With dozens of coffee shops in downtown Madison, it’s sometimes hard to locate a place that fits perfectly with your style and needs. Some are great for social outings such as live music or friend gatherings; others are the best for holing up for hours on end cramming for finals. Here are a few options to consider.
For your mid-semester grind: Indie Coffee
Located on Regent Street, Indie Coffee is a little off the beaten path. This, however, is just what makes the artistic, eclectic cafe perfect for spending a few hours studying. The cafe is just off-campus, so its customers are primarily students; there aren’t many out-of-town weekend visitors (unless it’s Game Day). It’s relatively quiet, and it rarely has noisy disruptions. Also, most of the tables are small; they are great for quiet individual work. Indie Coffee offers a wide range of coffee selections, as well as fabulous breakfast and lunch food options. It’s a cozy, quiet study spot perfect for any day. But get there early — just to make sure you can grab a table.
For a day out with friends: Starbucks and Michelangelo’s Coffee House
While Starbucks has quite the reputation already, in my mind it still holds the position of being the best place to hang out with friends. Starbucks does things in a pretty consistent and high-quality way; “coffee you can count on” is how I like to describe it. Since its remodel, the State Street location has been bustling all hours of the day; it occasionally difficult to find a large enough space for a party of more than three people. However, the weather is slowly getting nicer; the outside patio and balcony overlooking State Street will surely be the place to be once warm spring afternoons finally arrive.
Farther down State Street, you’ll find Michelangelo’s Coffee House. This coffee shop is known for displaying arts and murals created by local artists. Michelangelo’s provides fabulous service and offers a great food and beverage selection. The coffee house is relatively large; it’s easy to find seats there even when you have a few friends around. Occasionally, they have live music and events in the evenings. Michelangelo’s is a great place to spend an afternoon studying or hanging out with friends.
For unwinding with a furry friend: Cat Café Mad
A little way down Monroe Street, you’ll find Cat Café Mad. The name says it all; this is the place to go for not only your caffeine fix, but also your daily dose of cute and cuddly. Cats roam around in a section of the café so that patrons can play and hang out with them all day long while sipping on their coffee. Cat Café Mad also offers themed events such as movie and game nights for all ages. The best part: all of the cats are up for adoption. Who knows? Your Saturday morning coffee date could become your lifelong best friend.
For just about anything else: Barriques
Barriques (pronounced as bah-reeks) has six locations in Madison. For students who live downtown, the one in West Washington Avenue is most likely the most convenient location (although the ones on University Avenue and Park Street, too, are quite close to campus). The two-story café just off of Capitol Square offers all sorts of coffee, food and wine; it also offers wine and beer tastings for those of legal age. Great options aside, Barriques on West Washington is a versatile space that fulfills all your needs. The top floor is a quieter study space that has tables big enough for group collaboration; the lower floor has a little more action, which makes it great for more social visits. Barriques may be a little bit more of a hike from campus, but it’s well worth the walk down State Street.
There’s a plethora of coffee shops in downtown Madison; each one is unique in its atmosphere, but they all offer a diversity of products. There’s a perfect coffee shop for you in Madison, no matter what you have on your to-do list.