Faire Gallery Cafe

Terrible mac and cheese and nachos

Are you fucking kidding? Now THIS place is closed. Grumble-​grumble…

Went here with a group of friends for a going away party and had a BLAST! Great music, classy people, friendly bartenders who know their shizz and serve up stiff drinks without the stiff attitude at some other swanky places on the hill.
Nice upper level with more seating and a *small* dance floor that makes it easy to meet new people or just chill with friends, sipping on Saturday night.

Tiny. Cute. Quirky.
Good drinks, good people, good service.
We likes. Plus, there were boobies on the wall when I last went. I cannot argue the boobies.

I enjoy Faire Gallery & Café. I only just recently started going there, and I mostly go there to listen to good food, relax with a beer, and be around other people of color. This is one of the only places in Seattle that you can go to and be sorrounded by good art and music, and passionate people that aren’t of the white variety. In my opinion, that in itself makes it a gem (not that I dislike white folk).
I also like the themed events that Faire puts on. If i’m not mistaken, this Sunday is national Nutella day? And they are having nutella flavored drinks and what not. Good times. I like to go on Tuesday for the hiphop night. I haven’t made it out for poetry night but I plan on it.
Anyway, this is just a solid place to chill.
I wouldn’t go there for food though. They don’t have a kitchen and so the food is really just the snacky type. I enjoyed the nachos I had there but they werent anything special. I just like chips and cheese is all.

This review is for food only. First of all, they have a very limited menu selection. This is because there is no kitchen. They only serve processed food purchased from Costco and then reheated in a toaster oven or the microwave.
We ordered the chicken sandwich, chicken/​broccoli quiche, and chicken nachos. The chicken on the sandwich was distinctly the frozen Costco variety with a slight smoky flavor. I know this because I used to eat this chicken all the time! They had the same exact chicken on the nachos. And they put hummus on the nachos (WTF?). My quiche came with a green salad dressed with Kraft Tuscan salad dressing (I saw the bottle).
The décor is shabby, delapidated, and unwelcoming. The shitty couches upstairs aren’t very uncomfortable and are covered with unsightly bedsheets. I won’t be back.

Went there for brunch with my husband and everything was so basic but delicious! It wasn’t busy however there was only one person working so we had to wait a little longer for our food. The food and drinks were worth the wait since it was really good. We’ll definitely return again.
By the way we ordered The Pesto breakfast sandwich, bruschetta, and a mimosa. All delicious.

Went here after a long day — happy hour runs late (2−7pm), cheers: D
I finally got to try the nutella martini wooo just a little too thick, but definitely a pleasant chilled drink to have on one of the warmer days of Seattle. Took us a while to find the place though, and the food takes a while to serve. On a brighter note, going for the Fredwich and nutella mocha for brunch is worth it too: D

Very cool bar/​café! Came here for a party last night and had a fantastic time. The owner/​bartender is really nice and makes some awesome cocktails. Love the eclectic vibe of this place.
We really enjoyed the musicians that performed. It was great seeing such a diverse group of people, partying and having a great time. Wish the Eastside had cool and unique bars like this.

Poetry readings, live music, snacks, drinks, coffee and tea… all in one spot and walking distance from my house? Score!
No matter what night of the week it is, Faire is always poppin’. During the summer months it can be a little warm in there but hey — some like it hot!

This place is a little bit of a trip.
Really good food and some funky music but not the best layout.
The staff was really friendly and helpful.
It didn’t seem like it gets too crowded and it’s a cool little place to hang out.
As with most establishments in this area, parking is a pain and there isn’t much room inside but it’s a fun place to checkout if you’re up for something a little different.

I went to this café for brunch on a Sunday. It appears somewhat rundown from the outside, but inside the eclectic art attempts to build charm. We walked upstairs to check out the space, which is quite small, before deciding to head back down and sit at the window bar. Lack of seating in general (only 5 chairs downstairs) was an interesting observation. To note, the barista was friendly and attentive.
We had the breakfast quesadillas — I had regular, he had bacon. As the only customers at high noon — prime brunch time — I was a bit worried. Given the previous Unilocal reviews, I was expecting it to be hopping. We were fortunately pleasantly surprised by the food. Tea was also top notch (multiple organic choices makes for a happy Allison). As we sat people watching on the corner of Olive and Melrose, another customer entered and stayed for food, while several others stopped in for a coffee or tea to go. This made me feel better about the café’s potential.
I’d be curious how it is in the evenings with the after work crowd, or how the live music scene is. Not sure I’d come back specifically for brunch, as there are many great brunch places in Seattle to try.

An artsy little café nestled in the triangle of East Olive Way will grab those alike.
Full of local eclectic art chosen by the owner/​curator it certainly makes the place a cool spot to hang out. The upstairs which gets smaller and very narrow houses some neat little tables for more intimacy. Love the big windows to the place which allow for primo views to the street.
The food is your typical café fare, panini sandwiches, veg fare, hummus, cheese plates etc. Not bad but nothing outstanding.
The place is usually pretty sparse in people it seems — might be a little hard to compete when Saley’s crepes are down the road as is Bauhaus coffee. But its still worth a stop in if your bored and want to see some really interesting art!

