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    The Proper Cup

    4.4 (66 reviews)
    ModerateCoffee & Tea
    Closed 7:00 am - 1:00 pm

    The Proper Cup Photos

    Business Info

    THE PROPER CUP ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for working
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - The Proper Cup

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    Spacious and comfy
    Mike I.

    Great neighborhood vibe - heard the barista having a full on convo with a local 3 year old regular. I got the iced coffee and it was pretty meh ... that single experience has converted me to an americano guy!

    Large caramel Iced Latte
    Jess B.

    LGBTQ+ friendly, spacious, and smells incredible were my first thoughts. The baristas were attentive and service was quick. I tried the avocado toast and added sriracha and it was delicious! I got a large iced caramel latte - my go to. It was also delicious. They are very conscious of their waste and are a sustainable business. I would definitely come back here. Located on Forest Ave in Portland, it is close to other establishments. Great place to take a walk to.

    two cups of coffee on a table
    Gabriela D.

    Wicked good chai. Was warm and spicy and even with oat milk still had a rich and creamy feel. The prices are a bit expensive (7+ dollars for a 16 oz latte feels crazy especially since it's not downtown). The restaurant is cute with bright windows and lots of tables-perfect to do some work. Very quiet even though the cafe was full. Staff were quick making the drinks and had good recommendations.

    Lorelee I.

    You can't help but take a deep breath as you walk in the door and get hit with the invigorating smell of fresh coffee! The shop is delightful, the coffee is delicious, and the raspberry coffee cake hit the spot. Definitely worth a visit!

    Right in the heart of the Oakdale neighborhood
    Tom V.

    What is not to love? From their rebooted Pride flag, brilliantly displayed at the entrance, to their Flight coffee, this wonderful coffee shop is outta this world. The staff is so welcoming and clearly skilled with their artisanship, the space is open and airy, and the street seating is quaint albeit limited. Their chai is not too sweet, with the notes of clove and cinnamon laying atop the vanilla level. Their mocha had just the right blend of espresso and chocolate, with the foam (again, artisanship) done just right, fluffy and velvety. But try the baked goods. The blueberry scone (uh, Maine) was amazingly cakey and I'm not sure how they packed so much fruit into that scone. And the strawberry-rhubarb hand pie stands no chance versus my wife, destroyer of all things strawberry. Pair your eats with a cup of Flight coffee and you have an amazing start to your day. Enjoy!

    Maple Latte
    Stephanie M.

    The Maple Latte and Caprese Toast were amazing! I will definitely be coming back to this place. The workers were very nice and I loved the busy talkative atmosphere.

    Good vibes at The Proper Cup
    Christina H.

    The Proper Cup is the cutest! I love the vibe Proper Cup sets as soon as you walk in. The Proper Cup truly serves only... you got it, a proper cup! Food is excluded off of the menu, but that doesn't stop me from coming! I love to enjoy a cup of my chai latte while reflecting in my journal, reading a new book, or catching up on emails and writing new Yelp reviews. This is the perfect place to soak up your creative juices. Parking is street only, but because this is away from all of the touristy spots and small nooks and crannies of Portland, you can easily find parking around the corner.

    Iced Latte
    Christine T.

    One of the first pit stops upon arriving to Maine. When we went to go grab coffee, seats were not available due to covid. Coffee options were good! So many cute plants inside the shop as well. Would come back hopefully when the times are a bit better...

    the interior of a coffee shop

    A tranquil and magical place with delicious coffee. There is plenty of seating, ample and convenient locations for plugging in, dog ecstatic, clean, and possessing a lovely staff. The clientele is polite and considerate of other people. Park on a side street to amplify your bliss.

    the front door of a coffee shop
    Roasted Unroasted C.

