At Fonté Cafe & Wine Bar, they don’t like to compromise. Starting with the coffee, which is roasted for the likes of Michael Mina, Daniel Boulud, the Four Seasons and Wynn Hotels, Fonte aims to deliver great taste wrapped in an elegant experience.
The cafe is situated appropriately in Seattle’s new Four Seasons Hotel, at street level near Pike Place Market. The coffee machine is a Ferrari (owner Paul Odom had it custom built in the Netherlands), the lighting is just right and a wall-sized photo of the roastery reminds you that Fonte is a coffee company.
Garde manger at Fonte
But Fonte looks more like a European bistro than a Seattle coffee house. Lots of leather, marble and wrought iron with wood accents contribute to a natural-elegant habitat. The newly-installed garde manger (open food prep station) overflows with artisan meats, cheeses and breads. It is flanked by an impressive selection of wines, beers and liquors (happy hours 5-6:30pm daily).
The menu was designed by 2010 James Beard Award Winner, Chef Jason Wilson of Crush Restaurant (Best Chef, Northwest). Breakfast (served all day) covers everything from oatmeal to omelets, then there are house baked sandwiches, meat & cheese plates, and artisan pizzas comprising the rest of the menu.
It’s all pretty damn good, and full of nice culinary surprises. Service can be indifferent, but it’s frequently exotic and interesting.
For the price, Fonte is terrific value. Worth a try.
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Fonté Cafe & Wine Bar
1321 First Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
Phone:
(206) 777-6193
Hours of Operation:
Tuesday – Saturday: 7AM to 10PM
Sunday & Monday: 7AM to 9PM
Happy Hour: Monday – Friday: 5PM to 6:30PM
