Camber Coffee

Camber launched in 2015 and opened the Holly Street flagship in July 2017, and it has been collecting the kind of recognition most Washington cafes never get near: a Good Food Award, a Golden Bean, and a place on Food and Wine's list of the top 25 coffee shops in America. All three founders are certified Q graders, which is an examined credential rather than a line on a website.

What that buys you at the bar is range. Rotating single origins, a house espresso blend, and an Artist Series reserved for the rare lots, which means the menu is different depending on the month you walk in. If you want one drink to judge the place by, the Cherry Cola Cold Brew is the one worth crossing town for, and it is the sort of thing a roaster only attempts when the underlying coffee can carry it.

The room runs a real kitchen rather than a pastry case with ambitions. Breakfast and lunch serve until noon, and the pastries carry on until close. That makes Camber a legitimate stop for a meal rather than a coffee with a scone as an afterthought.

Plan around the clock, because this is the part visitors get wrong. Camber closes at 2pm, which is early even by Bellingham standards, and Bellingham is a morning coffee town throughout. Parking downtown is metered and Holly Street fills up on Saturday mornings, so arrive early or walk in from a block or two out.