Sipping Through Austin: A Coffee Lover's Guide

Welcome to my caffeine-fueled journey through the vibrant streets of Austin, Texas! With a passion for all things coffee, I'm excited to share my favorite coffee shops and recommendations with you. Whether you're a local looking for a new coffee shop to get work done or a visitor eager to explore Austin's thriving coffee scene, you've come to the right place. I love to base my reviews on the quality of the espresso, syrup flavor quality, and even the milk quality! I will also be going over each places parking accessibility, price of coffee, wifi, atmosphere, and availability of seating.

Afuga

• This is hands down my FAVORITE coffee shop! Number 1!!! Reason being, I love their quality of coffee and how it mixes so well with the espresso and flavor! They offer a wide variety of flavors. Not to mention the atmosphere! I love the vibe inside and outside! Picture a coffee shop in the middle of an upscale New York styled neighboorhood. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! Cannot say enough good things and this coffee shop is the best thing about Austin. The owner of the shop is usually the one behind the counter taking your order, which I love!

• What I ordered: Iced lavendar white chocolate latte with oatmilk

• Latte/Coffee rating overall: 11/10. My favorite place to get a good latte. The flavor and espresso is so rich. It never loses flavor, even when you are down to the last few drops. This is huge for me because so many lattes lose their flavor about halfway of you drinking it, due to the ice of watered down factor but this one DOES NOT. Which makes it heavenly for me!

• Parking Accessibility: 10/10. This is in a neighborhood like I mentioned but they have their own parking spaces on the streets around the coffee shop. I have always found parking fairly quickly.

• Price: 8/10. My latte came out to around $7.50, which is pretty average in Austin.

• Wifi: 10/10. Lots of outlets to plug your laptop in!

• Atmosphere: 10/10! They play great "coffee shop" music and they have cute plants all around. I love it in here!

• Seating: 10/10. They have outdoor and indoor seating! I love to sit by one of the windows so I get natural sunlight and can see outside!
  

Fleet

• Love the outdoor coffee truck vibe! So cute but too expensive.

• Latte/Coffee rating overall: 6/10. Way tooooo watered down with a major lack of flavor.

• Parking Accessibility: 8/10. Have to park on sides of street, if there is availability since it is somewhat in a neighborhood.

• Price: 1/10 (my latte came out to $10 which is the most I have ever paid for my usual flavored oatmilk latte and it was nothing special)

• Wifi: none

• Atmosphere: 7/10. The outdoor shaded vibe is cute! It also has a boohoo aesthetic.

• Seating: 8/10. There is only outdoor seating. They do have fans and plenty of tables!
  

Fox Trot

• Definitely one of my top 3 favorites! Especially since they also double as a market and have so many local treats! I love the Misfits plant powered protein bars, Siggi's yogurt and Mush overnight oats! You can order ahead here which is so nice.

• What I ordered: Lavender honey oatmilk latte and/or lavender white chocolate oatmilk latte

• Latte/Coffee rating overall: 9/10. Love how the flavors, milk and espresso mix so well.

• Parking Accessibility: 10/10. They have their own parking lot with plenty of parking spaces.

• Price: 10/10 (my latte was $5.65 and that is the cheapest I found in Austin!!)

• Wifi: 10/10

• Atmosphere: 10/10. Literally perfect. I have come here so many times!

• Seating: 10/10. So many tables (big and small) or you can even sit at the coffee bar area.
  

Manana

• Super super super cute aesthetic coffee shop with an amazing vibe! I loved it here! Would come back again for the vibe or for a cute coffee date!

• What I Ordered: Pumpkin spice + almond brown sugar oatmilk latte

• Latte/Coffee rating overall: 7/10. A bit milky and watered down from the start. However, the syrup flavor was good.

• Parking Accessibility: 6/10. I visited on a typical busy Sunday morning and the closest parking I could find was a 8 minute walk to Manana, which was not terrible considering I love to walk. However, I know for others, this could be an issue!

• Price: 8/10. (My latte was around $7.50 and this is average pricing!)

• Wifi: 10/10. Lots of outlets to plug in! Fast internet!

• Atmosphere: 11/10!

• Seating: 8/10. Smaller sized tables to fit no more than 3/4 people each!
  

Mozarts

• LOVE Mozart's specifically for their large variety of seating and the VIEW! If you choose to sit outside or even just walk around, you will get a beautiful lake view! It is gorgeous! They even do light shows during Christmas time which is something they are well known for. They serve breakfast and pastries as well. Tons of coffee flavors to choose from! Mozart's is definitely the place to be.

