(credit: Julie Wolfson)
Coffee connoisseurs will pass up twenty five coffee shops on their way to find the best single origin roasts expertly prepared by experienced baristas. Here in Los Angeles we found several places to geek out on great coffee.
(credit: Julie Wolfson)
Handsome Coffee Roasters
582 Mateo Street
Los Angeles, CA
90013
The newest place to drink specialty coffee, Handsome Coffee Roasters also boasts the first space in Los Angeles to have a working roaster on site and in full view of the coffee bar. The menu is simple coffee, espresso, and espresso with milk in 3, 5 or 10 ounce sizes. The store also features a fully stocked retail space to buy beans and coffee making necessities. Order a cup to sit in the gorgeous WoodSmithe designed space. Grab a cup and go. Or better yet spend some time hanging out with their knowledgeable barista team, headed up by World Barista Champion Michael Phillips. Added bonus, pastries by Proof Bakery.
(credit: Julie Wolfson)
Inside in the triangle shaped building at the corner of San Pedro and 2nd street in Little Tokyo, Demitasse features an aroma bar to offering the time to sniff the coffee bean choices before placing a drink order. They make coffee with beans from several roasters and serve sweets from Cake Monkey, Jin Patisserie, Batch from Scratch, and Compartes.
(credit: popupcoffee.com)
Cognoscenti Coffee at Proof Bakery
3156 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
90039
What was once a pop-up coffee bar, Cognoscenti has now found a home inside Proof Bakery. Owner Yeekai Lim’s buys beans from several top roasters and makes coffees that attract fans from all over the city. Pair a cup with one of Na Young Ma’s stellar pastries and grab a seat at this bustling little neighborhood bakery.
(credit: Julie Wolfson)
This is the place to experience unique coffee concoctions and a multitude of extraction methods. If you spend too much time debating over coffees extraction choices – clover chemex, eva Solo, French Press, Hand drip, or siphon – the giant menu can be daunting. For a sure bet, the café au lait is made with extra strength clover coffee and steamed milk served in small pitchers, and poured French style at the table. Be sure to order a plate of the house made warm brioche donuts fried to order with vanilla cream.
(credit: brucoffeebar.com)
Bru Artisan Coffee + Tea
1866 North Vermont Ave.
Los Angeles, CA
90027
Across the street from House of Pies on Vermont in Los Feliz, Bru makes coffee and espresso drinks with beans from Ritual Coffee in San Francisco. Their menu board and website list the seasonal coffee beans they are offering each day including information’s about origin, farm, and tasting notes. Bru also serves a variety of loose-leaf teas and pastries by Susina Bakery.
(credit: tiagocoffee.com)
Nestled into a building on the South side of Hollywood Boulevard east of La Brea, Tiago might be an unlikely location for a specialty coffee bar. Thankfully for the people who live and work near Tiago and the tourists and visitors to the Walk of Fame, Tiago makes really good coffee. For each espresso or pour over, beans from Intelligentsia, Ecco, Handsome or Barefoot are ground and brewed to order. The results…delicious.
(credit: Julie Wolfson)
Located on Pico just east of Fairfax, this coffee bar space is connected to Mimoda Dance Studio. The baristas make individual pour over coffees and espresso drinks with Intelligentsia and Ecco Caffe beans. The wood beamed space is a peaceful respite in the middle of the city.
(credit: Julie Wolfson)
Coffee Commissary
801 North Fairfax Avenue #106
Los Angeles, CA
90046
The baristas at Coffee Commissary will make espresso drinks and pour overs with roasts by Temple Coffee in Sacramento, Sightglass Coffee in San Francisco, Coava Coffee Roasters in Portland, and Victrola Coffee Roasters in Seattle. After drinking coffee, inside the café or at one of the outdoor patio tables, head next door to buy local, pastured, organic meats from Lindy & Grundy.
(credit: Julie Wolfson)
Single Origin
6333 West 3rd Street Stall #316
Los Angeles, CA
90036
Barista Nikolas Krankl heads up the coffee program at the newly opened Single Origin. Described as a contemporary coffee bar, Single Origin shares an Original Farmers Market Stall with Short Cake Bakery as part of the Short Order family. Specializing in espresso drinks made with beans from Verve Coffee Roasters in Santa Cruz, the Single Origin menu also features Nik’s cold brew, a mocha made with TCHO chocolate, and Aunt Nancy’s 4 shot Shakerato (Aunt Nancy is Chef Nancy Silverton).
(credit: Julie Wolfson)
Scoops Westside
3400 Overland Avenue
Los Angeles, CA
90034
This Westside outpost of Scoops Ice Cream is run by coffee obsessed Matthew Kang. So along with scooping up cones of unique ice cream flavors (blackberry jasmine, chocolate bourbon, brown bread…) Kang is ready to talk about coffee and serve up pour overs made with freshly roasted Intelligentsia beans.
(credit: Julie Wolfson)
Intelligentsia
3922 West Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
90029
Venice
1331 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Venice, California 90291
More Info
Pasadena
55 East Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, California
More Info
Excellent coffee, talented baristas, and cool spaces make Intelligentsia the go to spot for coffee geeks throughout Los Angeles. Don’t be deterred by long lines- they work quickly and expertly to take care of everyone. With their own LA Roasting Works in Glassell Park churning out fresh beans daily, Intelligentsia coffee is as close as a drive or bike ride to their Venice, Silver Lake, or Pasadena locations. For further study their website is filled with useful resource information about the coffee process, direct trade practices, and brew guides.
By Julie Wolfson
@juliewolfson
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