Portland is a very good coffee town.
There are a lot of places to get a cortado, an espresso, or just a genuinely good cup of coffee. Some are obvious. Some are hidden in places you would never think to look.
This is not every coffee shop in Portland. These are the places I actually go, plus a few that were recommended to me by baristas who work in coffee here.
☕ Portland’s Best Coffee Shops
Moonday Coffee (Washington Ave)
Why Go?
Moonday is tucked into a converted shipping container on Washington Ave., and it is making some of the most precise espresso drinks in Portland.
David, the owner and barista, knows an unbelievable amount about coffee, but never makes you feel like you need to. He is warm, approachable, and always happy to explain everything from processing methods to why a certain espresso tastes the way it does.
Tandem Coffee Roasters (Congress St. & Anderson St.)
Why Go?
Tandem is probably the closest thing Portland has to a coffee empire, but I mean that in the best way.
The Congress Street shop is inside an old gas station and serves some of the best espresso in the city, along with biscuits that are honestly reason enough to go.
The Anderson Street roastery is quieter and more stripped back. It is very focused on the coffee, but also has an incredible little vinyl collection that is always worth looking through.
Another Round (Congress St.)
Why Go?
Another Round is a board game café, but the coffee is not an afterthought.
They take it just as seriously as the games, with a genuinely great espresso program and some of the most interesting pour-overs in Portland. I had a co-ferment coffee here that completely changed what I thought coffee could taste like.
They are still fairly new, but they already feel like an important part of Portland’s coffee scene.
Speckled Ax (Congress St., Thames St., & Walton St.)
Why Go?
They are one of the only coffee roasters in the country still roasting over wood, and you can actually taste the difference. The coffee has this deep, smoky richness that almost reminds me of something aged in a bourbon barrel.
Also, the packaging might be the coolest I have seen from any coffee roaster in a very long time.
The Congress Street shop is small and cozy. Thames Street is brighter and more modern, right near the waterfront. Walton Street is the actual roastery and has a little grab-and-go espresso bar.
Smalls (West End)
📍 Smalls
Why Go?
It is a coffee shop, wine bar, and little market all at once, and somehow none of it feels like an afterthought.
They use Variety Coffee Roasters, the espresso is smooth and strong, and the snack selection is dangerously good. I always get the espresso tonic with pebble ice. It is so good that I genuinely wish it came in a pint glass.
Bard Coffee (Old Port)
Why Go?
Bard has been holding it down in the Old Port for years, and it is still one of the most reliable places to get a genuinely good coffee downtown.
They roast their own beans, pull a very good shot of espresso, and always have a specialty latte that is actually worth ordering. I usually end up getting both.
Night Moves Bread (South Portland)
Why Go?
Technically, it is a bakery, but the coffee is far from an afterthought. They serve East Alstead Roasting Co., and a cappuccino here is always a very good idea.
Right now, I am especially loving the Sesame Spelt Loaf, which is exactly the kind of thing you buy for later and somehow start eating before you get home.
Double Great Coffee (East End )
Why Go?
The space is extremely minimal, there is almost nothing to distract you, and every drink feels like it has been made with an almost ridiculous amount of care. It is serious coffee, but it never feels showy or like you need to know the right words to order it.
I always get a cortado. It is simple, perfectly balanced, and probably one of the best in Portland.
Burundi Star Coffee (St. John St.)
Why Go?
This is one of the only places in Portland focused entirely on coffee from Burundi, and it feels completely different from anywhere else in town.
The space is small, warm, and incredibly welcoming. The coffee is excellent, but you should absolutely come hungry because the sambusas might be even better. They are crisp, deeply flavorful, and one of my favorite things to eat with coffee in Portland.
I usually get a dirty chai, but it is also the perfect place to try a pour-over made with a single-origin Burundian coffee.
Rwanda Bean: Soon to be Rambler Cafe ( Deering Center )
Why Go?
I originally left this one off the list because I thought every Rwanda Bean location had closed. Thankfully, I was wrong.
The Deering Center café is still here and is becoming Rambler Café. The second I found out, I went over and ordered a cortado. It was fantastic.
The coffee has always been very good, but I also love what this place stands for. Rwanda Bean gives 50% of its profits back to Rwandan coffee farmers. Now, with a new name and a fresh start, the café is still exactly what Deering Center needs: a genuinely good neighborhood coffee shop.
☕ Where to Find the Best Coffee in Portland, Maine
Portland is a very good coffee town, and this list will probably keep changing as new places open and old favorites get even better.
For now, these are the places I keep going back to.
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