Espresso Vivace Capitol Hill

David Schomer, who cofounded Espresso Vivace with Geneva Sullivan in 1988, is widely credited with popularizing latte art in the United States. The poured heart became a Vivace signature in the late 1980s, and the rosetta followed in the early 1990s after Schomer saw one in a photo from Italy. He went on to write Espresso Coffee: Professional Techniques, first published in 1995, and made a barista training film called Caffe Latte Art.

Vivace roasts its own coffee in a Northern Italian style, but not at this address. Daily Coffee News reported in 2018 that the roasting runs on a Diedrich CR35 in a 5,000 square foot roastery beneath a bowling alley on Broadway, separate from the cafes. Two blends anchor the bar: Vita, with strong caramel notes, built for lattes, and Dolce, with a heavy red gold crema and a note of chocolate, built for straight espresso.

This is the sit down flagship in the Brix building at 532 Broadway E, with indoor seating and a sweeping curved bar topped with Caffe Forest Brown soapstone. Vivace moved into Brix after its longtime Broadway home was torn down for Capitol Hill Station. The cafe does not take cash, and Vivace's own site does not list a food menu, so treat this as a coffee stop first.

The old walk up sidewalk bar a few blocks south at 321 Broadway E closed in April 2023, and Fuel Coffee took over that stand, so older guides pointing there are out of date. This cafe is open daily from 6am to 7pm. Vivace's second bar, Alley 24, is at 227 Yale Ave N in South Lake Union and keeps shorter hours.