Piedmont Café

 

12/30/25 Piedmont Cafe, First Hill neighborhood

At our last art play date of the year, Mary Jean, Roy and I met at the Piedmont Café on First Hill. Originally the historic Piedmont Apartment Hotel, this newish café is the most beautifully appointed coffee shop I’ve been to in Seattle (sorry, I forgot to take photos of the interior, but the links above include some images). 

What’s even more delightful, though, is the stellar customer service. After placing my order, I fully expected to hear my name hollered to come and get my drink. To my surprise, a server brought our beverages to our table! I can’t recall the last time I got table service at a coffee shop. In a city full of a thousand coffee joints, it’s exceptional. If only it were a little closer to home, I could easily call this lovely café my “third place.”

Beyond that unexpected delight, I also had enormous fun that morning doing more wacky palette color studies – this time on location (which is all-important to me). I’m especially pleased with the way the first sketch came out (top of post). It’s an unusual palette for me, but it was easy for me to interpret values with it. And it pulled me out of the “realistic” color rut – a fresh way to kick off the new year!

The Piedmont is a civilized place where patrons can slow down,
enjoy their beverages and sketch in a beautifully furnished space.