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The quick answer
The oldest coffee shop still open in the US is Café du Monde in New Orleans, serving coffee with chicory in the French Market since 1862. New York has the most surviving historic cafés: Caffè Roma (1891), Ferrara (1892), Veniero's (1894) and Caffe Reggio (1927). On the West Coast, Caffe Trieste in San Francisco (1956) and Peet's original Berkeley store (1966) are the classics.
Timeline
| Opened | Café | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1862 | Café du Monde | New Orleans, LA |
| 1891 | Caffè Roma | New York, NY |
| 1892 | Ferrara Bakery & Cafe | New York, NY |
| 1894 | Veniero's Pasticceria & Caffè | New York, NY |
| 1915 | La Segunda Bakery & Café | Tampa, FL |
| 1927 | Caffe Reggio | New York, NY |
| 1929 | Caffè Vittoria | Boston, MA |
| 1956 | Caffe Trieste | San Francisco, CA |
| 1966 | Peet's Coffee, Vine Street | Berkeley, CA |
| 1971 (this store 1976–77) | Original Starbucks, 1912 Pike Place | Seattle, WA |
| 1975 | Café Allegro | Seattle, WA |
Want a coffee right now, wherever you are? FeedMii shows well-rated cafés nearby.
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1. Café du Monde
New Orleans, LA- Opened
- 1862: Founded as a coffee stand in the French Market; the flagship is still there.
- Why go
- The menu is famously short: coffee with chicory, beignets, milk and orange juice. Iced coffee only arrived in 1988.
- Order
- Beignets and a café au lait (dark coffee with chicory, half and half with hot milk).
- Tip
- Opens 7:15 am and closes 11 pm (midnight Fri–Sat); closed only on Christmas Day. Go early to beat the line and bring some cash.
- Where
- French Quarter, French Market (Decatur St)
2. Caffè Roma
New York, NY- Opened
- 1891: Opened as Caffè Ronca; the current family took it over in 1952.
- Why go
- Often called the oldest Italian bakery in New York City, with a tin ceiling, tile floor and old pendulum clock.
- Order
- Cannoli or an affogato.
- Tip
- Ferrara is a few blocks away, so you can visit both 1890s cafés in one walk. Check hours before you go.
- Where
- Little Italy, Broome St at Mulberry
3. Ferrara Bakery & Cafe
New York, NY- Opened
- 1892: Founded as Café A. Ferrara at the same address; family owned for five generations.
- Why go
- Ferrara calls itself America's first pasticceria and espresso bar. That is its own claim, and it is disputed: Caffè Roma is a year older and the first espresso machine patent came in 1901.
- Order
- A lobster tail or sfogliatella with an espresso.
- Tip
- In September it sets up stalls on Mulberry St for the Feast of San Gennaro, so expect crowds.
- Where
- Little Italy, 195 Grand St
4. Veniero's Pasticceria & Caffè
New York, NY- Opened
- 1894: Opened by Antonio Veniero at the same address; marked 130 years in 2024.
- Why go
- Pressed-tin ceilings, etched glass and marble floors have barely changed. It began as a confectionery that also roasted espresso.
- Order
- New York cheesecake with a cappuccino.
- Tip
- It says it opens 365 days a year. Sit in the café room at the back rather than queueing at the takeaway counter.
- Where
- East Village, 342 E 11th St
5. La Segunda Bakery & Café
Tampa, FL- Opened
- 1915: Founded as a co-op bakery; moved one block in the 1960s. A bakery-café rather than a pure coffee house.
- Why go
- Tampa's classic source of Cuban bread, run by the family's fourth generation; it celebrated 110 years in July 2025.
- Order
- Café con leche or a Cuban espresso with buttered Cuban toast or a Cuban sandwich.
- Tip
- The Ybor shop keeps early hours (about 6:30 am to 3 pm), so don't plan an afternoon visit.
- Where
- Ybor City, N 15th St
6. Caffe Reggio
New York, NY- Opened
- 1927: Opened by Domenico Parisi; still at the same address.
