If there’s one thing that Sohrab and I focus on when we’re visiting a new place, it’s coffee. No matter where we go, we explore one cup at a time. What can I say? We’re big fans of a proper coffee shop, and a cappuccino is our bellwether. It’s always the first thing we order when checking out a new shop!
If the cappuccino is good, chances are that the rest of the menu is too, which means we’ll definitely be back. But if the cappuccino, a stable drink for a barista to make, is questionable, chances are everything else will be as well. So rest assured when I say the following 10 coffee shops have great cappuccinos.
Needless to say, coffee is an important part of our life together, and Los Angeles is a treasure trove of unique spots, despite the overwhelming number of Starbucks littering your peripheral. So why not highlight some of our favorite coffee shops around our hometown?
Disclaimer: Because it’s a bit difficult to play favorites, these are in alphabetical order.
Alfred
A delightful chain sprinkled across the west side. We stumbled upon their Melrose Place location when we wanted a place in Beverly Hills to take our laptops for an hour or two. It’s a bustling spot with a unique layout, trendy decor, and a good cappuccino. Melrose might be tricky to find a spot to nestle into, though, since it’s a bit tight with lots of stairs, nooks, and crannies. Lots of people were grabbing theirs to go. Still, I loved the vibe and really enjoyed my cap and citrus pound cake – and the people-watching!
One thing I especially love about Alfred’s vibe is that it throws me right back to the coffee scene in Europe. I felt like I could have stepped outside and been in the throes of the Lower Marsh or Borough Market in London. Not to mention the bustling streets of Munich or Amsterdam!
Pro tip: They might, by default, want to pour your coffee or cappuccino into a paper cup since it’s such a to-go spot, but you can ask for a proper for-here mug.
Beverly Hills
Address: 490 N Beverly Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Hours: 7am – 8pm
Brentwood
Address: 11908 San Vicente Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90049
Hours: 6:30am – 6:30pm
In The Alley
Address: 8509 Melrose Ave West Hollywood, CA 90069
Hours: 6am – 6pm
Melrose Place
Address: 8428 Melrose Pl Los Angeles, CA 90069
Hours: 7am – 8pm
Silverlake
Address: 3337 1/2 Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90026
Hours: 6:30am – 5pm
Studio City
Address: 12077 Ventura Pl Studio City, CA 91604
Hours: 6am – 6pm
Bonus! Tea Room
Address: 705 N Alfred St Los Angeles, CA 90069
Hours: 8am – 7pm
Augie’s Coffee Roasters
Although they JUST moved their first shop from the iconic red building in Redlands, these guys have a community surrounding them that would follow them anywhere. It’s been so inspiring to follow their journey on Instagram. Their landlord gave them until the end of the month to GTFO (who knows why?), and they’ve managed to crowdfund their way into a new spot in downtown Redlands that I’m sure will be just as special. Oh, and did I mention that they did this in 3 weeks? Teach me your ways, Augie’s fam!
Fun fact: These guys provided the coffee bar at our wedding! I would have loved to try it there, but alas, I was a bit distracted by getting married and all. (Still totally bummed about this, by the way.) Still, I heard raving reviews from our guests!
Claremont
Address: 526 West 1st Street Claremont, CA 91711
Hours: M – Th 6am – 9pm | F 6am – 10pm | weekends 7am – 10pm
Redlands
Address: 300 E State St Redlands, CA 92373
Hours: 6am – 9pm
Riverside
Address: 4205 Main Street Riverside, CA 92501
Hours: 6am – 9pm
Temecula
Address: 32115 Temecula Parkway Temecula, CA 92592
Hours: M – Th 6am – 9pm | F 6am – 10pm | weekends 7am – 10pm
Blue Bottle Coffee
We first fell in love with Blue Bottle at the Ferry Building in San Francisco, so when they expanded down to Los Angeles, obviously we were over the moon. These simple and modern coffee shops are minimalistic and serve an incredible cup.
