This place is so cute. Walls covered in books you can buy, nice drinks, and a ton of vegan baked goods (not all, but they are clearly labelled!). My partner and I had a blast drinking wine and playing games, and the scones are amazing. They also have various gifts for sale - mugs, candles, cards, etc. They even have a flavor of vegan ice cream!
New favorite for sure!
Sara
Protagonist is a wonderful coffee shop in a quaint area of St Louis. The atmosphere is relaxed and inviting with various table options and even a whole wall of books you can check out. Service is quick and the food is tasty. The only downside isn’t a terrible downside really, it’s just that they’re very popular - especially with the study crowd - so on the weekends it’s often difficult to find a seat. They have three couches/loveseats which are great until you’re trying to find a seat with a table. They’ve added some additional chairs and tables since I first started going there which has helped. This shouldn’t deter you from going, however, as the coffee, atmosphere, and pastries are worth the wait for a table. Just FYI they don’t have anything that would constitute a meal, just pastries and ice cream…on Sundays I think they have a breakfast taco bar but I’m not sure if that’s still around. All in all would highly recommend Protagonist Cafe!
I love this cafe! I came in to grab a coffee and do some work, went to the bathroom and left my rings on the sink counter. The people working this location are so sweet and after I realized I had lost my rings, I asked if they had been turned in. Not only were they kindly turned in, but they very nicely sealed them up and marked them lost and what date they were lost on just in case. The workers here are so nice, will be coming back frequently. :))
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
YHWHServant
Purchased the vegan cinnamon roll, vegan blueberry muffin and oat hot chocolate. Everything on target - taste, texture, and service.
Leisha Carrasquillo
I came to visit my best friend from WNY. When I say we are in love with this shop, it’s not even the half of it. Let me start with the friendliness and knowledge we received by the staff was fantastic. The atmosphere in the cafe was a total vibe that I dig.Now, let’s talk about the banana chocolate bread, cinnamon roll and the blueberry lemon yogurt muffin.The bread was fantastic, it was fluffy it had a nice balance between the banana and the chocolate chip.The cinnamon roll the right amount of icing. I’m still figuring out if it was a cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Whatever the ingredient is was fantastic. I bought these pastries on Sunday and I heated up the bun as instructed by the baker and it was not messy or hard.By far my favorite pastry is the Blueberry Lemon yogurt muffin. Let’s talk about the fluffiness/ airiness this muffin has. It’s so airy and delicious. First bite was a love at first taste.Finally, the coffee. The staff was so helpful recommending drinks. Our party had the follow following drinks:raspberry white mocha latte 4.5/5I bachlava you 5/5 (the honey flavor was really known)Truffle moccha 4/5White chocolate/hazelnut latte 5/5I hope at one point I can come back and visit this gem in a near future. Maybe they can start shipping their pastries ?.Do yourself a favor don’t walk run and try this shop out.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Christopher Atkins
Delicious & Love the fact that I found a spot that serves a lot of VEGAN and Dairy Free sweets! Been looking for a spot like this for over a year!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Scone, Orange Iced Scones Ready to Eat Similar to Biscuits Slice Heat and Eat, Lemon Bunt Cake with a Delightful Hot Chocolate
Hannah Lillioja
Amazing homey coffee shop that also sells wine and other drinks. Perfect place to study, hang out, sink into a couch, or meet up for a meeting. Can’t get enough of this place!
Quiet and welcoming atmosphere, my partner and I stayed for quite some time today and had coffee, tea, and baked goods (two of which were gluten free!). The dogs that visited were polite, and the staff behind the counter even more so. They offered my service dog a pup cup, and even added a little hot water to my tea to refresh the warmth of it. Thank you for a wonderful experience, we will be back!
Great barista Raven! Tasty pastry. Cool interior and spacious vibe. Did NOT like patron who had brought her dog along and it was sitting on the couch to be shared by others. Maybe she considers the dog part of her family, but I don't. Maybe for some reason she needs an emotional support animal to drink coffee and play on the computer, but I don't. Maybe she allows the dog to sit on her furniture at home and rub its butt around where humans will be sitting, but that's just gross.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Leek & Parmesan Croissant
N c
Beautiful spot, has a cozy old-timey vibe. Covered with books everywhere that you can read whilst drinking or eating there. The also have cocktails. The owner makes really cool crafts that are sure to be perfect gifts for many occasions. They do monthly tarot card readings. They also do a “blind date with a book” program, where you get a secret book chosen based solely on a quote from it.The coffee was good but a little too light on the flavor for me. I got two and they both felt the same. I would’ve liked to have a stronger coffee taste and more sweetener. So if you like more milder taste in drinks, then it’s perfect for you. If not then you might need personal specifications to get a drink just how you like it.Service was good. Pastries and food looked amazing but did not get anything to eat.Will definitely want to come back maybe make it my daily coffee shop.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rc Ll
Wonderful place! I love the location and atmosphere. They also have a lot of good books and board
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brew
Colton Bonnell
I frequent Protagonist Cafe because the coffee is consistently fresh, the service is always good and always friendly, and the online ordering system is super easy. The only area I wish there was some improvement was more inside seating. The inside fills up quickly (which is a good problem to have). Protagonist has quickly become my #1 coffee spot in the city.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tony
Really like being able to pick a book off the shelves and read while having a coffee. If you like the book, most of them are pretty cheap to buy and take home with you
This place is so cute. Walls covered in books you can buy, nice drinks, and a ton of vegan baked goods (not all, but they are clearly labelled!). My partner and I had a blast drinking wine and playing games, and the scones are amazing. They also have various gifts for sale - mugs, candles, cards, etc. They even have a flavor of vegan ice cream! New favorite for sure!
