The Best Coffee Shops in Los Angeles
Coffee is my favorite beverage. It’s moderately priced, gives you a nice sense of well being, and just one cup justifies hours spent in the same seat at a coffee shop.
So after countless cups of research, I’ve finally compiled my list of the best coffee shops in Los Angeles. Enjoy the espresso shot version below or keep reading for a full pour over!
It all depends on the neighborhood, but luckily there is some crossover!
1. Verve Coffee in Downtown Los Angeles, West 3rd, and Melrose
2. Philz Coffee in Glendale and Santa Monica
3. Highlight Coffee in Glendale
4. Go Get Em Tiger in Los Feliz and Downtown Los Angeles
5. BulletProof Cafe in Santa Monica and Downtown Los Angeles
6. Blue Bottle Coffee in 18 different locations throughout the city! 
Verve Coffee (DTLA, West 3rd, Melrose)
Verve Coffee Roasters is originally from Santa-Cruz and founders Ryan O’Donovan and Colby Barr pride themselves on serving the world’s highest quality craft coffee. They have four locations in Los Angeles, but the flagship location in the Arts District is the one you’ll want to spend the whole day in.
Located at 500 Mateo Street, it’s 7,000 square-feet and includes a cafe, roastery, and an indoor/outdoor restaurant. Best of all it also includes FREE valet (for 30 minutes) so you don’t have to worry about finding a spot if you just want a quick to-go sip on your way to work.
What’s in your cup?
I’m generally a fan of hot coffee, but their Craft Coffee Bar menu will have you feeling like you’re enjoying your favorite cocktail. Choose between an Old Flashioned ($7); a Smoked Chicory Latte; and my favorite: the Cascara Negroni made with house vermouth, Verve juniper tonic, and Angostura Orange Bitters ($8).
On the hot side there’s a nice selection of By the Cup options ($5-7) but for the same price, you can enjoy something from the Draft Bar like a Honey Lavender Draft Latte ($5.50) or a Flash Brew Coffee Shot ($5).
There’s also a wide selection of Loose Teas; a Whalebird Kombucha on draft; and delicious Bowls of Soul and Ceremonial Matchas (up to $5.50). The Avocado + Matcha Smoothie below is technically from the food menu, but it’s also “in a cup” ($9.50).
What’s on your plate?
Curated by Executive Chef Mario Tolentino, much like the coffee, it all begins with premium ingredients.
For breakfast I’m loving the Sesame Banana Pancakes made with tahini, banana, and cornmeal, and then topped with mascarpone, poached strawberries and a black sesame syrup ($13). You also can’t go wrong with a Verve Breakfast Sandwich where the difference is the VERVE BACON which is infused with coffee and a maple syrup reduction ($11).
Verve Breakfast Sandwich Sesame Banana Pancakes
Food is served until 3 p.m. so if looking for lunch, I’m all about the Buckwheat Soba Noodles topped with your favorite protein and mixed with turmeric roasted cauliflower, miso-marinated tofu, and fried enoki mushrooms ($16).
What makes this special?
I was reminded by co-founder Colby Barr that Coffee is a fruit, not really a bean, and Verve Coffee really brings out the light and fruity taste that is so often forgotten at some of the big-box locations.
This is a great place to sit undisturbed and work, either inside or on the dog-friendly patio.
Go Get Em Tiger (Los Feliz, Mid-City, Highland Park, DTLA)
Go Get Em Tiger is one of the few on this list that’s actually Los Angeles based coffee! Founded by Intelligentsia alumni Kyle Glanville and Charles Babinski, the brand’s original location is a stand-up bar called G&B at the Grand Central Market. All the rest of their locations go by Go Get Em Tiger and the latest one can be found just up the hill at the newly renovated Music Center Plaza.
What’s in your cup?
GGET is known for seasonal single origin coffees and house-made nut milks. So you can’t go wrong with whatever Filter Coffee they are brewing that day ($3.75-$4.25). Exploring the world of nut-milks? Then enjoy a Turmeric Almond Macadamia ($5.50-$6.50) or an Oat Latte ($5.25).
Ready to really expand your javascript? Their signature Business & Pleasure is a coffee flight beginning with a double shot of espresso, their Fizzy Hoppy Tea ( both business) and lastly the pleasureful housemade almond macadamia milk served up cappuccino style ($6.25).
What’s on your plate?
The menu varies based on location but you’ll always find seasonal housemade foods and the GGET Breakfast Sandwich on a buttermilk biscuit is the perfect way to start the day ($9). The menu switches over to lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Music Center Plaza with standards like a Proscuitto Sandwich ($14) and a Summer Corn Salad ($12).
What makes this special?
Their love of coffee really pushes boundaries, and the Full Nelson is the culmination of how much can you handle. It’s a coffee flight featuring an Espresso, a Macchiato, a Cappuccino and a drink of your choosing ($12).
Go get em Tiger!
Philz Coffee (Santa Monica, DTLA, Hollywood, Pasadena, Glendale, El Segundo, and more!)
Philz Coffee was created by Phil Jaber in San Francisco with a simple mission to make your day better. What started off as testing brews in his convenience store in the 70s has now become a national brand with more than 50 stores in the US (and 11 in the LA/OC area).
What’s in your Cup?
Although they have over 20 different blends available at one time, I always go with the one with a little leaf next to its name. Although that just means they top it with mint, it really makes a difference (and I have yet to replicate it home without just ending up with a soggy green floaty). Coffee price ranges from $3.50-$4.50.
