Café

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Bellden Cafe in Bellevue

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Bellden Cafe is one of my favorite cafes in Bellevue. We finally have a few options on the Eastside beside Starbucks.

In Kirkland: Deru Market and Little Brother. In Bellevue, Cafe Cesura and now Bellden Cafe.

This is a hidden gem where I go all the time now. The staff is always really nice.

They offer a few food options like sandwiches or pastries. I had once a tasty ricotta avocado toast and I also tasted a pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant) and a brioche filled with Nutella, both super good.

They have two small rooms on the side of the main room where you can have a meeting or just conversation. It is not so private though but however it is great.

They validate parking in the parking garage.

BELLDEN CAFE – 10527 Main St, Bellevue, WA 98004

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Cafe La Marzocco in KEXP 90.3 building

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I love this space! It’s a big industrial open space with lots of tables, chairs and big leather sofas.  I could easily spend all day here drinking coffee and listening to music.

Yes it is a really cool place that La Marzocco shares with KEXP, the radio station. You can listen to music from the speakers and watch the DJ behind the window. The sound is not too loud and people talk pretty quietly. This is pretty unusual and pleasant.

On one side, windows open on a garden and the Space Needle. It is always pretty cool to enjoy this view!
There is a cool exhibit of photos on the walls!

Also check out in one corner the second-hand Vinyl record store (Light in the Attic). I even found some Françoise Hardy and Jane Birkin LPs.

Last but not least: coffee there is really good! They know their stuff and offer coffee from different roasters or brands from all over the US and the world every week. It is a showroom for La Marzocco espresso machines.

To make it short: Good coffee and good music in a nice space!

— La Marzocco showroom and cafe 
472 1st Ave N,
Seattle, WA 98109
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Amandine’s Macarons

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Don’t expect the classic typical flavors we usually think of when we think of macarons. At Amandine Bakeshop, they don’t bake plain chocolate, vanilla or strawberry but instead opt for really original unique flavor combination. Imagine: Strawberry Lavender Verbana, Matcha with Shaved Dark Chocolate, Orange blossom Thyme, Roasted Mixed Nuts and Praline Macaron, …

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The consistency of Amandine’s macaron is really the way I like it. I don’t know if it is supposed to be like this but I like a macaron not when it is chewy all over but when it is soft inside and crispy outside with the right amount of creamy filling.

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So today I went back to the little bakeshop on Capitol Hill (on the 11th avenue between Pike and Union). I was there with a friend and we enjoyed the outdoor seating (4 chairs to be accurate) on this sunny first day of fall.

It was lunch time but whatever… Here is what my lunch looked like today: a very balanced and healthy combination of… a latte and two huge macarons!

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I have to go back to taste the other pastries.  The croissants and madeleines looked delicious though.

The Brownie Macaron is really different. It has a strong and delicious chocolate flavor but I don’t really like the chewy texture but… my daughter loves it!

I brought back a box for my gourmands at home.

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— Amandine 1424 11th Avenue