My time back in LA was brief and insanely busy, but there’s always time for coffee right?!? So, when I wasn’t binging on Snickerdoodle lattes from Starbucks I did find the time to get my caffeine fix from some pretty trendy LA cafes.
Alfred Coffee
While Alfred Coffee has various locations, each with a slightly different menu, I happened to end up at their Silverlake branch. This particular location was small (to say the least) with 3 tiny wooden tables inside and a small patio outside. As small as it was, it somehow still managed to look incredibly photogenic with it’s black and pink floral wallpaper and neon “But First, Coffee” sign. The outside wall had a beautiful “bleeding hearts” mural paint on it, providing the perfect backdrop for several hundred selfies. Needless to say my sisters and I were there for a while.
Their menu wasn’t extensive, but it had a little bit of something for everyone. What caught my eye, however, was their vast selection of milk! When I ordered a chai latte, they asked me what kind of milk I’d like. Looking visibly confused, I asked what they had and they said… almond, coconut, soy, whole, 2% and low fat. Stumbling upon a cafe in Korea that has soy milk is like stumbling upon buried treasure, so to end up at a cafe with 6 different milk options rendered me speechless (literally).
I ended up with an almond milk chai tea, which sounded great in theory, but actually tasted really watered down. My sisters, both felt that their drinks were only “ok.” I was a shame because I had heard good things about their coffee, plus their coffee cups and sleeves are so cute! So, I’m not ready to write them off just yet. I think I’ll give them another shot the next time I’m in town.
- Hours
- 6:30am~5:00pm
- Address
- 3337 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026, USA
- Phone
- +1 323-522-6984
- Website
Macchiato
Macchiato is just another one of the cute and trendy places my sisters introduced me to on my short visit. The interior is simple, but spacious and clean. Unfortunately we didn’t get to spend much time inside because of my fur baby. The staff was nice enough to let him sit inside with us as long as he was in his carrier, but he was kind of fussy so it didn’t work out. Luckily there was patio seating, so we opted for that.
Specializing in coffee, tea and desserts, their menu has quite a lot to offer. Of course I already knew what I was going to get, one of their adorably Instagramable “Potted Plant Milk Teas” that I had heard so much about. It did not disappoint. The milk tea was served in a tall vase-like glass topped with a layer of light whipped cream, a pile of crushed cookie pieces and a cute single green sprout. You can also get it with or without boba (pearls, bubbles, tapioca). Mixed all together, it tasted like a cookies n’ cream milk tea. It was so good! On a second visit, I ordered a “Potted Plant Salted Caramel Macchiato” which was just as satisfyingly delicious. However between the two, I think I prefer the milk tea a bit more. Mmm. Boba.
As far as food goes, I tried out the “Potted Plant Cake,” which was just as cute as the drink. It is a cute little flower pot filled with spongey cake, something that tasted a bit like an artificial banana flavor, ice cream and whipped cream topped with a mountain of crushed cookies and embellished with a little green sprout. It was disappointingly mediocre. The cake, ice cream and whipped cream ratios were really off. We couldn’t figure out what exactly we were eating (not in a good way). I think it has potential, but it definitely needs work. On the bright side, I also tried their popcorn chicken which was super tasty! No complaints there.
All in all, I really enjoyed the drinks there and I’m definitely curious to try more off of their food menu. The staff is pretty nice, but they can be a bit unorganized and inattentive. The first time I went there, we waited 20 minutes for an order popcorn chicken that would never come. The second time we had to track someone down just to get menus because no one came back to us after we were seated. That aside, it’s a pretty cute cafe to check out if you’re not in too much of a hurry.
- Hours
- 11:00am~12:00am, Sunday~Thursday
- 11:00am~12:30am, Friday & Saturday
- Address
- 141 N Atlantic Blvd, Monterey Park, CA 91754, USA
- Phone
- +1 626-872-1351
- Website
Lavender & Honey
My favorite find was this little independent cafe called Lavender & Honey. The cafe is small with not a whole lot of seating, but it has pretty string lights that hangs from the ceiling and large windows in the front that let in plenty of sunlight. The natural light really helps create a warm inviting feeling as it shines across the white and wooden interior. There’s also patio seating, which was perfect since we often had our pup with us. Overall, the look is clean-cut and trendy, the perfect place for just about anyone looking for a good cup of coffee or tea.
I found myself there on three separate occasions and always ordered the same thing, a French Lavender Breve. It has the perfect balance of honey, lavender and good espresso. I could taste everything and my spidey senses were tingling. It was the best cup of of coffee I’ve had in a while and I couldn’t get enough. It is a bit on the sweeter side of things, so if you prefer something a bit less, my boyfriend really enjoyed the Honeybee Latte.
Aside from their drinks, they also offer a small selection of sandwiches, salads and toasts. I’m the type who always enjoys a little snack with my coffee, so I found the toasts to be right up my alley. I tried their Apple Butter Toast, which it pretty much exactly what it sounds like: toast smothered with a generous helping of apple butter, sprinkled with cinnamon. It was good, but nothing compared to their L & H Toast. The L & H comes with a hardy spread of goat cheese, sprinkled with dried lavender and drizzled with honey. It was so tasty and compliment the coffee perfectly!
Overall, the coffee is great and the service was super friendly. On the downside, it can get really packed, so it can be a bit of a coin toss as to whether or not you’ll get a seat. Also there aren’t any outlets to be seen, so it’s not really an ideal place to work. However, if you’re just looking for a spot to hang out for a bit and get your caffeine fix, then it’s perfect! Can’t wait to go back.
- Hours
- 7:00am~5:00pm, Monday~Saturday
- 8:00am~4:00pm, Sunday
- Address
- 1383 E Washington Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91104, USA
- Phone
- +1 626-529-5571
- Website
this post is so great! i am def going to read this when going to L.A i love your blog, come check out mine http://www.poshandspicy.com xx toby
Thanks so much for reading <3