Largest independent book store in Indiana. They have SO many latte flavors and can make just about…read moreanything. They have drink specials that change every month too :). Their latte prices are also as cheap as they can make them while still making a profit. A latte here would run you around $5 compared to the $8 or $9 at other cafes. They can also order any books you'd like if they don't have them in stock. Great book selection though and such friendly staff who are happy to help! This place is way more than a bookstore and cafe though- they host community events, have book clubs, hold poetry nights and more! You can really get involved in the community through a place like this! Wifi is good and free, plenty of space to study

The bookstore looks wonderful but I just came for the cafe. There's a good amount of floor space…read morededicated to the cafe with a lot of tables and even a little patio outside. Even with all the space they look pretty busy whenever I pass by, but that's only been on weekends, so it may be quieter during the week. On a weekend afternoon, though, you will not find quiet here. They have all the standard drinks you expect at a coffee shop and lots of fun specials, but the food selection is a little limited. I think they normally serve soup Mon-Sat but they were out when I got there. I got a bagel with schmear, a zebra (chocolate crinkle) cookie, and one of the February specials called "Opposites Attract" which was a raspberry chai latte. Everything I got was pretty good, especially the fresh, chewy zebra cookie. They warmed it up which made it just a little gooey. The raspberry chai was an interesting combination. i wasn't completely sold on the raspberry - I didn't dislike it but probably wouldn't get it again - but I think I liked the chai itself. The baristas and bookstore staff were all welcoming, and the vibe is very inclusive. I've come in and looked around the store a few times, and the staff seems approachable if you need anything but will leave you alone if you're just browsing.

I come here a lot because it's right across the street from IU Jacobs, and it's the only…read moreindependent coffee shop that opens early (they open at 6 am M-F and actually have food out when they open, unlike the nearby Crumble and Inkwell that open at 7/7:30 but don't have baked goods out until about an hour later). The baristas are always friendly. The place is spacious with a good amount of seating, but it can sometimes be hard to find a good seat inside because, as you would expect, students come to study/work and stay for a long time. I love their baked goods - they have interesting and unique offerings and everything tastes wholesome. Besides their Soma-made bakes (muffins, loaves, scones, dessert bars, cookies, and more), the bagels (I think from Gables) and Piccolo Dolci pastries are great, but they have these two muffins that are from a different supplier that I didn't think were of very good quality - I recommend avoiding the chocolate cheesecake muffin and banana nut muffin. I think the veggie/cheese sandwich is decent. It's just deli cheese slices with lettuce, cucumber, pesto, and mayo, but the bread is good and if you want something simple it's surprisingly satisfying. The coffee is pretty good. I am a decaf drinker so I appreciate that they have both decaf coffee and decaf espresso. They have a really good loose leaf tea selection and the teas are legit. Between the variety and quality it's the best tea selection I've found at a coffee shop in Bloomington. The quality of the chai and matcha are less impressive. I feel like there's a slight artificial flavour to the matcha, but to be fair, I've only tried it with flavour added, so maybe it's better unsweetened. When I asked for half sweet, that was better than regular sweetness. Both are still better than Starbucks. But I'd definitely recommend the loose leaf tea lattes over the chai/matcha. As mentioned in my previous review, some things are self-serve. It turns out they do have glasses and mugs available if you ask, but if you don't ask for dine-in, the default is disposable cups. Brewed coffee is self-serve, with your choice of (usually) two regular roasts and one decaf. If you want a toasted bagel, you have to slice and toast it yourself in the toaster on the condiment table. It seems like you sort of have to know what to order here, but as I'm learning what's good, I really appreciate the offerings that are good, the comfortable unpretentious environment, and long hours at Soma.

You will find this coffee shop right across the street from the main IU campus. There is a small…read morelot available in front of the the shop that has spots with a 20 minute max. Since the shop is so close to IU campus, most people walk here. The dining area is large and has couches, tables/chairs and bar seating along the front window. You can imagine that the place is usually filled with IU students working away on their laptops of in small social groups, given the shop's close proximity to the campus. The women that were working during my visit were all so very helpful and friendly. they helped my make my selection. They serve a wide array of hot and iced coffees and also has teas, smoothies and juices as well. The coffees come in 3 sizes, yep you guessed it, small, medium and large. The light food options that they have includes cookies, scones, muffins, parfaits, quiche, zucchini bread, brownies, and cinnamon rolls. I ended up getting a large iced pumpkin spice latte. It took about 7 minutes for me to get my drink. It was very savory and hit the spot. It was gone in a matter of seconds. Anyway, I highly recommend checking this place out. It is a traditional coffee house, with a great staff, savory drinks and delicious treats. I highly recommend checking this place out.

So much fun sitting on the floor! The food was yummy and all for a reasonable price! Will be going…read moreback.