- Why go
- The café says it was the first in the US to serve cappuccino and that its 1902 espresso machine is the oldest in New York; neither claim is independently verified. You may know it from The Godfather Part II.
- Order
- The 'Original Cappuccino' with a cannoli or tiramisu.
- Tip
- Open late (past 3 am on weekends per listings). The room is small and dim; try for a window table.
- Where
- Greenwich Village, 119 MacDougal St
7. Caffè Vittoria
Boston, MA- Opened
- 1929: Founded on Hanover St in 1929.
- Why go
- Often called Boston's first Italian café, with rooms full of antique espresso machines.
- Order
- Espresso or cappuccino with tiramisu or a cannoli.
- Tip
- Reviews say cash only, with an ATM across the street. Bring cash just in case.
- Where
- North End, Hanover St
8. Caffe Trieste
San Francisco, CA- Opened
- 1956: Opened by Giovanni 'Papa Gianni' Giotta at the same corner; turned 70 on April 4, 2026.
- Why go
- It calls itself the first espresso coffee house on the West Coast (its own claim). A Beat-era hangout with a live-music tradition.
- Order
- An espresso or a cappuccino.
- Tip
- Ask about live music; the schedule changes.
- Where
- North Beach, 601 Vallejo St
9. Peet's Coffee, Vine Street
Berkeley, CA- Opened
- 1966: Alfred Peet's first roastery and store opened here on April 1, 1966.
- Why go
- Often credited with starting America's dark-roast specialty coffee movement. A plaque marks the corner.
- Order
- A dark-roast drip such as Major Dickason's Blend, and beans to take home.
- Tip
- Look for the historic roasting and brewing equipment inside.
- Where
- North Berkeley, 2124 Vine St
10. Original Starbucks, 1912 Pike Place
Seattle, WA- Opened
- 1971 (this store 1976–77): Starbucks was founded in 1971 at 2000 Western Ave; that building was demolished. This is the oldest surviving store, not the first site.
- Why go
- It keeps its early look under the market's design rules and sells merchandise found only here; it reopened after a renovation in June 2026.
- Order
- A Pike Place Roast, or a bag of beans sold only here.
- Tip
- The line moves fast because there is no food. Go early in the morning.
- Where
- Pike Place Market
11. Café Allegro
Seattle, WA- Opened
- 1975: Opened by Dave Olsen; turned 50 in May 2025.
- Why go
- Often called Seattle's first espresso bar. Howard Schultz has called it a prototype for what Starbucks became.
- Order
- An espresso or a latte.
- Tip
- It is hidden in an alley; look for the small sign by the door.
- Where
- University District, alley off University Way
A little coffee-house history
- Coffeehouses were political meeting places in colonial America; the Sons of Liberty met at Boston's Green Dragon Tavern, which also served as a coffeehouse. Source
- Philadelphia's City Tavern, also called the Merchants' Coffeehouse, was an informal meeting place for delegates to the First Continental Congress in 1774. Source
- New York's Tontine Coffee House (1793) is where brokers traded until 1817, when they formed what became the New York Stock Exchange. Source
- New Orleans drinks coffee with chicory because the Union blockade in the Civil War cut off coffee imports; people stretched it with roasted chicory root and kept the habit. Source
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Download free for iPhoneFrequently asked questions
What is the oldest coffee shop in the US that is still open?
Café du Monde in New Orleans has served coffee in the French Market since 1862. In New York, Caffè Roma (1891), Ferrara (1892) and Veniero's (1894) are the oldest cafés still open.
Where was the first cappuccino served in America?
Caffe Reggio in Greenwich Village (opened 1927) says it was the first in the US to serve cappuccino. It is the café's own claim and has not been independently verified.
Is the Pike Place Starbucks the first Starbucks?
No. Starbucks opened in 1971 at 2000 Western Ave in Seattle; that building was demolished. The Pike Place store dates from 1976–77 and is the oldest surviving Starbucks.
Why do New Orleans cafés use chicory?
During the Civil War the Union blockade cut off coffee imports, so people mixed coffee with roasted chicory root. The taste stuck, and Café du Monde still serves coffee with chicory.