WHY A multi-purpose café with indie cred in the midst of corporate Old Pasadena. WHAT Of course, Intelligentsia Pasadena has its own pour-over coffees, a gleaming espresso machine and practiced baristas. But this new location, in a historic brick building furnished with reclaimed church pews and electric blue walls, also has a beer and wine [...]
WHY First-rate house-roasted beans or coffee to drink on-site in a spacious, peaceful setting. WHAT Can’t find a seat at Jones? Then head to this fine coffeehouse, which also roasts its own beans (they’re excellent) and has a lot more room to hang out than its west Pasadena competitor. Founded by Fuller Seminary folks, it [...]
WHY To sit in front of a row of siphons, sip coffee and talk to the owner about the body, flavor and other qualities of every coffee he offers. Try the latte flavored with crushed almonds. WHAT Why would a coffeehouse not open until 10 a.m.? Owner Ray Sato says because in the early morning, [...]
WHY It’s business in the front and party in the back at this industrial=chic café that’s equal parts coffee shrine and performance space. WHAT This small, subdued place serves impeccable brews by Intelligentsia and Ecco along with sweet and savory treats from Auntie Em’s and Breadbar. On the mezzanine level, a shop stocked with Moroccan [...]
WHY A mellow alternative to Silver Lake’s over-caffeinated coffee scene. WHAT Housed in a faux-lighthouse building on none-too-gentrified Hoover Street, this place started selling organic fair-trade beans at local farmers’ markets before opening the café. With free WiFi, a large covered patio and baked goods from Echo Park’s Delilah Bakery, it’s a funky and calm [...]
WHY Authentic Cuban café con leche, heavenly mochas, lattes infused with horchata and all-around superb coffee. WHAT This suave and handsome spot, with comfy leather chairs and intoxicating aromas, takes its coffee—and its beans—very seriously, buying them from organic, artisanal roasters and handling them with care. But there’s a sense of whimsy that cancels out [...]
WHY Siphon coffee and cold-water-infusion iced coffee, made with quality beans—you can taste the layers of flavor in the Sumatra Mandheling like a good bar of chocolate. WHAT Coffee is taken very seriously at this soothing spot, where a waterfall burbles and people work quietly on laptops (free WiFi). You can choose from a global [...]
WHY Just when you think Westwood is nothing but chains, you find this charming spot with rich, creamy espresso pulled by people who love it. WHAT In an atmospheric 1927 brick building in the heart of the Village, Espresso Profeta has it all: beautiful coffee drinks made from custom-roasted beans, food from Breadbar and Buttercake [...]
WHY So you can be greeted by your own personal barista. WHAT When this offshoot of the Chicago-by-way-of-Silver-Lake coffeehouse opened on Abbot Kinney, you’d have thought the Obamas themselves were pulling espressos from the Synesso machines. Coffee geeks walk into this light-filled industrial space and begin hyperventilating at the sight of the Mazzer grinders and [...]
WHY A place to hang in bitchin’ Boyle Heights. WHAT This funky, rather cramped coffeehouse is emblematic of the gentrification of Boyle Heights (in case you didn’t know, it’s the new Echo Park, which in turn was the new Silver Lake only yesterday), thanks in part to the newish Metro station out front. It has [...]
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