Espresso Royale, or "the Royale" for those in the know, is a great little coffee shop that put the charm back into independantly owned coffee shops.
Without being too cliche, this place is reminiscent of the coffee shop on Friends. There are always students there reading, or interesting neighbors, in the Dinkytown location (they have two others, on Washington & in downtown) and they display fun art on the brick walls. The location is great, right in the heart of Dinkytown, making it a fun place to walk to, or from. Parking can be a pain though, so bring your quarters to feed the meters.
The Dinkytown location is purported as their oldest amd most preserved cafe, known for it's truly beatnik feel.
The coffee drinks are good - depending on your barista. The manager there in the mornings tends to burn the shots, but Emily, who works at night sometimes, and on Saturday & Sunday mornings is friendly, chatty & can make a great drink.
The pastries & sandwiches are made on the location, every day and never shipped in. The toffee covered chocolate pretzel goes well with any drink. The prices are reasonable, and the atmosphere can't be beat.
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