Top Espresso bars in Portland, United States

This place must survive off of the uniqueness of its interior, which really is a flashback to the early 60s. While that was wonderful, the service at Radio Room was horrendous. It wasn’t bad because the staff were not friendly; it was bad because they were the most INATTENTIVE staff I have EVER experienced. I think the staff there are just counting on the fact that this place must be written up in all the tourist guidebooks about visiting Alberta Street in Portland. They do not actually have to try to do anything worthwhile while they are on the clock! We had to ask for a SPOON to eat soup…twice. And before that, we had to ask to even order food ( because the server took our drink order and then walked away and didn’t come back for a half an hour!!!). They hadn’t even ask if we wanted to order food along with our drinks. Really??!?!? Then, after our first drink, we had to yet again get the attention of someone to order more. We were just asking to spend our money and it was difficult to do that at this place!! SO BE ADVISED; in Portland, where there are MANY places that have delicious food and drink, and even atmosphere, avoid this place and go somewhere where you will get your moneys worth.

This place is so cute, amazing service. A blast to eat at.

I loved my salmon and zero proof drink that was orange.

Unfortunately my partner didn't enjoy the pasta he got. But I still enjoyed my experience.

My husband and I were looking for a nice place to grab a drink while waiting for an appointment and ended up in this gem. We took our 1 yr old, and they accomodated us without hesitation. The happy hour food was great and the atmosphere was simply amazing! Will definitely go back for a date soon.

Amazing! So cozy with the fire going, and I loved the retro vibe of the place. This might be my new favorite spot.

Bar tender was great - attentive and fun. Lots of NA options, including some late night coffee which I appreciated.

Get the Golden Milk!

Perfectly dim, swanky super hip mid-century vibe with excellent service, food and drinks while playing a good selection of alt rock/punk...perfect! Even have an artist collection card series in a modified cigarette machine! Can't wait to return!

Really, really loved this place. Great vibes, excellent happy hour menu, fantastic cocktails (although I wish there more gin cocktails). The French fries were absolutely delicious and the portions were good for two people sharing a handful of dishes. Would definitely recommend.

A must you are in Portland! The staff are very nice about letting you try a bunch of flavors before you settle on your favorites!

5/5 Strawberry Balsamic
5/5 Sweet Resergam
5/5 Apple Cider and Donuts

Incredibly rich flavor and perfect creamy texture. One of the best gelatos I’ve ever had and I’ve had a few in Florence Italy. Aces!

Phenomenal gelato! Can only get better gelato in Italy itself. Friendly and helpful staff. What unique flavors! Since it was October they were offering pumpkin and it's just incredible, tastes just like a pumpkin pie. All the flavors are amazing. This is a **must stop ** if you are in the mood for a cold dessert downtown Portland.

Cookies and biscuit were great. They go pretty heavy on the salt sprinkle so if you have high bp, watch out. The biscuit was yummy but the butter to jam ratio was really off. Coffee was mid, that’s all I really have to say about it. The woman tending to us was a little nasty but hey, everyone has bad days.

The staff was friendly enough. However, because the bathroom was unavailable, we couldn't sit in their space even if we would have purchased coffee. We walked from the cruise terminal to this location, looking for Starbucks "Been There" cups. They were sold out.

Again, I can't rate the food. But not being able to stay in a shop where you (would have) purchased food and/ or drink is strange to me.

First time at this location for a work trip. They’re extremely friendly and fast service. Good staff good Starbucks.

I order bags of roasted coffee from Tandem almost monthly now - they're one of my absolute favorite roasters, and I'm so glad I found them. Every bag I get from them is clean, sweet, juicy, and really easy to nail the flavor notes on. Huge fan.

If you haven't tried their La Piramide, it's an awesome daily driver. Sipping it now!

Best place in Portland to taste good gelato. They give you the option to taste the samples before you buy. The smallest cup can have 2 flavors and they give generous amount of gelato just for 3.50$ or so.
Highly recommended

Stylish cozy place with pretty good food and drinks. Service was a bit sparse for as empty as it was. Never the less I'd like to stop back in for dinner next time.

The gelato is so good we went back again before we left Maine. Definitely stop by this place if you’re in the area.
Unique and delicious flavors!

Just wanted to write a review about Tandems coffee. It is just the best. I have never actually been to their cafe in Portland, I have been buying their coffee online in 2lb bags every three months or so since 2020. I heard about them when I worked at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and bought the beans online. They roast their own beans and since my husband and I are coffee aficionados, I can honestly say it's our favorite. We have had Blue bottle, Philz, Coffee Collective from Copenhagen, you name it. These beans are some of the best! You really can't beat the Ethiopian beans for pour over from Tandem, and for the price, it's such a great deal. I never write reviews, but had to write this because we now live in San Diego and have beans shipped to us all the time. Besides espresso, this is all we drink! Thank you Tandem!

One of those places that one can easily become a regular at.

These folks roast their own beans, and they have a wide variety of delicious beans at their store for purchase.

I tried their drip coffee and it has an exceptional quality.