Mixed experiences here. My first experience at Faire was largely a good one. I was there to see a friend’s band play a show. Yes, it’s a small-​ish bar/​café but they do have live music, which is nice. The upper balcony is cozy and a great place to watch the band. The drinks were tasty and decently strong. The one downside was that the air conditioner was broken, and for a July day pushing 90 degrees, this was a big problem. So I’d give my first time at Faire a solid 3 stars– would be 4 if the AC was working.
Second experience at Faire was far less satisfactory. Mainly because I didn’t get to actually go in. Sunday night out for drinks with three friends, probably about 12:45, and when we tried to enter the café, we were turned away and told that it was closed. Huh? There were plenty of other customers, the door was open, and it was clearly open for business. The bartender said something in a brusque tone about us being intoxicated. However, this was not true, and we weren’t being loud or rude in any way. Oh well, we ended up going to the Crescent, which was more than happy to have our business. One star for this experience.

The Faire’s pleasing and fully unique atmosphere make it an excellent place to be a customer. The floor layout, art & décor, huge windows, friendly barista, and various interesting Faire patrons all help define this café.
I went around sunset to enjoy a beer and wifi, and left before any musicians played, if any were scheduled for the evening. I will definitely return to the Faire for more chillin on the internets, but also to check out events from their music schedule, and to keep up with the changing artists on display.

The friendliest people work here. Period.
Stop by in the morning for a perfect cup of espresso.
Stop by after work for a huge glass of wine by the giant windows.
Stay late for live music in all varieties (I’ve seen amazing FREE shows with local jazz artists, hip-​hop, folk singers, funk, etc.).
One of the best little spots on the hill, and it’s never crowded except on show nights.

I went to Faire last night for a change of scenery. There are plenty of places for coffee in that neighborhood but faire is… cooler. I’ve stopped in before to listen to a jazz group playing some West African tunes. They have liquor and they have espresso drinks. Just like cafes in Italy! The interior is small and intimate with a creative upstairs area where you can see the music but the music can’t see you. This might be a little odd for the musicians though it is great for voyeurs.
My americano was $ 1.00. I happened upon Americano Monday. Wow. That is a good excuse to leave the barista a decent tip. She was really friendly.

So a few months ago I met a someone who is in a local band called The Theoretics. Imagine The Roots except the group consists of all emo white guys that look like they are obsessed with World of Warcraft and could do my taxes in a blink of an eye. Correction: they do have one black guy that has a crazy amount of soul to him! Mark, one of the vocalists hosts a once a month open mic every 1^st Saturday of the month called THE CORNERSTONE here. It showcases poets, emcees, turntablists, etc. It’s a great show full of raw talent & an overwhelming vibe that keeps pulling you back for more! **BONUS** It’s FREE !!!
Thank you Faire Gallery Café for opening your doors and providing a forum for local artists to express their creativity. This is an ideal place to watch a show, network or come together to build a better community.
The only downfall to Faire Gallery is that it’s a closet with windows. Let’s face it though… it’s a CAFE, not a COSTCO! Sit back on one of the couches with an espresso /​beer /​wine in hand and focus your pretty peepers on the crazies that walk by.

I went to Faire for the first time last night and enjoyed a «heated» evening of lovely jazz. I say heated not only because the music was great but the temperature inside was crazy! Sunday is their live jazz/​open mic night, starting at 9pm, and it was a good thing me and 1 of the bffs got there early. It started to fill up at 10.
They have a high ceiling and fans placed through out to help with the heat wave currently enveloping Seattle but since it is in a brick building, I felt like I was a pizza cooking in a brick oven.
I asked the lady at the bar, who was also the bartender/​server/​cook, what to have with their Sweet on You, Sweet Potato (turkey/​sweet potatoe/​provo/​veggie) sandwich. She asked if I wanted a riesling, chardonnay, etc. I told her I wanted what she would drink. She said their house white, which happened to be an Australian Malbec.
It was a good combo. The sandwich made a great snack for two people to share and it didn’t hurt that it came with a lunch size bag of regular Lay’s. The shared Malbec was fresh and crisp, the Coke provided a deliciously cold sugar rush & the large Brita tank @ the end of the bar counter had icy cold water.
Sitting upstairs to be able to fully enjoy the music instead of being downstairs and in the musicians faces was a good choice. Faire is a really small & intimate venue. I hope they get more than the small stand alone AC unit they had placed next to the door, underneath the bar counter. We later ended up sitting outside their door/​large window to enjoy the cool breeze and music. (By that time the city noise ordinance had Faire closing their door, but the music was still audible at a pleasant level.)
All around experience, I will be back again for the food, drink and music. :)

Hello. My name is Matt and I am a Nutella fiend.
Everyone else at Nutella Anonymous Meeting: Hello, Matt!
I heard, through Unilocal,that this coffee shop has a Nutella mocha. I had to try it. I went here and it was disappointingly bland. It was a mocha with a scoop of Nutella dropped in it. It didn’t taste at all like Nutella until the last sip or two of the drink. *Sigh* If you’re a fan of mochas it was tasty enough. It just didn’t blow my mind like I had hoped. The prices were reasonable.
The next time I’m in Capitol Hill I’ll go here again, though. You know why? They have a Nutella hot chocolate on the menu that I have to taste. It’s an addiction, I tell you! Just put a couple jars into an IV and pipe it straight into my veins!!!