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    Empire Tea & Coffee

    4.0 (69 reviews)
    ModerateCoffee & Tea
    Open 6:00 am - 6:00 pm

    Empire Tea & Coffee Photos

    Business Info

    EMPIRE TEA & COFFEE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Empire Tea & Coffee

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    Dulcato
    Teresa R.

    We would've walked right by the place if my son didn't see in the window. Very easy to walk by, but you don't wanna miss it! This place was scrumptious!! I had a Dulcato, which is similar to the Rhode Island favorite Coffee Milk, and a heated chocolate croissant!! Absolutely delicious!

    Gluten free blueberry muffin
    Rachel O.

    I've been to the Newport location of Empire Tea & Coffee many times, but I just visited the Bristol location for the first time. 1 - The location of this shop is everything. It's right on the gorgeous Bristol Harbor & within walking distance of all of the cute offerings of downtown Bristol. It's basically connected to the Bristol Harbor Inn, so if you're staying there, you'll have caffeine just a few steps away. 2 - It's adorable. I've never seen built in mini "booths" quite like these before. There are outlets EVERYWHERE & a good, strong wifi signal. I sat & worked for a few hours, & it was comfortable & stayed at a manageable noise level. There are huge windows facing both the harbor & the street & they let in a wonderful amount of light. I can imagine this spot being a super cozy option to get your caffeine fix & your vitamin D fix in the winter. 3 - There are so many drink options & specials. I stuck with my usual (iced vanilla latte with oat milk & cinnamon) & it was the smoothest & maybe even the best latte I've ever had. 4 - There are plenty of options for meals & snacks, but as soon as my eyes found a gluten-free blueberry muffin, that's all I wanted. I asked if they could heat it up for me & they did. Phenomenal. 5 - Sweet staff! Efficient & kind. Tip your barista!

    desiree g.

    I recently visited Empire Tea in Bristol. This was my first time visiting this location. I am participating in the Rhode Island Food Fights Coffee Challenge. This shop made my top 3. They had a special drink for the challenge called Dulcato. It was so good. Strong coffee flavor and just the right amount of sweetness. I also ordered a piece of chocolate babka that was also delicious. There was lots of parking available near the location and there were about 6 tables available to sit down. It is also right near the water, so a great location to walk around with your coffee afterwards. If you are in Bristol, you should definitely check it out.

    The Bee Sting and plant based brekkie
    Kristen C.

    Stopped in before seeing the ships docked at the pier for 4th of July. Ordered the Bee Sting latte (Summer special) and the plant based brekkie. Everything came quickly. I've ordered this latte before at the Newport location and it came out different. I think it was missing the cayenne pepper and some other ingredients because it did not taste the same which was kinda disappointing yet still good. The brekkie was excellent and I would order it again! Vibe: Relaxed, Casual, Cozy Service: Attentive, Friendly Pricing: Budget-friendly Special Features: Small outdoor seating in the back with a view of the harbor. Located right in downtown.

    Nice views!
    Destenie V.

    First time at Empire, and I'm hooked. Vanilla Iced coffee was chef's kiss! The berry tea was impeccable. Customer service was top notch. Vibes were all positive. Please stop by! It's a great establishment with great offerings. You will love it. Trust me!

    Harbor view
    Jennifer D.

    A sweet coffee shop in a great location. A nice variety of drink and food options for such a small place. My vanilla latte was delicious. Service was great. I had a yogurt bowl that was also great. Not a ton of seating but certainly enough.

    View from inside to the water
    Jenna L.

    It's a great spot to stop for an iced tea or coffee on a hot day. They even sell bags of coffee to go which make great gifts if you are in town visiting.

    Pomegranate Bubble Tea
    Maya B.

    Empire Tea & Coffee is a quality cafe that never disappoints! If you are a huge bubble tea lover like I am, then you will love that Empire offers various bubble tea flavors (which is difficult to find around here!) The coffee and food menu selection is fairly limited compared to some other cafés, but the staff are incredibly friendly and the coffee is delicious! Empire Tea & Coffee is on the water, where you can easily access the docks to walk along Bristol Harbor. There are many local businesses in the area, and various areas for public parking.

    Toni T.

