Coffee Lovers in LA

Los Angeles is a coffee-lover’s paradise. There’s no need to settle for a mug of mediocre drip brew or a latte from a ubiquitous chain when indie coffee shops in neighborhoods across the city are doing the most to showcase the artistry behind really good coffee drinks, from carefully curating the beans to crafting concoctions that are destined to become trends in cafes across the country. Whether you’re seeking out the latest foam-topped latte to take TikTok by storm or a simple, straight-forward shot of espresso made with locally roasted beans, here’s where to kick off your java journey through LA.

Be Bright is situated on a stretch of Melrose Avenue that’s known to appeal to trendy Gen Zers, but Millennial parents will feel right at home inside this sunny coffee shop. Owned by coffee aficionados (and parents) Frank and Michelle La, Be Bright has a small, enclosed play area for kids, complete with a mini kitchenette. Behind the coffee counter, baristas are brewing creative beverages, like a coconut-macadamia nut latte topped with cold foam and smoked sea salt, under the tutelage of Frank, a U.S. Barista Championships first place winner. Hot (er, cold) tip: The Orange Blossom Espresso Tonic is especially refreshing on a warm day. 

Gong Gan isn’t a coffee shop so much as it’s an immersive experience. A carefully curated playlist fills the space’s ice-blue interior—even the espresso machine is that baby blue hue—as the baristas whip up drinks that look like they’re straight out of a dream. Along with wine and pastries, they serve an affogato that’s topped with a cloud-like meringue cookie, a coupe full of coffee with a scoop of lemon sorbet suspended in it, and a signature coffee—the Gong Gan Cream—that’s topped with nuts and a waffle that’s flakier and butterier than any croissant. It’s a treat-yourself spot if ever there was one.

Tucked into a cozy corner space at the crossroads of Silver Lake and Los Feliz, Handles caters to the caffeine needs of cool locals with coffee and matcha alike. Perhaps unsurprisingly, their most popular drink is their signature drink: the Handles Coffee, a flat white made with sweet cream. Order a bev on the first floor and then head upstairs to the loft, which has the groovy feel of a ‘70s rec room. Or hit up their newer West Hollywood location for an airier space with a little more seating. 

If The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is your comfort movie, Horror Vibes Coffee is your spot. Apart from the classics, everything on the menu nods to a horror movie, like the Carrie White Mocha, complete with a strawberry drizzle straight out of the prom scene, and the Candy Man, a mocha sweetened with honey (remember the scene with the bees?). You’ll never sleep again, much as Freddy Krueger intended.

In Japan, a kissaten is a quiet, sophisticated spot to sip coffee (although the name nods to tea), and Kissaten Corazon perfectly channels that vibe, right in LA’s Chinatown. Chandeliers and lamps with fringed shades shed a soft, yellowy glow on dark wood and leather furniture in a space that feels like a closely-guarded secret. They use beans sourced from Japan to make creative concoctions like their strawberry sesame latte. At night, the coffee-centric speakeasy becomes a jazz club that serves beer and wine.

Talk to any Angeleno who really loves coffee, and the Kumquat-Loquat-Quat coffee empire will most certainly be part of the conversation. Scott Sohn and Andres Jinhan “AJ” Kim launched their unfussy Highland Park coffee shop back in 2018 and you’ll still find people queuing up for their robust brew, made with beans roasted at their new coffee compound in Glassell Park. Coastal allegiances be damned, locals love Kumquat’s New England Latte, sweetened with a vanilla-infused maple syrup, but try Loquat (locations in Cypress Park and Silver Lake) if a straight-forward but meticulously brewed pour-over is more your speed.

Patrons line up outside Miopane in Pasadena for the viral Taiwanese pastries and breads—where else can you snag a matcha crumble or strawberry shortcake bagel?—but don’t snooze on the coffee. The showstopper is a black sesame latte that combines espresso with earthy ground sesame seeds for a downright gothic-looking sip. For the cold foam fans, there are three different varieties of Einspanner—matcha, hojicha (green tea), and, of course, coffee.

With its high ceilings and exposed beams, ORA’s atmosphere is a breath of fresh (if coffee-scented) air. Order a cold brew in one of their big mason jar mugs so you have an excuse to stay a while, or try one of their 15 specialty lattes, like the Barry White Latte with white chocolate and blackberry.

Paisita Cafe doesn’t just rep El Salvador by virtue of serving empanadas and pupusas—it brings El Salvador to Abbot Kinney via coffee beans sourced from Amigo Coffee Roasters’ family farm in Central America. They serve trendy drinks like cortados, flat whites, and espresso & tonics, but the fruit-forward flavor profile of the Salvadoran beans really shines in a cup of their classic drip brew.

Traditionally, cafe de olla is made by infusing coffee with cinnamon and sugar in an earthenware pot (cafe de olla literally means “pot coffee”). But Picaresca Barra modernized the process by brewing high-quality, proprietary beans roasted weekly in downtown LA and creating lattes with a signature syrup that incorporates star anise and orange zest along with cinnamon and sugar. A few years ago, the operation moved into a bigger space—an eye-catching pistachio-green storefront in Boyle Heights—and expanded their menu to include burritos, chilaquiles, and other breakfasty bites.

Located in a nondescript strip mall a couple blocks from the brand-new Wilshire / La Cienega LA Metro station, Series A is on the cutting edge of South Korean coffee trends. You’ll find the usual crowd of aspiring screenwriters and remote workers hunched over laptops, but the drinks aren’t your standard coffee shop fare. There’s Dalgona coffee topped with honeycomb, a latte with salted peanut cream top, and a sweet corn espresso drink that has cereal milk vibes. Don’t let the idea of corn and coffee weird you out—it’s worth trying.