This longtime cafe now has three locations throughout Southern California. Whether visiting 10 Speed in Santa Monica or Sawtelle, the coffee is strong and well made, while the space is a solid place to hang out for the day, especially the cozy Calabasas location.

San Fernando Valley locals love Laidrey. Owner Gacia Tachejian starts with ethically sourced beans, roasts them in-house, and develops one tasty maple oat latte at both locations.

Culver City's modernist Cognoscenti Coffee started in 2009 and is staffed by friendly baristas who know everything about coffee. Cognoscenti doesn’t use fancy drink names and focuses on producing quality drip coffee, cappuccino, lattes, and cold brew in the Fashion District, Downtown LA, and Culver City.

Jurassic Magic is designed as a non-Wi-Fi hangout, so it’s not uncommon to see strangers engaging with one another or reading a book while drinking the cafe’s signature Magic Latte made with condensed oat milk and a spice blend that includes clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger.

One of LA’s best daytime coffee stops is at the Hollywood Bowl. Head up the long driveway, park for free, and look to the left of the box office for South LA Cafe. Try the teas, espressos, and lavender lattes from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. or before concerts. For those not near Hollywood, find additional locations in Exposition Park, Baldwin Hills, and Jefferson Park/West Adams.

Right in the middle of Thai Town is the Black- and Filipino-owned coffee shop Obet & Del’s. The exposed brick walls, retro stripe paint accents, and high ceilings make for a cozy 70s-esque room while staff prepare Filipino iced coffee with ube oat milk and Thai Town lattes with sweetened oat milk, cha yen (typically a black and rooibos tea blend), star anise, vanilla, and sweet tamarind.

The coffee at Koreatown’s Memorylook is as excellent as its matcha lattes, giant matcha brulee, and tiramisu doughnuts. Memorylook is an ideal cafe to work from with indoor and outdoor seating, but gets incredibly busy, so plan accordingly.

Quentin Tarantino re-opened the Vista Theater in 2023 and debuted Pam’s Coffy in February 2024. The film director paid homage to iconic actress Pam Grier and named the place after her 1973 American blaxploitation film, Coffy. Pam’s Coffy uses Tarantino’s custom beans made by Jones Coffee Roasters.

Though the coffee drinks are the specialty at Tilt, the matcha and other tea offerings are extensive. Located on the bottom floor of the Medallion apartments, Tilt is the place for coffee enthusiasts who crave good service and are in the mood for a strong single-origin cold brew.

WAFI Coffee is named after the West African Farmers Initiative, a collective of West African farmers who supply the beans for this roving bicycle coffee bar. Co-founder Dennis Garsinii rides all over LA serving espressos and Americanos on a custom bike.

Patria Coffee Roasters opened in Compton in 2018. It is a cafe but also a community space that hosts special events. Staff serve incredible coffee beans sourced from around the globe and roast them at a site near the cafe. Those who grew up in LA will highly appreciate the LAUSD-esque coffee cake.

A local favorite, Rose Park Roasters has three locations throughout Long Beach. If ordering from the Fourth Street outlet, take a seat and enjoy the floor-to-ceiling windows and house-made pastries. Find beer and wine by the can or bottle at the Pine Street location.

Prepare to stay awhile at Mandarin Coffee in Pasadena, which is located at the Burlington Arcade’s glass-covered courtyard. This Asian and woman-owned cafe offers a seating area as enjoyable as the espresso drinks, like the cappuccino made with espresso and sweetened coconut cream.

It is worth the trek to Orange County’s Little Saigon for Trung Nguyên Legend Café. Vietnam’s legendary cafe opened in 2023 and serves phin- (coffee made with a Vietnamese filter) and espresso-based coffee drinks using Vietnamese-grown robusta and arabica beans from Buôn Ma Thuột. Everything tastes smooth without an ounce of coffee bean bitterness. Make time to try the dine-in coffee service presented on ornate wooden trays.