Review - Good Karma (9th & Pine)

928 Pine St. (between 9th & 10th St.)
267.519.8860
Website, Yelp, Google Maps
Everyday: 7 am - 10 pm

[Editor's note: this review was written by a guest blogger, Yoo Jin]

I moved to Philadelphia about two months ago. Since then, I have been desperately searching for a new “go-to” place. Finally, after so many days of aimless wandering, I think I may have found my second home.
It took me awhile to find this place because it does not show up on Google search. Only the location of the original Good Karma comes up. So, I would not have known about this relatively new franchise if I had not stumbled upon it.

Hidden in the residential area of Society Hill, it just comes out of nowhere with its bright yellow-green storefront. I remember physically stopping from across the street and thinking I've been transported to some European city. I first noticed the patrons sitting outside and leisurely enjoying their afternoon. Behind them were two glass windows, through which I could see the bright, spacious interior. Young people who appear to be students, couples, families with kids, and even dogs bustled in and out through the open door.
Once inside, I was pleasantly surprised by the temperature. With the front door open to the street and the backdoor open to a private garden, it is well-ventilated and cool even without air conditioning. Maybe, it’s just me, but I prefer a natural breeze to freezing, artificial draft.

There are plenty of seating and outlets for those of you who like to study at cafes. The wifi internet is, of course, available and free. I really liked that the tables are large enough for all my books and gadgets. The music is relatively unobtrusive and in good taste. (I may be slightly partial here since they were playing one of my favorite bands.) And, despite the kids and dogs running around, the atmosphere is calm

The coffee was not bad. I was impressed that they had soy milk out as an adjunct at no extra charge. They also offer bottomless mugs for $3, which is a great deal if you are a caffeine junkie like I am. And, for non-coffee drinkers, they also have a variety of Italian sodas, smooties, teas, and bottled drinks. Their pastry and food selections are above average. I had one of their black and white cookies, which was excellent! I haven’t tried any of their food. But, a lot of customers were eating bagels and croissants sandwiches that looked delicious. You can also buy small bags of fair-trade coffee beans to make your own cup at home.

To top it all off, the small but lovely garden in the back provides a pleasant escape from the city. Sitting under the shade, I felt as though I am in a friend’s backyard. Wifi still works out there though there are no outlets. There is also a large room that can be reserved for group study

If I had to be nit-picky and point out the minor negatives, I would have to mention that the place only accepts cash. There is an ATM machine inside, however. (It charges $1.50 for withdrawal.) And, few of the tables are little wobbly.

Overall, I love this café. Not only is it inviting, it is also eco-friendly and socially responsible. Like its name, there is really good karma emanating from its space.

Review - Capriccio Cafe and Espresso Bar

110 N. 16th Street (between Arch and Cherry Streets)
215.735.9797
Website, Yelp, Google Maps
M - F: 6:30 am - 6:30 pm, S - S: 8 am - 8 pm
Wi-Fi, tons of tables, tons of outlets

Capriccio Cafe

To my loyal readers and follower, I must sincerely apologize for the obvious dearth of posts for the last few months.  I've been caught up with finals and graduation, which put my cafe blogging on a temporary hiatus.  Plus, not having a functional laptop makes it a bit more difficult to review coffeshops on the spot.  But fear not, because I HAVE been visiting a number of cafes in the past 2 months and I promise that I will be gradually rolling out the reviews as I write them.  Be on the lookout for reviews of OCF (18th and South), the new La Colombe (near City Hall), the new Saxby's near Rittenhouse (yes, I'll give Saxby's one more chance), Chapterhouse, Good Karma, Bodhi, Spruce Street Espresso, Lovers and Madmen, etc, etc, etc).

But without further ado, let's get on to talking about Capriccio.  So Capriccio is not within my typical radius of walking.  If you click the link to the Google Maps, you'll see that it's located about a block and half northwest of City Hall.  Not to say this is a bad location, but it's a not somewhere I go walking around on a regular basis. However, a friend recommended the place to me so I decided to give it a try.  As you might guess from the location, the cafe is full of businessmen and women stopping by to grab coffee on the way to the office.  That said, Capriccio does a great job of still maintaining the ambiance and environment to make it a desirable place to chat or read.  It's probably not that apparent from the rather poor picture taken by my iPhone, but the entire cafe is its own little building, sitting like an island in the middle of a block.  Moreover, instead of having traditional walls, the cafe is covered by huge glass windows!  It might seem like you're entering a fishbowl, but the ambiance inside is quite pleasant.  The huge glass windows lets in a lot of natural light (but not direct sunlight), which makes studying very enjoyable.

