If places could have a theme song, Simple Pleasures’ would be Nirvana’s ‘Come As You Are.’ You know that outfit you wear not to impress, but the one that you feel most comfortable in? That well-worn-out t-shirt so thin you barely realize it’s there. And those jeans that hold your body’s mold after you take them off? Yeah, that’s what you need to wear here. Get comfortable, it’s time to relax.
Simple Pleasures, recognized as the oldest coffee house in the Richmond, sits on the western edge of town somewhere out in the fog where you can cool off and think. Where the Jazz is loud, but so what? These cats can play. Put your bag down and take a load off. It’s time to unwind and get yourself a draft or maybe a glass of vino and something to nibble on.
Wood tables and comfortable lighting welcome you in, but do the chairs match? Nope, and they don’t have to. There’s just enough of them to seat the group of regulars that make it out here religiously on a daily basis. Patrons flock to this place to zone out and listen to free music by musicians who could charge you too much. Why they don’t is anyone’s guess. Must be the love of the craft.
What’s this place about? It’s a genuine neighborhood spot to read, play board games, write and just take five. Sandwiches are grilled panini-style, draft beers such as Old Rasputin and Drake’s Pils on tap are on display. Hand-painted walls and artisan lamps add a cozy human touch to the bohemian atmosphere. Wooden booth seats allow you to gaze out to their outdoor seating patio on Balboa Street that lights up ever so elegantly at night. This is a place where you might have found Jim Morrison reading poetry to Janis Joplin on a warm autumn night. A place to be human or just be.
