Silence Coffee Description

At Silence Coffee, six people are talking all at once. And yet, you could hear a pin drop. In a city where cafes blast terrible acoustic covers of pop songs, the hush is welcome. But the reason why it’s quiet is what makes it special: The space is run by a deaf couple, and serves as an unofficial gathering place for the hearing-impaired. There are posters on Silence Coffee’s walls, which teach patrons basic signed greetings, as well as coffee terms. (There’s also a picture menu, if the prospect of learning a new language just to order intimidates you.) The space is visually calming, a whitewashed cube with exposed wooden beams, the red coffee mugs serving as occasional pops of color. The menu is simple, consisting of ristrettos, americanos and single-origin brews. The drinks aren't as finely executed as those of nearby third-wave cafes, such as BigSmall and Barista. But the drinks are solid and carefully crafted.