I wasn't planning on coming here for lunch (I was walking l to the Indian buffet less than a block…read moreaway), but I noticed the sign out front that said 'Lunch Buffet Mon-Fri)' so I decided to change my plans. Boy, am I glad that I did! There are 2 distinct seating areas. Near the window there is the traditional Turkish sit-on-the-floor area. Towards the back are conventional tables (no booths). What the sign in front failed to mention is that when you order from the lunch buffet ($15), you also get to choose 1 item off the appetizer as well. (If you want to see what was on the buffet the day that I went, look at the attached pictures. There is also a photo of the appetizer menu.) This is a family-run business and service is extra friendly and fast. Note: If you pay with cash, there is a 5% discount.

I grab my Friday morning coffee almost every week at Soma. I love the atmosphere & the music they…read moreplay, it's become a beloved weekly routine for me. It's not my favorite place for espresso drinks, but their Blackbeard drip coffee hits the spot for me. My husband also loves their juices. The back patio is a perfect spot for meeting with a friend during the summer, and they have a prime downtown location as well.

Went here after work for a matcha. It was well-mixed; however, the barista was very light-handed…read morewith the vanilla syrup. Not too inviting... definitely a grab and go spot. Service was decent.

Went here over my honeymoon and we were blown away by the quality of the food that we went back…read moreagain later in the week! The service was great and the vibe was intimate but without feeling like you are fighting for room or speaking at a louder volume. Highly recommend this spot!

Cute place. It may be slightly run down but not yet to the point where it's concerning. I liked the…read morecolourful atmosphere with the painted walls and stained glass decoration in the windows, and I thought my seat was very cozy. The food is diner-style but very good so far. I visited twice for a breakfast and a lunch. Lunch: I had a Black Russian sandwich and a pot of Emperor's Pride tea. The sandwich, which is a vegetarian version of a Reuben with roasted veggies instead of meat, was delicious. They really piled on the veggies. Some fell out of the sandwich, but I just ate them with the home fries. The home fries also were nicely seasoned. The tea was a little off. It's possible it was the tea itself that didn't taste how I expected, but it kind of tasted like I was getting the flavour of a different tea in the pot. Breakfast: Apple pancake and bouquet latte (seasonal special - lavender Ceylon tea latte with honey and rose syrup). The bouquet latte was wonderful and had this beautiful red swirl latte art. The pancake was nice and fluffy. One pancake is something like $5, but one is enough for a complete meal, maybe with a protein side if you're especially hungry. The staff is very friendly and makes you feel welcome. The food didn't take very long even though they seemed busy.

Such interesting and cool coffees. Nice brews, great interior. Love the vibe. Modern and artsy was…read morewhat I got. Would definitely go back!

​Found this wonderful coffee shop while in Bloomington and was so impressed! The interior is…read morebeautiful and spacious with plenty of seating, making it a great spot to relax or get some work done. The staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming. ​I ordered a latte and a few pastries--the coffee was expertly made and the pastries were noticeably fresh and delicious. They also sell a nice variety of coffee beans to take home. I'll definitely be making this a mandatory stop every time I'm back in town!

Great coffee shop with excellent food! There's lots of seating to do work or just to sit down and…read moreeat with friends and family. The owner is very friendly and nice! My top items there are the matcha drinks, the chai, chicken salad sandwich, and the broken yolk sandwich.

Racist owner yells at employees and makes them cry in front of customers. Place is not ran well…read more Dirty and has roaches. Staff is nice but the environment is disgusting and sad. Always understaffed. Management is awful even to customers. DO NOT SPEND MONEY HERE!

Excellent service and quality product reasonably priced easy in and out parking for street parking…read moreand the dining room is really neat with different chairs and boutique, decorations staff, which really accommodating. I learned that at this location you do not have to give your first name for an order as I did in the Terre Haute store, they insisted on having my first name in TH - they did not insisted on giving them my name at this Bloomington. OK she said no we don't need that. We never ask for that so very odd. The same company different policies. The donut is scrumptious. The maple pecan is what I got. It is really good fresh quality made throughout the day until they close. It's worth a try if you've never tried a parlor donut.

Their specialty layered donuts are like a croissant/donut hybrid, flaky like a croissant but fluffy…read moreand chewy like a yeasted donut. When I was there early in the morning, they were glazing all donuts to order. This location doesn't have the vegan/gluten-free doughnut (there's a sign on the menu that says "temporarily out", but they haven't carried it for at least a year). I got the cream & crimson donut, a strawberry jelly-filled donut topped with whipped cream and a strawberry syrup drizzle, unique to the Bloomington location. It was substantial! There was lots of jelly inside which made it pretty messy when coupled with the whipped cream on top, but that's not a bad thing. The donut was fresh and tender, and I really liked the unique texture, but I thought it was overly sweet. The jelly was very sweet and there was that syrup drizzle, plus the donut itself was rolled in sugar. I still enjoyed it, but it's like a once a month at most kind of thing for me. I would like to come back, just not too often. I got an iced matcha latte with my donut. This was a pretty decent matcha latte, honestly better than expected for a donut chain. It was unsweetened by default. The donut came in a paper box which was good packaging because it's relatively eco-friendly and protects the structure of the donut if you're taking it to go. I did see they had also had plates but forgot to ask for one. There's actually a pretty large seating area in the back of the shop plus a patio. The two workers there were helpful and friendly.