A Downtown Olympia Coffee Walk: 4th Avenue, Washington and Columbia

Thomas Garner

Oct 7

11 min read

Percival Landing boardwalk and moored sailboats on Budd Inlet in downtown Olympia Washington

Photo: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Olympia is small enough to walk and busy enough to fill a morning. This walk strings together four cafes on three streets in the downtown core: Rhythms Coffee at 210 4th Ave W, Olympia Coffee at 600 4th Ave E, Ember Goods at 422 Washington St SE and Papaver Roaster House at 500 Columbia St NW. Percival Landing's 0.9 mile boardwalk runs along the water on the west edge of all of it, from the Fourth Avenue Bridge to Thurston Avenue.

Hillcane's hub post on Olympia maps six coffee poles across the whole city. This post does one narrower job. It turns the downtown half of that map into a walk you can actually take, with every address and every set of posted hours in one place, and the landmarks between the stops. I have kept to what each cafe publishes on its own pages and what the press has written, so you can plan a morning without guessing.

The Four Stops at a Glance

Here is the short version before the walk itself. Rhythms Coffee is at 210 4th Ave W, Olympia, WA 98501. Olympia Coffee's downtown cafe is at 600 4th Ave. East, Olympia, WA 98501, with a phone number of (360) 753 0066. Ember Goods is at 422 Washington Street Southeast, Olympia, WA 98501, with a phone number of (360) 338 0315. Papaver Roaster House is at 500 Columbia St NW, Olympia.

Those four addresses fall on three streets. 4th Avenue holds two of them, one on the west end near the water and one on the east end across from City Hall. Washington Street holds one, a few blocks south and east of the waterfront. Columbia Street holds one, on the waterfront side of downtown. That is the whole downtown coffee walk, and it fits easily into a single morning on foot.

If you only remember one thing, remember that 4th Avenue West and 4th Avenue East are different ends of the same street. Downtown Olympia uses directional suffixes, and a cafe at 210 4th Ave W and a cafe at 600 4th Ave E are not neighbors on the same block.

Posted Hours, Stop by Stop

Rhythms Coffee posts hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday, Friday and Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. That makes it the evening stop on this walk, and it matches the live music schedule the cafe publishes.

Olympia Coffee's downtown page lists cafe hours of 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For anyone starting early on a weekday, 600 4th Ave. East is the first door open on this route.

Ember Goods posts its hours on its Visit page as weekdays 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Papaver Roaster House posts its hours on its own cafe page as Tuesday through Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with no Monday hours. Plan a Columbia Street stop for any day but Monday.

Hours change, so treat these as the posted schedule on September 27, 2026 and check each cafe's own page before a special trip. The point of listing them together is to let you build a route that fits the day you actually have.

Start at the Water: Percival Landing

I like to start this walk at Percival Landing, because it explains why downtown Olympia is laid out the way it is. The City of Olympia describes the park as one of the city's three waterfront parks, on the east side of Budd Bay at the southernmost tip of Puget Sound. It covers 3.38 acres, with a park address of 217 Thurston Ave NW.

The city's page gives the boardwalk's length as 0.9 miles, running along the eastern shoreline of West Bay from the Fourth Avenue Bridge to Thurston Avenue. It also gives the history: the park is named for the old commercial steamship wharf, the original dock was built in 1860, and the first phase of the modern landing opened in 1978, with later phases in 1985 and 1988. The park includes boat moorage, the Harbor House, picnic areas, a playground, public art and restrooms.

Walk the boardwalk south and you arrive near the Fourth Avenue Bridge, which is where the first two coffee stops come into view.

Columbia Street: The Waterfront Stop

Papaver Roaster House sits at 500 Columbia St NW. Its own cafe page describes the room as located on the beautiful waterfront in Olympia, the capital of Washington, and as a place created to slow down and enjoy coffee in a welcoming setting. The same page says the space is inspired by the warmth and charm of European cafes and that the cafe offers house made pastries inspired by traditional European baking.

The press has noticed. Daily Coffee News covered the cafe's grand opening in a story dated September 25, 2025, and Sprudge featured it in its Build Outs of Coffee series. For a downtown that already had long established cafes, a new room drawing that kind of coverage in its first months is worth a stop on its own.

Remember the schedule: Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. and weekends from 8 a.m., closing at 5 p.m. every open day. On a Tuesday to Sunday morning, Columbia Street pairs naturally with the boardwalk before you head inland.