Plus, they offer an incredible subscription service that we love, now with ground coffee options too! In fact, we love it so much that I wrote about it a bit ago. Whether you’re into single origin, blends, or espresso, they’ll roast it just for you and send it your way within 48 hours. What better way to cut through the junk mail than to add Blue Bottle Coffee to your USPS delivery digest?
They’re all the rage right now, and with good reason! Get in on this ASAP!
Abbot Kinney
Address: 1103 Abbot Kinney Blvd Venice, CA 90291
Hours: 6am – 7pm
Arts District
Address: 582 Mateo St Los Angeles, CA 90013
Hours: 7am – 6pm
Beverly Grove
Address: 8301 Beverly Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90048
Hours: 5:30am – 7pm
Bradbury
Address: 300 S Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90013
Hours: 6:30am – 6pm
Brentwood Town Center
Address: 13050 San Vicente Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90049
Hours: 6am – 6pm
Echo Park
Address: 1712 W Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90026
Hours: 7am – 6pm
Fairfax
Address: 830 N Fairfax Ave Los Angeles, CA 90046
Hours: 6:30am – 6pm
Hayden Tract
Address: 8830 Washington Blvd Unit 103 Culver City, CA 90232
Hours: 6am – 6pm
Los Feliz
Address: 2066 Hillhurst Ave Los Angeles, CA 90027
Hours: 7am – 6pm
Playa Vista
Address: 12105 Waterfront Dr Unit C4-108C Playa Vista, CA 90094
Hours: 7am – 6pm
Robertson Boulevard
Address: 116 N Robertson Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90048
Hours: 6am – 6pm
South Beverly
Address: 132 S Beverly Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Hours: 6am – 6pm
Bodhi Leaf Coffee Traders
A favorite of many cyclists up in Santa Clarita (including yours truly!), this chain has a small biz feel and a comfy atmosphere. Alongside their delicious selection of coffee and cold brew, they also serve craveable baked goods made by local bakers – some gluten free and/or vegan, some not. Even though they only serve treats and snacks with their lattes rather than “proper food,” the setup is ideal for those of us looking for a place to settle in with our laptops, with WiFi and power outlets proudly displayed.
Anaheim
Address: 8163 E Kaiser Blvd Unit C Anaheim, CA 92808
Hours: 7am – 5pm
Lake Forest
Address: 20025 Lake Forest Dr Unit 101 Lake Forest, CA 92630
Hours: 6am – 8pm
Orange
Address: 428 W Katella Ave Unit B Orange, CA 92867
Hours: 6am – 9pm
Santa Clarita
Address: 22913 Soledad Canyon Rd Santa Clarita, CA 91350
Hours: 7am – 8pm
Copa Vida
Just down the street from bustling Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, this coffee shop is vibrant all on its own. I’m setting up a coffee date here soon with a good friend, and we’ll both be driving across LA for it. How’s that for a testimonial?
Pro tip: No wifi available Sat-Sun between 9am – 3pm in Pasadena. Better known as: talk to your friends, meet new people, focus on your cappuccino!
Glendora
Address: 440 E Route 66 Glendora, CA 91740
Hours: M-F 7am – 6pm | closed weekends
Pasadena
Address: 70 S Raymond Ave Pasadena, CA 91105
Hours: M-F 7am – 10pm | Sa 8am – 10pm | Su 8am – 9pm
Crave Cafe
One of our favorite 24-hour spots. You’d think in a town like LA that there’d be a lot more late-night options… but Crave is an outlier here. It’s saved us on multiple occasions when coming home late from Hollywood, etc., and honestly, it’s just so darn good. You don’t have to skimp on the yum factor just because you’re looking for a late bite!
Not only is their coffee delicious, but they’ve also got a huge selection of equally huge slices of cake. And sweet/savory crepes. And a ton of other stuff. *heart eyes*
Fun fact: We sent people here for an after party after our wedding!
Sherman Oaks
Address: 14504 Ventura Blvd Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Hours: 24 hours!