There’s also 8 different teas, and 4 different varieties of decaf! Awesome for pregnant mamas who still want that jolt!
What’s on your plate?
They offer a variety of handmade foods like the Mediterranean Avocado & Egg Toast or you can savor the sweet life with coffee house staples like the Chocolate Croissant.
Everything is kept in a freezer case though so it feels “freshish”, and you might want to save those calories for a nearby purveyor. The Glendale location happens to be right next to Egg Slut…so that’s often my favorite combo.
What makes this special?
It’s about the little touches taken to make your perfect cup. It starts with freshly ground beans, a pour-over in front of your eyes, and then your own taste test.
Where else in life can you get that much personal attention for just $3.50?
Highlight Coffee (Glendale)
This neighborhood coffee shop created by Frank Kim (formerly of Demitasse) is a location that I frequently would drive by thinking, that’s a little too cute to be on busy Glendale avenue! When I finally made my way to Highlight Coffee, though I forgot I was in Glendale all together and felt transported to a borough where a trendy (and younger) version of myself lived 🙂
What’s in your cup?
They have an entire daily menu of pour-overs available ($5-$8) and specialty lattes in flavors like Butterscotch ($5.50) and Orange Vanilla ($5.50).
You’ll also find 7 different teas and classic espresso drinks available freddo style (fancy Italian way to say cold).
What’s on your plate?
They offer a light lunch menu, but my eyes are always on the pastry prize!
What makes this special?
The pour-over experience here just might be worth the extra few dollars and you know that you are truly supporting a local business that is uplifting the avenue! Isn’t that what being one of the best coffee shops in Los Angeles is all about?
Bulletproof Cafe (Santa Monica, DTLA)
Remember Butter Coffee? Maybe you still drink a stick of it each day!
Well in case you don’t know, it’s a practice of adding butter to your coffee or tea that’s hundreds of years old, but got popular again when Dave Asprey boosted the butter and created Bulletproof Coffee. Fans of the ketogenic diet can get excited that Los Angeles actually has two Bulletproof Cafe locations to have the good stuff!
What’s in your cup?
Well, you have to start with the OG of course! Their Bulletproof Coffee is blended with brain octane oil and grass-fed butter that will have you fueled for hours ($4.75-$5.75). After you’ve conquered that one, mix it up with Protein and Vanilla flavors, or skip the coffee altogether and just go straight for non-coffee drinks like a No-Coffee Latte made with brain octaine oil, VanillaMax, butter, and upgraded sweet($5-$6.50) ; or an Avocado Cold Brew made with avocado, coconut milk, brain octane oil, and cinnamon ($7).
What’s on your plate?
Bulletproof food like Bone Broth with upgraded collagen will have you carrying your car out of the lot ($6-8), while Scones made with coconut flour will give you that health kick while still being in a coffee house experience ($4).
What makes this special?
If you follow a ketogenic diet then you love this stuff for the Brain Octane Oil and the fact that you can drink it while you’re fasting. But even if you’re not on any fat-burning diet, you can’t deny that this stuff really fuels you!
Blue Bottle Cafe (All Over)
Founded in Oakland in the spirit of the first coffee house in Europe (The Blue Bottle in Vienna); Blue Bottle Cafe specializes in lightly roasted single-origin coffee and sterile interiors.
What’s in your cup?
A Single Origin Espresso or a Bella Donovan Drip ($3.50/$4) is a must if it’s your first visit; but drinks like the New Orleans or Cascara Fizz are what keep you coming back.
The New Orleans is a cold brew “NOLA style” with Chicory and cane juice ($4.25-$5); while the Cascara Fizz is a blend of the coffee cherry (cascara), sparkling water, sugar, and lemon ($3.75-$4.50).
What’s on your plate?
Food menus vary greatly by location, but the Beverly Grove cafe is one of the best coffee shops in Los Angeles as it offers both a breakfast and lunch menu.
You’ll always find pastries like a Tahini Chocolate Cookie ($3) or a Lemon Zest Poundcake ($3.50) but after you’ve lived in Los Angeles for too long you start to scratch if you haven’t had an Avocado Toast in a while ($9).
What makes this special?
Blue Bottle Cafe was started in 2002 and it pretty much predates most everything on my list (Philz started a year later).
So when you see a crossover begin to happen along menu lines, you have to remember that this place probably did it first.
And while it’s a global brand, with a slightly higher price-point, I recommend choosing the blue bottle over the green mermaid.
What do you think of my list of the best coffee shops in Los Angeles? Share this post if you latte it a lot, or drop me a line if I forgot your favorite!
Thanks for the post, Caroline. I’ve only been to LA once when I was 16, but this post reminded me that I really want to get back there and visit again. The “New Orleans” from the Blue Bottle Cafe sounds and looks delicious!
Marty recently posted…Fellow Prismo attachment for AeroPress
Thank you for the kind words. We can’t wait to have you back here!
incredible blog posts, congratulations.
Bryan recently posted…Let’s Talk About – ‘What is an Americano Coffee Drink?’
Great writing!! Keep sharing the good stuff. Wish you all the best.
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Such an amazing article. I love it when I read your article About coffee. So much informative and ‘enjoyable. I going to read your more articles. Keep sharing this type of stuff.
shahzaib recently posted…How to Roast Coffee Beans: The Ultimate Guide
wow really amazing & thanks for the post. i once had coffee at bessocoffee .it was great .
Thanks for sharing. I recommend giving the Best Specialty Coffee by High Noon Roasters a try. Their premium beans are sure to elevate your coffee experience.
https://highnoonroasters.com/