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Vibrant Coffee Roasters co-owner Ross Nickerson considers his backstory “unusual.”
He started off studying mechanical engineering in college and moved on to teach physics in England.
All the while, he began to find a knack for coffee. But, he didn’t start getting interested until his mid-20s.
“I’m the type of person where when I get interested in something, I’m like 110%,” he said. “I need to know everything about it. I need to buy all the gadgets. I need to master the thing. And I knew that if I started drinking coffee, I was going to love it.”
Once he drank his first cup, he was entranced. He bought an espresso machine and began making his own batches.
After moving to Philly with his wife, Nickerson met his business partner, Matthew Adams, at a popup market in the city. Adams owns Backyard Beans Coffee Company, a coffee roasting business based in the suburbs.
Nickerson started roasting in 2018, and from there, Vibrant Coffee Roasters was born.
The store now has three locations – the brick-and-mortar in Rittenhouse, another cafe on 6th and Lombard and one upcoming on Broad Street between Chestnut and Sansom streets.
“We focus a lot on the quality of just the coffee itself,” Nickerson said.
Nickerson said he is proud of where the store is today. And, he said the city is full of lots of great coffee resources.
“There are so many good shops here, especially those that are small, independently owned,” he said. “Just go and talk to baristas. Be like, ‘hey, I’m really into coffee. I’m from out of town, or I’m from in town. I just got into coffee. I don’t know anything about it. Where else should I go? What should I get?’”
Philly is a city where you can find a coffee shop around almost every corner. And while the resources can seem plentiful, it can feel exhausting to navigate.
We put together a list of some unique and popular coffee spots in the city to help you navigate this scene. While this is by no means all-inclusive, we used input from people around the city to source “favorite” spots.
Vibrant Coffee Roasters
Vibrant Coffee Roasters is true to its name – Nickerson describes the “bright and colorful” interior as unique and in line with the shop’s focus.
He said the store aims to be that “fun, bright and colorful” spot people can stop at on their way to work for the day.
The shop offers everything from seasonal lattes – like blueberry lavender and cookie butter – to pastries and food like avocado toast or egg sandwiches.
You can visit Vibrant at its Rittenhouse location on 222 W. Rittenhouse Square, 1st Floor West on Monday- Sunday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., or its Queen Village location at 542 Lombard Street on Monday-Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Elixr
Elixr is no stranger to love and accolades – visitors rave about the variety of drinks (think strawberry matcha, vanilla lattes or cold brews), the welcoming staff and the ambiance of the shop.
It was also named to Business Insider’s 50 Best U.S. Cafes and received the Krupps Best Brew Award and 2nd Place in the United States Barista Championship.
The store specializes in “lighter-roasted, unique and exquisite” coffees.
You can check out any of their four Philly locations:
- Center City at 207 S Sydenham Street, open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- 1600 Market Street, open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- 315 N. 12th Street in Callowhill, open Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday & Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- West Philly at 3675 Market Street, open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Ultimo Coffee
Visitors and residents rave about the customer service, varied menu and cozy atmosphere at Ultimo Coffee. The shop has deep roots in Philly – with its first store opening in South Philly in 2009. Today, Ultimo has three locations – its original in South Philly, one in Germantown and one in Graduate Hospital.
The shop features rotating and regular staples. A recent special at their Germantown location offered pastries such as Mexican hot chocolate cake and miso peanut butter cookies. They also offer seasonal specials like a honey or honey matcha lemonade.
If you’re looking for a solid work-from-home spot, a cozy spot to catch up with friends or a unique find (and a variety of coffee) – this may be your place.
You can visit their Grad Hospital location at 2149 Catharine Street, their South Philly location at 1900 S 15th Street, or their Germantown location at 5901 Wayne Avenue. All locations are open Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Càphê Roasters
Càphê Roasters is the city’s first and only Vietnamese coffee roaster and was one of the winners of the Shift Capital’s Kensington Avenue Storefront Challenge – an initiative aimed at pushing economic development in Kensington.
Càphê sources coffee primarily from Vietnam, but also from other Southeast and East Asian regions. The store operates off of the Vietnamese expression – “đi uống cà phê,” meaning “let’s get coffee,” a phrase that signifies connection and community.
The shop also partners with 12 Plus, a Philly nonprofit aimed at increasing education equity. They donate proceeds to this nonprofit and employ students from the program as well.
Beyond its social and moral mission, they offer a wide variety of Vietnamese food and coffee. You can order many specialties from the drink menu, including a “matcha float,” a guava pineapple espresso tonic or a thai tea sunset.
Food-wise, you can indulge in bánh mì, sandwiches, fries or soft serve.
The store is open Wednesday-Monday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Green Line Cafe
This family-owned cafe chain based in West Philly has several spots in different Philly neighborhoods serving specialty coffee drinks, sandwiches, pastries and snacks.
Enjoy a banana or matcha latte, hot peppermint or earl grey tea, a tuna salad sandwich, an almond croissant or a yogurt parfait. Some Redditors highlight the atmosphere as good for working from home, and for having authentic staff.
