PRESS Coffee Crêpes Cocktails
Downtown Durham, Durham
Bar in Durham, United States
Book with PearlWhy go
PRESS Coffee Crêpes Cocktails sits on Durham's American Tobacco Campus and handles coffee, crêpes, cocktails under one roof; a reliable all-day option for casual visits. Walk-ins are easy, the crowd skews young and relaxed, the campus setting does a lot of the atmospheric work. Worth returning to if you've only used it as a coffee stop.
About PRESS Coffee Crêpes Cocktails
Is PRESS Coffee Crêpes Cocktails worth visiting in Durham?
Yes, if you want a spot that works across the day; morning coffee, midday crêpe, or an evening cocktail; all without switching venues. Sitting on the American Tobacco Campus at 359 Blackwell St, PRESS occupies a space that draws a mix of office workers, Duke students, visitors doing the campus loop. Whether it fits your plans depends less on the food and more on what kind of crowd and setting you're after.
The Setting and Who Goes Here
The American Tobacco Campus is one of Durham's more photogenic stretches: converted brick warehouse buildings, open courtyards, enough foot traffic to feel active without being overwhelming. PRESS benefits from that setting directly. The visual draw is the building itself, exposed brick, industrial bones, the kind of backdrop that makes a flat white or a cocktail photograph well. Expect to share the space with creative-industry workers from the surrounding offices, tourists walking the campus, a steady stream of regulars who treat it as their neighbourhood all-day spot.
The crowd skews younger and casually dressed. This is not a destination for formal business dinners or special-occasion splurges. It works well for a first date that doesn't feel too high-stakes, a catch-up with a friend who's already been once, or a solo afternoon with a laptop. If you've visited before and defaulted to coffee, the cocktail side is worth trying next, the combination of all three formats (coffee, crêpes, cocktails) in a single venue is the actual differentiator here. Returning visitors who skip the drinks are leaving half the menu unexplored.
Booking and Timing
Booking difficulty at PRESS is easy. Walk-ins are the standard approach here, given the all-day format, there's almost always a window. If you're coming during peak American Tobacco Campus hours, lunch on a weekday or early evening on a weekend, arriving slightly off-peak (before noon or after 2 PM) gives you a better pick of seating. No reservation is necessary under normal circumstances, which makes this a reliable fallback option when firmer plans fall through.
Practical Comparison
| Venue | Format | Booking | Leading For |
|---|---|---|---|
| PRESS Coffee Crêpes Cocktails | All-day café/bar | Walk-in | Casual all-day visit, mixed-use crowd |
| Alley Twenty Six | Cocktail bar | Walk-in / easy | Serious cocktail focus, evening only |
| Criterion | Bar/restaurant | Walk-in / easy | Evening drinks with food |
| Convivio Restaurant | Full-service restaurant | Recommended | Sit-down dinner, more formal |
Explore More in Durham
For more options across the city, see our full Durham bars guide, full Durham restaurants guide, full Durham hotels guide, full Durham wineries guide, and full Durham experiences guide. If you're benchmarking all-day bar programs further afield, Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu, Jewel of the South in New Orleans, and Julep in Houston offer useful points of comparison for venues that blend a clear food identity with a serious drinks program.
Planning details
- Location
- American Tobacco Campus, 359 Blackwell St, Durham, NC 27701
- Website
- pressccc.com
- Phone
- +1 919 748 3142
The take
The Take
The Vibe
PRESS sits inside the repurposed brick fabric of the American Tobacco Campus, leaning into Durham’s post-industrial identity. The setting reads historic and deliberately urban—former factory architecture, preserved warehouses and active courtyards create a context that feels both of the past and newly curated. Within that framework PRESS practices an all-day hospitality approach, so the mood transitions as the day unfolds: focused, craft-minded in the morning and increasingly social toward evening. The venue feels trend-forward and lively because it anchors a cluster of creative businesses and draws steady foot traffic from nearby offices and the ballpark.
Best For
This is a true all-day pick: mornings for specialty coffee and crêpes, weekends for brunch, and evenings for cocktails. Its placement on the American Tobacco Campus makes it a convenient stop for office workers, visitors to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and neighborhood guests, so it suits after-work drinks, casual meetups and low-key date nights. The day-to-night model means you can arrive for a coffee and pastry, return for a loaf or light dinner-style crêpe, or stop by after five when the program pivots toward cocktails.