4th Avenue West: Live Music by the Boardwalk

Rhythms Coffee sits at 210 4th Ave W, and it describes the shop as located just 219 feet from downtown Olympia's boardwalk waterfront. That makes it the closest stop on this walk to Percival Landing, an easy few steps off the water.

The cafe calls itself Olympia's destination for artisan coffee and live music, and it thanks readers for voting it 2026's Best of South Sound Gold for Live Music, after Gold votes in 2025 and 2024. Its calendar lists an all ages open mic every Monday, with sign ups at 6:15 p.m. and music starting at 7 p.m. It also invites musicians of all ages and all genres to perform.

Because this cafe stays open into the evening, it works at either end of the day. Start here with a morning cup at 8 a.m., or save it for the evening and finish the walk with the Monday open mic or a weekend show.

Washington Street: Downtown's Middle Stop

From 4th Avenue, head a few blocks toward Washington Street Southeast. Ember Goods is at 422 Washington Street Southeast, and it describes the store as a coffee shop and retail goods space in the heart of downtown Olympia. Its Visit page calls the downtown store its basecamp and invites visitors to stop in for a latte and stay for the creative space, the friendly atmosphere and a retail room full of goods.

Washington Street has its own landmark a block along. The Washington Center for the Performing Arts is at 512 Washington St. SE, so a show night downtown puts a cafe and a theater on the same street. For a daytime walk, Ember Goods' weekday opening at 7 a.m. and Sunday opening at 9 a.m. give this middle stop a wide window.

Washington Street is also a good reminder of how downtown Olympia works. The streets are short and walkable, but they do not all face the water, and a stop here takes you off the waterfront and into the everyday grid of downtown.

4th Avenue East: Across From City Hall

The last stop on the loop is Olympia Coffee's downtown cafe at 600 4th Ave. East. The City of Olympia lists Olympia City Hall at 601 4th Ave E, directly across the street, which makes this one of the easiest addresses downtown to describe to a friend.

Olympia Coffee quotes Food and Wine naming it the best coffee in Washington, and its downtown cafe is one of three rooms the company runs inside Olympia's city limits. The other two, on Harrison Avenue NW on the Westside and on Capitol Boulevard in South Olympia, are covered in the hub post and in the Westside post in this series.

With a 6:30 a.m. weekday opening and a 6 p.m. close every day, 600 4th Ave. East can be the start of this walk for an early riser or its end for anyone finishing an afternoon downtown.

Detours Worth Adding

Two more addresses make the walk fuller. The Owl's Nest, a cafe and bakery, is at 116 Capitol Way N, and it posts hours of 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. It sits north of the 4th Avenue blocks, toward the market end of downtown.

A little further up the same street, the Olympia Farmers Market is at 700 Capitol Way N. It says it has been open since 1975 and runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Sunday from April through October. On a market day, a coffee on Capitol Way N followed by the market and then the boardwalk makes an easy north end loop.

Then there is Arts Walk. The City of Olympia describes it as a semi annual community event, with Spring Arts Walk on the fourth Friday and Saturday of April and Fall Arts Walk on the first Friday and Saturday of October. Rhythms Coffee's own calendar lists Fall Arts Walk events at 210 4th Ave W on Friday, October 2, 2026 and Saturday, October 3, 2026, with a featured local artist and live music.

Sample Routes by Day

A weekday early start: begin at 600 4th Ave. East at 6:30 a.m., walk to 422 Washington Street Southeast after 7 a.m., continue to 500 Columbia St NW on any Tuesday through Friday, and finish on the boardwalk with a last stop at 210 4th Ave W, which opens at 8 a.m.

A Monday: Columbia Street has no Monday hours, so keep to 4th Avenue East, Washington Street and 4th Avenue West, and come back to 210 4th Ave W in the evening for the all ages open mic that starts at 7 p.m.

A Sunday: 600 4th Ave. East opens at 7 a.m., Columbia Street at 8 a.m., 4th Avenue West at 8 a.m. and Washington Street at 9 a.m. That gives a relaxed late morning loop with Percival Landing in the middle and plenty of time before the 5 p.m. closes on Columbia Street and Washington Street.

Whichever day you choose, the rule is the same: pick your hours first, then order the stops. Downtown Olympia is compact enough that the order is flexible and the walking is short.