    Very small - but powerfully good. We stopped in on the way to Newport. I wanted to use my RI Food Fight Iced Coffee Celebration coupon at this location, though, based on other Yelp reviewers' comments (thank you, Morgan C!) and wasn't disappointed! I like the interior, with its combination stark and welcoming interior. My husband & I thought the private two-tops were ingenious: very comfortable, which they wouldn't seem to be at first glance, and with adequate room despite their limited use of space. My iced coffee was excellent, and the pastry solid. I may actually have to visit one of the Newport outposts too, even though it was my goal to use coupons every day & not pay for an individual cup of coffee all month.

    Lucky Charms Latte
    Kristen S.

    Super quick, super small-gorgeous views. Too small but it was a beautiful day so took my lucky charms latte down to the water and sat on a bench.

    Coffee Fiend
    Chris M.

    First visit to this fine coffee purveyor left me feeling both caffeinated and happy/amused. The coffee on brew was fresh and paired nicely with their bakery choices. The staff was friendly and entertaining. Everything you would expect when visiting beautiful Bristol RI. Definitely recommend giving this charming business a visit. Also, offers GF options too! Offers indoor seating and mobile charging.

    Alissa D.

    The day has finally come and I've been able to stop by after they've gotten over their new hiccups. This is an awesome coffee shop in a prime location. There is some funky seating, but enough. Very conducive to working or studying, and they have charging outlets at nearly every seat. Staff was friendly and quick and they made our orders with ease. I would definitely come back again. This is an excellent addition to Bristol!

    Whole grain croissant

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    24 days ago

    Excellent coffee at a fair price and friendly staff. The shop was very cozy. I plan to go back when I am in Bristol.

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    10 months ago

    I thought I had ordered online but it hadn't gone through. Luckily it didn't matter because service was so quick. It was great!

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    3 years ago

    Good coffee. Good breakfast sandwiches. A stone's throw away from the boardwalk on the waterfront.

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    5 years ago

    Snagged a London fog latte here on a windy and chilly day and it hit the spot! Hoping to try some of there other lattes soon!

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    5 years ago

    The online ordering has made this place even better for me. No longer have to wait, and the coffee and food is still great. Love it!

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    Borealis Coffee Company - Chocolate cheesecake

    Borealis Coffee Company

    4.5(54 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    This is my go-to work spot when I'm visiting family in Bristol and need sneak off for a a few hours…read moreto work. Fabulous house roasted coffee. Warm, inviting space with friendly staff. I haven't tried the baked goods, but they look delicious. Their fig and nut bar is excellent.

    Borealis has been a regular stop for me for years now, and I'm overdue writing a review. The…read moreBristol location is the newest and is tucked into a converted mill building on Wood Street. Tt has everything you'd want from a great coffee shop: comfortable seating, plenty of room to spread out and work, a rentable conference room, and something you would not expect from a coffee shop, the Aurora Bar, stocked with a nice selection of local spirits and other favorites. My partner and I stopped in for a quick nibble for lunch on Sunday and this was perfect. My partner went with the Caprese sandwich, which is served on a pressed ciabatta with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, spinach, pesto mayo, and balsamic. It was simple and tasty, and I was lucky enough to get a couple bites! I went with the Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap, which was also simple, but packed with flavor. It had all the obvious ingredients with the addition of pickles, which added such a nice briny little punch and really hit the spot. Something worth noting: both of our items were ordered from the laminated menu at the register, not in the beautiful leather-bound Aurora Bar menu, which appears to be an evening menu with cocktails and other tasty food items. For drinks, I went with an espresso tonic; the slight bitterness of the quinine plays really nicely against the bold espresso, and it's one of those combinations that's refreshing in a way that's hard to explain until you try it. One small note for the team: the Riverside location has always had a real warmth and cohesion to the staff that I haven't quite felt at Bristol. It's not a dealbreaker by any stretch, but a little more energy behind the counter would go a long way. Still a five-star spot, as the coffee and the space more than make up for it.