Intelligentsia Coffee
Not only do they have a few brick and mortars, but their coffee is also served in lots of other shops. It’s just that good! I love that they have locations in all corners of LA, but I think I would do the drive to Venice any day to soak in the vibes of Abbot Kinney while sipping on some Intelligentsia. Just saying.
Pro tip: They also have a roasting lab! Sign up for coffee classes and, eventually, a public tour option. This is definitely on my to-do list.
Abbot Kinney
Address: 1331 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Venice, California 90291
Hours: M-Th 6am – 8pm | F 6am – 10pm | Sa 7am – 10pm | Su 7am – 8pm
Hollywood (coming soon!)
Address: 6401 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, California 90028
Hours: TBD
Pasadena
Address: 55 E Colorado Blvd Pasadena, CA 91105
Hours: Su-Th 7am – 7pm | F-Sa 7am – 10pm
Silverlake
Address: 3922 W Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90029
Hours: Su-W 6am – 8pm | Th – Sa 6am – 10pm
Bonus! Roasting Lab
Address: 2737 North San Fernando Rd. Los Angeles, California 90065
Hours: M-F 8:30am – 5pm
Nespresso Boutique
You’ve heard of Keurig and probably even of Starbucks Verismo, but in Europe, Nespresso is all the rage (not to mention, George Clooney recommends it!). But you don’t have to jump the gun and get a machine for your place before knowing your options. And Nespresso has A LOT! From regular coffee to espresso drinks to milk frothing etc., these little machines can do it all, and the boutiques put them on display to show you just how far they can go. Lots of these boutiques are located inside department stores, but they’re a good place to try the coffee before buying a machine (which you can do here, too!). If you’re more into visiting the flagship store, head over to Beverly Hills. It’s huge!
Beverly Hills
Address: 320 North Beverly Drive Los Angeles, CA 90210
Hours: 10am – 8pm
Canoga Park
Address: 6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd Canoga Park, CA 91303
Hours: M-Sa 10am – 9pm | Su 11am – 7pm
Century City (inside Bloomingdales)
Address: 10250 Santa Monica Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90067
Hours: M-Th 10am – 9pm | F-Sa 10am – 10pm | Su 11am – 7pm
Farmer’s Market (inside Sur la Table)
Address: 6333 W. 3rd Street, Suite P-10 Los Angeles, CA 90036
Hours: M-Sa 9am – 9pm | Su 10am – 7pm
Santa Monica (inside Sur la Table)
Address: 301 Wilshire Boulevard Santa Monica, CA 90401
Hours: M-Sa 10am – 9pm | Su 11am – 7pm
Sherman Oaks Fashion Square (inside Bloomingdales)
Address: 14060 Riverside Drive Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Hours: M-F 10am – 9pm | Sa 10am – 8pm | Su 11am – 7pm
Ring Baked Tofu Donuts
*the internet screams* That’s not a coffee shop! Guys. GUYS. Calm down. While Ring is most known for its incredible gluten free donuts, Sohrab and I regularly brave the 101 for their sea salt iced coffee. I’m not kidding. It’s magical. Ring is an itty bitty spot in a commercial building in the valley, but there’s free parking in the back for visitors and it’s just a stone’s throw away from the Topanga Mall, which is a pretty cool spot to explore. Not to mention the owners are incredible and their space is super cute!
Canoga Park
Address: 6800 Owensmouth Ave Unit 130 Canoga Park, CA 91303
Hours: T-F 7am – 3pm | weekends 10am – 6pm | closed Mondays *cry*
Steampunk Coffeebar and Kitchen
The name alone is enough for me. Am I right?! The vibe is good, the coffee is good, the food is good. It’s been a minute since I’ve visited (it’s a little bit out of the way for my daily routine!), but Steampunk has stuck in my brain as a unique spot that is definitely worth checking out. No costumes required… but obviously encouraged. Anyone down for meeting up here?!
Valley Village
Address: 12526 Burbank Blvd Valley Village, CA 91607
Hours: 7am – 3pm
What’s your favorite coffee shop in Los Angeles? Let me know in the comments… and maybe we can set up a coffee date! I’m always down to try new cappuccinos. ☕️