Protagonist is a wonderful coffee shop in a quaint area of St Louis. The atmosphere is relaxed and inviting with various table options and even a whole wall of books you can check out. Service is quick and the food is tasty. The only downside isn’t a terrible downside really, it’s just that they’re very popular - especially with the study crowd - so on the weekends it’s often difficult to find a seat. They have three couches/loveseats which are great until you’re trying to find a seat with a table. They’ve added some additional chairs and tables since I first started going there which has helped. This shouldn’t deter you from going, however, as the coffee, atmosphere, and pastries are worth the wait for a table. Just FYI they don’t have anything that would constitute a meal, just pastries and ice cream…on Sundays I think they have a breakfast taco bar but I’m not sure if that’s still around. All in all would highly recommend Protagonist Cafe!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Scone, Brew, Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie, My Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie
I love this cafe! I came in to grab a coffee and do some work, went to the bathroom and left my rings on the sink counter. The people working this location are so sweet and after I realized I had lost my rings, I asked if they had been turned in. Not only were they kindly turned in, but they very nicely sealed them up and marked them lost and what date they were lost on just in case. The workers here are so nice, will be coming back frequently. :))
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Purchased the vegan cinnamon roll, vegan blueberry muffin and oat hot chocolate. Everything on target - taste, texture, and service.
I came to visit my best friend from WNY. When I say we are in love with this shop, it’s not even the half of it. Let me start with the friendliness and knowledge we received by the staff was fantastic. The atmosphere in the cafe was a total vibe that I dig.Now, let’s talk about the banana chocolate bread, cinnamon roll and the blueberry lemon yogurt muffin.The bread was fantastic, it was fluffy it had a nice balance between the banana and the chocolate chip.The cinnamon roll the right amount of icing. I’m still figuring out if it was a cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Whatever the ingredient is was fantastic. I bought these pastries on Sunday and I heated up the bun as instructed by the baker and it was not messy or hard.By far my favorite pastry is the Blueberry Lemon yogurt muffin. Let’s talk about the fluffiness/ airiness this muffin has. It’s so airy and delicious. First bite was a love at first taste.Finally, the coffee. The staff was so helpful recommending drinks. Our party had the follow following drinks:raspberry white mocha latte 4.5/5I bachlava you 5/5 (the honey flavor was really known)Truffle moccha 4/5White chocolate/hazelnut latte 5/5I hope at one point I can come back and visit this gem in a near future. Maybe they can start shipping their pastries ?.Do yourself a favor don’t walk run and try this shop out.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious & Love the fact that I found a spot that serves a lot of VEGAN and Dairy Free sweets! Been looking for a spot like this for over a year!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Scone, Orange Iced Scones Ready to Eat Similar to Biscuits Slice Heat and Eat, Lemon Bunt Cake with a Delightful Hot Chocolate
Amazing homey coffee shop that also sells wine and other drinks. Perfect place to study, hang out, sink into a couch, or meet up for a meeting. Can’t get enough of this place!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Leek & Parmesan Croissant, Oat Milk Latte
Best nitro cold brew I’ve ever had.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wonderful service, and great drinks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Quiet and welcoming atmosphere, my partner and I stayed for quite some time today and had coffee, tea, and baked goods (two of which were gluten free!). The dogs that visited were polite, and the staff behind the counter even more so. They offered my service dog a pup cup, and even added a little hot water to my tea to refresh the warmth of it. Thank you for a wonderful experience, we will be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Quiche, Brew, Iced Latte
Restaurantji Recommends
Great barista Raven! Tasty pastry. Cool interior and spacious vibe. Did NOT like patron who had brought her dog along and it was sitting on the couch to be shared by others. Maybe she considers the dog part of her family, but I don't. Maybe for some reason she needs an emotional support animal to drink coffee and play on the computer, but I don't. Maybe she allows the dog to sit on her furniture at home and rub its butt around where humans will be sitting, but that's just gross.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Leek & Parmesan Croissant
Beautiful spot, has a cozy old-timey vibe. Covered with books everywhere that you can read whilst drinking or eating there. The also have cocktails. The owner makes really cool crafts that are sure to be perfect gifts for many occasions. They do monthly tarot card readings. They also do a “blind date with a book” program, where you get a secret book chosen based solely on a quote from it.The coffee was good but a little too light on the flavor for me. I got two and they both felt the same. I would’ve liked to have a stronger coffee taste and more sweetener. So if you like more milder taste in drinks, then it’s perfect for you. If not then you might need personal specifications to get a drink just how you like it.Service was good. Pastries and food looked amazing but did not get anything to eat.Will definitely want to come back maybe make it my daily coffee shop.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wonderful place! I love the location and atmosphere. They also have a lot of good books and board
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brew
I frequent Protagonist Cafe because the coffee is consistently fresh, the service is always good and always friendly, and the online ordering system is super easy. The only area I wish there was some improvement was more inside seating. The inside fills up quickly (which is a good problem to have). Protagonist has quickly become my #1 coffee spot in the city.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really like being able to pick a book off the shelves and read while having a coffee. If you like the book, most of them are pretty cheap to buy and take home with you