Halcyon Coffeehouse
Categories: Coffee & Tea, Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: Downtown218 W 4th St
Austin, TX 78701 (512) 472-9637
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Wi-Fi: Free
- Best Nights: Mon, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: Outdoor Area/Patio Only
- Coat Check: No
63 Reviews for Halcyon Coffeehouse
This is the most schizo coffee bar in Austin. Is it a coffee bar? Wine bar? Cigarette lounge?
Identify crisis aside, they do have a great blueberry ice tea.
Once again, I haven't been here in a good while. A group of friends of mine and myself used to go every Monday for their special of $2 or $3 wells all night. We would sit on the patio and drink for hours and just hang out. Haven't been since it's been remodeled nor do I know if the special is still around.
Halcycon is a coffee shop/bar located on the corner of 4th and Lavaca. Until about a year or so, it used to be bigger and more of a rundown coffee shop (they've always had a full liquor license though) but they lost about half of their space including the smoke shop (the Lavaca Street Bar sucked it up). The couches were about two thousand years old but it was a really good coffee shop. But in any event, they renovated the place so it is a lot more upscale now. For a while; it was too fancy for me but as time has worn on, the new couches have aquired some scuffs so I've grown to like it just like the good old days.
Enough about the past. The new Halycon has a bar along one wall with a full liquor license. They have great cakes, salads, and sandwiches. They also make all sorts of fancy coffees and mixed drinks. They put candles out at night and play cool music. Indoors, the seating is a combination of love seats, tables & chairs as well as bar stools along the bar. Outside, the elevated deck has seating for those that are interested in watching the action along 4th street or maybe just having a drag on a cigarette.
Interesting note/breaking news regarding s'mores. One of the things I've always liked about Halcyon is that you could get s'mores that you would cook on your own little table fires. Well, apparently the Austin fire marshall thought that the little table fires were a fire hazard so he has veto'ed the little table fires & banned s'mores so you'll have to grill your s'mores illegally out in the street in the future.
I can't figure out whether it is more of a coffee shop or bar ; maybe they are more of a coffee shop in the daytime and then a bar at night? I don't know but I like the place. Check it out especially if you are brave enough to go some place besides Starbucks to get a good cup of coffee.
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I liked the old Halcyon better. I liked that it was older, had more space and that it was homey.
The new Halcyon's nice, don't get me wrong, but I definitely miss the old.
We were there in the afternoon, catching up with old friends. It was annoying that they kept blasting the volume of the music and we had to shout to hear each other. It was around 4:30-- there's no need to create a lounge atmosphere when it's still sunny outside. Anyway, it was only for a few songs and then they turned down the volume so that we could start talking to each other normally.
People are unpretentious here, which is nice. There was also plenty of seating when we arrived. Parking is street parking so you know how that goes.
Coffee drinks are pretty standard.
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Location can't be beat - it's in the heart of the warehouse district and has such a nice atmosphere!
You can people watch (and homeless-guy-selling-flowers-dodge) on the balcony outside, sit in the cushy corner sofas, relax at the bar, or sit at one of the many wooden tables.
They always showcase local art, and often it's good.
The food MMMMMMMMM! I've had countless wraps, salads, even a nutella crepe that they offered to add walnuts, bananas, and ICE CREAM to (I politely declined) and served it up with adorable whipped cream puffs and chocolatey drizzles. How awesome does that sound? And it was pretty cheap.
I'm sure everyone writes about this, but I'll put this out there: you can roast your own s'mores at your table, they give you a special little plate with a roasting device (I do not know technical terms for this type of thing) and everything you need. Nothing beats that.
I like to go in for mimosas and reading on weekend mornings, and sometimes just to relax with champagne and a newspaper before hitting town. I adore this place.
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So, one star, eh? Yep. One star. A decent selection of liquors and cigarettes. But as for the vibe, the Austin "I'm too cool to be working here and recognize you as a customer" is smattered all over the faces of the staff. I stood at the counter for five minutes with no one else waiting to be served before I was noticed as someone who wanted to give them money. I ordered a Pelligrino and a double macchiato. THE HORROR!! The grounds were already sitting in the doser, for who knows how long, then the server put the spout into a huge pile of grounds, tamped, then pulled the shot. Dirty coffee grounds on everything, and the shot was horrid. Bitter nastiness. Maybe if you go here to drink and be seen by the rest of the uberhip crowd it's worth your time, but as for me . . . no thank you. There may be some redeemable quality that I have yet to discover, but I doubt it. Let me put it another way. I made this profile on yelp specifically because of my bad experience at Halcyon. Highly NOT recommended.