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    Borealis Coffee Company
    Borealis Coffee Company - Lavender Latte, Maple Latte, and Coffee Cake Scone

    Lavender Latte, Maple Latte, and Coffee Cake Scone

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    Bristol Bagel Works

    Bristol Bagel Works

    4.2(110 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $

    A Bristol institution! The line is usually long on a weekend morning, and for good reason - their…read morebagels are so satisfying, fresh, and honestly just exactly what I want in a bagel. They have tons of options to concoct a breakfast or lunch sandwich on a bagel of your choice. Their coffee is delicious, too! I love their white cheddar cheese and will often order a sandwich with that and egg on an everything or the rare, coveted, absolutely divine Asiago bagels they offer. Truly Heavenly! I've never brought someone here for a cozy breakfast meal and had them not enjoy it. Located on the main drag with lots of street parking, it's easy to have a slow, small town morning mozying to the nearby gift shops and restaurants after your stop here. I really shouldn't rave so much because it's already so packed...but there are my 2 cents!

    Great location, nice bagels, friendly staff, simple in-store system!…read more We went to Bristol Bagel Works to have a bagel lunch after visiting Blithewold, which is about three minutes away. This shop has a great location, right in the center of downtown. The bagels were very yummy. I had a salmon, cream cheese, tomato, and capers sandwich. My spouse had a pepper turkey, cheese, and some other things sandwich. The kids had poppy seed bagels, toasted with butter. Everyone was happy! Some of us had brought water bottles with us, and others had drinks from the chiller case. You order at the register, give your name, and then they call it out from the counter to the right when it's ready. Very easy! Warm and welcoming staff! I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in the area. My one qualm with the bagels is that they use corn meal on their peels/board/sheets. Corn meal acts as ball bearings to slide dough more easily, but corn meal also burns easily! So, although my sesame bagel had the a great chew, it had a ring of burn on the bottom. I'd love for Bristol Bagel Works to try switching to semolina flour -- still great for the sliding, but it won't burn until a higher temperature!

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    Bristol Bagel Works
    Bristol Bagel Works - Peppermint mocha Choca and the roast beef special on the works

    Peppermint mocha Choca and the roast beef special on the works

    Bristol Bagel Works

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    Coastal Roasters

    Coastal Roasters

    4.5(170 reviews)
    4.5 mi
    $

    Ive been to 55 coffee shops in the last 15 days via the RI Food Fights Iced Coffee Passport…read moreChallenge. The employees here have got to be the nicest people Ive encountered at all 55 shops. I got a Large Pistachio Iced Coffee, a Knead Chocolate Chip Donut and a Spinach and Artichoke Pie from Babe Pie Co. This place is small and dog friendly. Lots of seating outside. Such a pretty setting.

    I live a bit away from this coffee shop but have made the drive a few times for the beautiful area…read moreand good coffee. This Saturday my girlfriend & I decided to take the 45 min drive to have our Saturday morning coffee. We both ordered a latte, she liked hers (medium vanilla latte). I ordered a Large uncranky yankee latte with almond milk. It was good but a bit strong. So maybe 1/2 way through it was getting a bit strong so I thought a little extra almond milk would be perfect. So I patiently waited for one of the barista's to come out with an order & I nicely asked if she could just add a splash of almond milk for me. Immediately I was treated with a rude attitude. She grabbed my coffee without saying a word and just brought it inside & closed the door. i was waiting outside for about a good 5 minutes (while they still brought out other orders) and still no coffee. My girlfriend assumed maybe they just forgot, so she goes Inside to ask about the coffee & they just responded with I know as they continued to go clean and do other things. A few moments later. I finally get my coffee, she came outside and said my order with an annoyance in her voice & placed it on the table Avoiding eye contact. Now I finally get my coffee and it is extremely melted & pretty much filled all the way up with almond milk. Frustrated I walked away with my coffee. At this point the coffee that I paid over $8 for was disgusting and I probably had at least 2 shots of espresso less. So now I go inside and still trying to be nice explained the situation and asked if they could remake my coffee, even just a small this time so I could enjoy my caffeine. They took my order, said okay. They go in the back and I could see them whispering & making dirty looks clearly complaining about me. She finally comes back & tells me I can wait for it outside. Once again as they bring it outside, they do not acknowledge me or apologize, just put my coffee on table & quickly walked away. I don't normally write negative reviews and I have been talking highly of coastal roasters for years. I just cant believe the awful customer service & experience I had there this saturday. Especially when I never complained and just nicely asked for a little bit more almond milk.

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    Coastal Roasters
    Coastal Roasters - Outdoor seating with a view

    Outdoor seating with a view

    Coastal Roasters

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    Empire Tea & Coffee - coffee - Updated September 2026

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