    Roasted: checked out the Proper Cup in Portland Maine this morning. It is open limited hours with out door seating only right now due to Covid but had about 4 two top tables outside to sit at. Relatively simple menu with limited flavor options and no sugar free ones. They use a coffee roaster called Flight which is based out of New Hampshire which I've never heard of before today. Overall good but the espresso is slightly on the brighter side for my liking. The milk was steamed perfectly and the latte had a heart on top and the temperature was drinkable right away. Friendly barista. Would I go out of my way to come back here, probably not but I'd recommend it for sure if you are in Portland. Unroasted: I like the fact that the coffee shop goes out of its way to set up tables and chairs outside for people to enjoy. The staff as friendly and I wish they had a menu on the table you order at. Menu is on the window as you walk in. No sugar free flavoring here so had to go with my usual vanilla latte. I must say I enjoyed it quite a bit. This was a really good execution of the proper cup. I would try this again.

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    4 years ago

    Nice local coffee shop. Their maple sea salt latte was well liked by my friends. Street parking available in front

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    8 years ago

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    3 years ago

    This was the best cup of coffee I have had in Portland. I would definitely drive out of my way to go to this place

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - The Proper Cup

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    Bard Coffee - espresso for here

    Bard Coffee

    4.3(552 reviews)
    1.4 miOld Port
    $$

    First and foremost, for the holidays I love that right at the entrance they have an open shelf with…read morecanned goods and dry food for the community to contribute to or take from. That alone tells you so much about the heart of this place. A daily necessity. The only time I'm ever disappointed is when they sell out of their Banana Bread Latte. I still haven't been able to try it, but I already know it's going to be delicious. My go to order is a regular latte with oat milk and their house made Maine Maple syrup. Their hot drinks are always made at the perfect temperature so you can sip immediately without burning your tongue. And when I want something on the cooler side, I love that they have a nitro cold brew for that extra smooth finish. Despite how busy they always are, their service never wavers. The staff is consistently friendly and efficient. There's plenty of seating-- booths and high tops. Even with the plethora of people working on their laptop, I can almost always find a seat.

    Some travel for the food, but we're in it for the coffee. The Bard did not disappoint with its…read moresmooth roast and house syrups. Lattes were the perfect blend of sweet without being overpowering. We ranked Bard as our favorite coffee in Portland and our 2nd favorite among coffee houses we tried in 3 different states on our tour of the upper northeast--not only for the quality of coffee but also for ambiance and service with a smile!

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    Interior view

    Bard Coffee - Seating

    Seating

    Bard Coffee - Outside

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    Outside

    Onggi - The market and cafe seating area is separate from the bakery area.

    Onggi

    4.8(45 reviews)
    1.3 miEast End

    The cafe/bakery has a few fresh baked goods daily (don't think any vegan or no gluten-free…read moreoptions). Their website lists about a half dozen, but the last time I was here there were just two: the sourdough chocolate chip cookie and the matcha and black sesame butter mochi. I'm guessing those are regularly available (they also do fun seasonal specials, so be sure to check their socials), but don't come with the expectation that there's going to be a big variety. The drinks include coffees, teas, and a variety of matcha. For me, this is NOT the best matcha in Portland. Matcha Mood is. The matcha here is good (maybe in the top three in the city), but the iced matcha with miso maple syrup and almond milk I recently had for $9+ was just okay. The drink is (literally) half the size as one at Macha Mood for the same price, and there wasn't any flavor of miso or maple. I've seen some internet buzz claiming THIS IS THE BEST... as a local, I don't agree. And that's okay; you might find your new favorite here, so it's absolutely worth visiting. They also do other fun spontaneous matcha flavors, so be sure to follow them on social! Check out their shop as well: loads of chili crisps and hot sauces, condiments and spices, jams, matcha powders and loose tea, pickles and other preserved foods, sweets, vinegars and oils, fermentation ware and kitchen goods, etc.

    Okay I know nothing about fermentation but this cafe has really interesting and delicious baked…read moregoods that you won't find anywhere else like a sourdough chocolate chip cookie and a kimchi corn cheese soufflé. Also the matcha black sesame butter mochi was out of this world, truly unexpected. Great food and very good service. There was outdoor seating outside and the inside had plenty of room though the cafe was pretty busy when we arrived. Definitely worth checking out!