Driving around downtown Austin, in dire need of change for meters, a bathroom, and a cup of iced coffee (not necessarily in that order) I stumbled upon Halcyon. What an incredible find!
The space is magnificent: indoor and outdoor seating. Indoors, you can choose from traditional tables, stools, high-backed stools, or couches. Lots and lots of couches. The art on the wall is depressing in a "Damn, I wish I had $750 to spend on that painting because it is so fucking rad" sort of way.
And, to top it off, the staff is incredibly helpful and courteous. The woman working the counter gave me change for the meter *before* I bought my drink, and then gave me a brief lowdown on exactly where I am in Austin, and what I should see while here.
If I lived here, I'd live here.
No more s'mores. Boo fire marshall!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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03/28/2008
Halcyon is my main haunt. I love it. First of all, they serve a wicked good egg and cheese panini… Read more »
I love this place now! It's changed quite a bit over the years and wasn't always my favorite spot. It was once a RutaMaya coffeeshop, which I loved (now on S. Congress). Now Halcyon is a bar, coffeeshop and smoke/cigar shop. It's perfectly located downtown to go grab coffee or a drink before a show. My favorite thing about them is that they serve SMORES!!!!! I still can't get over it! They bring a cute little fire pot to your table on a tray with marshmallows, chocolate bars and little graham crackers in saltines-sized packages. Too cute and so much fun!
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Cool place, great concept. Perfect for those nights when you're in an indecisive mood and can't quite figure out what you want in a bar/nightspot. I came here on a Saturday night when a good friend of mine suggested going to a cigar bar. Thanks to the powers of Yelp Mobile, Halcyon came up in the search results. Although not a true "cigar bar", they do have a nice selection of cigars in a cigar room towards the back. Combine this little niche with a nice selection of beers, wine, and coffee, along with a few outdoor tables for 4th Street people watching, and viola, you have a great place to hang out and shoot the shit with good friends. Definitely plan on coming back to try the s'mores.
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Let me preface this by saying that I am not a coffee connoisseur. There are coffee shops that understand this, and then there's Halcyon, where I felt uncomfortable and stupid when I placed my order. I don't appreciate that, and maybe it's my problem and not theirs but I don't feel this at Bouldin Creek.
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Best Chocolate Martini in town.
Actually, it's a chocolate espresso martini. But still, I never would have guessed this corner coffee shop/lounge could out-do the Four Seasons.
When I told the bartender how much I enjoyed it, he proudly said, "You won't find a better one in this city". And he wasn't arrogant about it, he was just matter-of-fact, and I agree.
The redesign of Halycon is so nice. Very modern, yet still cozy and quiet enough for all the people with the PowerBooks to get some work done. It 'out cools' it's neighboring Qua and Fado's. If I were lucky enough to live downtown, I would be a regular here.
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I always like this place. It looks like a factory garage, but located in downtown.
I usually don't like bars in downtown because they are too noisy. Halcyon is the combination of bar and coffee house.
Halcyon is the some place if you are sick of bars on 6th or 4th street, you can come here, order a cup of Latte, sit down at the corn, hold your lover's hands and talk to him/her in low voice.
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Great location, good coffee and very comfortable if you are lucky enough to get a booth with the big, fluffy pillows. Tonight, we were lucky and got a corner booth with tons of pillows and a view of the street. We ordered a Iced Thai Coffee and Hot Chocolate. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was the music. Too much 60's and 70's music for my taste.
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Paul H. said it best: "It feels like Halcyon is either figuring out what it wants to be or has lost something of what it once was."
I miss the old Halcyon. That being said, the old Halcyon was not exactly raking in the dough. It was that place you went to decompress from the endless sounds and lights and drinks and packaging of downtown Austin. A little sleepy, yes, but always there for you. Always the go-to place, man.
