The Optimist Raleigh

“Delicious and unique lattes and a calming, plant-filled atmosphere.”

R J★★★★

Great Atmosphere, Standard Experience The Optimist is a highly themed coffee shop with a beautiful, earthy aesthetic. The green decor and abundance of plants make it a very pleasant place to hang out and get work done. The service at the register was nice, though it felt a bit automated and transactional. For drinks, keep in mind that ordering a hot beverage takes significantly longer to prepare than an iced one. As for the food, the pastries lacked visual appeal and did not have much flavor, so you might want to stick to the drinks. Overall, it is a very standard coffee shop experience, bu

Eboni Allen★★★★★

I love the optimist. I've been coming here for 3 years and always enjoy it. The drinks are great (I love their coffee and tea lattes) and so is the food. I most appreciate that they keep the music at a reasonable level so that you can actually think straight. The chairs are also relatively comfortable. The high chairs are most comfy. The benches are awful on the back imo. I also like the staff. They're friendly enough and the service is always good. I've been to other coffee shops in RDU where this was not the case.

Sarah Leon★★★★★

This was our first time here and we will be back! Service was fast and so welcoming and friendly! I got a seasonal coffee, Rosemary's Baby-- Rosemary and brown sugar had no business being as amazing together as they were... it was awesome!!! I got a breakfast sandwich on sourdough with avocado and sausage added... it was super good! My mom got a cappuccino and the coffee cake...that coffe cake... so good!!! I was in love with the atmosphere!!! All the plants, the darker, rich colors. So calm and comfortable all at the same time. I can't wait to go back!

Raechel Olczak★★

I’ve been here multiple times and ordered food, coffee, and matcha. The matcha is not very good at all. every time it is not whisked well and there is little to no flavor of syrup. The food is overpriced and underwhelming. The espresso in the latte was alright but again hardly any flavor of the syrup. It has a cute atmosphere and a rewards system and i really want to love it but after a few times of being disappointed it’s hard to want to go back. :(