Cloudy Cafe

Cinnamon rolls with crackling laminated tops, Basque cheesecake and pandan-scented brunch plates set the terms at this Ballard bakery-cafe, which opened in 2025 in the former Watson’s Counter space.

Indonesian roots in a pastry case

The cafe is the personal project of its chef-owner, whose background runs through Seattle fine dining and whose Indonesian heritage shapes what lands in the case. French lamination, cream cheese fillings, pandan and Pacific Northwest seasonal produce all share the same conversation, so this is a chef-led bakery rather than a generic morning pastry counter. It opened as a place for family and friends to gather, and that intention still reads in how the room is run. Ballard suits it: a food-heavy Seattle neighbourhood with a long list of casual daytime stops, and a room that already had a following before Cloudy Cafe took it on.

A weekday and weekend rhythm

The pastry case, not a printed menu, sets the pace. Midweek the selection can be small, sometimes only a few items; weekends bring a wider spread of croissants, rolls, cheesecake, muffins, quiche and hot brunch dishes. A quick weekday stop tends to mean coffee and one pastry, while a weekend visit turns into a browse. Croissants are a constant, and the sweet and savoury sides of the case are worth reading together rather than choosing between.

Coffee is integral rather than decorative, and the milk drinks are the ones people come back for, particularly the oat latte, which stays smooth and low in acidity against sweet laminated dough. There is no alcohol service and no tasting-menu ambition. The room is warm, with enough seating to sit down properly, and service runs from the counter, where the first decision is usually whatever looks best behind the glass.

Start with the cinnamon roll, then consider cheesecake

The cinnamon roll is the clearest first order: laminated dough with crackle, a butter-crunch exterior and a tacky cream cheese centre. The savoury case deserves the same attention, especially the mortadella-stuffed croissant, an upgraded ham-and-cheese idea built on the same lamination.

Basque cheesecake is the other signature, made here with goat’s milk. Hot Indonesian-inflected brunch dishes, including Indonesian chicken and pandan waffles, carry the heritage side of the kitchen further than the case alone can. A good order runs cinnamon roll, oat latte, a mortadella croissant for the savoury side, then Basque cheesecake or something pandan-led.