Espresso Royale Café:
With several campus locations (two on State, one on the square) this chain café is easy to access for all your coffee needs. The location closest to Library Mall is a long, narrow, brightly colored java joint that slightly resembles a hallway packed with chairs. The menu offers a large selection of standard fare at moderate prices. Most of the tables are tiny and made for two, so group gatherings are touchy. Still, the staff is friendly, the mood is upbeat and the location is ideal. It’s a little too loud and crowded for studying, but super for people-watching. ? KM
Specialty: Good old cappucino, served in a tall glass with lots of foam.
Soundtrack: Yo La Tango; B.G. on certain weekdays.
Studying: 1 cup
Overall: 2 cups
—Kate MacDonald
Ancora:
Located inside the Canterbury Bookstore, this coffee house is classy and quiet. With a wooden décor and lots of space, the impeccably neat Ancora truly is a fantastic retreat from the hectic craziness of campus. This warm oasis is quite likely the best spot on campus to study in peace and get a caffeine fix at the same time. The staff is extremely professional, and they will be happy to tell about the quality of their various international beans. Despite being the Rolls Royce of downtown coffee houses, Ancora’s prices are reasonable. They offer the normal selection of espresso drink concoctions with nothing too crazy. But it’s hard to ignore the row of glass jars containing appetizing beans from all over the world map. ?KM
Specialty: Coffee. House blend of Ancora D’oro.
Studying: 4 cups
Soundtrack: Jewel
Overall: 4 cups
–KM
Michelangelo’s
Located all the way at the end of State Street, near the Capitol, it’s a long walk from the Library Mall. However, Michelangelo’s does boast the best pastry selection in the downtown area, which might be worth the trek. They have an impressive selection of syrups, and their drink menu is fun, to say the least. The specialty drinks are all created by members of the staff and they make coffee rise to the level of dessert. The location is large and there are lots of tables of various sizes for studying. Lots of room, bright décor, and an incredibly creative menu make this a good spot for a java kick and a sugar fix. ? KM
Specialty: The Chocolate Monkey (Espresso, Chocolate and Banana)
Studying: 3 cups
Soundtrack: James Taylor
Overall: 3 cups
–KM
The Living Room:
Despite the benign name, The Living Room is the coffee-house for the wild child. You can get coffee, snacks and liquor (which satisfy almost all of the basic food groups) all in one stop. Located two blocks off of State on Gorham, it’s also easy to get to (and stumble home from). You can get your café to go or enjoy it in a diner-style booth or at the bar. The prices are low (but so is the selection). Plus, you can get your drink spiked if you wish. The staff claims that the Irish Coffee is very popular. A very tasty and unique offering is the white hot chocolate, but the adventurous should try the specialty. ? KM
Specialty: The Keith Richards. Four shots of espresso, chocolate and an unfiltered cigarette. Seriously.
Studying: This is where you go to avoid studying
Soundtrack: Omnipotent Nu-Metal act
Overall: 4 cups
–KM
Steep & Brew, 544 State St.
With the mix of tile and wood floors, small plants, and bright floodlights that covers this three-level, lower State Street caffeine establishment, feelings of comfort and positive energy emanate from Steep & Brew.
The first “real coffee house on campus,” as founder Mark Ballering acknowledges, began to pay rent at its first State Street location in 1982 and at its current location, 544 State St., a year later. Eventually two other locations opened, but the locally owned mini-chain still embodies the charm of a neighborhood hangout.
Now in the midst of a small renovation that is giving the third floor/back room a homelier environment, Steep & Brew is attempting to put in a fireplace and more comfortable couches and chairs to make up for the overwhelming number of wood chairs.
Serving not only as a coffee shop but also as an art gallery, local photographers and painters have the opportunity to display their work in the large back room that is a joy to study in.
Specialty drinks: Vanilla Latte, Mocha, coffee cup of the day.
Soundtrack: Le Tigre
? Colin Finan
Starbucks, 661 State St.
Yup, that?s right, the closest coffee shop to the massive University of Wisconsin-Madison is the massive corporate machine: Starbucks. As one of the thousands of places in which you can get the brand-name blend, this State Street institution serves as a target for protestors looking to vent, a summer hangout for frappucino-loving students, and a study cove for those more academically-minded. With two floors of plush chairs and couches as well as a large second-floor fireplace, and an upstairs deck that is usually home to those with an affinity for nicotine, this Starbucks provides comfort for Madisonians in the mood for a good cup of java.
Specialty drinks: House Blend coffee, lattes and Frappucinos.
Soundtrack: Incubus
? CF
Café Assisi
Strewn with pamphlets demanding social action from its patrons and serving up ?fairly traded? coffee and vegan fare, this second-story café still remains one of the city?s favorite throwback joints (throwback in the respect that it eschews the now common corporate tone of many ?local? establishments on this list). Assisi is also unique in that it?s the downtown?s only collectively owned coffeehouse. Nine owners rotate shifts, with weekly meetings determining the important business decisions. The walls are lined with dusty books. The tables and chairs aren?t homogenous and actually provide room to study. And the coffee ? it’s OK, but whenever did that matter?
Specialty drink: iced vanilla goodness
Soundtrack: Jon Denver meets Jurassic 5
?Matthew Rodbard
Dorm Coffee
Sometimes it’s dark and full of body, other times it’s java-spiked water ? dorm coffee never has been and never will be consistent or better yet, very tasty. Drank out of necessity daily by thousands, the cheap morning/afternoon/night kick in the arse gets you to class on time and keeps you studying when those eyes get heavy. It’s kind of like a mother. Always around to keep you on track; sweet or bitter, depending on the situation, the age-old cure.
Specialty drink: whatever vile syrup one chooses
Soundtrack: Whatever’s on your Discman
?MR
Electric Earth Cafe
The West Washington neighborhood is a noted gathering place for emerging Madison artists. Their café, the three-year-old Electric Earth, appropriately serves as a venue for said creative expression. A gallery/performance space/hipster haunt boasts one of the city?s most eclectic sandwich menus. And the coffee? It’s pretty damn good, and always five varieties deep. The water jug is even spiked with a surprise. Go for a show or just some joe, the EE is for sheezy, yo.
Speciality drink: Snow White Hot Chocolate
Soundtrack: Jawbox (Daft Punk on certain weekends)
?MR
Catacombs
731 State Street
The interior of this lower state mainstay is cavernous, giving the dimly lit café/performance space just reason for the less-than-inviting name. Catacombs is run by a congenial core of work-study students which represents the disparate clientele the café caters to. Some days it’s Bible study central, while others service the gutter kids hangin’ before a show. I once read Frankenstein in one of the overstuffed corner chairs. The environ accompanied the book well. Dark, cold ? an unexpected treasure.
Specialty Drink: vanilla latte
Soundtrack: MxPx
? MR