Now, it's all scrubbed and painted - too much white and brushed aluminum. It's IKEA. It's Eurway. People seem to like it. It's busy for sure, but at what price? It's gone from an awesome hippy hangout to a hipster hangout. I don't know if I like it.
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fantastic!! i had such a great night last night when we went out to downtown Austin... We dropped by here after some Brat Wurst... The smores were OBVIOUSLY doable at home but it was a fun environment. Everyone's so close together yet you're still able to do your own thing around that little 2 by 2 table. You can come here with any attire!! I even saw a group wearing 80's dodgeball clothes haha! This place is just so chill :)
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I know, lots of reviews for Halcyon, so I'll make it short. Good place to meet for a study group in the afternoon or on a weeknight. Comfortable seating. I see lots of praise for the smores but the best thing are the egg panini's - at less than $3 they are filling, and tasty and easy on the wallet. Good coffee, too and yummy desserts in the case. There's also a full bar if you need it. Only drawback for me is that parking is a bitch.
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Red wine, smores and cute girls at the counter. I went here with some friends late at night (just before closing at 2am) and enjoyed the low-key atmosphere while sipping a glass of pinot noir and roasting marshmallows on the table to make smores. This is my kind of place.
Free wi-fi, easygoing music, comfy couches, abstract art and pleasing decor. If I lived in Austin I think I might make this place my new office. I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a slower pace than the loud bars and clubs.
Dear Halcyon:
You are one of the best coffee shops in America when it comes to getting work done. Lots of big windows to look out. Always a lot of people coming in and out. Your bartenders give me free soft drinks. I'm not sure what more I could want. And this place is quite trendy at night -- it's really cool when all of the windows are open and the bar is lit (or lighted) up.
Good work with the XM Radio going.
I just get nervous that I'll get in there and a power outlet won't be available. It can be tough every once in a while.
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Halcyon feels like a bar but acts like a slow-paced coffee house. It's a little confusing if you're just walking in off the street on a Saturday night. The service was slow to bus the tables, so we sat with other peoples' glasses for a while. It feels like Halcyon is either figuring out what it wants to be or has lost something of what it once was. Either way, it's got potential.
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If you've ever taken Halcyon you know the name is nothing like its counterpart, and while you may fall into a twilight sleep the most important thing to know is that you aren't in wonderland. And even though you may seem to be growing into a giant, in all actuality the space around you is shrinking. What was once a grand coffee house is now a small semblance of its former self. With a smaller space and humidor thanks to the great guys at Lavaca Street and their expansion, you'll never know what you are missing. But for those of us who have lived in Austin long enough, you'll always remember sitting on the floor around bags of coffee listening to rusted root or hanging out at an 80's gangsta party.
For real you can still get a good coffee and pastries here and a modest selection of tobacco, but where else is open at 2am?
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YES! S'mores & coffee with friends on a chilly December night - how awesome is that? Four stars awesome!
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I do not like the new Halcyon. Bar service is WAY slower - where'd Adam go? - and I feel cramped all the time. No more smoke shop with Bradford's snark? Bah. There are many, many better coffee shops in town. Halcyon has two things going for it - one, it's downtown, and two, it's got motorcycle-only parking.
That's about it. I don't hate the place, but I only go when I'm being brought along.
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I go to Halcyon only occasionally -- after work, or maybe to pick up a quick little something for lunch, since it's walking distance form my office, or occasionally if I find myself on that side of downtown on the weekend & in need of some caffeine. It's not bad. It is in a handy location & there's nothing absolutely awful about the place that I've seen. Yet I have yet to find anything about Halcyon that makes me want to jump up and declare my undying love for the place.
In the evenings it seems like there's often nowhere to sit, which negates the wonderfulness of the wi-fi connection. The coffee is good, the chai is good, they do have some rockin' food, but a panini plus my favorite drink = $10 for lunch. (I get the feeling that the only difference between a $5.75 panini at a coffeehouse and a $4 grilled sandwich from somewhere else is the name "panini.")
I do feel a little self-conscious going there in my work clothes because I'm not dirty-looking enough to be a hipster and not shiny-looking enough to be a yuppie, but the staff doesn't actually scowl at me when they hand me my food or recoil in horror when I hand them money, so I guess it's all right.