Ordering Tips
Think about timing: PRESS is described as an all-day operation that pivots from specialty coffee and crêpe service into cocktails in the evening. If you want the coffee-and-crêpe experience, come during morning or midday service; if you’re after cocktails, plan for the post-five o’clock shift to the bar program. The write-up emphasizes craftsmanship across disciplines, so expect a focused, technique-driven menu rather than heavy, broad-appeal fare—order to match the time of day for the clearest expression of their strengths.
Planning details
Location
Also consider
Also Consider
- Alley Twenty Six; Notable alternative
- Bull City Solera and Taproom; Notable alternative
- Convivio Restaurant; Notable alternative
- Criterion; Notable alternative
- Dashi Ramen and Izakaya Cocktail Bar; Notable alternative
Bar context
How It Compares
PRESS sits in a different lane from most Durham bar options. Against Alley Twenty Six, which has a documented focus on serious cocktail craft, PRESS is the easier, more accessible choice; better for a casual afternoon than for an evening where the drink itself is the point. If cocktail quality is your priority, Alley Twenty Six pulls ahead. If you want flexibility across the day without committing to a full bar visit, PRESS makes more sense.
Convivio Restaurant and Criterion both lean toward the evening end of the spectrum; more structured, more dinner-oriented, a better fit if you're planning a proper sit-down experience. PRESS doesn't compete with either of those for a night out, but it's the stronger call for a midday stop or a low-key first visit to the American Tobacco Campus. Bull City Solera and Taproom works if craft beer is what you're after; it occupies a different category from PRESS entirely and draws a more beer-focused crowd.
The short version: book PRESS when you want something low-commitment, all-day, visually pleasant. Book Alley Twenty Six when the cocktail matters more than the setting. Book Convivio or Criterion when you want a proper evening out with food and drinks together. Dashi Ramen and Izakaya Cocktail Bar is the right call if you want a drinks-and-ramen combination with a more specific culinary identity behind it.
Explore Durham
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full PRESS Coffee Crêpes Cocktails guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare PRESS Coffee Crêpes Cocktails
| Venue | Booking Difficulty | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| PRESS Coffee Crêpes Cocktails | Easy | No published awards |
| Alley Twenty Six | Unknown | No published awards |
| Bull City Solera and Taproom | Unknown | No published awards |
| Convivio Restaurant | Unknown | No published awards |
| Criterion | Unknown | No published awards |
| Dashi Ramen and Izakaya Cocktail Bar | Unknown | No published awards |
A quick look at how PRESS Coffee Crêpes Cocktails measures up.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does PRESS Coffee Crêpes Cocktails have outdoor seating?
The American Tobacco Campus itself offers open courtyards and outdoor common areas, PRESS benefits from that setting on Blackwell St. Seating specifics aren't confirmed in available venue data, but the campus layout makes outdoor options likely during good weather. Check directly when you arrive.
Is PRESS Coffee Crêpes Cocktails good for groups?
It works for small groups, especially casual ones that want flexibility across the day; coffee for some, cocktails for others. The all-day, walk-in format suits groups that don't want a fixed reservation. For larger parties wanting a more structured sit-down, somewhere like Convivio or Criterion would give you more control over the experience.
What's the crowd like at PRESS Coffee Crêpes Cocktails?
American Tobacco Campus draws a mixed crowd: remote workers, Duke and Durham locals, people passing through the entertainment district. PRESS sits in that current, so expect a relaxed, all-ages mix rather than a scene-driven bar crowd. Evenings skew more cocktail-focused as the foot traffic shifts.
Does PRESS Coffee Crêpes Cocktails have happy hour deals?
Happy hour specifics aren't confirmed in the venue record. Given the cocktail component and the American Tobacco Campus context, it's worth asking when you visit or checking their social channels before you go.
Do I need a reservation at PRESS Coffee Crêpes Cocktails?
No. Walk-ins are the standard here, the all-day format means there's generally space across most windows. If you're coming with a larger group on a weekend evening, arriving early gives you the best pick of seating without any booking friction.
What's the signature drink at PRESS Coffee Crêpes Cocktails?
Specific menu items aren't documented in the venue record, so naming a signature would be guesswork. What the format signals is a menu that bridges coffee drinks and cocktails, which is the point of difference here. Ask the bar team on arrival; the all-day concept suggests they've thought about that crossover.
