Ever wonder how the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed citizens of Los Angeles navigate their hefty (to put it nicely) commutes without falling asleep at the wheel?
Coffee. Very strong, very good coffee.
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Yes, while it’s been known for having countless sprawling diners where you could hang out and sip a cup of joe all night, LA’s coffee scene has totally taken off in the past decade.
Here are the 15 best places in LA to get a damn fine cup of coffee. Don’t miss our complete MUNCHIES Guide to Los Angeles.
Intelligentsia: Sunset Junction’s hotbed of laptop-toting millennials working on their screenplays. Also home to expertly trained baristas and grade-A coffee.
LAMILL Coffee: Coffee, perfected. LAMILL distributes its prized roasts around the city, so you know it’s good. Also good here: the warm doughnut holes with vanilla whipped cream.
Go Get Em Tiger: This coffee bar works a lot like a bar in that you sidle up to the counter and order directly with a bartender-barista. Stick around for more than coffee and try something from the eclectic brunch menu, like the yeast-raised waffle or adobo grain bowl.
Civil Coffee: It’s hard not to become a regular at this beautiful high-ceilinged coffee shop in the middle of one of LA’s hippest neighborhoods. The staff always smiles when they serve you. Their coffee is great and their “Figueroa” specialty drink (an ode to the neighborhood’s rich Latino culture) comes with a Maria cookie.
Cafecito Organico: If you’re craving great coffee in Silver Lake but not in the mood to deal with any of the pretentiousness that often comes when stopping at some of the swankier places on Sunset, head straight to this low-key spot tucked away from the main strip. This place’s dedication to fair-trade, high-quality, sustainable coffee is genuine.
Tierra Mia Coffee: What started as a family-owned coffee shop in southeast LA that enticed locals with their signature drinks like horchata latte and mojito mint tea lemonade has now grown to be a small empire with several locations throughout the city. Nonetheless, they all have kept the same cozy, chill-for-an-entire-afternoon vibes as the original spot.
La Monarca Bakery: There is no greater joy on a rare rainy day in LA than enjoying a few pieces of La Monarca’s buttery pan dulce fresh out of the oven with a steaming cup of single-origin coffee sourced from Oaxaca. We recommend a concha or one of their guava-filled croissants.
Endorffeine: This tiny coffee bar in Chinatown is the product of a former cancer-fighting molecular biologist who decided to pursue his passion for creating the perfect cup of joe. We are happy to announce that he has succeeded.
Urth Caffe: While this upscale coffee shop’s busy patio has become more of a place to be seen rather than a place to sit while stopping in for some espresso, their coffee drinks are still some of the most robust-tasting in town. Their slices of cake, pie, and other pastries (like their vegan chocolate cake or matcha-flavored brioche buns) deserve an honorable mention, too.
American Tea Room: Pu-erh hot chocolate, anyone? There is absolutely no better cafe in the city when it comes to strictly tea-based beverages. If you’re into iced drinks, they make a mean masala chai horchata.
For five more of LA’s best coffee shops and cafés, as well as tips for where to grab tacos, do some fine dining, or get drunk while in LA, check out the complete MUNCHIES Guide to Los Angeles.
