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    Zema Bar & Restaurant

    4.5 (21 reviews)
    Closed 10:30 am - 2:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

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    ZEMA BAR & RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    DJ
    Live music
    Happy hour specials

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    The special with beef!
    Mel B.

    This place is a gem! It's a little hard to find, it's off the alley! But it's def worth it! The customer service was tip notch and the atmosphere is wonderful. Very attentive. Staff! The food was the best Ethiopian I've had in a long time! I'll def be back! Taking left overs home to the hubs!

    Mariana L.

    Food was not the greatest. The beef was extremely chewy and rubbery but the flavor was good I guess. The lamb was not that great. They supposedly have "fresh pressed juice" and when I ordered one I got a can of pineapple juice service was also not the greatest, took forever to get our check to us and come pick up payment when there was like only two other tables there. Maybe I just got a bad night, I did go on a random Tuesday but overall would not recommend /:

    It's all gone. Because it was good
    Fenyx R.

    My goodness, the food has so much flavor it's insane. We had the lamb and injera bread. The manager there was very hospitable and recommended a lot of great food. They played some really great blues music which fit the ambiance very well. We'll be back and recommend others to this amazing hidden gem.

    Fish dulet
    Sumaya A.

    This place is truly a hidden gem! Let's start with the restaurant itself. It doubles as a club/bar late at night but before that, it's a restaurant. The place is super clean and bathrooms are spotless. The ambiance was really nice with classical music playing. Service was nothing short of great. We were checked on multiple times and the chef even asked our opinion on the food. We met the owner and he's a great guy. He, along with his staff, were very hospitable and it almost felt like being at a friend's house more than a restaurant. The food was spectacular. The injera was very authentic which you can tell just by the color that they use all teff. They were very generous with the amount of injera they gave us with the food. We got the fish dulet and the Tibse firfir. I've never had fish at an Ethiopian restaurant before so I wasn't sure how it would taste but it was delicious. The tibse firfir was really good. I would definitely order both again. We also got the coffee and popcorn. The coffee is served in an Ethiopian ceremonial kind of way. It came with incense and smelled amazing. The coffee itself was also really good but the whole experience was nice as I've never had Ethiopian coffee like this before. We got popcorn with it too and let me just say, I thought all popcorn tasted the same until now lol. They make it themselves and it's very salty and buttery and just perfect. I stumbled upon this place by accident. It didn't have any reviews or info but I still decided to try it and I'm glad I did. I'll definitely be back for more!

    Shiro on a teff pancake.

    Healthy food with nice spices and flavors. Gluten free Recipes suitable for diets. Friendly services, simple decoration and clean restrooms.

    Traditional coffee !!! Very good

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    2 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Business owner information

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    Zema S.

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    1 year ago

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    10 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Highly recommended! We had the combo with honey and wine and everything was delicious. The service was wonderful. Love the vibes too!

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    1 year ago

    Henoch, the bartender, waiter and host was personable and patient. Food was so good, drinks were good, atmosphere is peaceful and clean.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Fantastic food, great service. Very clean. It's off the beaten path, but definitely worth it

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    2 years ago

    Everything was good from the food to people. Definitely would recommend going to this spot.

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    Zema S.

    Thank you, Joan! Please come back and we will show you more!

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    Zema S.

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    2 years ago

    Really loud music and $25 for a gin and tonic. Would not recommend. Service also was subpar.

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    Storyville Coffee Company

    Storyville Coffee Company

    4.5
    (2.6k reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$$

    We felt like we won the lottery walking into Storyville! It was the first stop on our self-made…read moremini coffee crawl through Seattle, and the perks were incredible: buying a bag of coffee scored us a free drink, and signing up for a subscription came with a free mug. The real proof, though, came when I ground and brewed the coffee at home. My husband took one sip and asked, "Oh, what are we drinking? This is so good!"--which really tells you everything you need to know about Storyville!