This place is ideal for a solo coffee, or chat with a friend or a date over coffee, but does not have a lot of inside seating options for the folks who want to work using their laptops.

However, there is abundance of outside seating option available. See pictures for the reference.

Blocked of restrooms with tables. No seating, no restroom but more than happy to take your money. Go elsewhere.

My maple latte was absolutely delicious! This coffee shop is one of our must visit spots whenever we’re near Portland. The line was pretty long so build in some time for that if you’re going on the weekend but it was worth it. I also was so excited when I found out the coconut cream pie was gluten free too!

Omg I had my first ever afrogato here with the special Portland flavor ! Omg it was crazy good! Super staff! Very friendly and just yummy!

More of a 4.5 experience. Great sized desserts and freshly baked.

Docked half a star because the male employee didn’t seem happy to be there or serve us. Not a single smile.

5/5 for efficiency. Long line out the door on Labor Day at 12pm but moved quickly (18 minutes to get to the counter).

5/5 for the spicy pepper cream cheese biscuit! Didn’t feel so heavy despite how large and thick the cream cheese was. It wasn’t actually spicy, but the jelly breaks through the richness of both the lightly sweetened, whipped cream cheese and biscuit.

2/5 chocolate chip cookie looked delicious but I didn’t like it. The outer edges of the cookie are overly crisp/dry and the center should be chewy but I felt that it just crumbled in my mouth. Just not my preference for a cookie!

4/5 blueberry scone. Lots of blueberrie! Never had a cream scone before (which is more moist than your usually butter scone). But this was more of a paperless muffin to me. Again, not my preference but I’m sure others really love it.

5/5 blueberry pie - best blueberry pie I’ve had! Loved the crust. It held itself together very well. Great flavor.

If there is one reason I go to Starbucks stores again is the person behind the counter with the green hair. Providing excellent service with understanding the customer needs while communicating in an efficient manner is the hallmark of a good business. We needed just the bathroom but ended up buying more because of the service that PARTICULAR employee provided. It just made it the best Starbucks I have been in at least the past five years.

Five out of five for this place! Wonderful service and little place. The maple latte was absolutely delicious!

Tandem is a great roaster. I had an El Salvador single origin pour over. Well priced. Well brewed. Exceptionally friendly and knowledgeable staff. Super busy but you can see why. Took home a bag of the beans. Family had a skim latte that got great reviews. Baked goods were solid. Scone excellent. Son reports cookie a touch too chocolatey. But you are there for the coffee and that is perfect.

Stopped in for an espresso yesterday. Half way through I started hearing Ave Maria and I’m pretty sure rainbows shot out of my eyes. I think I flew home. Awesome coffee 11/10 would drink again.

Now on August 5th, it’s pouring outside and they kicked everyone out because they have “grab and go policy”?! People with little kids had to leave and walk under the rain because they wouldn’t let people stay until the rain stops. I’m talking about people who bought coffee etc.. who paid for Starbucks products got kicked out. They warned everyone 3 times to leave and not stay in the cafe despite the thunderstorm outside. And the manager threatened to call the cops on this older guy who was there with his family because he refused to leave until the rain stops which btw noted on the water app that would stop in 7min and it did. HORRIBLE TERRIBLE BAD management. People put the situation in their social media. I will also email Starbucks corporate.

Absolutely amazing bakery!! Coffee is legit and also the pastries. The best pepper jelly and cream cheese biscuits ever. I can eat that thing every single day. I might move to Maine just for this amazing coffee shop!!! I also got many different other kinds of pastries to bring back to NC with me! So glad I did it cuz everything is out of the world.

Bought a coffee and a sandwich. Used the bathroom to take a number two. After about 4-5 minutes. Staff rapped on the door, stating, "You've been in there for a long time, finish up, or were coming in." Guess a man can't even take a poop in peace? Bad business practice to treat every customer as if they were a vagrant.

I work next to this Starbucks, so I stop in fairly regularly. I know several of the employees and have never had a bad experience with any of them. They are a strong and unified team of lovely humans that create a great atmosphere for everyone. The manager specifically, (Hi Ronnie!!) is a phenomenal person and incredible at her job. The drinks are always amazing and the food is out on time every time. Thanks for a fabulous space to grab my morning coffee and afternoon tea.

Tandem serves an excellent espresso, lots of complex flavors. The service was good, the store was clean and quaint. Parking was easy and plentiful. I'll be back whenever I'm back in Portland.

So good I went back 4x times. Great barker with an assortment of sweet and savory treats. Highly recommend the breakfast biscuit sandwich, and add the chorizo! Also enjoyed the everything scone, ginger cookie, and a biscuit to savor later. ;) Expect a longer wait on the weekends, especially in the summer. But worth it.

Delicious ice cream!
When you take into account the very friendly service by the girls at the counter, the option to mix as many flavors as you wish and the very generous portions - what else is there?

We got the special hazelnut, Maine blueberry, pistachio with caramel, the one with the cookie dough, the Oreo cheesecake

This place is the real deal. It’s good and worth the small wait in line.. it moves quick! We got oat milk lattes with maple, blueberry scones and the egg and cheese on a biscuit. Let me tell you I would drive to Maine from Massachusetts just for that egg sandwich. Probably the best I have ever had.. full balanced in flavor.

