8 Coffee Bars in Los Angeles with Beautiful Design
Los Angeles has become a coffee-crazed town, fueled by its population of workaholic agents, screenwriters, and artists (not to mention an exploding food scene that’s raised the bar not just for restaurants but for everything edible), with roasters such as Portland’s Stumptown and Oakland’s Blue Bottle setting up shop in response to the recent demand. It’s also a chance for architecture and design firms, like Studio MAI and Jensen Architects, to create beautifully designed spaces, whether turning raw industrial buildings into chic roasteries or making a corner of a hotel lobby inviting enough to stop in and stay awhile.
Photo: Spencer Lowell1/8The Ace Hotel downtown has become the unofficial clubhouse for the neighborhood, thanks in part to the Commune-designed coffee bar at L.A. Chapter, the property’s restaurant in the meticulously restored United Artists Theatre building. Grab a Stumptown cold brew while taking in the details, such as the Calacatta marble accents and classic black-and-white checkerboard flooring, or settle in upstairs, where the second-floor lounge overlooks the restaurant’s action below. 927 South Broadway; acehotel.com
Photo: David Maziarz2/8A newcomer to the L.A. coffee scene, Civil opened in November in Highland Park, having transitioned to a brick-and-mortar operation from a coffee cart. The design by Charisse Cardenas includes gorgeous Mexican tiled floors, pendant lighting, and a long walnut bar that make for a sublimely pleasant place to start the morning or for an afternoon coffee break. 5629 North Figueroa Street; civil-coffee.com
Photo: Elizabeth Daniels3/8A buzzy Silver Lake spot opened in 2014, Dinosaur serves pastries from Santa Monica’s much-loved Farmshop and coffee from San Francisco’s Four Barrel roasters amid a bright, modern, blond-wood-accented room designed by MASS Architecture & Design. The superhigh wood-beamed ceilings add to the sweeping sense of space. 4334 West Sunset Boulevard; dinosaurcoffee.com
Photo: Mary Costa4/8Since opening its first café in 2013, Alfred has expanded to four locations and counting (Studio City is up next, opening this year), but we love the original outpost on Melrose Place. While it may not be necessary in the (almost) always balmy L.A., the fireplace adds a cozy touch. 8428 Melrose Place; alfredcoffee.com
Photo: Clay McLachlan5/8Bay Area–based Blue Bottle Coffee made its way down to L.A. a year and a half ago with its first Southern California location on Abbot Kinney, Venice’s main shopping drag. Designed by Jensen Architects, the minimal space is complemented by an LED panel that gives a futuristic edge to the spare, bright cafe. 1103 Abbot Kinney Boulevard; bluebottlecoffee.com
Photo: Courtesy of Bar Nine6/8In Culver City a 3,400-square-foot industrial warehouse is home to this coffee-snob favorite, with a Modbar espresso system—think of it as the Ferrari of coffee machines—and its own roaster, pictured here, which sits on the floor of the cavernous space so customers can get a firsthand view of the roasting process. 3515 Helms Avenue; barnine.us
Photo: Courtesy of Stumptown Coffee Roasters7/8Portland-based Stumptown debuted in L.A.’s rapidly gentrifying Arts District in 2013. The high, beamed ceilings here bring to mind a cathedral—indeed, this branch of Stumptown is like a temple to coffee, with cold brew on tap, a full espresso bar, pour-over options, and beans for sale. There are also weekend cuppings available to the public (similar to wine tastings, they're usually held for pro coffeemakers) to expand your coffee knowledge. 806 South Santa Fe Avenue; stumptowncoffee.com
Photo: Courtesy of Verve Coffee8/8Created in Santa Cruz, Verve opened last year downtown (which has become the de facto L.A. headquarters for gourmet coffee) in a spacious and light-flooded 1,600-square-foot building designed by Studio MAI. With semi-automated pour-over brewers and a sleek custom-made Kees van der Westen espresso machine, the overall effect is decidedly clean and modern. Two more L.A. locations can be found in West Hollywood and Beverly Grove. 833 South Spring Street; vervecoffeeroasters.com
