Downtown Reading has nearly everything you can ask for in its restaurants. There’s incredible fine dining and greasy spoon diners, authentic cuisine from Puerto Rico and amazing Asian fusion.
And in Salt & Light Cafe, it has a unique coffee shop on Fifth Street in the heart of the city.
Salt & Light opened in April 2023, sharing a building with the Hope of Nations Christian Center. A large painting along the wall inside reads “Salt of the Earth. Light of the World” with a black and white outline of the city’s skyline.
The seating is cozy with a few comfy chairs, a couple tables along the opposite wall, a line of seats along a counter by the window, and outdoor seating for the warmer months.
Salt & Light’s menu is limited – plenty of hot drink options but the food is limited to assorted baked goods and crepes.
As always, I had to start with a cup of chai with oat milk. It came in a to-go container (which was convenient because I was still nursing it when I finished my meal). It was a nice spiced chai (I always get mine with oat mlk) and I appreciated that they went the extra mile with the logo on the cup.
The star of the show, though, was the crepe. I opted for one of the sweet choices – the cinnamon roll crepe.
It was stuffed with cinnamon, brown sugar and cream cheese – and it really did taste just like an actual cinnamon roll only lighter. The crepe was done perfectly and the whole thing just melted in my mouth with every bite.
The crepe felt like it took a little while to come out, but it was worth it in the end for a freshly prepared – and delicious – brunch.
And the prices at Salt & Light are very reasonable, too. My crepe and chai cost less than $15 combined.
Overall, I was very impressed, and I’m glad to see another community hub pop up in downtown Reading.
I’ll definitely be back.
BCE Rating
Food: Very Good
Service: Good
Ambiance: Very Good
Price: $
Salt & Light Cafe
134 N. Fifth Street
Reading, PA 19601
