Cafe$mid-cityDaily 07:00-17:00Public cafe
Goodboybob Coffee Roasters runs its Santa Monica cafe and retail room on Broadway, an ex-art-project brand pulling shots of its own award-listed roasts.
Tip: Bags of the House Blend and Marine Layer dark roast sell at the counter; the espresso bar closes at 17:00 sharp.
Sources from: Rotating single origins
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail
Cafe$montana-avenueMon-Fri 06:00-17:00; Sat-Sun 06:30-17:00Public cafe
Caffe Luxxe opened its first European-style espresso bar on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica in 2006 and still pulls the Westside's silkiest shots.
Tip: This is the original of the small family of caffes, marked Where It All Began; the Brentwood Country Mart branch opens daily at 07:00.
Sources from: Latin America, Africa
How they serve: Espresso, Whole bean retail
Cafe$montana-avenueDaily 06:30-18:00Public cafe
Primo Passo Coffee Co. pulls hazelnut lattes and light-roast pour-overs behind glass on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, roasting under its own name.
Tip: The house-made hazelnut latte is the signature; window stools turn over fast on weekend mornings.
Sources from: Rotating single origins
How they serve: Espresso, Pour over, Whole bean retail
Cafe$main-streetDaily 07:00-14:00Public cafe
Dogtown Coffee brews organic micro-roasted coffee in the old Zephyr surf shop on Main Street in Santa Monica, breakfast burritos for the dawn patrol.
Tip: The building birthed the Z-Boys skate team; get the breakfast burrito before the surf crowd clears the batch.
Sources from: Organic lots, locally micro-roasted
How they serve: Espresso, Cold brew, Whole bean retail