    Storyville Coffee Company has impressive vibes, but that's about it…read more Found up multiple flights of stairs, tucked in a cool corner of Pike Place Market, Storyville Coffee Company has one of the most boujee menus and spaces I have ever seen for a coffee shop. They clearly care about their image as they offer a free mug for first-time customers with an email sign-up. The drinks here are ok, but they average between $8-$10 each. I think the pricing is just much too high. You're paying for the vibes, not for a great cup of coffee. The matcha we tried was mediocre. There are so many other great places for coffee in Seattle, for just a fraction of the price. I think Storyville is preying on tourists visiting the market. They probably have to charge that much to keep the 8 employees milling about behind the counter employed. The space does have lots of seating, but it was nearly full during our early afternoon visit. Save your money, find another great local coffee spot!

    Photos
    Storyville Coffee Company
    Storyville Coffee Company
    Cappuccino and vino. A nice Zin. Smooth and nutty cappuccino.

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    Cappuccino and vino. A nice Zin. Smooth and nutty cappuccino.
    Yoka Tea

    Yoka Tea

    4.7
    (140 reviews)
    1.9 mi

    I finally got a chance to come here a second time, and even scored parking on the same block and…read moreside as here! This was on a Sunday afternoon close to 5pm, and there were still so many people occupying nearly every seat inside. I did come back to try their matcha matcha drink only to find it gone from their current menu as of May 2026. Instead, their turon matcha immediately caught my eye, as it has banana and I've been obsessed with banana-flavored toppings and puree on my matcha lately. It has matcha and house banana puree, both of which work well together. The tiny layer of house banana puree has all the flavor, especially when you mix the whole drink together. Very refreshing, and their ceremonial matcha's grassy tones still came out despite the banana puree being just as strong in the drink. Their matcha here comes pretty close to making it to the highest spots on my list of my most favorite matcha places in Seattle. Even if it isn't on the top of that list, their drinks are still 5+ star quality.

    Drinks - I have gotten a few drinks here, but my latest obsession is the turon matcha. i have never…read moretasted anything like it and it is legit a turon taste. like it blows my mind that someone put this in a drink. Service - always super friendly. Ambiance - very chill. meant to hang out here for a while. they also have a ton of other asian goodies inside like my fav hot garlic, the black sesame spread and the SEASONAL pineapple bun spread.

    Photos
    (5/15/26)
    (5/15/26)
    Such a cute spot
    Such a cute spot
    Interior

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    Interior
    Phe

    Phe

    4.5
    (352 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    I came in expecting to be all about the coffee, but the Banana Pudding Matcha completely surprised…read moreme! I'm usually not a matcha fan, but this drink won me over. It was creamy, lightly sweet, and topped with the most satisfying crunchy goodness that added the perfect texture. Then came the Phê Mê--coffee with condensed milk and black sesame cream. This was the drink for me. Rich, smooth, nutty, and unlike anything I've had before. It's one of those drinks that makes you slow down because every sip is worth savoring. The coffee isn't just delicious--it's craftsmanship in a cup. The space is inviting and makes you want to linger longer with your friends sipping on these delicious beverages.

    Arrived mid-afternoon on a weekday and there was a line out the door. Seems typical for a trendy…read moreplace in Seattle. We waited ~15 mins before ordering. We ordered the matcha banana pudding and hojicha ginger tofu pudding lattes. Service took ~10 mins. The matcha banana pudding was yummy. The matcha was of good quality and the banana pudding top was a smooth, cream top that tasted just like banana pudding, with a fun crunch in the topping. The hojicha ginger tofu was a bit more adventurous in flavor. The ginger and tofu messed with my brain and made it feel like I was drinking a savory asian sauce/soup, but the drink was still sweet. I kept sipping, but the strange savory/sweet limbo never really balanced correctly to truly enjoy the drink. On the plus side, the silken tofu was fun to sip through the straw and added some protein. There is seating indoors, but the tables can fill up quickly. Some people were wfh, but most were chatting. There is 1 hr complimentary WiFi. Typical Seattle street parking. Overall, the latte flavors were fun to try and it was an aesthetic cafe. But, the prices for the lattes make them more of a novel, hyped up purchase.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Hojicha banana pudding
    Hojicha banana pudding
    Phe Me, or Phin coffee drink with black sesame cream.