Any kind of extravagant decor is missing, but the cafe is clean, simple, and sleek inside  There are about 12 smaller tables spread out throughout the cafe.  While the tables aren't the biggest tables, they are sufficiently spaced apart from each other so even the most claustrophobic customers probably won't feel cramped.  They have plenty of outlets for all your electric needs.  They're supposed to have internet, but I had some trouble connecting.  As a bonus, there must be a Starbucks nearby however, because I was able to pick up their Wi-Fi signal with good speed.   One unique thing I noticed - they didn't have any background music playing for the first few hours I was there.  They eventually turned some music on after a few hours, but even then it was rather quiet, which provided a nice break from a number of cafes these days that blast background music.  But the huge windows, plus the nice white noise of nearby conversation, and soft humming of the ceiling fans made it the perfect environment to get some quality studying done.

As for the food, when I went up to the counter, I was very impressed by the variety of choices.   They had all the usual cafe items, but this particular one also offered ice cream, milkshakes, and most impressively, Hope's Cookies, which in my humble opinion produces the best cookies in the Philadelphia area.  I ordered a small coffee and one chocolate chip cookie with the friendly barrista.  When asking what type of coffee they use, the barrista stumbled and couldn't answer.  She said they're supposed to use La Colombe coffee, but at the time were using some other coffee that they didn't know....  Anytime a barrista doesn't know his or her coffee, I do get a bit suspicious.  Thankfully, the coffee wasn't that bad.  Or maybe the excellent taste of the cookie masked it.  But the coffee wasn't that great.  It tasted slightly watered-down and lacked any kind of dynamic flavor, which would be evident from any properly brewed La Colombe coffee.  But the coffee sufficed and was certainly better than the burnt coffee you might get at Starbucks.

All in all, this cafe is very unique and might offer you a nice respite or a change of scenery for those of you who like to study with lots of natural light (as I do).  The coffee is so-so, but it passes..this place is definitely worth checking out.

3.5/5 beans.  As always, please comment below and be on the lookout for consistent reviews of more cafes!

Review - Cafe L'Aube

1512 South Street 1631 Wallace St.
215.546.1550 215.235.2720
Updated: Website, Yelp, Google Maps
M - F: 7:30 am - 6 pm,S - S: 8 am - 6 pm
Wi-Fi, Tables, Outlets

[Editor's note: this review was written by a guest blogger, Norma.]

Philly residents who know their food will tell you that the best thing about Café L'Aube is the crêpes. I have to disagree. While it does have arguably the best, most authentic Parisian crêpes this city has to offer, I would venture to say that the best thing about Cafe L'Aube is, in fact, the atmosphere.

L'Aube (pronounced lobe) is the French word for dawn: the first appearance of daylight in the morning, the beginning or rise of something fresh and new. The word perfectly captures the atmosphere at this South Street gem. If you're like me--an urban dweller who loves (mostly) everything that a vibrant bustling city has to offer but also revels in finding the occasional quiet retreat, then Café L'Aube will appeal to you too, on many levels. Located between 15th and 16th streets, the block is not heavily trafficked for most parts of the day and you can easily miss the cafe if you aren't looking for it. I've visited at times when my party was the only one in the entire cafe, evoking that sense of calm and newness that blankets the city just after a Saturday sunrise. But I've also seen the cafe brimming with customers like chirping birds announcing the start of an early morning. It truly strikes the perfect balance between an invigorating peacefulness and a soothing energy.

Practically speaking, Café L'Aube is always clean and well-lit, inviting you in with comfortable seating and a homey decor. Add in their free wire-fi and I could easily spend all day here (and I have!). But given all that, my favorite thing about this place that keeps it near and dear to my heart is its playlist of musical artists that sounds like it was ripped right from my Pandora: Rilo Kiley, Camera Obscura, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Cat Power, The Shins, Explosions in the Sky, Iron & Wine, Postal Service, and Death Cab, just to name a few. All these things brew together to make the perfect ambiance whether you're studying, reading leisurely, or catching up with friends over a light meal.

