Ancora Cafe + Bakery
Ancora Cafe + Bakery — photo 2
Ancora Cafe + Bakery — photo 3
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Ancora Cafe + Bakery

3256 University Ave, Madison, WI

★★★★★4.5(434 Google reviews)

Crema's Take

Ancora combines serious espresso craftsmanship with a genuinely welcoming atmosphere that feels both polished and lived-in, making it the kind of place where you're equally happy lingering solo with a bold pour-over or meeting friends over their exceptional bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit. The upstairs seating and early opening hours make it a natural hub for Madison's coffee enthusiasts and breakfast seekers alike, while their knowledgeable baristas and thoughtfully sourced local pastries elevate what could be a standard neighborhood cafe into something worth the drive on University Avenue.

What to expect

Light foodMeetingsEarly hoursPastriesSpecialty drinksEspresso focusedTraditional drinksFull breakfastFamily friendlySlow sitLaptop friendly

Google Reviews

Gyujoon Hwang
★★★★★3 months ago

Ordered lunch and coffee. Very modern, clean atmosphere. Service was great too. Too bad they close early!

chad svastisalee
★★★★5 months ago

Ancora Cafe and Bakery serves up some bold coffee with tasty local pastries. This location is far enough on University Avenue that requires a drive. We found a delightful table upstairs, which is a bit louder than downstairs due to the lower ceiling. The bottomless cup is the way to go if needing to chill and sample all their drip coffees. Their self pour creamer and water stations were well stocked. Recommend Ancora Cafe and Bakery's red velvet donut and blueberry scone.

Brad Canard
★★★★★a year ago

We met a friend here on a Saturday morning. The place was quite busy, though we found a table immediately. The barista that took our order answered all our questions and was very knowledgeable. Our coffees were brought to us surprisingly quickly considering how busy they were. I had a blueberry muffin and a zombie latte. The muffin was good though not exceptional. For my latte, I added pistachio. That was the dominant flavor with milk being the second strongest. This was exactly what the barista described. I was quite satisfied. I went here again. I had the mint cold brew and the honey bacon biscuit. Both were incredibly tasty. Honey was literally dripping off the biscuit. Plenty of bacon as well. The coffee had a hint of mint flavoring. It was very tasty. I definitely recommend both.

Emily Hokanson
★★★★★a year ago

YOU NEED TO COME HERE!!!! One of the best cafes I’ve ever been to! The atmosphere is AMAZING. Recently when I stopped here I tried the bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit with hot honey and it was delicious! The biscuit was a little doughy, but the flavor was delicious. I also got their ceaser salad with grilled chicken and it was super tasty. They serve really large portions here so you definetly get your moneys worth. Their menu is full of options and they have tons of delicious pastries to choose from! Their coconut cream cold brew is also AMAZING. If there’s any drink you need to try from here it’s the coconut cream cold brew or anything the coconut cold foam… one of the best drinks I’ve ever had. They also have some other really cool drinks like a fruity pebbles cold foam drink! You’re also surrounded by plants and greenery which makes for a very enjoyable atmosphere!

Kristin Davis
★★★★★a year ago

Just had lunch here and we already can’t wait to go back! The cleanliness of the cafe, inside and out, is exceptional, Aubrey greeted us with a bright smile and a very friendly countenance. The food was incredible— hubs had the honey biscuit, which was fluffy and had a perfect barely crispy outside. I had the Waldorf chicken salad croissant and it was devine! We also enjoyed the mint cold brew, which was light and refreshing. Love finding a new favorite!

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