With the NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments just around the corner, we’re joining the fun of bracket competitions with a faceoff of our own — the SEAtoday coffee shop bracket.

But first, we need your help nominating the spots you think should be in the bracket.

Using the nomination form below, submit the local spot that has your favorite cup of joe, and we’ll use your nominations to create a bracket and battle it out in our newsletter and on socials.

Need help brainstorming? Check out our coffee shops guide to get started.

Shoot your shot.

Round One

With the NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments just around the corner, we’re joining the fun of bracket competitions with a faceoff of our own.

Last year, you helped us name the best pizza: Bar Cotto. This year, we asked you to share your favorite coffee shop in Seattle. Now — thanks to you and the help of a random generator — we have the bracket.

Did your favorite coffee shop make it to our bracket? | Graphic by 6AM City Staff

Who’s in the running

Going head-to-head in the first round are:

Grumpy Bean and Evoke Cafe Bar | You definitely won’t feel grumpy after your first sip of this spot’s beans. However, its hard to beat Evoke Cafe Bar’s espresso martinis.
Espresso Vivace and Cafe Umbria | Espresso Vivace is an old-school joint that uses Northern Italian roasting methods. And while Cafe Umbria started in Pioneer Square, you can now find its roasts in places like the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.
Armistice Coffee and Matcha Magic | Armistice is known for its beautifully poured brews across town. Matcha Magic may focus primarily on green teas, but don't miss out on its specialty coffees like the Mojito Latte.
Monorail Espresso and Caffe Vita | Monorail Espresso is a Seattle classic and claims to be the first espresso cart in the world. But Caffe Vita is also a major powerhouse in the local coffee scene with several local shops.

How it works

Beginning today, we'll host several voting rounds within our newsletters and social channels to determine Seattle’s best coffee shop. Who moves on is up to you. Vote for your favorites, and the cup of joe with more votes moves on. We’ll go until we have a champion, we'll announce it in our Monday, March 25 newsletter. You will be able to voteonce per round.

How to participate

Vote for the coffee shop you’d like to see advance to round two using this poll. You can vote for all four spots or as little as one. Once we count all the votes, we’ll share an updated bracket and new poll in an upcoming newsletter.

Ready to cheer your “team” to victory? Vote in our poll.

Even with hundreds of votes, the competition has been close. | Graphic by 6AM City staff

Round Two (Final Four)

Welcome back to our SEAtoday coffee shop bracket, where we’re asking you to determine the best cup of joe in Seattle.

After our initial round of votes, we’re down to four “teams” left:

Grumpy Bean and Espresso Vivace | Grumpy Bean has been working to make all of our downtown Seattle employees a little less cranky, but Espresso Vivace has a latte art photo gallery.
Armistice Coffee and Caffe Vita | Armistice has four locations across the city if you need to do a little taste test, but Caffe Vita does have a location right next to KEXP where you can also buy records.

Ready to decide who moves on to the final two in our bracket? Cast your vote.

Our readers have voted, and it's down to the final two. | Graphic via 6AM City

Championship Round

Welcome back to our SEAtoday coffee shop bracket, where we’re asking you to determine the best coffee shop in Seattle in a friendly competition.

After our last round of votes, we’re down to two “teams” left:

Espresso Vivace and Caffe Vita | Down to the final two. Will you choose Espresso Vivace for its Northern Italian roasting methods, industry accolades, and latte art photo gallery, or Caffe Vita for its multiple convenient locations, friendly employees, and cool merch?

Ready to decide who wins in our bracket? Cast your vote.

In addition to tasty roasted blends, Caffe Vita also has some exceptional specialty drinks like its campfire mocha or a sevilla coffee drink made with orange zest, chocolate, and espresso. | Graphic + Photo by SEAtoday Staff

Winner Announcement

And the bracket winner is… Caffe Vita, voted best coffee shop in Seattle by our readers and social media followers in our SEAtoday coffee shop bracket. Caffe Vita is one of Seattle's most well-known brands with shops all over the city and special blends made with partners like KEXP, the Lambert House, and the Rain City Relief Fund.

We want to extend a major “thank you” to all of you for participating in our bracket challenge the past few weeks. We’ve had a blast seeing how the votes shook out, and we hope you did too. Looking for more coffee shops around town? Check out our guide.