Overall, Café L'Aube reminds me of the European cafes I used to frequent during my year studying abroad. Besides catching a glimpse of a native Frenchman (owner Jean-Luc), you can always expect to encounter interesting people, solid music, good coffee, and great food here.

Four and a half beans.

[UPDATE, April 2012: The original location on South St. has shuttered since the original review last year. The new location at 1631 Wallace St. is what I would call a diamond in the rough. The decor is sparse and not as warm and inviting as the original South St. location. The hours are more limited. But the food and beverages were still as good as I remember. My only disappointment was that they were promoting a Thai Iced Tea House Specialty but had run out of "Thai flavoring" when I tried to order it. It's still managed by Frenchmen with even more boisterous Frenchmen as customers (I assume). I will always think of this place warmly but it's definitely not a must-go like it used to be. Three and a half beans.]

Review - Cake and the Beanstalk

1112 Locust Street
215.592.6505
Website, Yelp, Google Maps
M - F: 7 am - 8 pm, Sat: 8 am - 8 pm, Sun: 9 am - 7 pm
Free (and fast) Wi-Fi, Several Tables, Lots of outlets

Cake and the Beanstalk

Cake and the Beanstalk, located near Jefferson University,  is a relatively new establishment as they're only a little over a month old.  They occupy Flying Monkey's old spot, which wasn't that good, so I'm glad there's a new coffeeshop in town!  I should mention, that Cake and the Beanstalk isn't strictly a cafe.  They also boast a good selection of homemade and delicious desserts.  When I asked the owner, Daniel Klein, why he named it Cake and the Beanstalk, he answered that he wanted something that captured elements of both dessert and coffee.  Daniel has quite an impressive resume when it comes to his baking experience.  Drew Lazor from Meal Ticket notes that Daniel is a lifetime baker who's worked at Striped Bass, Circa, Morimoto, Le Bec-Fin, and Twenty 21.  I must say that his desserts are quite tasty.  I tried his Strawberry Shortcake and his one-pound  brownie with walnuts.  They were both pretty delicious but the brownie would've been much better if it had been heated up.  They also offer an array of other desserts, paninis and salads.

As for the coffee ($1.75), Cake and the Beanstalk uses Chestnut Hill coffee, which I've never heard of or tried.  So I was pretty excited to try it.  I asked the owner Dan what kind of roast/blend they use.  I think he was a bit surprised with my question and wasn't sure how to answer.  He said it was a house blend but didn't know anything more beyond that - except that he thought it might include some South American beans... and that he thought it was a medium roast... I was definitely disappointed to hear this from my barrista, but I took my coffee and brownie and sat down.  The coffee wasn't bad at all actually.  It was definitely brewed recently, didn't taste watered down, burnt, or old.

As for a cafe itself, I really liked how they set up the place.  They definitely took the name of their establishment to heart and made the decor fit.  They have unique and colorful tables, and no 2 chairs are alike.  There is also a beanstalk painted on one of the walls of the bathroom that's kinda cool.  They have big windows, which is nice because you get a nice view of the garden next door.  It also lets in a lot of sunlight, which I think is mostly a good thing.  My only gripe is that during the late afternoon hours, the sunlight is right in your face, which I hate.  It makes looking at computer screens impossible!  I stayed there until the sunset.  Once the direct sunlight was out of my face, I was able to study much better.  But I was then confronted by another problem - my table was definitely too dark.  Looking around at the cafe, I think the other tables were adequately lit.  I was at the table at the front end.  While there were lights right above us, they weren't turned on for some reason and made studying quite difficult.  Besides issue with lighting, I think the place makes a relatively good studying place.  The decor is quite colorful and refreshing which can be a nice psychological relief after spending hours in a concrete library.  They have super fast internet (9.82 mbps), decent number of tables (that weren't too crowded), and certainly enough outlets for all your electrical needs.  They also had one table outside right next to the garden.  I think once the weather gets  bit warmer, that could be an awesome place to read a book.

