Opaline Cafe & Bakery

In response to Tay O… Opaline is gone. They were a 5 star in my book. But the new place… well, it remains to be seen. More expensive. Better coffee. I reserve judgement at this time

Opaline is gone! I don’t know where they went or why they went, but there is a new place here instead. It is called Dailyz and they have soup and sandwiches and breakfast too. The food is good, the soups are particularly fantastic.

I have no idea what happened here.
If you had asked me 6 months ago what I thought of this place I would have given it at least 4 stars. On several occasions I got sandwiches there that, while perhaps a bit on the spendy side, were good enough to keep me going back whenever I thought my wallet could swing it.
I stopped going for a while and apparently somewhere along the line things took a turn. The first thing I noticed was the menus– there weren’t any. After standing at the counter for a slightly unreasonable amount of time (only 1 table was occupied) one of the two harried guys working in the kitchen came over and showed me the small office printed card that I had mistaken for a brochure when I saw it sitting face down on the counter. The size was a factor in my missing it, but the fact that it was folded in half to illustrate that the entire top half of its meager offerings were not available also played a part in my mistaking it for trash.
Given 5 choices, I elected to get a Croque Monsieur. Lets just be clear here– if you’re even passingly familiar with French, leave it at the door. I was corrected on the pronunciation (it’s Croak MunSOOR, apparently) 3 different times. Normally I’d just brush that sort of thing off but it was weird to be pointedly corrected on something like that.
And what did my $ 15 get me for lunch?
A pile of un-​dressed shredded lettuce, 2 partially cut cherry tomatoes (unintentionally retaining their shape), some baked chips, and a sad deli ham sandwich on white bread with a small pat of some flavorless cheese melted on top.
I really, really wanted to like it. Really. I used to love this place, and while it was generally more than I wanted to spend on a lunch I’d wind up eating at my desk, I used to think they were worth it. Used to.
So long, Opaline.

Opaline is a spot-​on lunch spot for soup, salad and sandwiches! But wait! Breakfast is served and it’s served really well! While you’re there, take a gander at the baked goods because you will definitely want to try something from that case!
(Awesome espresso drinks, too)!

coffee. soup and half sandwich. beet lentil soup. good. half «lulu», avocado + roasted red pepper + apple + spinach + (more veggies?) + cheese. pretty good, too. friendly owner. worth future visits for a quick lunch.

great view of glass making while eating lunch? yes please!
I found this place while walking to the Space Needle.
A lovely lady took my order for a solo lunch — an adult grilled cheese with tomato and pesto, and a cup of soup of the day, which was a lovely squash soup.
Food arrived about 15 mins after ordering piping hot. The viewing can not be beat! What a great way to spend time enjoying a lovely meal while watching live art.

Not bad. The Edna’s Pocket was a bit greasy, but with bacon and melted cheddar I should have expected that. It’s a coffee shop where you get your food at the counter and then take it to a table. Very small seating area and poorly laid out serving counter make for a lot of traffic. I can think of several alternatives for about the same price where I’d rather go. But if the glass blowing next door is interesting go ahead. It’s kind of a quaint little place.

Thanks, Unilocalers! Your reviews were right on. The women behind the counter were great and forgiving that we were kind of brain dead (needed coffee desperately). We split two egg dishes but mine was best (Edna’s Pocket — Scrambled egg, avocado, bacon, tomato, roasted poblano and melted cheddar on torta bread.) Hubs ordered bacon, eggs and toast which were very, very good, but c’mon I make that at home! Latte and cappuccino hit the spot.
Don’t come here if you’re in a rush; come here if you want really well prepared, good food and can take a few extra minutes for it to be prepared.

Best gluten-​free morning muffins I’ve ever tasted.
More space would be nice but they had wifi which was convenient.

