As small town girls, we did not grow up with a Starbucks or Caribou close. We relied on Cenex coffee to wake us up in the mornings before school started, and although we loved our quaint Cenex gas station on those early morns, we are so grateful to have an abundance of unique coffee shops in the Twin Cities to choose from.

This summer, we have been able to try out many new coffee shops around Minneapolis and St. Paul, and we wanted to share a few of our favorites!

The Lynhall

This one is always a go-to because it has so much seating, an open atmosphere, and really great options for drinks and food! It is easy to spend hours here because you can move around from cafeteria-style tables to couches to small tables by the window.

It is super inviting and refreshing with its white spaces and high ceilings. Plus, it’s got a parking lot that you can park in if it’s not too busy!

Cafe Astoria

Maybe you’ve seen their fancy, gold-flaked drinks, or maybe you’ve never heard of this place. We visited Cafe Astoria in early summer, and were pleasantly surprised by the delicious food and cozy environment inside. We highly recommend the crepes, which reminded Carm of Europe.

Unfortunately, this one does not have a parking lot, but it has lots of street parking close that is free.

Penny’s Coffee

This place drew our attention because there is outdoor seating. It is right in the heart of Minneapolis, with skyscrapers right around it. In fact, the actual coffee shop is at the bottom floor of a big building.

It’s super urban, which means paid street parking only, but it also means a very clean, hip atmosphere inside. I wouldn’t recommend the drip coffee, but everything else on the menu looks awesome!

Quixotic Coffee

Jo and I met here for a quick coffee date, but the functional space and wood accents were a beautiful space for us! We even had a quick little photoshoot in there.

Once again, no parking lot, but that means you can practice your parallel parking 😉

That’s all for now, but we will keep searching for cozy spaces around the Twin Cities that you can grab coffee at. If you have any suggestions for us, let us know!