Overall, it can be a solid place to study - I just have issues with the lighting.  Coffee wasn't bad but I wish Cake and the Beanstalk would take a more serious approach with their coffee.  They don't have to be snobs about it but at least know what kind of coffee they serve.

3 out of 5 beans, with room to improve for sure.  Please share your thoughts!

Review - Ultimo Coffee Bar

15th and Mifflin Streets
215.339.5177
Website, Twitter, Yelp, Google Maps
M - F: 7 am - 9 pm, S - S: 8 am - 9 pm
Free Wi-fi, several tables, several outlets

Ultimo Coffee Bar

Ultimo Coffee, located in South Philly, has taken the Philly coffee scene by storm. For those of you who may be unaware, Craig LeBan (Philadelphia Inquirer's Food Critic) recently wrote several pieces of the changing coffee scene in the City. Though La Colombe's Todd Carmichael still remains King of coffee in the City, there has been a recent increase of fresh new competitors who take pride in a "craft coffee." Though somewhat controversial, this new movement of cafés and baristas identify themselves as the "third wave" of coffee (Folger's being the first, and Starbucks being the second, "hipster" coffee roasters being the third). Less than two years old, Ultimo (named after its owner Aaron Ultimo) is one such café, and probably considered to be one of the top cafés in the City. They also host a monthly "latte throwdown" where barristers from all over the City compete in the latte art competition. Due to all the publicity (some positive, and some negative), I decided to check this place out - even if it meant going far out of my way to visit. Fortunately for me, a friend graciously offered to drive me there! I have to admit, I had to mentally prepare myself for the onslaught of hipster culture. I have nothing against hipsters, but I have never been to a café in either Portland or Brooklyn so I didn't really know what to expect...

I was pleasantly surprised however, to learn that though my attire was pretty much the exact opposite of hipster attire, the baristas were quite friendly. I chatted with one of the baristas (he apparently won 2nd place in the most recent latte throwdown) for about 5 minutes about the café and the different coffee selections. He was very knowledgeable about his coffee, and contrary to my expectations, he didn't try to shove down his coffee philosophy down my throat. They had a selection of six different coffees all from Counter-Culture: Valle del Santuario (Peru), Baroida (Papua New Guinea), Buziraguhindaw (Burundi), Kagumoini (Kenya), Alarcon & Carhuachinchay Microlot (from a micro lot singled out for its superior quality from a farm in Peru), and an Espresso blend. I was tempted to get their espresso especially after Craig LeBan raved about it, but I ended going for the Microlot brew from Peru. I was a bit disappointed that they brew coffee via Chemex only before 11 am. After 11 am, your only choice is to get it hand-brewed using the pour-over method. My barista asked me whether I wanted my coffee "to-go" or "for-here." When I replied that I definitely would rather have my coffee in a mug over a paper cup, he jokingly responded by saying "we don't judge you at this cafe (this in reference to Craig LeBan's review of Elixr coffee where owner Inatome apparently protested LaBan's choice to get his coffee in a paper cup).

Having coffee brewed to order is always a refreshing experience, especially if the barista knows what he or she is doing. My coffee had a very smooth body, with no hint of bitterness or burnt-ness. And though I'm still working on my coffee-pallete, I could definitely taste the subtle flavors of pear and milk chocolate. Admittedly, I can see why many people are against the pour-over method - perhaps it's just a gimmick to justify charging more, and taking longer. If you're in a rush to get a to-go coffee, I would say pour-over method definitely isn't worth it. But I'm a student who likes to study at cafés. For someone like me, paying $3 for coffee instead of $1.50 may be worth it to know that the coffee isn't going to be burnt or old coffee. I honestly have nothing against regular drip coffee and places like La Colombe have great drip coffee! But I've had too many bad experiences at cafés where the coffee is disgusting (e.g., Tuscany Coffee, Saxby's, Last Drop, etc).