The cafe has five locations – its brick-and-mortar shop on Baltimore Avenue, and others on Locust Street, Powelton Village, Queen Village and Center City.
You can learn more information, order cafe pickup, or find their locations and hours on their website.
Persimmon Coffee
Persimmon is rooted in community and cultural appreciation. Co-owners Chaereen Pak and Sawyer Beckley worked in the Philly coffee scene before deciding to create the business.
“Persimmon, the name, is based on the persimmon fruit. The reason why we chose it is that persimmons are actually an Asian fruit native to China,” Chareen said.
“It’s a fruit that if someone with an Asian background sees the name, they will actually instantly know that this brand must be owned by someone who’s Asian, and on the flip side, someone who sees it and doesn’t know what it is, it’s a name that is unique on its own, and so hopefully sparks some curiosity.”
Pak is Korean-American, and she said Persimmon aims to bring unique, Asian culture to the city while also connecting to local communities.
“I’ve been to Korea, Seoul, Japan, and cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, and I saw a lot of coffee shops there that were really small because they’re densely packed cities, and I was always amazed by just all that they were able to do with such tight spaces, and I think what I had thought was, ‘oh man, I haven’t really seen shops like that in Philly,’” she said.
Persimmon operated as an online store with occasional pop-ups when it started in 2020. Its brick-and-mortar location opened in Fishtown in 2022.
Beckley said store employees have continued to prioritize the surrounding community.
“It will always be people first and coffee second, above anything else,” he said. “And this is why we’ve also been very careful in taking our time before expanding, so making sure that we create a comfortable, safe, loving, and welcoming environment is very paramount for us. And that means being able to make sure we have the right people in the shop, whether it’s me or one of the two lovely people who work at the shop, are in the space and have the same mindset we do of caring for the community.”
Beckley said this also includes connecting with and providing a space for people without housing.
“Something that all of us who work in the shop share is a belief that being in a community also means caring for the most vulnerable members of the community, and whenever we’re able, we’ve built up pretty good relationship with a lot of people in that situation, welcome them in with a coffee every day, let them charge their things as they need, and try to show them as much humanity and compassion as we’re able,” he said.
In terms of offerings, Pak said the shop tries to be intentional and unique.
“We offer specialty drinks,” she said. “During the fall, we have a latte that actually includes house-made persimmon syrup, and we have a winter drink that incorporates yizu, which is also another Asian ingredient, and so we’re very intentional about those cultural ingredients.
“We roast coffees from different origins, spanning origins from Colombia or Ethiopia, or a lot of different coffees, but we actually intentionally name each one, so that each one can have a more distinct presence, and so we actually borrow Korean and Japanese words, to name each of our coffee offerings as well.”
You can visit Persimmon on 11 W Girard Avenue. On weekdays, they’re open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on weekends, they’re open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Brown Street Coffee
This cafe is a great mix of specialty coffee and breakfast along with Vietnamese sandwiches and bánh mì. Redditors say the spot is also a great work-from-home cafe in Fairmount. The cafe’s philosophy is for baristas to make sure patrons feel like friends and are encouraged to come in regularly.
On their menu, you can find coffee from Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Vietnamese Cafe Du Monde with sweetened condensed milk and traditional breakfast favorites.
The store is located on 2545 Brown Street in Philly and is open Monday-Sunday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bower Cafe
This lowkey cafe with locations in both Washington Square West and West Philly is a great work-from-home spot, podcasting space and spot to grab coffee with friends.
They have signature breakfast foods – with favorites like an egg scramble, breakfast sandwich, and yogurt bowls. And, they serve La Colombe Coffee.
Their Washington Square West location takes things a step further with a podcast booth that doubles as a DJ booth. The idea is to offer a space for aspiring creators and an opening as an event space – which the store turns into after hours.
Enjoy an iced latte with brown sugar cinnamon flavoring, a matcha, or one of their breakfast favorites on your morning commute.
Visit them on 1213 Walnut Street on Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or on 1 Convention Ave on Penn’s campus Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Menagerie
This small, locally-owned and operated specialty coffee shop is a staple in both its brick-and-mortar store in Old City and its larger location in Northern Liberties.
The store focuses on creating positive hospitality experiences with its community – while also allowing its team to explore the craft of coffee. The Northern Liberties location offers coffee roasting, a retail cafe and baking production – all under one roof.
The Northern Liberties location is across from Liberty Lands Park – so you can grab your matcha, americano or smashed chickpea sandwich to go while you stroll around. If it’s not as nice a day out or you’d prefer indoor seating, the cafe offers an extensive seating space indoors. You can sit on one of its sofas, barstools or tables throughout the store.
The store’s Old City location is on 18 S. 3rd Street and its Northern Liberties location is on 908 N. 3rd Street. The shops are open Monday-Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Nook
Edna Cruz and Michael Caro opened Nook over twenty years ago. Michael had worked in corporate America for years, but had always wanted to start a small business. That’s when Michael met Edna, who had almost 17 years of experience managing small businesses.
Edna, who lived in San Francisco at the time, dated Michael long-distance for a year before joining him in Philly. That’s when the two decided to open Nook.