That pretty much sums up my feeling toward Halcyon, actually: I guess it's all right.
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OK, I know Halcyon doesn't need yet another review, but this is my hang-out, and I gotta rep-a-zent.
The coffee here will never win any awards, but its quality is consistent.
I wish they'd buy some new freaking couches already, but the always interesting art on the walls makes up for any shoddy seating in the atmoshphere dept.
The sandwiches are solid. They are my default breakfast/lunch/dinner/late night snack and never disappoint.
Good cocktails.
Very friendly staff. Once, one of the baristas ran out to her car to get some lined paper for me. How awesome is that?
All in all, despite its aging apperance and occasional infestation of screeching 15 year olds enjoying s'mores, I love this place any time of the day or night.
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The coffee is decent, and the art is a great touch, but the staff keeps me from wanting to go back. The first time I went the cashier charged us for two drinks, but apparently only passed on one order to the barista. When we finally asked about it, both people looked like they were straining not to roll their eyes at our audacity. The second time I went in we got our drinks just fine, but it was still with that attitude from the cashier as though we had "not cool enough" across our forehead. Unfortunately, it's too hard for me to relax and enjoy the place after being treated like I'm an uninvited guest.
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Parking is hard to come by, but once you plop down in a sofa it's all comfy and goodness from there. Club music, strong Wifi, great peeps at the counter, and cooler than a Starbucks by far.
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Simply great! Love this place - low key vibe and fun people watching.
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Since they remodeled this place ....it just doesn't feel the same...but I still go because I love that dirty martini Mr. Eric makes me... plus, if I wanna dance...Rain is right across the street....
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Location is great on the shoots and ladders stair situation in the warehouse district, and I have a love/hate relationship with the coffee dudes and dudettes who sit sprawled in a major passageway at 4th and Guadalupe, making zero effort to move out of the way.
No love inside the dirty couched area where ordering an iced tea was met with the strangest reaction. Bad swirly feminist art. Cliche' coffeehouse feel.
Coffee martinis are grand master kick-butt...fuck redbull, this shit is SO much better. Nice stop for a pick me up before fighting the crowds.
But if that zygote working in the tobacco shop tells me one more time that he's a trust fund kid that doesn't have to work, WHILE HE'S WORKING...jesus.
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Best part: make your own smore's!! This is also a great place for people watching, especially in the evenings, if you want to do something, but not go out. They are open late, and its a really cute little place. The only thing that really really sucks.. is the parking.
This would my 3rd review on my journey to become one of Yelp's elite (insert sarcasm here).
So the same guy that told me about Caffe Medici told me about Halcyon's turkey & brie panino (better Fernando? jaja). Being that this guy lived in Italy and has had an authentic panino (again, i stand corrected), I trust his opinion. So I ventured out to check Halcyon out.
Although they were out of the turkey & brie, they recommended the hummus wrap which was absolutely huge...much like the old school Taco Bell burritos. Now, I'm 6'4" and have a big appetite and this bad boy filled me up. In terms of taste, it was very yummy (don't hate, I like that word). The ambience is cool. You can buy & smoke cigars there, sit outside and watch the other Austinites do their thing, but what I loved most were the couches covered with the sheet (those that grew up with that can appreciate it).
Finally, I'm a big believer that those who have sour attitudes get sour food and service. Those that see the good, even when the outlook is grim, get the best food and service. Although they were out of the turkey & brie, they gave me a discount on my hummus wrap and threw in a small salad for free. Damn I love it when people bend the rules! So I will definitely be back for the turkey & brie. Provecho!
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I like the comfortable, laid-back vibe of Halcyon. Yes, Ruta Maya was fabulous, but that doesn't mean Halcyon can't be great in its own way. And it is. I appreciate the fact that it's located in the middle of the 4th and Colorado area where everyone is always dressed to the nines, but it doesn't try to keep up with that crowd. It feels very, "come as you are, be as you feel" to me. I love their extensive tea selection (including a bunch of herbal varieties), especially during those times when I want a hot drink but not the caffeine. And as others have commented, their s'mores setups are just TOO cool. Some things just make me instantly happy, and making s'mores at my table in a restaurant is one of them.