As for the ambiance and the environment, the café is fairly pleasant. I'm not too fond of "hipster" music, which I find pretty distracting when studying, but fortunately, it's not too loud. It's a lively café with many interesting conversations going on. They have a giant glass garage window thing that they apparently open up when the weather gets better. It's a shame I didn't get to experience that, but what I love about this place is that it's very well lit as the windows let in a huge amount of natural sunlight. Plus during the afternoon, there's absolutely no direct sunlight (which I'm not a big fan of). The decor is simple and definitely hipster-ish. But I think it's fine. It's also not the cleanest café, but it's not anywhere to the point of being disgusting. It's not a terrible place to study at - but I have my complaints. It's not a big café (only 9 tables). They do have good Wi-fi (4.3 mbps) and several outlets, but I really think it's probably impossible to find a table to study at. If you do happen to find a table (which we were luckily able to do), the studying experience is fine - good internet, outlets, big tables, and well-lit. However, I would expect that it's normally quite difficult to find tables because the slow pour-over method of coffee brewing caters less to the "to-go" coffee drinkers, and more to people who like to sit at a coffee table and chat or study for hours.

Bottom-line: if you're lucky enough to grab a table, it's a descent place to study especially with the guarantee that your coffee will be of excellent quality. It's definitely out of the way though and I think there are far better options in more accessible locations. The coffee is good, but I don't think it's worth it to make the trek just to try their coffee. It might be better just to buy your own gourmet coffee and brew using the pour-over method by yourself at home (just google it, it's really easy).

3.5 / 5 "beans." Let me know what you think please!

Review - Tuscany Cafe

222 W. Rittenhouse Square (approx 19th and Locust)
215.772.0605
Yelp, Google Maps
M - F: 7 am - 8 pm, S: 8 am - 8 pm, S: 8 am - 7 pm

Tuscany Cafe

Located on the Western edge of Rittenhouse Square, Tuscany Cafe has some serious competition (most notably La Colombe). However, there is enough traffic in the Rittenhouse area that I think Tuscany has sufficient business. I went in with rather high expectations actually. Philly Magazine ranked Tuscany as the best café in 2004. I checked out the place mid-afternoon on a weekday and fully expected the place to be packed. I was rather pleasantly surprised to see that the café was fairly empty and made it a rather enjoyable experience. There's one thing that I hate about trying to study at a café - lugging a heavy backpack loaded with your laptop and heavy textbooks only to find that there's not a single open table at the café. I'm not sure what Tuscancy Cafe is like at peak hours especially considering they have a posted sign asking customers to refrain from studying during peak hours. But when I went, there were probably less than 10 customers.

Unsurprisingly, Tuscany Cafe uses La Colombe coffee, which is pretty much the gold standard coffee in Philadelphia (I've mentioned this before). They alternate between the different La Colombe blends offering a different light and dark roast each day. I chose the Venetian blend, which is a dark roast blend, which I paid $1.91 for with my credit card (I love places that don't have a minimum credit card charge). Perhaps it was because I went towards the end of the afternoon, but the coffee was honestly disappointing. It tasted slightly burnt and watered down. It was probably brewed several hours before... perhaps the coffee tastes better in the morning, but I was very disappointed. The café also boasts the usual selection of espresso drinks, pastries, and and sandwiches, but nothing out of the ordinary. The barista definitely knew what she was talking about and was very quick and speedy. But she was rather too curt to the point of being slightly rude. I didn't mind too much because I prefer quick service above anything, but I didn't really see the point of being that curt especially because there was no line behind me.

As a place to study, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, the café has fairly spacious tables. And there's a lot of them, 22 to be exact. Moreover, they have pretty speedy Wi-Fi (measured at 2.39 Mbps). But take that with a grain of salt. As previously mentioned, there were less than 10 customers in the café at the time. The place has a great ambiance too. Pretty good music track that isn't too loud. The walls are painted in pleasant colors, which gives it a very homey feel, and they display neat photographs of the surrounding Rittenhouse and Center City area. Moreover, the café is pretty clean too. On the other hand, there are some characteristics that make it a terrible place to study. First, it's pretty dark and gloomy in there, which is a shame! They have such a great location right next to Rittenhouse. I think if they had huge windows (like La Colombe), they could let in a lot more natural light. They do have a bunch of windows, but they're all tiny and do a terrible job of bringing in natural light. Second, they have absolutely no outlets. Actually, I'm wrong. They have ONE outlet near the entrance. I think it's probably a strategy to prevent people from camping out there all day and studying on their computers. Tuscany is probably a good place to read a book or chat with a friend. But if you want to do any kind of serious studying, I'd suggest finding an alternate location.