“Edna was going to start it and if it was going well enough, I would leave my corporate job, and I would be working the shop with her,” Caro said.
“But as fate had it, there was some downsizing at our company, so myself and various other folks from the company were let go, and so it looked like the timing was or fate was kind of pushing us towards both being there.”
Decades later, Nook is still going strong. If you walk into their Center City shop, you’ll find a variety of drinks and food options. And they bake and roast all of their offerings in-house.
“Everything is in small batches, so everything is high-quality ingredients,” Cruz said. “We don’t use any preservatives. Everything is natural, and everything is low sugar.”
Edna handles the baking, while Michael oversees the coffee and roasting. The pair is hard at work most days behind the counter of their own shop – and both say they don’t get out to other shops in the area as much as they would like. But, they say that they are inspired by the growth in Philly’s coffee scene.
“The coffee scene in Philly is vibrant, and it seems to be growing, and a few seem to pop up every year. The hard part is keeping it going, and that’s the challenge, but I think there’s no shortage of great coffee shops here in Philly.”
You can visit Nook at 15 S 20th Street. They are open Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. They are closed on Sunday.
Tu Riconcito
This coffee and matcha shop is actually a Mexican restaurant – meaning you can get your caffeine and your food fix in the same spot! The Old City restaurant started with an aim to bring authentic Mexican breakfast flavors and drinks and combine it with traditional, modern breakfast favorites.
Enjoy a Mexican mocha iced latte, a fresas con crema (strawberries and cream) latte, horchata or strawberry matcha – and your choice of nachos, burritos, tacos, quesadillas and more.
You can visit Tu Riconcito at 17 N 3rd St. They are open Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
OX
This shop off of South Street wants to create a coffee-loving culture throughout the city. The store offers everything from pop-ups from local vendors to classes on latte art and espresso making.
The store also uses drink and food products from various vendors – including milk from the Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative, cocoa powder from Wilbur Chocolate in Philly, muffins and scones from Crust Vegan Bakery and bagels from The Bagel Place.
Come for the coffee and collaboration, and leave with a new connection or food/drink item.
You can visit OX Coffee at 616 S. 3rd Street on Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Forin
You can find this cafe in three locations around Philly – and its unique drinks and vibe can fit many different occasions.
Try one of their hoagies – including a curry tofu flavor – or indulge your sweet tooth with an ube sugar cookie or a biscuit with apricot jam.
And, you can enjoy unique, seasonal drinks throughout the year! Try a refreshing strawberry and pineapple espresso tonic, make a horchata your way as a latte, chai or matcha or try something new with a pandan & toasted coconut latte.
The menu also varies per location and time of day. For example, their Frankford location has a nighttime menu, which includes staples like lamb meatballs and affogato for dessert. And, there are alcoholic beverages like ube honey wine, and various cocktails.
You can check out their Instagram to stay up to date with their menu and events.
You can visit their Frankford location at 2525 Frankford Ave – which is open Monday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. They have another location nearby at 2041 Coral St Suite 2, which is open Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Finally, they have one more cafe on 226 South Street, which is open Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Artesano’s in Manayunk
This coffee shop also serves as a weekend bar, plant shop and event venue. Enjoy a panini or grilled cheese on their outdoor patio on the weekdays, or spend your Friday or Saturday night enjoying espresso martinis, peach bellinis or mocktails.
If you’re looking for a coffee fix in Manayunk, reviewers say this is a great spot that has tons of greenery and seating.
The cafe is open Tuesday-Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thank you Thank you
This small coffee shop near Old City brings the vibes with pourovers, vanilla bean lattes, and a seasonal matcha dreamsicle (an iced matcha with orange soda).
The store focuses on curating the best coffee selection for its customers and for buyers online – creating a positive coffee experience for all kinds of drinkers.
You can visit them at 700 Sansom St. They are open Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Two Persons
People rave about this cafe’s customer service – and it has recently expanded to a new series of Market Street popups.
Their flagship cafe is located in the Bok Building. Enjoy an espresso tonic, moca, or chai latte while wandering through the Bok Building, or head over to their pop-up on the 900 block of Market Street as a part of the Meantime on Market initiative.
Two Persons is collaborating with Persimmon Cafe to provide delicious coffee in Center City.
You can visit their Bok Building location any day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 821 Dudley Street. You can visit their Meantime on Market location on Wednesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on 920 Market Street through July.
J’aime French Bakery
Experience Parisian culture in the city at this Center City cafe and bakery – where you can try your share of desserts, food and beverages in a chic and cozy space.
J’aime was created by Bastien Ornando – who grew up in France, moved to California as an exchange student, spent time as a consultant and graduated with honors from a French pastry school. He eventually decided he loved the American spirit, and decided to return to the U.S.
He opened J’aime, and the rest is history!
At this authentic French spot, you can enjoy a croissant, eclair, flan or other French delicacies. You can also indulge in quiche, different types of bread (including baguettes!) and various espressos and teas.
The shop is open Tuesday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. They’re located at 212 S. 12th Street.