We went to Tandem Coffee and Bakery about 8 years ago, and at that time, we bought a whole bunch of pastries home with us and said that next time we are in Portland Maine, we need to come back. We came back and were so glad to be here again! The food is off the charts for quality and flavor. The atmosphere is wonderful. The staff are friendly. There is in door and outdoor seating. All food made on premise. I have posted about cheese danishes before, so I got Tandem's cheese pastry with raspberries. Wow, by far, the best I have had.

Super difficult to rate as they sold me a frozen Frappuccino (after a 15 minute wait) but had no straws - which nobody mentioned when they were taking my money.

Couldn’t actually consume what I bought as they filled the lid up with whipped cream so couldn’t even take that off to sip it.

Dumb people and pointless waste of money.

They are NOT stingy with the servings here. They will pack and overfill your cup til the point where you’re getting 2x what you expect.
It was busy late at night (possibly because it was one of the only places open) but probably because it’s delicious. Nice staff, too.

Attention all other Starbucks nationwide that don’t offer this:
The Old Port location in Portland, ME gives out FREE bags of old coffee grounds to use in your garden as compost. Already bagged up, just walk up and grab one. If I thought I’d have room, I would have crammed a bag or 2 of compost in my luggage before heading back home.
Every Starbucks should offer this!

We got coffee and stayed inside to drink it as it was pouring rain out. The tables were all dirty and 1/2 the tables and the window seats had no chairs/stools. While we were there another customer asked me if there was a restroom… I told her to ask the guy at the counter and usually you need a lock code, which the employee gave her. Before I left, I got up to use the restroom and asked the same employee if he could tell me the bathroom code (he was passing right by me). His reply was “I can’t help you” with a snotty smirk on his face and he continued out of the shop. When I went up to ask the girl behind the counter for the code, I told her I didn’t appreciate how rude the departing employee had been (he knew the code and couldn’t be bothered to tell me on his way out). Her reply was “he’s punched out so he’s not legally obligated to help me or be polite”. OMG…. Like common courtesy would have killed him or her??? I’m probably 30+ years older than they are; their behavior was absolutely unprofessional, disrespectful and just plain lazy. I used to run a bakery and cafe and would never have spoken to any customer like that, on or off the clock. If I did, I would have been fired on the spot. What ever happened to customer service? I usually find Starbucks employees to be friendly but these employees were just ignorant and indignant. Their management needs to do some serious customer relations training.

This stylish place is in a great location in the middle of Alberta street. Interior is designed in a retro theme. Staff is very friendly and hardworking. We ordered burgers and fries which was the best fries I’ve ever eaten. Burger and beer were also great. You can taste high quality ingredients. I ordered bun-free lettuce burger which was also very good and durable. We absolutely loved this place.

The food was real good, and the workers done a grate job with everyones orders consitering they were over packed. The only thing I didn't like is how one worker was dressed. Her shirt was way too small and her stomach and waist were hanging out. Besides that everything was fine.

No complaints, great facilities, foood and drinks! What you’d expect from a Starbucks.

This Starbucks is DYNAMITE! The staff was so ridiculously friendly. This was much needed to compensate for the extreme rudeness of the Portland townsfolk.

The place was clean and the coffee came out fast and furious. This Starbucks is on point!!!

And did I mention the incredibly FRIENDLY staff? They need a raise!

The only thing that compares to their finely roasted and prepared coffee is their Michelin star level service. Best coffee and best service in Portland.

This starbucks is in the heart of Portland right in the heart of the homeless population that the state of Maine turns a blind eye to each day
But this starbucks has angles working there . KindHeart people who help those who need it . And care for those others do not .
For that reason this Starbucks is above all the best .
Some of the kindness people work in there
So please know if you go there be Kind to The workers and those in there.
The workers bust their backs to Help everyone .
And Care for everyone
So please be kind as well.

Got my usual iced caramel macchiato with oat milk and extra caramel. Made perfectly, and staff were very friendly. It’s in an unusually shaped building, so no drive thru, but inside experience was very pleasant.

Perfect cafe for delicious coffee and snacks/pastries. Newly expanded large seating area both indoor and outdoors. Great variety of coffees for pour over as well as an awesome selection of beans to take home. I always make time to stop by this spot when in town. Can get busy early morning and on weekends but worth the wait!

Thanx so much to the very nice guy that helped me yesterday. I was sooo thirsty when I came in. I honestly just wanted to buy a water and that happened to be the closest place.
Unfortunately, the only bottle of water they had left was in a basket and warm.
He very nicely offered me a free ice water (that I offered to pay for.) Since he was so nice I asked him to make me something of his own concoction. I'm not well versed in Starbucks. He was happy to use his creativeness. Whatever it was he made me was delicious. An iced yummy 😃! The whole staff was very friendly and fun to talk with. Thanx everyone! Btw loved the joke of the day... 😂