Photo courtesy of Swing's Coffee Roasters
Latte at Swing's
There is a particular kind of Alexandria afternoon that arrives in October — low light, wind off the river, the specific chill that gets through a jacket you thought was enough. These are the places to be sitting when it does.
For the long stay
Misha's — 917 King St.
The institution. Roasting on site since the early nineties, open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week, and the upstairs seating is the closest thing Old Town has to a public living room. People work here for hours. There is a second, smaller Misha's at **6 Prince St.**, closer to the water and better for a quick cup than a long sit.
Hypergoat Coffee Roasters — 215 N. Payne St.
A few blocks off King, which is exactly why it works. They roast their own, the staff will talk you through what's on, and the room has enclosed nooks built for people who came to get something done. Open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. — it is a morning-and-early-afternoon place, not an evening one.
The Company of Books — 2200 Mt. Vernon Ave.
Not a coffee shop, but the third floor is a room where people sit and read, and it stays open until 9 Wednesday through Saturday. Worth knowing about when everything else has closed at three.
For the good cup
Via Volcán Coffee — 110 S. West St.
The family owns the farm in Panama. That is the whole pitch and it is a good one — this is farm-to-cup in the literal sense, and the person behind the counter can tell you about the specific lot you are drinking. The room is tiny, one small table and a couch, so come for the coffee rather than the seat. No decaf.
Swing's Coffee — 501 E. Monroe Ave.
A DC roasting name going back more than a century, with a bright, high-ceilinged room near Potomac Yard. The flat white is the order. Closes at four.
ESP Tea & Coffee — 1012 King St.
Longtime King Street fixture with an unusually deep tea program — the pu-erh selection is better than it has any business being — plus room to spread out and seasonal drinks worth asking about.
For when you want it to feel like a treat
maman — 701 King St.
French bakery-café, blue-and-white tiles, pastry case that does a lot of persuading. It is the prettiest room on this list and it knows it.
Turkish Coffee Lady — 1001 King St.
Turkish coffee made properly, served with lokum, plus simit and baklava. Closed Mondays. If you have never had coffee this way, ask — they will walk you through it.
Lily's Chocolate & Coffee — 631 King St.
The late one. Open until 10 most nights and 11 on Fridays and Saturdays, when every other place on this list has been dark for hours. Belgian hot chocolate made from actual melted chocolate, not powder. This is the after-dinner stop.
For a quiet weekday
The Greenery — 1023 Queen St.
Small, calm, genuinely kid-friendly, with outdoor tables on a residential corner away from the King Street crowds. Open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., closed Mondays.
