City Cast

The Downtown Coffee Circuit

Dayvid Figler
Dayvid Figler
Posted on October 26
Photo of a cup of coffee.

Is there anything more pleasantly cosmopolitan than a morning on the downtown coffee circuit? (Getty)

Coffee in downtown Las Vegas is at an apex. Hard to just endorse one out of more than a dozen intriguing offerings — so here’s my “circuit” when time and obligations allow.

My coffee-forward days typically begin at Vesta in the Arts District. Straight to the user-friendly app to preorder an oat milk cappuccino featuring in-house roasted espresso. Drink in hand, I’ll sit at the long community table where my friend-klatch is already sipping on excellent house drips. Soon, I'll depart to nearby Bungalow, which expertly pulls Onyx coffee, a top roaster in the country. Another cappuccino, please, paired with a "Waffle Sandi" — sausage, egg, and cheese between two waffles, with maple syrup. As in Vesta, conversation opportunities are common (local movers and shakers often congregate) so I might hastily exit a few blocks south to Dig It! — especially when I need to focus. Dig It! has fun, flavorful lattes (I’m boring with vanilla bean), clever pastries, and an ethos that warms the heart, along with free wifi and a well-lit interior.

If not there, I let my car decide the next stop! Maybe Writer’s Block for a 4-ounce cortado and book browsing; or Mothership at Fergusons for an elegant macchiato in a blue ceramic cup. Both have outdoor seating. In the afternoon, it’s PublicUs, with robust lunch options and a complex yet accessibly delicious coffee program, including the incomparable Coffee Old Fashioned.

I highly recommend all these spots. Obviously not all in a single day. But if you’re wondering if I'm sometimes at this exact level of do-it-all-in-a-day java obsession — that’s a secret between me, my higher power, my primary-care provider … and a handful of hopefully tight-lipped baristas serving downtown well.

Plus: Can’t make it downtown? We have a coffeehouse list for suburbanites, too. As well as some reader-suggested additions. [Hey Las Vegas 📧]

Plus-plus: Because I’m feeling extra caffeinated today, here’s a link to our podcast episode about great coffee shops. [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]

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