Protagonist Cafe

Cute coffee shop. A TON of seating and tables. Probably 14 tables, three couches and some lounge chairs. Tasty baked goods, priced $4-6. Drip coffee was average. Plenty of street parking. Free wifi. Friendly staff. Not too busy on a weekday morning.

Great coffee, great atmosphere. There's something special about working in a quiet spot surrounded by books and drinking a great latte. I also splurged and bought a pair of funky earrings haha. I'd definitely recommend.

Lovely decor, book selection, gaming area and staff but the coffee and the espresso were not quite there. Perfect place to sit and work or gather for hours though

Service - 5, really enjoyed talking with the ladies
Espresso- 4, full-bodied and dense but without much flavor
Drip - 2, no flavor and slightly watery
Pastry - 3, Samoa cookie was a bit too dense, soft and needed some thicker and crunchier coconut

I tried three of their pastries:
-Cinnamon Roll: This was my favorite of the three. I thought it was neat how they changed the presentation of the cinnamon roll to appear more like a cupcake. I thought this was going to create an issue with not getting enough frosting with each bite at the base of the cinnamon roll, but it almost tasted like there was tiny bits of frosting between each layer of the roll. It was also super moist, so I have to give this cinnamon roll 5/5 stars. This thing was cash money.

-Orange Scone: While this was my second favorite pastry, it was still very good and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a pastry that likes oranges. The frosting on top was great! I do think the scone itself could've been more moist, but overall it was a great experience eating this pastry. 4.5/5 stars.

-Samoa: Nothing to write home about, although I do wonder if I received a cookie from a bad batch as this cookie was much wider and much flatter than the cookies that were being advertised in the display case. I slightly regret getting this cookie as it probably wasn't worth the calories that I consumed eating it even though I normally love samoas. 2/5 stars :(

I ordered a birthday cake for my boyfriends birthday, and it was delicious!! Truly one of the best cakes I have ever had. It was amazing. I will definitely be back to order another cake for a special event! Thank you!
(Air Bubble was my fault. I left it in the backseat for 10 minutes when it was 95° outside. I picked it up in perfect condition!)

My FAVORITE coffee shop! (High praise from a gal who checks out a new coffee-shop almost every weekend.) So cozy and welcoming. The staff is SO friendly and never fail to brighten my day. Great place to study. I have brought many friends and family members here and they have all loved it.

A great option for a family or friends hang out venue when not everyone loves coffee. It is a comfortable environment-- nothing fancy. Despite it's library reference, expect it to be busy and a bit noisy. They do have outdoor seating.

Beautiful shop and lovely atmosphere! I had the honey, lavender with soy and it was delicious! The pick-up was quick and easy as well. I would recommend to friends and family always

Just stopped by on a chilly day. Good coffee and wonderful blueberry muffin. The staff was masked and the place was set up for social distancing. The only draw back is they seem unaware of customers that bring in loud dogs. For a place that allows you to read and relax having whiney dogs seems counter-productive. The customers should be considerate but if not then staff needs to step in. I love dogs and have two of own. That all being said if I am ever in the neighborhood again I know where I will stop in. (edited for typos)

My favorite place on earth. Lots of books. Vibrant and interesting furniture. Cool staff, delicious coffee. Chill and quiet atmosphere. Usually on the weekends it can be busy.

Easily the best coffee shop in st Louis in my opinion.