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Best Coffee Boutiques In Los Angeles

Coffee Cup 610 header
(credit: Associated Press)

Whether you enjoy your favorite cup of coffee plain or with a double-pump of vanilla syrup, non-fat, extra-hot or with three Splendas, Los Angeles has some of the finest coffee boutiques (a fancy word for a gourmet coffee shop) in the country.  More about quality than quantity, the best boutique offer beans with a subtly of flavor that will impress any foodie, and diverse preparation techniques that rival complex alchemy.

Intelligentsia
(credit: Intelligentsia Coffee)

Intelligentsia

Silverlake:
3922 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 663-6173

Venice location:
1331 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
(310) 399-1233

Pasadena location:
55 E Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91103
(626) 578-1270

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Probably the most deservedly infamous of coffee boutiques is Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea, the over-caffeinated brainchild of San Francisco transplants to Chicago's North Side. As well as the hand-crafted Clover-brewed cups of gorgeously cultivated coffee beans, a custom-built espresso machine, gorgeous modern design, and lines of attractive -- albeit sleepy patrons.  Many of the Intelligentsia baristas are award-winning coffee connoisseurs. Try their ever-changing cups of coffee that boast flavors as subtle as expensive wine or shake up your daily routine with the delicious "Iced Angeleno" -- four shots of espresso, agave syrup, and rich milk, mixed cocktail style.

LAMILL Coffee
(credit: LAMILL Coffee)

LAMILL

1636 Silver Lake Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 663-4441
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Whether you pronounce it LA Mill or Luh-mill, slick Silverlake coffee boutique Lamill is a beautifully designed restaurant that focuses most of its passion on coffee education. Opened in early 2008 by couple Craig Min and Jean Shim-Min, Lamill also boasts an extensive menu of different coffee brewing options and a plethora of exquisitely executed food.  With a beer and wine menu, caffeinated favorites like the Orange-infused cappuccino and Hong Kong Milk Tea, free wi-fi, and an increasingly-popular weekend brunch, Lamill has quickly become a Silverlake neighborhood staple.

Spring For Coffee
(credit: Spring For Coffee)

Spring For Coffee

548 S Spring St
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 228-0041
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The shining star in a sea of corporate coffee houses downtown is Spring For Coffee, a tiny spot with a lot of popularity and potential.  The name "spring" doesn't just describe the street the coffee shop is on, or the action of excitedly drinking coffee, but Spring For Coffee's dedication to freshness of the bean. Reportedly, they only use beans that have been harvested in the last three to six months and have been roasted in the last week. Spring For Coffee carries different coffee beans like Blue Bottle, Intelligentsia, Stumptown, and Ritual. While the space is small, the service and vibe is beyond friendly, lending to the swarms of coffee appreciators hanging out on the sidewalks around the shop.

Cognoscenti Coffee
(credit: www.facebook.com/cognoscenticafe)

Cognoscenti Coffee

3156 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90039
(323) 319-6459
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Attached to the insanely delicious Proof Bakery, the once pop-up Cognoscenti Coffee has found a permanent home in the increasingly-trendy Atwater Village area. Started by uber-passionate caffeine-freak, Yeekai Lim, each cup of perfectly-pulled Cognoscenti Coffee comes with a rubber owl stamp on the cup, signifying that drinker's intelligence for picking a simple, but sublime cup of coffee.

Cafe De Leche
(credit: www.facebook.com/pages/Café-De-Leche/)

Café De Leche

5000 York Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90042
(323) 551-6828
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Evoking a sense of urban bohemianism on the slowly gentrified strip of Highland Park called York Blvd., Café De Leche is a perfect haunt for grunged-out writers with power outlets at every table, bike loving locals drinking their brew on the outside tables, and parents that want to meet up while their kids play with the provided toys. Not just a regular coffee shop, Café De Leche has offers uniquely delicious coffee beverages with Stumptown beans like like Horchata con Espresso and the deliciously smooth Agave Mocha.

Funnel Mill Rare Coffee & Tea
(credit: www.funnelmill.com)

Funnel Mill Rare Coffee & Tea

930 Broadway Ste A
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 393-1617
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A wonderland for coffee purists, Funnel Mill Rare Coffee & Tea is all about the unadulterated beverage--the shop doesn't have flavored syrups to mask the natural taste of their coffee. However, Funnel Mill Rare Coffee & Tea does offer an extensive menu on different ways to order and drink your coffee, syphon brewing, and a Coffee 101 tutorial for those who are new to the gourmet coffee drinking experience. For those who want a jolt of caffeine in a quiet atmosphere, Funnel Mill Rare Coffee & Tea is a cell-phone free zone and discourages loud conversations i.e. a perfect respite from our loud urban living.

Did your favorite coffee "boutique" make the list?

Nadia Noir
Do what you love. Know your own bone, gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it and gnaw it still. --Henry David Thoreau.
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