Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a coffee fiend. I love taking pictures almost as much as I love coffee, and I love taking photos OF my pretty coffee almost as much as I like drinking it.
In addition to one of my favorites here in LA, the “Flowerboy Project Coffee Shop” and the myriad of other LA coffee shops I’ve fawned over across the Greater Los Angeles area, here are five fabulous coffee shops in Los Angeles with lattes so lovely looking, you won’t actually want to drink them…
[Note: Outdoor dining is currently permitted in Greater Los Angeles and California, but as always, be safe and remain mindful of safety mandates to protect yourself and others from transmitting COVID-19. Remember to wear a mask, stay six feet from other people at all times, and be respectful.
Some of these photos were taken over the last couple years in pre-COVID times, which is why I’m not masked-up in all of them…]
Waffleshot, The Original Farmers Market
Waffleshot is a Granita Bar & Conery located in the Original LA Farmers Market at the corner of Third and Fairfax. This shop offers espresso shots in shot-sized waffle cones, coated in Belgian chocolate. They’re 100% edible and 100% instagrammable.
I ordered the chocolate brownie cone with an espresso shot, and it was the perfect balance of sweet and caffeinated. It’s not every day you get a coffee where you can eat the cup when you’re done drinking.
Good People Coffee Co, Sawtelle
Good People Coffee Co. serves single origin coffees and craft coffee. Their story states that they didn’t want to be held down by the title “shop” because they believe their company stands for much more than that. They’re a welcoming space, and a community.Â
Founders Chuck and Jenna named Good People based on the idea of who they wanted to partner for things such as coffee purveyors, staff — and according to their origin story on the website, Jenna instantly said, “Let’s call the shop Good People.”
I ordered the “Purple Nurple” which includes a double shot of espresso, a shot of ube concentrate (which is why it’s purple), brown sugar and my choice of milk (which is almond because I figured out a long time ago milk doesn’t agree with my stomach. Even if I force ice cream into it sometimes. Overall, it’s “as good as it looks.”
Carrera Cafe, West Hollywood
Carrera Cafe is a charming European style Cafe on the trendy Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood. Its decor shouts “I’m classy” and not only are the coffees themselves Instagrammable, the entire interior and exterior of the cafe offer ideal backdrops for solitary espresso photo shoots.
Fair warning that their signature latte art which is created on a latte foam printer must be done on either real milk or on soy milk so that the milk froths enough for the image to come out properly.
You can pick almost anything to be printed on your coffee, from cultural references (right now there’s a Notorious RBG print in memorial of her remarkable life), to cheeky slogans (a picture of a dude holding up a sign that reads “2021 will be our year”) and timely designs such as the one I chose to commemorate a time of year where it gets slightly less hot in LA but is usually still over 80 degrees: “Hello Fall.”
Coffee for Sasquatch, Fairfax
Coffee for Sasquatch first opened its doors in September of 2017 on Melrose Avenue, owned and operated by a young female entrepreneur with a background in architecture — which absolutely shows through in the bright indoor space’s flooding natural light and clean design elements.
Aiming to curate a playful yet relaxed experience for their customers, this ship serves the beloved Ritual Coffee brand and amusing specialty drinks such as the colorful “Cryptid Latte” (pictured above) and the crowd favorite “Liverpool latte.” Paired with the friendly service and laid back atmosphere, it’s a perfectly grammable LA coffee spot that’s not to be missed.
The Butcher, The Baker, The Cappuccino Maker, (BBCM) West Hollywood
The Butcher, The Baker, The Cappuccino Maker is a quintessentially Los Angeles locale which you may have seen on any number of TV shows filmed in LA. I could spend a whole afternoon sitting in its West Hollywood cafe space, with its newly upgraded outdoor patio — admiring the trendy, Mediterranean themed decor and their signature “colorburst lattes” (not to mention, the ICONIC LA people watching opps!).
Brunch is a favorite at BBCM, but their coffee is what stands out to me. The “colorburst latte” looks like drinking a rainbow from a mug. Be warned that they only make this latte with whole milk, in order to preserve its vibrant pigment design, so if you’re lactose intolerant like me, be ready with the Lactaid (it’s not quite glamorous, but I don’t want anyone else to be thrown off like I was, if you’re allergic to milk or vegan since they insisted they couldn’t make the drink any other way).
Well, there you have it: five perfectly pictureque places for capturing an ultimate LA Latte. Just don’t let it get cold while you’re busy filling your phone with photos!
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