Why a Walk Beats a List

A list of Olympia coffee shops tells you names. A walk tells you how the streets connect: the boardwalk to Columbia Street, Columbia Street to 4th Avenue West, 4th Avenue to Washington Street, and back out to City Hall on 4th Avenue East. For a capital city of 55,583 people in the 2023 American Community Survey, that is a remarkable amount of coffee within a short walk of the water.

It also shows why each cafe's own address and hours matter so much. A drinker planning a real morning needs to know which door opens at 6:30, which one has no Monday hours and which one runs until 10 at night. Those are the facts that turn a list into a plan.

Olympia is not Tacoma and it is not Seattle. Its downtown coffee has its own streets, its own waterfront and its own schedule, and it is well worth an unhurried morning on foot.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the downtown Olympia coffee shop addresses?

This walk covers four downtown cafes: Rhythms Coffee at 210 4th Ave W, Olympia Coffee's downtown cafe at 600 4th Ave. East, Ember Goods at 422 Washington Street Southeast, and Papaver Roaster House at 500 Columbia St NW. The Owl's Nest cafe and bakery at 116 Capitol Way N is a short detour north. All sit in ZIP code 98501 and can be walked in one morning.

What are Papaver Roaster House's hours?

Papaver Roaster House posts hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on its own cafe page, with no Monday hours. It sits at 500 Columbia St NW on the downtown waterfront. Daily Coffee News covered its grand opening on September 25, 2025, and Sprudge featured it in the Build Outs of Coffee series.

What are Rhythms Coffee's hours and events?

Rhythms Coffee posts hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday, Friday and Saturday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. It hosts an all ages open mic every Monday, with sign ups at 6:15 p.m. and music at 7 p.m. Readers voted it 2026's Best of South Sound Gold for Live Music, following Gold wins in 2024 and 2025.

What are Ember Goods' hours on Washington Street?

Ember Goods' Visit page lists its downtown store at 422 Washington Street Southeast with hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Its phone is (360) 338 0315. The Washington Center for the Performing Arts is on the same street at 512 Washington St. SE.

What time does Olympia Coffee open downtown?

Olympia Coffee's downtown page lists cafe hours of 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 600 4th Ave. East. That address sits directly across from Olympia City Hall at 601 4th Ave E. The company runs two more Olympia cafes, on Harrison Avenue NW and on Capitol Boulevard.

How long is the Percival Landing boardwalk?

The City of Olympia gives the Percival Landing boardwalk as 0.9 miles, running along the eastern shoreline of West Bay from the Fourth Avenue Bridge to Thurston Avenue. The park covers 3.38 acres at 217 Thurston Ave NW. Its first modern phase opened in 1978, with further phases in 1985 and 1988, and it includes moorage, picnic areas, a playground and restrooms.

Which downtown Olympia cafe is closest to the waterfront?

Rhythms Coffee says its shop at 210 4th Ave W sits just 219 feet from downtown Olympia's boardwalk waterfront. Papaver Roaster House describes its cafe at 500 Columbia St NW as located on the beautiful waterfront. Both make an easy pairing with a walk on Percival Landing's 0.9 mile boardwalk, which starts at the Fourth Avenue Bridge.

When is Olympia Arts Walk?

The City of Olympia says Spring Arts Walk runs the fourth Friday and Saturday in April and Fall Arts Walk runs the first Friday and Saturday in October. In 2026, Fall Arts Walk falls on Friday, October 2 and Saturday, October 3, and Rhythms Coffee's own calendar lists a featured local artist and live music at 210 4th Ave W on both nights.

Can you combine the coffee walk with the Olympia Farmers Market?

Yes. The Olympia Farmers Market is at 700 Capitol Way N and, per its own site, runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Sunday from April through October and has operated since 1975. The Owl's Nest at 116 Capitol Way N opens at 7 a.m. daily, so a Capitol Way coffee, the market and the boardwalk make an easy loop.

Is downtown Olympia coffee the same as Tacoma or Seattle?

No. Olympia is Washington's capital, a city of 55,583 people in the 2023 American Community Survey, with its own downtown and its own waterfront on Budd Bay. Its downtown cafes sit on 4th Avenue, Washington Street and Columbia Street, and the local campus is The Evergreen State College. Tacoma and Seattle are separate cities further north on the interstate.

Work with Hillcane

Four cafes, three streets and a 0.9 mile boardwalk: here is downtown Olympia's coffee as a walk, with every address and every posted hour in one place.

If your Olympia cafe wants a page that gives drinkers its street and hours as clearly as a walking guide does, reach Hillcane at hillcane.co/contact or call (256) 384-2449.