Alchemy Coffee House

Very best lattes. I thought I didn’t really like scones until I tired the ones here. They are fantastic!

Beans roasted on premises.
Delicious, fresh, hot coffees, espressos.
Yummy scones baked throughout the day; chocolate chip and cherry our favourites. Chilled scones to take away, heat and eat.
Friendly working owner and staff baristas.
~Peter O. and S.

Other Unilocal reviews raved about how friendly the staff at this place was and how great the coffee was.
I stopped in here midday… not really friendly service. Tried the limited edition sea salt caramel latte. It tasted like a latte with a hint of caramel. Good for the suburbs but not as great as I was hoping for.

Avoid this establishment at all costs. He treats far too many people horribly. Customer service is 50 percent of what you get if not weighted heavier. If you get a flip out moment or feel berated by this business while simply being a customer, I gave you a heads up. Good coffee here does not out weigh shitty service. His fire extinguishers also seem to be past their date and need a recharge (2009). Beware if he finds reason not to like you, he might throw rocks at your window or call the police for simply being in the «area» of the shop. This harassment is over the top. Again, better coffee and less attitude ELSEWHERE

One-​of-​a-​kind coffee house oozing character. During my first visit, the very nice owner had music going on his period reel-​to-​reel tape player and I felt like I was in another world. He roasts his own beans and you can tell he really cares about quality. It’s a great place to sit down outside on a nice day and relax. One of the best places in the neighborhood.
Try to stop in when the scones are warm; they’re delicious!

First time visit, love this shop! Barista was incredibly nice. I think I confused her she gave me an iced coffee instead of a smoothie. I didn’t know they don’t take cards so it worked out ok because I didn’t have enough cash. I’ll be back for that smoothie! This local shop is a gem. Seating outside is nice for warm months. Iced coffee was delish.

Great coffee and scones! Not many seating. This isn’t a kind of place you bring your laptop and sit down to work.

Great coffee. Fantastic scones. Engaging and tart baristas. An important player on the Wilmette coffee scene. Wait times can be a bit unpredictable in the morning if there is only one (talented) barista working and everyone is ordering fancy drinks. There is a pretty firm «no electronics» rule enforced here, so don’t expect to plop down with your laptop and write a Unilocal review. If you aren’t stationed in the suburbs, a cup of Alchemy and a short walk to the BaHai temple make for a great day trip.

Love this place — personalized service and most certainly beats the chains. Heavenly aroma upon opening the door. Love that they roast their own beans.

May be the only coffee shop on the north shore that roasts their own beans. I’m a bona fide coffee snob (e.g. Hate intelligentsia and dig metropolis and blue bottle)
#alchemy is awesome

I love this place! My mocha was perfect and the coffee delightful. Very chill vibe and Blair is a sweetheart. I just walked in after they closed and he insisted I stay while he made me a mocha. He and his wife and kids were all ready to move on with their day (it’s a gorgeous Sunday here in Wilmette BTW… we don’t get many) and he put a smile on his face and said it would be just a few minutes then handed me the most delicious mocha! The energy of this coffee house might not represent itself in the sheer size of the space but it sure does come through when you walk out the door… and the smell of those scones is to die for! I’m bringing my kids back next weekend!!!

Love this place! Best lattes. Bradley rocks. Quirky cool. Scones are the best around. You can buy a whole wheel of uncooked scones, cook them yourself at home.

Very good coffee! It’s perfect for after visiting the Bahá’í House of Worship! It takes a while to be ready, but it is because the coffee is very well prepared. The cappuccino was delicious and worth the money.

Memorable coffee and scones but also unbelievably unfriendly service.
Had to pay for a cup of coffee spilled on the counter.
Stay away.

They roast their own coffee and it’s great. The scones are unbelievable, didn’t even know I liked scones but now I’m ruined because I don’t believe scones get better than this.
Great coffee house.

Best coffee ever. And I’m not even a coffee fan. Atmosphere is small and quaint. Lovely little café! –1 order took a while (not sure if understaffed?) but coffee made to perfection. Also got scones. While it was good, the bottom was burnt): is that how it’s supposed to be? Def recommended and would come back again and again!

Alchemy Coffee House are very serious about their coffee — or at least they appear to be … because it takes a full 5 minutes of labor, pipes; steam; thermometers; widgets; stirring and sweat before my extra-​shot ‘for here’ latte to be completed. I almost felt I should hold it high above my head and shout some Kenyan /​Zulu Lion King thing before sipping the fine brew in awe and wonder!
The place is not impressive to look at … in fact … pretty darn dumpy … but that is its charm. It has a cheap wooden counter, an old second hand refrigerated (I think) display case for some dodgy (but expensive) pastries /​scones and then the two pieces of magic that clearly help to explain the joint’s name: Alchemy Coffee House …
In the back room is a wooden pallet containing a few random bags of raw coffee beans some half torn open and then … the sexiest green coffee roasting monster machine you’ve ever set your fortunate green eyes on! WowZa.
But the potions we pay for are via the coffee brewing machine (I lack the correct knowledge to attribute its correct name) which is a wonder of stainless steel pipes, knobs and funnels; fussy, high maintenance and perhaps a bugger to clean … this machine is majestic! I’d buy it diamond from Tiffany if I owned it! (Alas!)
The kid behind the counter (literally a kid!) — Merlin’s Apprentice (?) — knows what he’s doing and 5 minutes of wand waving /​/​a flurry of hands turning and twisting and shrugging (?) et voila … The result is divine coffee!
And sitting outside on a Sunday morning drinking and enjoying what the Catholic Church once called «The Devil’s Drink» is hilarious because my poor wife and kids are suffering Sunday Mass at SFX just up the road. Ha. The Irony!

Came by for a Mother’s Day scone, but they were sold out! Did grab a mocha and it was amazing! Went to the Artesian specialty grocery next door for an Alfrejore and was happy as a clam. You must try if you are in the neighborhood!

A tiny coffee shop. I don’t think I quite grasped just how small it is until I walked in.
There’s 2 small round tables and a bar along the window, and that’s just about all the seats the place has room for.
The coffee is pretty good.
I appreciate their roasting in house, but I personally don’t love their coffee enough to come out of my way to grab some when I can go to coffee lab, except maybe on Sunday mornings.
But they have this crazy thing that’s 2 shots of espresso in coffee, and it’s very interesting and super strong. It’s coffee spiked coffee. It’s awful for my body, but it’s awesome. There’s also a similar blended mocha that’s like that too for cooler weather. YES.
Cash only is also kind of a pain.

Independent and small, this coffee shop is primarily a coffee roaster, but they also have a select menu of coffee offerings and scones. Of course, in retrospect I could kick myself for not buying a scone, because I later found out they are supposed to be absolutely incredible. But, next time for sure!
First of all the smell in this place when I walked in was incredible! Kind of like that amazing aroma you experience from when you open a coffee can or bag of beans for the very first time. The interior is funky. All the furnishings are made from plywood – a very unique concept. But what immediately caught my attention was the giant coffee roaster in the back and the cute bean grinder up front attached to the wall (reminded me of an old school pencil sharpener).
This place is tiny, so there is only a bar at the window and a couple of seats. I was planning to get my vanilla latte to go, so that really wasn’t an issue. If you want a place to hang with a friend this wouldn’t be my first choice. But, as a great place to grab a guaranteed great cup to go, you won’t be disappointed. My vanilla latte was memorable, and I have a thing for lattes. I’ve also heard their cappuccino is really tasty, so next time I will report back!
Great coffee, great place, and great service. Can’t go wrong with this place!