Go Get Em Tiger ★ 4.5
Go Get Em Tiger on Larchmont, Los Angeles is one of the original LA third-wave cafes, popularised the almond-macadamia latte and a clean Probat roast.
Signature drink: Iced almond macadamia latte
Coffee shops, bakeries with seats and the places Los Angeles lingers in over a cortado.
Where to sit and slow down
Cognoscenti Coffee ★ 4.6
Yeekai Lim's Cognoscenti Coffee in Culver City, Los Angeles pours single-origin espresso since 2010 from a 50-square-foot bar. A reference cafe in LA.
Signature drink: Single-origin espresso
Maru Coffee ★ 4.6
Joonmo Kim and Jacob Park's Maru Coffee in Los Feliz, Los Angeles pulls a five-shot cortado from Korean-Californian roasts in a 12-seat minimalist room.
Signature drink: Cortado
Stereoscope Coffee Company ★ 4.5
Stereoscope Coffee in Echo Park, Los Angeles is a Fullerton roaster's Sunset Boulevard outpost in a tall-ceiling warehouse, with the city's best workspace setup for a cafe.
Signature drink: Single-origin filter
Menotti's Coffee Stop ★ 4.5
Menotti's Coffee Stop on Windward Avenue, Venice, Los Angeles is the Westside's tightest pour, a five-stool counter half a block from Venice Beach.
Signature drink: Espresso
Alfred Coffee ★ 4.0
Alfred Coffee on Melrose Place, Los Angeles popularised the LA iced latte aesthetic in 2013 and still pulls the city's longest morning Instagram queue.
Signature drink: Vanilla iced latte
Blue Bottle Coffee ★ 4.3
Blue Bottle Coffee in West Hollywood, Los Angeles is the largest cafe in the Oakland roaster's LA cluster, with a roastery-spec La Marzocco bar setup.
Signature drink: New Orleans iced
Coffee for Sasquatch ★ 4.3
Coffee for Sasquatch on Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles roasts in-house, runs a strong lavender latte, and the patio is the Hancock Park meeting spot.
Signature drink: Lavender latte
Kreation Organic Kafe ★ 4.2
Kreation Organic Kafe on Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, Los Angeles pours Persian rosewater lattes and saffron cold brews from an organic Iranian-American kitchen.
Signature drink: Persian rosewater latte
Civil Coffee ★ 4.4
Civil Coffee in Highland Park, Los Angeles pours a daily filter and serves baked goods from Friends and Family next door. A Northeast LA neighbourhood cafe.
Signature drink: Filter coffee
LAMILL Coffee ★ 4.3
LAMILL Coffee on Silver Lake Boulevard, Los Angeles set the third-wave template in 2008 with siphon brews and a full breakfast menu. Still the Eastside default.
Signature drink: Siphon brew
Document Coffee Bar ★ 4.4
Document Coffee Bar on Wilshire, Koreatown, Los Angeles roasts in-house and pulls a clean espresso flight. A weekday workspace for the Mid-Wilshire offices.
Signature drink: Single-origin pour-over
Intelligentsia Venice ★ 4.3
Intelligentsia Coffee on Abbot Kinney, Venice, Los Angeles set the LA aesthetic for high-design third-wave cafes when it opened in 2009. Still pulls strong shots.
Signature drink: Black cat espresso
Destroyer ★ 4.5
Jordan Kahn's Destroyer in Culver City, Los Angeles plates Nordic-influenced breakfast and lunch. A morning cafe by the chef behind Vespertine.
Signature drink: Specialty filter
Cafés in Los Angeles, FAQ
When is the best time to eat in Los Angeles?
Peak food season in Los Angeles is year-round.
What time do people eat in Los Angeles?
Local dining hours: lunch around 12:30, dinner from 19:30.
How does tipping work in Los Angeles?
service is typically included; small extra is welcome but not expected.
What is the one dish to try in Los Angeles?
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Los Angeles rewards trust.