Café Lati

This little Café is great! I love the location because it is just about a 10 minute walk from my house or a 2 minute drive, whenever I am feeling lazy. I love that it is located basically right inside our neighborhood and that it is never too busy whenever we go. I think that it is just a little too far off the beaten path for it to get annoyingly busy, which is fine with me. It’s also located right across the street from Nathan Hale HS, so I’m sure that they always get busy whenever school gets out, but I do my best to make sure that I am not around there when that happens.
The inside is really small, but they have ample room inside for all the customers that want to hangout there (I have never seen more than maybe 5 people in there at a time) along with a couple of chairs and tables outside. As soon as you walk in you can tell that this place does not try and be something that it isn’t, and that’s exactly what like about it. It is very cozy inside and they do a great job at making it feel very «homey» and comfortable. Of course I work at Starbucks, so really being able to go to any other café other than Starbucks (if you can call Starbucks a café) automatically makes it so much better. One really cool thing that they do here, and what I have seen a few other coffee shops do, is that they feature a local artist and have some of their paintings/​pictures up on the walls available to purchase. They switch artists every month or so, so it is always nice to get to look at different art every once in a while. Plus it is good publicity for the artist that is featured.
The Baristas are always very nice and make sure to greet you as you walk in the door. I always go here with my girlfriend and she sometimes can take a little while to decide what to order. The baristas have never pressured her however and they never make it seem as if she is just wasting their time. There was one time however, when we had walked there and showed up about half an hour before they closed and the only barista there was just sitting at the table by the window doing something on her phone. When we went inside she sort of acted as if she really didn’t want to make anything for us and would rather get back to her phone call as soon as possible. By the time we had gotten our beverages however, she was nice and pleasant, just as we had grown to expect whenever we go there.
The building and the staff helps, but it is not the main reason why we keep coming back here time after time. The reason for this is because of the drinks! They are amazing and always very well made. The first time that we went there, I got a chai tea latte that I did not really enjoy all that much. I think I was just not a fan of the chai itself. I’m sure that there are people that would have gotten it and absolutely loved it. Since that time I have been getting drinks like a lavender white mocha and what they call a Turkish Delight which is basically just a black & white mocha. All of these drinks have been wonderfully delicious, and is the real reason why I will keep returning to this café time and time again.
I definitely love going here, I love the coffee, the baristas, the location, and the ambiance. The only question I have is: what does Lati mean? Is it supposed to be just a different way of saying «latte» or what?

Creatively cute neighborhood coffee shop with good vibes and great staff! If you’re in the area you have to go check it out.

I have never been treated so poorly at a coffee shop. This place is one of 1000 cafes just like it and I would hope that would motivate them to be more polite to customers, but I guess not. If you want to go to a café with rude staff, spurred by an even ruder owner then this is your place.

Sitting here drinking a 16oz mocha with a cinnamon roll working on the computer, had to check in. Like the atmosphere and coffee, good place to check out and relax for a bit. Little light on the pastry selection but what they have is tasty and looks good

Free parking, straightforward café close to Nathan Hale HS with a very pleasant, personable barista/​counter person. Go Huskies!
Clearly there is WiFi as there was a couple using laptops and a guy with a tablet. There were also others there having a conversation… wow, people actually talking to each other and not glued to their electronic devices!
Music — 70−80s, mostly Fleetwood Mac during this visit.
This was a first time visit to Café Lati (used to be Black Cat) primarily to catch up on some reading while the kiddo was completing a writing assignment for school.
I had an excellent 16 oz mocha and the kiddo had a 16 oz peppermint tea. Slim pickings in the pastry case, but then I didn’t realize that the café closes at 3pm on weekends.
Definitely worth another future visit, especially since they’re not quite as crowded as Café Javasti in Wedgwood or the Starbucks on Lake City Way.

I live in the neighborhood and have for 16 years. I admit, i’ve only been here once before. I am desperately tired due to illness so I stopped in for Latte for myself and husband as well as a Child’s hot chocolate. The Barista was very nice and friendly. She asked if hot chocolate was for a child, and said she would lower the temp for me. She offered a cup holder as I was ordering three items, and even stickers over the cup holes to avoid spillage. I thought that was pretty nice, it may be standard, but I usually have to ask at Starbucks. The check out is interesting as their system will calculate a 15 or 20% tip, or you can opt out of tipping without obviously doing it in front of the Barista. It almost feels confidential. Some might find this pushy, but it didn’t feel that way to me since I always tip unless service is crappy. And… actually even then I tip. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because the pastries etc., were pretty scare and the cupbords looked a little bare. I like to order something extra to munch on, but didn’t see anything appealing with very limited selection. However… this is a small neighborhood establishment, so I understand that it might not be cost effective to stock up as a Starbucks would in a busy mall. The Latte was strong, and just what I needed for some energy. It looks like they offer sandwiches, so maybe next time I will order one and update my review.

I have a whole latte love for Lati and consider myself blessed to live a stones throw away.
Staff– Lovely owner Lati and friendly barista Maria are wonderfully sweet and accommodating.
Drink– great coffee by local roaster Seven. Great selection of flavors, including sugar free (more than vanilla– whoooho!; they have almond, coconut and caramel SF!) They now have alternative milks as well (almond, coconut and soy) Unique drinks too
Food: small but quality selection of pastries by Macrina bakery (love the apricot scone!), quiche, house made sandwiches. and. homemade waffles on weekends. You can choose your toppings, including strawberries, banana, nutella.
Sandra Bullock would also approve of the Bagels and schmear.
Community: clientele is made up of mostly neighborhood folk such as myself, or Hale students studying. Cozy atmosphere with a children’s corner and wifi available. Rotating displays from local artists

Neighborhood coffee shops are an art, and Lati’s figured out the secret. The barrista was friendly, and my espresso shot had perfect crema. Yum.

