Protagonist Cafe

Amazing drinks/pastries and environment! Super friendly staff who are knowledgeable about the menu. Books and games available to pass the time, but also plenty of outlets and free wifi if that's what you need!

First time visiting. This unique space is a hidden treasure in Soulard. Vegan pastries, exquisite coffees, relaxing atmosphere... If you are in the area, do not miss Protagonist Cafe

It's rare to find a place that is so highly rated, but I can absolutely see why! I am visiting from out of town and kind of interviewing St. Louis to see about moving, and I can totally see myself hanging out at The Protagonist a lot if I move here. They had a lot of local free newspapers which I always appreciate for getting a sense of a city. Also, great coffee ($1 refills) and pastries, comfortable couches, wifi, books you can buy or borrow, and a lot of great stuff for sale (like alcohol to-go and humorous scrap-booked cards). I might be back Saturday for a breakfast burrito :)

Card and artist pictured.

What a cute place. As an out-of-town visitor who works in an independent coffee shop in another city, I love finding and supporting local spots when I travel. Atmosphere is spacious but still cozy, and the baristas are super nice and totally game to make suggestions. I enjoyed the Cubano-style latte very much!

Soulard has a new spot for coffee and it does not disappoint! Located just adjacent to the famous farmer's market, this large, but cozy, coffee joint has a "Friends" vibe and takes you back to a time when coffee shops were gathering places where you shared java and good stories.

When we visited there were a few internet browsers, but most tables were playing board games or catching up. Enjoy each other's company and a great cup of joe.

Go here for a great espresso drink, but don't skip the pastry case. I had the "Samoa" that was a fresh and even more delicious version of the Girl Scout's cookie. And the cinnamon roll was served warm, covered in house made icing.

The walls are lined with books, making up a library of literature at your fingertips. Great for making conversation or having quiet time while people watching!

Very happy to welcome Protagonist to Soulard!

This place is phenomenal, outstanding and any other descriptive words that you can think of. The baristas are super friendly, and the coffee is fantastic. Great place to come and have a cup of coffee and chill out. Even gather here with friends, there's plenty of room.

This is a cute Cafe in Soulard across from the Soulard Market. Parking is a bit hard but they have great coffee, nice place to meet up, read a book, have some pastries. The prices are about like Starbucks.

Went from cup holder, to countertop, to THE GROUND.

Ordered a small coffee to-go. I do appreciate the thought of using eco friendly containers. In this case, the functionality was overlooked when engineering this specific container. The heat of the liquid seemed to weaken the seam of the cup bottom and then plopped off the counter and onto the ground. So a delicious coffee was tragically wasted due to a poor design flaw. I only managed to save one sip after picking it up from the floor.

Service and my one sip of coffee was good. So 2-stars.

EDIT: Thanks to the owner for reaching out. She went above and beyond to ensure my incident was addressed. I definitely feel appreciated as a customer here. Will be coming back!

Run to this place as fast as you can and come back every day forever and ever...I was in STL for 3 days and hit this place up everyday. Fantastic service, great coffee, and those spinach/feta strudels 🔥🔥🔥

Great customer service and usually very timely. The London fog is great!

Seating is a bit limited especially if they allow clubs from nearby universities to reserve tables. Kind of sucks given these clubs have access to school facilities. Some of us who depend on coffee shops and public libraries for a work environment or meeting place. Especially sucks if the tables remain empty when the club members don’t show up.