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    Onggi
    Onggi - Interior of store

    Interior of store

    Onggi - Store

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    Tandem Coffee + Bakery - Iced latte and hot latte

    Tandem Coffee + Bakery

    4.5(675 reviews)
    1.1 miParkside
    $$

    This place is popular for a reason, and you find a hint of what that reason is as soon as you step…read morein the door and get a whiff of the most delicious aromas coming from the kitchen. When you see the line out the door, don't despair, as the line moves relatively quickly and people are generally mindful to not dawdle, so seating opens up quickly as well. I tried the jalapeno cheddar biscuit, the rhubarb scone, and had a bite of the rhubarb hibiscus pie. Everything was amazing, the platonic ideal of a biscuit and a scone. And I am weak for anything rhubarb, so the generous amount of rhubarb in the scone really did the trick. The rhubarb hibiscus pie has quite a bit of that botanical hibiscus flavor but I liked it! It might not be for everyone, though. Their coffee is also really good, and a perfect accompaniment to their excellent pastries. I also have to give props to their staff and how friendly and welcoming everyone was despite being totally slammed at all times. I know if I was working at a place as busy as Tandem I'd be way more frazzled than they came off. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate waiting in line for things, but this place is efficient enough and the food/coffee was so excellent that I actually didn't resent the line. I'd even wait again! It's that good.

    Definitely a standout breakfast sandwich! Tried out Tandem while visiting Portland at the…read morerecommendation of a friend. We tried out the egg and cheese biscuit, the savory loaded biscuit, and two flavored lattes (one brown sugar cinnamon and the other maple). Loved both of the biscuits but had a slight preference for the egg and cheese one. Both biscuits were soft and buttery yet crisp with the best salt on top. We got there right at opening on a weekday and there was already a long line to enter, but the staff moves everyone through quickly. It is worth noting that indoor seating is very limited and there is more outdoor seating. We decided to purchase some of their coffee beans as a gift. Tandem is very popular for good reason and well worth visiting, whether as a tourist or as a local.

    Photos
    Tandem Coffee + Bakery - Blueberry scone

    Blueberry scone

    Tandem Coffee + Bakery - Nectarine black tea scone. Soooo good!

    Nectarine black tea scone. Soooo good!

    Tandem Coffee + Bakery

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    Bread & Friends - Soft Scrambled Eggs ($15)

    Bread & Friends

    4.6(198 reviews)
    1.4 miOld Port

    Nice place to chill out with...bread, and friends. Small but tasty menu, pleasant service, and a…read morebright welcoming space. Can be busy at times, especially on the weekend, but weekdays and outside of lunch hour, you should be able to get a table right away. I had the Dutch Baby and it was almost too pretty to eat, but I dug in after admiring the piece of art that it was. I loved the combination of flavors and textures - brie, mushrooms, egg, jam, greens, chewy Dutch baby, crispy bits. Yum!

    Bread & Friends was the start to my wife and my Valentine's Day! Due to past times of seeing how…read morelong the wait was we arrived before open and made the right choice being the second group in line. It took no time at all for the place to completely fill up. Which based on everything we had I completely understand why, this place makes incredible food and drinks. Overall it has a great inviting feeling to the space. To start off I enjoyed a Morning Bun Latte while my wife got the Honey & Juniper Latte. Both came out perfect temperature with well done latte art and delicious taste. My wife was obsessed with their pottery mugs that the lattes came served in. Food wise we were looking to split everything and it worked perfectly. We ended up choosing French Toast, Soft Scrambled Eggs, and the Fried Potatoes side. Every dish would be an absolute no brainer for us to order again. Every bite of food kept us wanting even more. Lastly we grabbed a chocolate croissant to go and that was just as tasty and enjoyed it after our visit. After this visit it is certainly a new favorite spot of ours, and look forward to coming back! Worth your time visiting!

    Photos
    Bread & Friends - Inside

    Inside

    Bread & Friends - Morning Bun ($6)

    Morning Bun ($6)

    Bread & Friends - Seeded sourdough that comes with the soft scrambled eggs

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    Seeded sourdough that comes with the soft scrambled eggs

    The Proper Cup - coffee - Updated June 2026

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