Bottom line, not the best studying spot and the coffee was weak. I'm not exactly sure why Philly Magazine ranked this place as te best café in 2004. Either their quality has drastically failed in the last 7 years, or the number of actual and legitimate cafés in the city have dramatically increased. If you're in the Rittenhouse area looking for a place to study, you'd do better going to other neighboring cafés (e.g., Elixr, La Citadelle, La Colombe, Nook, Cafe Loftus, and yes, even Starbucks).

2 out of 5 "beans." Comment below!

Review - Cafe 12

212 S. 12th Street (Between Walnut and Locust Streets)
215.893.5680
Yelp, Google Maps
M - R: 6:30 am - 8 pm, F: 6:30 am - 9 pm, Sat: 7:30 am - 9 pm, Sun: 7:30 am - 8 pm

Cafe 12

I apologize for two things.  First, for the recent dearth of reviews.  Unfortunately, I've been a bit busy and haven't had as much opportunities to sample new cafés.  But I'll be back on my usual schedule of at least one review a week.  Moreover, if you're willing to do a guest review, drop me a line!  Second, while reviewing Cafe 12, I forgot to bring my camera so unfortunately, there is no picture, except this one I took on my phone.   I'll see if I can add a better one later.  Without further ado, I present my review for Cafe 12.


Cafe 12, formerly known as Brew Ha Ha!,  is located in the heart of Center City in the Gayborhood.  While under previous ownership when it was still known as Brew Ha Ha, this café was recognized as the best café in Gayborhood by Philly Magazine.  Even after ownership changed, Cafe 12 has been able to maintain quite a loyal client base as it remains one of the top independent café in the vicinity.  I visited Cafe 12 Tuesday around 3 pm, which is generally not a peak hour for most coffeeshops.  So I was a bit surprised to see that the place was packed.There are about 12 smaller round tables towards the front, but they were all taken.  Fortunately, I didn't have any serious studying to do, so I was content to head to the back of the café , where they have several sofas, which were all open.  I gladly sat down and found them to be reasonably conformable.


I went up the barista to get something to drink.  I was pleasantly met with very prompt and courteous service.  Though she didn't really to be the type of barista who's willing to engage in long conversations with customers, she was friendly and quick.  She didn't seem to know too much about the coffees though.  They had all the usual selection of coffees, espresso drinks, teas, Italian sodas, pastries, etc.  But as you may know from my previous reviews, I tend to just sample their coffee.  My theory is that if they can't get their coffee right, why try anything else?  But yes, back to the coffee.  I asked what kind of roast they had and she kind of hesitated.  I'm always surprised by the number of barista's who are seemingly afraid to talk about their coffee - as if they know they don't know too much about it.  She did mention that the blend of the day was a Honduras medium-roast coffee.   After paying $1.89 for the coffee with my credit card (I love places without a minimum charge), I took my coffee back to my sofa.  It had a pleasant aroma so I thought it would be pretty tasty.  So I was shocked when I tasted it.  It tasted very watered-down and pretty bitter.  Not even worth finishing it in my opinion.


The ambiance is fairly pleasant.  It feels very different from the typical chain café (e.g., Starbucks), and is very much an independent and local establishment.  My big gripe though, is that it's very crowded and packed.  If you're willing to sit on the sofas in the back, you won't feel that way.  But if you're somehow able to sit at one of the smaller tables in the front, you'll be bound to feel extremely claustrophobic within minutes.  It's almost as if the owners played a game to see how many tables and chairs they could fit in a confined and limited space.  They do have a few power outlets disbursed throughout the café.  But honestly, I don't think it's worth even trying to study here.  The tables are impossible to get for one thing.  But even if you're able to grab one, they're small.  The space is packed.  And the Wi-Fi is absolutely terrible (I measured it at .13 Mbps, which is extremely slow).


**Edit***
I forgot to mention.  They have two bathrooms.  In the spirit of Gayborhood, neither are gender labelled, with which I have no trouble.  But the bathroom on the left doesn't lock!  Another strike against Cafe 12.


Bottom-line: it's a cool little place in the heart of Center City.  They have fast customer service, but coffee was unimpressive and it's impossible to study there.  2 beans out of 5.  Share your thoughts in the comments!