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    Phe Me, or Phin coffee drink with black sesame cream.
    Coffeeholic House

    Coffeeholic House

    4.6
    (810 reviews)
    4.7 mi
    $$

    coffee 5/5 i got the coconut coffee blended ($7). it comes…read moremildly sweet, so i asked for it to be a little sweeter. it was incredible! i feel that blended drinks often lose the coffee taste, but not this beauty. the coffee flavor was delicious and mixed well with the coconut. if you prefer your drinks blended and like coconut, this is your girl! service 5/5 staff was helpful and walked me through my options to make the drink to my preference. cafe 5/5 they must have recently added tables and chairs. i love that i can sit in and they have free wifi. everything was clean and tidy. parking is street only and could be hard to find. only a few blocks from the columbia city light rail stop. overall, i'm excited to go back and get some work done while i try other items on the menu!

    I used to be a regular at Coffeeholic and brought a lot of visitors here. However, the last two…read moretimes I went, I got a stomachache and so did my friend who was visiting Seattle. I noticed that they now pour drinks from a pre-made plastic jug instead of making them fresh like when the store first opened. I usually don't get sick from drinking coffee but twice in a row is pretty bad. Their drinks are also overly sweet and most of them do not have a 0% sweet option, which is usually what I order from other coffee and tea shops, and it's probably because most of the ingredients are pre-mixed. They also use thick plastic cups, considering that Seattle is a pretty green city and a lot of similar Vietnamese coffee shops use sustainable cups. Sad to say, but my time visiting this chain has come to an end.

    Photos
    Egg cloud cream foam with ube drizzle-ube coffee
    Egg cloud cream foam with ube drizzle-ube coffee
    Dark Night (Black Sesame Latte)
    Dark Night (Black Sesame Latte)
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    Espresso Vivace Roasteria

    Espresso Vivace Roasteria

    4.2
    (910 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    Vivace espresso "Ooh La La". Every time my tastebuds desire that taste of a robust caffeine fix , I…read morestop at VIVACE on Broadway! Definallty the emerald city's smoothest java shot around. What's amazing is theres no acidic taste ruining your beverage , just a smooth euphoric rush of caffeine coursing through your body. I normally get an iced latte to get my geyser gushing but a straight shot does happen occaisionly. Outside of the superior taste the caffeine kick back is like a NASA ROCKET BOOSTER piloting Artemis II... Now the hired hands are fined tuned & trained baristas extracting the brown juices from local roasted beans. BTW VIVACE roasts its own coffee, specializing in a Northern Italian style developed by founder David Schomer since 1992... This is why you'll love its taste... VIVACE's interior space is very large for small & medium size gatherings with a hipster eclectic taste of furnishings. Also beware free WiFi if you're a lounge lizard is available... During good weather days outside seating is available for the rare days the gods allow Seattle sun to shine down upon us. Table & chairs on sidewalk allows you front row seating to the freak show for entertainment. Not much more to say, so grab a shot of caffeine!

    This was a nice coffee shop. It was very spacious inside with many seating options to choose from…read more Ordering was very seamless. I got a Latte with oat milk. At first I wanted to take it to go but the ambiance was nice inside, so I just stayed in. I should've just said "for here". Anyhow, I secured a nice window seat and enjoyed my drink and the view. My latte was good. For me, I like medium roast and it tasted more towards a medium-dark roast. It wasn't bad, my latte was delicious. It was just a little different than I was used to. The drink came together very well, the oat milk was creamy and the espresso was very rich. All in all, I think this is a cool place to work and catch up with friends. I might read or journal here, but depending on the day and the lighting it can get a little dim for that. I'd come back again.

    Photos
    Nice lobby
    Nice lobby
    Espresso Vivace Roasteria
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    Zema Bar & Restaurant - bars - Updated July 2026

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