Saint Louis is a city incredibly well known for its robust and vibrant food and drink scene, and for students at Saint Louis University, it is easy to stay in that college bubble and scarcely leave campus to try anything new. 

Throughout the month of October, I toured seven different coffee shops around St. Louis and found the best of the best coffee for exhausted SLU students looking for the perfect place to study, sip and sit. With recommendations from a Specialty Coffee Association-certified barista and on the grounds — pun intended — of best study spots, most photogenic drinks, most convenient location for students and best taste, below are the four best coffee shops and two honorable mentions for this fall.

Blueprint Coffee: Most photogenic drinks

For the best looking drinks, look no further than Blueprint Coffee in the Delmar Loop. The chic,modern interior is inviting, making it a great study spot — if you can find an open table. They put incredible care into every beverage, with nearly every drink looking better than the last. The espresso itself is roasted in house with warm chocolate, dried fruit and berry notes. The baristas are friendly, helpful and eager to please.

While the location is further from campus, the Delmar Loop can be reached by MetroLink and offers many retail and dining options to explore. After careful deliberation, Blueprint Coffee was overall deemed the best coffee shop for a ’grammable latte or cappuccino. 

Protagonist Cafe: Best study spot 

Next, the perfect coffee shop study space. Protagonist Cafe, located in the heart of Soulard, has everything the weary student could ask for: plenty of tables and soft seating, a warm library ambiance, house-roasted coffee and fresh baked pastries. The cafe itself doubles as a bookstore, offering books of all genres and types. Protagonist is open much later than most coffeehouses in St. Louis, offering coffee as late as 7 p.m., making it perfect for evening study sessions. 

As a barista at Protagonist, I can personally attest to the atmosphere of the shop. Bias aside, many local university students frequent and enjoy the cafe. With no charge for alternative milks, Protagonist is a great option if you are willing to commit to a drive.

Quarrelsome Coffee: Best location

Located just a short walk away from north campus, Quarrelsome Coffee was easily the most convenient coffee shop for students to walk to without sacrificing quality in the other areas. With a modern, artistic interior, a full patio and plenty of seating, this spot is great for studying as well. While they charge extra for alternative milks and have little food or pastry options, Quarrelsome is definitely worth a visit for anyone on campus looking for a reasonably priced, sit-down coffee experience.

Kaldi’s Coffee: Best taste

Lastly, and most importantly, let us turn to taste. Kaldi’s Coffee, located on Euclid, sits in a prime location — the Central West End — and offers a curated modern feel, with warm, inviting lighting inside that also makes it a great study spot. This shop is popular among remote workers so be sure to get there early if you plan on staying for a few hours to finish that essay you were procrastinating on. The coffee itself was the very best of all the shops that I visited, offering a perfect taste profile and lovely overall drink composition. 

Kaldi’s espresso roast is a must-have to sample and enjoy. While they charge a full dollar extra for alternative milks, they do offer several gluten-free options on their expansive full breakfast menu, so there is something here for everyone..

Honorable Mentions

CoffeeStamp, a small coffee house located further from campus on Jefferson Avenue, offers a similar industrial aesthetic but with a warm, quaint feeling. There is not much space to study in-house, but the service is fast and comes with friendly baristas and a lovely cup of coffee. CoffeeStamp boasts a full food menu and pastries, but had only one gluten free option and an upcharge for alternative milks. 

Last, Northwest Coffee, while still an enjoyable experience, would have to be the least-favorite location visited. Located near north campus on Laclede, Northwest offers lots of outdoor seating and little indoor seating. Open until 6 p.m. every day,  the shop offers breakfast, lunch and plenty of drinks made with their in-house roasted espresso. The only downsides were any charge for alternative milks and the inconsistency in drinks, with some visits leading to a great cup of coffee and others leading to something lackluster or even worse. Still, this coffee shop has much to offer if you’re looking to sit outside and enjoy a drink with friends.