Word on these hot days, 81 degrees and 76% humidity: Lati’s has AC!
Lati was the bloom of my morning on Wednesday. Went back to get another sweet experience today, but there was a different barista on duty. The difference was so strong that I decided I could do better (and did!).
So yesterday, I’d have given Café Lati 5 stars: My barista (with long, dark hair — don’t know her name) was awesome, as were the folks there. Totally a comfy vibe, and my drip and bagel were perfect. Will still try it again when I’m back that way.

Really nice baristas and classic options. Everyone has to try the hot cocoa, it was the best I had ever had!

Pretty good latte if you’re near Nathan Hale. My usual coffee places are victrola coffee, vivace, and stumptown, for frame of reference.

I love the Engine #40! It is amazing. Lati is very nice and sweet and frankly, I have not been in there a lot, but every time I have exchanged pleasantries with the staff.
I have never had the sandwiches, but I was urged once to try the passion fruit scone. I was hesitant, but glad I tried it. I don’t believe they bake on site (could be wrong, though) but the scone was good.
I haven’t tried anything else, as I am not a big sandwich person. Good for kids and it’s spacious enough for a small group.

Loved the coffee! Bought a sandwich with pesto mayo on it that was delicious. price are cheap and the place itself is very quiet.

I stopped in here on my way to visit a friend who lives close by. I was hungry, the oh-my-if-I-don’t-eat-NOW-I-will-pass-out kind of hungry; if all they had in the display case had been a 2-​year-​old biscotti, I would have eaten it. As it happened, they had sandwiches! For less than $ 5! (Who charges less than $ 5 for a sandwich these days?) It was quite simply the best ready-​made café sandwich I“ve had all year. The bread was gourmet, potato herb I think, nice and soft but with crunchy crusts. The ingredients were simple but perfect together, a creamy pesto mayonnaise with turkey, havarti (I think) and that nice crispy kind of lettuce. It tasted … home-​made, unlike most pre-​made sandwiches which are assembled on some factory line, probably by unpaid children, then vacuum packed so they can last for ever. This is the kind of sandwich you’d imagine your mother would have made for you when you were a kid — if you have that kind of mother. And even if you don’t it’s nice to fantasize. I’ll be back next time I’m in the area!
Oh yes, the drip coffee was fine too.

I’ve been Lati’fied twice now, both times I went ahead and just got a plain cup o’ Joe ’cause I’m simple, boring, cheap, and wanted caffeine for little or no calories. But, back to the topic of Café Lati. The brewed coffee was a hit-​or-​miss it appears, but I gotta give a star for the friendly staff and the delicious sandwiches on display.
Now, here’s the debbie downer of the review for Lati:
— Food and coffee were quite pricey
— Drip coffee was inconsistent

I love this place! It’s kind of pricey for coffee but it’s so convenient and the people are all so nice. I really like their drip coffee and their oregon chai is amazing. They’re sandwiches and crepes look really good too, but are too expensive for me :/

Phenomenal coffee and a great vibe inside. The Engine #40 is a fantastic coffee. Also, free wi-​fi which is great.

I just move into this great little neighborhood and discovered this coffee shop yesterday. Yesterdays experience was good, good service, good morning glory muffin. A nice experience. So, today I get up after getting home about 3am from work to take my dog for a walk.(note: yesterday they seemed dog friendly) I thnk as I am getting ready «oh I will stop and get a mocha on the way back and maybe one of those muffins!». We walk up to Café Lati and there is a dog right at the front door. My dog loves buddies… The women sitting with the dog informs me that her dog is not friendly, okay. what to do. I take about 6 steps inside thinking I will just quickly order from there and wait for it to be ready outside. The person behind the counter informs me «no dogs inside» I am in the industry I am aware but what to do with my dog. It is dead in the café, only patrons are the ones outside with the snotty dog. I inform her of the problem and she again tells me «no dogs» Fine I will go somewhere else. Here was her chance to give great customer service!!! She was not doing anything!!! She could have said «what would you like and I will bring it out to you… I just cannot have a dog inside, health code blah blah blah… but instead she CHOSE to give crappy service and I will now walk south on 35tth until I find another coffee shop… I will never return to that place and I will let everyone I meet in the hood not to go there either!!! UPDATE: 9÷14÷10 Was talking to a neighbor about Café Lati… She goes there all of the time and takes 100 puppy in the café? strange

Cozy, friendly place to drink coffee. Owner goes to great length to serve super good coffee. She is very conscientious and tries hard to please customers. Can’t imagine a better coffee shop for our neighborhood.

I do feel really bad about reviewing Café Lati 2 stars, but it’s true! The coffee is sub-​standard. I keep going back because it is convenient and the people are nice. If I had review the pastries, people, décor etc… Lati is totally a 4 or 5 star joint!
However, I have to review the coffee and since it is a coffee shop. The coffee ought to taste better than something on the floor. Espresso shots are bitter. They make my face contort. I drink my coffee black and Lati forces me to add cream and sugar to allow me to get it down. Starbucks could make a better shot by pouring out the gunk that gets stuck in the espresso machine’s drain into a glass.
Lati, I beg of you… get your act together and start making some good coffee. I really want to like your shop. I really want to like your coffee. Whatever I drank this morning was worse than usual. Either the coffee quality is Grade F or perhaps the machine never gets cleaned. I think I need to go drink Pepto and stop at McDonald’s for a better cup of joe.