We stumbled upon this treasure by complete accident, walking by the glass store that is adjacent. My wife and I just took a six-​day vacation in Seattle and of all our amazing eating experiences this was the best all around.
First off, it was the best breakfast we had on our trip (great eggs, wonderful toast, and the best steal cut oats I’ve had). The two women working there are naturally very friendly and welcoming. Our former favorite spot for breakfast is the Pantry (in Los ANgeles, where we live), but Opaline surpasses that.
My wife got some cookies and a scone to go, and they were delectable. The scone was not the rock hard version I had grown used to in the past, but a flaky dumpling with the right amount of glazing. The food and baked goods were all superb.
But beyond just the quality of food was the chance to watch glassblowers in action. We went to the much-​talked-​about Chihluly glassworks exhibit the day before, which was impressive, but watching the artists at work literally blew (pun intended) the exhibit away. What was originally suppose to be a 15 to 20 minute quick breakfast turned out to be an hour-​long treat.
Opaline’s should be a breakfast destination for any tourist as well as a local treasure for folks who are lucky enough to live nearby.

Great cookies and large in size. However, I felt like the price was too much for such a simple cookie. They also sell sandwiches and beverages here. Cute little place to stop in for a snack. Would go back to try the sandwiches later on.

not a ‘must try’ kind of place, but good enough to grab a quick bite if you’re passing through.
very friendly staff at this small café situated next (an connected) to a glass blowing studio. they allowed me to have a sample of the soup of the day before making my choice and they also have samples of the cookies out to try. I think that’s quality service because sometimes, you can’t commit just by reading a description off a menu or looking at it in the case!
soup of the day: black bean and apple. crushed black beans and soft chunks of apple. tasted kind of like chili. not really my steez for the day.
the sandwich was good: turkey and havarti.
the best part of my meal was the baked goods: i had the delicious toffee/​chocolate chip cookie… mMmmmm… i sampled the banana bread, which was sold out for the day, and i could see why.

I love Opaline. First, the mocha is excellent. Second, I love the scones — most recently, the pumpkin cream cheese scone, but the selection changes. I’m not necessarily a scone lover, but these are incredible. Third, the owner/​manager is very friendly. She will always greet you warmly.
But the best, and most unique, feature of this café, is that if you take your snack down the long hallway to the tables in the back, you can watch the glassblowing hot shop and the glassblowers doing their work. I don’t know another bakery or café in the world where you can get a view like that.
Seattle is the capital of the art glass world and this café gives you a front row seat — while you enjoy a delicious treat.

As a first time visitor to Seattle for a conference in the beginning of December, I was staying at the Westin Hotel downtown. Opaline Café was a little establishment within walking distance that I came across as I was out looking to lunch on my first day in town. The fact that I came back two days later should tell you plenty about my experience. Possibly the best grilled cheese I have ever eaten, and I have eaten my fair share (or is that fare share?) If you pass this place up, you are only cheating yourself. The soups are excellent too. Plenty to satisfy the carnivore or California vegetarian like myself. Thank you!

Opaline has the most delicious homemade baked goods, fresh salads and fabulous sandwich. The owner Lisa is hard at work every day cooking homemade soups and yummy cookies. Her food is fresh, healthy and unique. Extra bonus, Opaline serves Lighthouse coffee, roasted in Fremont. You can also watch live glassblowing while you eat!

Opaline opened across the street from my office next to Seattle Glassblowing a few months ago. I finally stopped in and was pleasantly surprised that they have a really nice selection of salads, sandwiches and baked good. It’s a tiny shop seemingly run by the owner. My only complaints are that the service is veeery slow. I can tell she’s trying her best to get into the routine of running the café — balancing servicing customers while also putting the food together. But I’ve waited 15 minutes for a salad before and was the only customer in the door. Also, I got a small soup once and it was literally $ 3 for 3 spoonfuls. It looks like a sample cup. Besides gouging you on portions for soup, everything else seems to be priced about right — $ 7 – 9 for salads and sandwiches.
Favorites: Hey Jude Salad with apples, beets, chickpeas, cheese. She also has a gluten-​free morning muffin which is great for me!
If you live or work in the area and need a new option from the mediocre delis or old staples like Whole Foods I’d definitely recommend this lil café.