Lantern Coffee Bar and Lounge

Best new coffee shop in town. Love the staff, the atmosphere and the quality of the coffee!

This is a great space to meet friends here for conversation or host client meetings in their spacious lower level. There are plenty of tables, comfy chairs and desks to choose from and they even have a table reservation service in case you'd like to guarantee a seat for your group of 3-8 people.

I noticed right away that there were plenty of outlets available downstairs and free wi-fi for customers - both of which are a huge benefit when I'm looking to get out of the house and work on my laptop somewhere for a few hours.

They use only local milk and honey and have a variety of local pastries (scones, bagels, cookies) to snack on.

Above all of that, the coffee can't be beat. They mainly brew Populace Coffee from Bay City, Michigan, but feature a new roaster every week either from Michigan or around the country.

I would highly recommend Lantern to anyone looking for a place to meet with friends/clients, study or work, or grab a cup of coffee to-go!

Great new coffee shop.

The good stuff:

- Great coffee, for starters. Been here twice -had a decaf pourover the frist trip (yeah, I'm a decaf guy - don't be a hater) which was very good. After drinking some of it the barista appeared with a new pot and told me he wasn't happy with the first one, so he made another. Second trip I got an iced latte, which was one of the best I've had. So good I got a 2nd one to go.

- Great staff. Friendly, committed to customer service and quality (see above).

- Good atmosphere. Hasn't been too crowded when I've been there. Lots of seating, good work areas. Will be my new remote office space.

- Food. Had a very good raspberry scone. Also had the best salt bagel that I've had in my 15 years of living in GR. New bagel place that will be at the DoMa. Looking forward to that!

The not so good stuff:

- At $3.50, I thought my 16 oz pourover was a good deal. At $4 I thought my iced latte was a little overpriced for the size (12 oz).

Overall a great place, and a great addition to the GR coffee scene. My new go to when downtown.

Great new Heartside coffee shop with good drinks and terrific space!

The thing that really impressed me was the ambiance and layout. Lantern is a two-tier shop: You enter and order at street level, where there are also a half-dozen-or-so tables, but there's a lower level, below street level, with comfortable chairs, tables for solos, and larger tables for groups of four. Each table has cross-sections of tree branches that serve as coasters; a nice, organic touch.

I met a vendor here for an afternoon meeting, and the space couldn't have been better. The lower level is quiet and well-lit -- perfect for meetings or casual conversation. I ordered a chai latte, which had great flavor, wonderful foam, and was served in a good-sized latte mug and saucer, for about $3.50.

Lantern gets everything right about a coffee shop. I'll definitely be back.