the cafe but decided to go in, when I had an errand to run nearby. I bought the chocolate chunk cookie and maple twist. Chocolate chip cookie was a hit! I haven't had such a tasty and chunky cookie to my liking in a while. Maple twist was also good but didn't feel as special as the cookie. It basically tasted like a cinnamon roll coated with a layer of icing. It's quite sweet but goes pretty well with coffee. read more

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I was so sad when Watson's corner closed down, but finally had a chance to check out cloudy Café and it's so cute. I really love seeing these cultural cafés and restaurant brings some modern fusion and twist to Asian foods and can definitely see the Indonesian and Malaysian influences in the menu here. The ambience is beautiful. The service is super friendly and the food is all great. Definitely recommend coming whenever you have a chance but note that it has been busy every time I walk by so prepare for a wait. Street parking is plentiful around the area. read more

Cloudy Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Literally everything on the menu is delicious. I love the layered croissants. The grilled cheese & tomato soup was also delish. read more

Cloudy Cafe - Lemon meringue, pain au chocolat, chocolate croissant - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Cloudy cafe is a special treat! Exceptional, pastries, coffee, service and atmosphere. This wonderful place is a must try. read more

Cloudy Cafe - Cloudy cafe is a real treat! Exceptional pastries,coffee, service & atmosphere. This wonderful place is a must try - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Saw this new cafe in the former watson's counter spot, so I decided to check it out. They still don't have the complete menu listed on their website, they have a few baked goods and drinks. I got the avocado latte which was creamy and delicious. I got the double chocolate croissant, which was flaky with rich chocolate. Looking forward to checking it out again as they expand their menu! read more

This place is a must-try, especially if you dislike high-acidity coffee like me. Coffee was NOT sour and flavorful. It was perfectly smooth. They offer variety of Baked Goods and they are unique. I loved the Maitake Croissant and Japanese Milk Bread with chestnut paste. The Japanese Emily bread was stellar to me. Next time, I'm going to try their Basque "Goat" Cheesecake. read more

Cloudy Cafe - Coffee and Maitake - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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The coffee is always smooth and well poured here. I order an oat latte. Staff is very pleasant and helpful. My favorite pastry is their cinnamon roll, which is less dense (more croissant like) than a traditional cinnamon roll. I love the crispness on the edges from the sugar. It is sweet but not overly. I love the atmosphere of this location. Very comfortable, pristine restrooms, and a great view of 24th Ave. read more

My friend brought me a couple of treats from this new bakery all the way in Ballard & when I tasted them...I knew I had to go! She brought a lemon meringue croissant & a double chocolate croissant...both flaky, crisp and AMAZING!!! Also...this bakery is opened & owned by a local, woman of color, who has worked in several high end restaurants. I just had to go in for myself. I highly recommend going in early, my friend & I went on a random weekday at 11 AM & we were already too late for many of the baked goods including the double chocolate croissant. The word is already out! Along with baked goods, they have some brunch/lunch items from the kitchen. Just a few items, but they all look really good & intriguing. My friend & I ordered a slice of vegetarian quiche & a couple of baked goods...next time we are going in earlier to get a better chance at more options in the baked case. They also have a savory bowl on the menu I'd like to try. They have a really cute space with an open kitchen & a big case for baked goods. Plenty of seating to enjoy your goodies or take them to go. Of course they have coffee & espresso, I need to try a coffee drink next time as well. I've already made plans to return! read more

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Pastries tasted like they were day old. The coffee and service was great. Need more tables for short stay to enjoy coffee and friends read more

I am so excited to see something open in the old Watson's Counter space! I know this place literally just opened and I am optimistic that it's going to be great eventually but, for me, it just wasn't there yet. The good: I love what they've done with the interior. It's so much warmer than when it was Watson's and feels like somewhere you want to hang out. The pastries and coffee are really good! The staff members provided friendly service. The needs improvement: I think we waited in line for about 15-20 minutes, with only like 5 people in front of us. There seemed to be some confusion because they're just serving a partial menu (not the menu on the website) and perhaps that slowed things down. There was very limited info available about the dishes they were serving beyond the pastries. The water dispenser was empty for our whole time there (I did see it get filled right as we were finishing up). It's one of those counter service/bus your own table spots, but I didn't see any staff members wiping down the tables when folks left. Obviously the price point is high, but hey, that's Seattle. I am excited to come back once things are little more up and running! read more

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So pleased to have a new restaurant in this space! Stopped by for brunch and had the French toast. It was great--I would have liked to get a side of bacon, it would be wonderful if they added that as an option on the menu. I can't wait to come back and try some of the gorgeous pastries. read more

Ooo I am so happy to report that the cafe closest to me now has amazing coffee, lattes and pastries. Still haven't had a whole sit-down meal experience but will sometime soon. Had the Toasted Latte today that was a perfect holiday (or maybe year-round?) latte -- it's got cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. A lot of the other holiday lattes I've had are too sweet or have a weird imbalance of spices I don't like. This was perfect. Also got the mortadella cheese croissant - om nom! I wish they had a few more savory options in the pastry case because I like getting some meat-based protein in for breakfast - this one was great tho. I am definitely going back in at least once a week to try out everything else. Delicious and beautiful addition to the neighborhood! read more

All around amazing breakfast experience for our family. The breakfast bowl was off the charts tasty and unique. Pastries and coffee amazing. The decor, the lighting and the general vibe was perfect. This place deserves serious praise. read more

Customer service here was non existent and the texture of the double chocolate croissant was odd. The space is nice though with lots of seating. Overall, this place isn't worth the hype. I won't be back here again and I don't recommend this cafe. read more

Danger! A cinnamon roll and incredible chocolate cake bread thing. I would have ordered more but horrified myself when I sat there and ate both ( I was going to take the chocolate cake bread thing home. I didn't). Loved this space when was Royal Drummer. So glad it's occupied again! read more

This brand new cafe in Ballard is a must! Everything from the coffee to the pastries and savory foods are so delicious! Beautiful art on the walls, lighting makes you want to hang out all day. We tried a variety of dishes, and brought pastries home for later. The quiche with Sambal matah was incredible, I could go on and on ! read more

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Delicious food! We both got the veggie bowl. Although the pastries looked delicious, I wish the menu had a few more entree options.

Had a chance to go here this morning. FYI they are not doing their full breakfast menu yet and just have their bakery items. We literally tried one of each and all were very good. Our favorite were the almond croissant and the Chocolate croissant as well as the basin Quiche. I recommend coming for just the bakery items but look forward to coming back for their full breakfast menu read more

Went there just after they opened - the veggie bowls were great and the quiche sublime!