I did not expect to find an upscale coffee shop located within a hotel. The Coffee Bar at The Durham Hotel is a wonderful choice, especially for alternative style coffee drinks. They use quality Counter Culture beans and add some upscale chef inspiration. I will definitely be back. Grab a drink and a snack and sit back and relax. This place is still exceptional. Love coming here.
Jeremy Edmunds
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February 09, 2025
There it stands, clean and bright, The Coffee Bar at The Durham. A good place, a true place, where the marble bar runs cold and long and the La Marzocco machine hisses like a dozen angry cats at dawn. 315 E Chapel Hill Street. Remember it.
The walls are corrugated metal, blue as the Spanish sky, and the floor - God help me - the floor is a geometric red and white affair that would make a sober man dizzy. But it is good. It is all good.
You come at 7, when the sun is barely up and the laptops glow like fireflies. The WiFi is strong and free, like America should be. The baristas are good people. They know the coffee and they know the gin. Both are necessary. Both are true.
By day it is a place of work and quiet contemplation. The espresso is hot and honest. But at 4, just before the cruel 5 PM closing time, something changes. The cocktails appear, garnished with lime wedges fresh as a young man's dreams. The small plates come in black bowls, dark as a bullfighter's eyes.
It sits in a hotel lobby, yes, but it is not a hotel bar. That would be too simple, too clean. It is something else. Something that scores 4.7 stars on Google, though stars mean nothing in war or coffee. The wooden stools hold locals and travelers alike. No one asks which is which. It doesn't matter here.
But remember - and this is very important - it closes at 5. Always 5. In this world of lies and compromises, The Coffee Bar at The Durham keeps banker's hours like a religion. It is their way. And it is good.
Would you like me to tell you about the way the light hits the bottles in the afternoon, or shall we drink our coffee and know that some things are better left unsaid?
Carolina Girl
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July 27, 2024
This hidden gem has the greatest vibe. Walking in, the massive open coffee area was a lol bright sunlight with eclectic style while playing Frank Sinatra. Absolutely loved every second of this place. The service at the coffee bar was excellent and quick. The lady at the front entrance walked me to the coffee bar and stated she was glad I came to try the place out. Absolutely gorgeous place! The music matches the quirky, cute, eclectic, style this place completely.
Daniel Bastidas
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March 01, 2025
I didn’t order food. But the beverages were great! The special drink “the cure” was amazing. The atmosphere and music is perfect for reading and doing some uni job!
Mariah Mckenzie
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June 09, 2024
Cool spot to grab a coffee downtown Durham. They serve counter culture coffee which is roasted in Durham. I tried their maple miso latte and the espresso tonic/ coffee soda. The espresso tonic was one of the best I've ever had. It's the perfect cold coffee drink. I enjoyed the maple miso latte as well. There is a lot of seating in the hotel lobby which is mid-century modern.
Our Address
315 E Chapel Hill St, Durham, NC 27701, USA
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I did not expect to find an upscale coffee shop located within a hotel. The Coffee Bar at The Durham Hotel is a wonderful choice, especially for alternative style coffee drinks. They use quality Counter Culture beans and add some upscale chef inspiration. I will definitely be back. Grab a drink and a snack and sit back and relax. This place is still exceptional. Love coming here.
There it stands, clean and bright, The Coffee Bar at The Durham. A good place, a true place, where the marble bar runs cold and long and the La Marzocco machine hisses like a dozen angry cats at dawn. 315 E Chapel Hill Street. Remember it. The walls are corrugated metal, blue as the Spanish sky, and the floor - God help me - the floor is a geometric red and white affair that would make a sober man dizzy. But it is good. It is all good. You come at 7, when the sun is barely up and the laptops glow like fireflies. The WiFi is strong and free, like America should be. The baristas are good people. They know the coffee and they know the gin. Both are necessary. Both are true. By day it is a place of work and quiet contemplation. The espresso is hot and honest. But at 4, just before the cruel 5 PM closing time, something changes. The cocktails appear, garnished with lime wedges fresh as a young man's dreams. The small plates come in black bowls, dark as a bullfighter's eyes. It sits in a hotel lobby, yes, but it is not a hotel bar. That would be too simple, too clean. It is something else. Something that scores 4.7 stars on Google, though stars mean nothing in war or coffee. The wooden stools hold locals and travelers alike. No one asks which is which. It doesn't matter here. But remember - and this is very important - it closes at 5. Always 5. In this world of lies and compromises, The Coffee Bar at The Durham keeps banker's hours like a religion. It is their way. And it is good. Would you like me to tell you about the way the light hits the bottles in the afternoon, or shall we drink our coffee and know that some things are better left unsaid?
This hidden gem has the greatest vibe. Walking in, the massive open coffee area was a lol bright sunlight with eclectic style while playing Frank Sinatra. Absolutely loved every second of this place. The service at the coffee bar was excellent and quick. The lady at the front entrance walked me to the coffee bar and stated she was glad I came to try the place out. Absolutely gorgeous place! The music matches the quirky, cute, eclectic, style this place completely.
I didn’t order food. But the beverages were great! The special drink “the cure” was amazing. The atmosphere and music is perfect for reading and doing some uni job!
Cool spot to grab a coffee downtown Durham. They serve counter culture coffee which is roasted in Durham. I tried their maple miso latte and the espresso tonic/ coffee soda. The espresso tonic was one of the best I've ever had. It's the perfect cold coffee drink. I enjoyed the maple miso latte as well. There is a lot of seating in the hotel lobby which is mid-century modern.