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I loved this coffee place. It's very original without pretensions. Friendly staff, damn good coffee and Panini. It's crazy I have been working for one year two blocks from here, and never tried it. Shame on me....I'm happy that I found how great this place is and now I can submit my humble opinion 4 you to consider stop by for great coffee and good vibes.
p.s. This guy in the store told me about the espresso martini....I'll let you know when I try it!
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This place was so much better when it was Ruta Maya.
Now it seems to have lost its character, and is just a cement floor with a couple of couches here and there. Even sitting outside isn't as much fun. I had many good times on the sidewalk patio of Ruta Maya. Even the smoke shop was cooler back then.
OK, so I guess the best way to do a review is not to play the comparison game. So here goes: If you like coffee shops just because they are open late and are right in the middle of the entertainment district, this could be a favorite of yours. I personally haven't found this place to be much more than an ordinary place to get coffee. Maybe I'm just sentimental.
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Usually, I prefer my coffee shops to be in a convenient location with lots of parking. But in the case of Halcyon, I can make an exception.
If you're looking for a chill first date, this is THE place to go. It is the perfect combination of the downtown atmosphere with the relaxed vibe of an eclectic coffeeshop.
And the BEST part? They sell s'mores! And they don't just sell them, they bring a tiny little fire contraption to your table and let you go at it on your own. How awesome is that? VERY.
Basically, Halcyon gives you a chance to hang out, get to know each other, and then if you hit it off... who knows? Maybe you'll leave and go dancing in one of the nearby clubs ;)
My relationship with Halcyon is like that best that you grew up with who you loved hanging out with back in 2000, but now there are all grown up, they moved to LA, bought a Porsche and is dating a stripper.
I love Halcyon before they remodel, nice and cozy feel and lots of room, and fresh art almost every month.
Now it's cramped, lacks plugs for laptops, stale art, and looks like it was furnished from the "as is" section of IKEA. I can't judge too much, that pretty much what my condo looks like, but I use to come to halcyon because it looked like that warehouse/loft that you've always wanted.
It still has dirt cheep drinks and a great bartender and smores; but over all it's lost a lot of is soul. It was a good run while it lasted...(sniff)-
------Pre 2007 remodel--------
Grayson's top 6 and 1/2 reasons why Halcyon is my favorite coffee joint:
1. Fantastic atmosphere
2. Decent art work thats on regular rotation so it's always fresh
3. Coffee so strong it will make your stomach hurt
4. Indoor smores!
5. Full bar
6. Connect 4
7. Rockstar motorcycle parking right out front
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Halcyon is my favorite hangover cure. Great coffee stuff, great food stuff, great people watching stuff.
I'm sorry those victorian chairs or couches or whatever the hell they are are uncomfortable as hell. My ass was begging me to get out of there. The coffee tasted a lot like coffee. Good location though... and it's not lacking character.
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As it's name suggests, Halcyon offers a place for visitors and locals alike a place to relax in the comfort of well-worn (and very comfortable!) couches, dim lighting, and eclectic artistic stimuli.
Unlike it's nearby competition, this coffee shop has it all: 3-4 consistent wi-fi connections, a full bar, next door smoke shop, eats, and even smores (complete with fire and roasting sticks).
Local artists regularly show their work on Halcyon's wall, augmenting the already "very Austin" feel of this space, located in the heart of downtown.
Patrons tend to hail from a diverse array of backgrounds including visiting businessmen, college students, and a wide variety of colorful Austin locals.
Halcyon is a great place to chill out before a show at the open-air Cedar Street venue on 4th (where the Spazmatics, one of my favorites, preform every Wednesday).
The noise-level and overall mood of the coffee shop ebs and flows with the flow of downtown nightlife. During the day it is usually quiet but don't try to get much studying done here at night if you are easily distracted.
Halcyon is an absolute must-see if you:
-are a writer or posses any sort of creative bent
-love real vanilla ice-cream milkshakes
-are looking to step out of your usual social scene and meet people from all walks of life (you never know who you'll meet when you stop by for a cup of Joe at Halcyon)
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