• What I ordered: Marshmallow white chocolate oatmilk latte

• Latte/Coffee rating overall: 7.5/10? I have mixed feelings about this rating because the first time I visited this spot, I LOVED it. The flavors + milk + espresso mix was 10/10 and I could not wait to come back. They have this amazing marshmallow flavor! However, the second time I came here, the quality was 7/10 and tasted nothing like the first time! Completely different. There was no consistency.

• Parking Accessibility: 6/10. They have a parking lot that is shared and the parking is typically hard to find. Both times I have come, I had to wait to find/follow someone who was walking to their car leaving so I could grab their spot.

• Price: 8.5/10. My latte was $7 which was below average and decently reasonable.

• Wifi: 10/10

• Atmosphere: 11/10. Literally the best atmosphere if you sit outside! The view of the water is perfect. It is shaded! The building is shaded outside and there are even fans.

• Seating: 10/10. So much seating to choose from whether you want to be indoor or outdoor. Big and small tables. If you want to sit inside, there are windows that still give you a good view of the water!
  

Desnudo

• Way to much hype around this one. This one was apparently a "must" and I am definitely glad I tried it out! But it is not a place I would come back to.

• What I ordered: Brown sugar miso oatmilk latte

• Latte/Coffee rating overall: 6/10. Nothing special, not enough flavor. Very naturally watered down/milky.

• Parking Accessibility: 8/10. You have to park along various streets then walk to the area where the foodtrucks and Desnudo's coffee truch are!

• Price: 7/10 (paid $8 for my latte and this is slightly above average)

• Wifi: none

• Atmosphere: 7/10. Everything is outdoors. beware that if it is hot outside/summer time coffee will melt QUICK.

• Seating: 7/10 This is a coffee truck that shares space with other food trucks so the seating is outdoor and shared.
  

Bennu

• Definitely one of my top 3 favorites for coffee quality! The espresso and flavor and milk all blending super well!! Amazing quality. Rich in flavor and the flavor does not go away as you drink it/ice starts to melt.

• Latte/Coffee rating overall: 11/10!

• Parking Accessibility: 6.5/10. You have to park somewhat around apartments and other buildings. Just make sure you read the signs around you really well. There is also a parking garage nearby in walking distance.

• Price: 8/10. My latte came out to around $7.50, which I noticed has been the average.

• Wifi: 10/10. Amazing! Lots of outlets to connect your laptop!

• Atmosphere: 9/10. Love the aesthetic and college vibe.

• Seating: 10/10! Lots of big and small tables with different views! Whether you want to be by a window with indoor or be outside!
  

Cosmic

• What I ordered: Lavender mocha oatmilk latte

• Latte/Coffee rating overall: 7.5/10

• Parking Accessibility: 10/10. They have a HUGE parking lot!

• Price: 7/10 (paid $8 for my latte which is just slightly above average)

• Wifi: 10/10

• Atmosphere: 9/10. I personally loved the outdoor vibe more than the indoor vibe. Especially during fall because they have super cute pumpkins setup and thrown all around the outdoor area.

Seating: 10/10. There is PLENTY of outdoor seating with umbrellas over each table to provide shade. There is also indoor seating!

Anis Day and Night

• Not my type of scene of atmosphere.

• Latte/Coffee rating overall: 7/10. It was okay. Needed more flavor and to be less watered down. Maybe could be better if different milk/espresso was used?

• Parking Accessibility: 7/10. They have their own parking lot but it is more on the smaller side. Hard to find parking unless someone is leaving.

• Price: 8/10. (My latte came out to $7.50 and this is about average)

• Wifi: 10/10

• Atmosphere: 7/10 (again keep in mind that it wasn't exactly my type of vibe, could be for someone else!)

• Seating: 10/10. There is indoor and outdoor seating and it's cute because the indoors is basically house style! Picture a coffee shop in an actual home.

Palomino Coffee

• This was probably my favorite as far as vibe goes, out of all of the coffee shops I visited! It has a very boohoo/gypsy cactus vibe and I love it! I was thriving in here.

• Latte/Coffee rating overall: 8/10

• Parking Accessibility: 7.5/10. Keep in mind they share parking with a couple of other shops in the same plaza area!

• Price: 8/10 (my latte came out to $7.50 which is about average!)

• Wifi: 10/10

• Atmosphere: 11/10

• Seating: 10/10. Indoor and outdoor seating!

Obviously I have not been to alllll of the coffee shops just yet. There are definitely a few highly recommended and popular ones that I have missed on my list and can't wait to try! Who knows, maybe I will be back with a part 2! However, the moral of the story for this blog is that from cozy cafes to bustling roasteries, Austin offers plenty of options for coffee enthusiasts eager to explore. Whether you're in search of the perfect latte or just want a cozy spot to unwind, these recommendations are sure to satisfy you. Maybe I will see you at one of these coffee shops! I hope you find your new favorite spot from one of these!

XOXO,

Tess