5 Best New L.A. Coffee Shops: Wake Up

By Tien Nguyen Fri., Nov. 11 2011 at 6:00 AM

T. Nguyen

Siphon-filtered coffee at Balconi Coffee.

2. Balconi Coffee. Exceptional coffee is like a 3D Magic Eye print: it might take a while to focus and see everything you are meant to see, but the effort is worth it. Few shops are better at focusing your sights than Balconi Coffee. Two years after its original location nearby closed, Balconi reopened this year. Using beans from local roasters like Cafecito Organico, the shop makes incredibly flavorful coffee in its siphon filters. After you order, accept the barista's offer to smell the freshly ground coffee before it's brewed, so you'll be primed for the first sip. If you let yourself get lost in the art of that cup, you'll pick up at least one nuanced flavor - blueberries, maybe - and see a picture of coffee like you've rarely seen before. 11301 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, 310-906-0267.

T. Nguyen

Cognoscenti Coffee's cortado, with a palmier from Proof Bakery.

1. Cognoscenti Coffee. When the recession forced Yeekai Lim to rethink his work in architecture, he turned his love for coffee into a new career. He streamlined the coffee experience, throwing only the essentials - Four Barrel coffee, espresso machine, cups, grinder - on a makeshift cart and popped up around town. He and his Cognoscenti Coffee finally found a permanent home at Proof Bakery, where, in addition to Four Barrel, he also makes fantastic coffee with beans from Coava Coffee Roasters and Handsome Coffee Roasters. The shop has become a true gem of a neighborhood cafe, proving that even if we spend most of the day isolated on our own ships in this concrete ocean of a city, we will always take the time to drop anchor together. 3156 Glendale Blvd., Atwater Village, (323) 664-8633.

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Proof Bakery

3156 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, CA

Category: Restaurant

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balconi coffee, cafe dulce, coffee, coffee tomo, coffeebar, cognoscenti coffee, tien nguyen

We Recommend

xjereme

Beach Bean Espresso in Venice, CA Abbot Kinney/Washington. Best lattes on the planet.

Starting a cafe

I agree with their listings.Those coffee shops are all worth visiting.

rborja

Yes, I second the vote on Demitasse in Little Tokyo.

The website: www.cafedemitasse.com.

It opened in August and it has many varieties of coffee and each cup is brewed fresh -- it even uses one of those science-looking gizmos to make a perfect cup. Demitasse also has excellent pastries -- I had a rich, crumbly lavender shortbread cookies, and I nibbled it slowly to make it last.

Lar Jorgen

How could you leave out Demitasse in Little Tokyo?

Marsia

What, no coffee exists in the San Fernando Valley?

LA Coffee Club

I wonder how many coffee shops in LA roast their own beans? I've got a list of about 16 but I'm sure there's plenty more - just found one last night @ChalkLA:disqus http://lacoffeeclub.com/roaste...

Greg Thomas

Completely agree on Cognoscenti, really friendly, knowledgeable, and expert baristas in an excellent bakery. I would definitely have Cafe Demitasse in Little Tokyo in my top 5, too. You don't have to go all the way to Portola to enjoy Kyoto cold brew, demitasse has a Kyoto, too.

Ender

So does Espresso Cielo in Santa Monica.

Jesse FC

No love for Cafecito Organico? Does that not qualify as "new" anymore?

SomeguyinLA

Big fail on this article. They missed TWO of the best up and coming places for coffee.

First, is Paper or Plastik, a coffee house run on the front half of a dance studio in the great neighborhood on Pico between Fairfax and La Brea. Although they do not roast their own beans, they do purchase from all the best roasters in town. Top that off that they give a great neighborhood a solid community coffee shop and this should definitely be on the list.

Second is a little secret of mine that I'm going to let everyone know about, and that's the tiny taco shop on La Brea called Tinga. The food there is great, and these serious coffee heads do in fact roast their own beans in house, make an amazing espresso (it actually gives me a feeling of well being when I drink it), and also do a dirty horchata with a double espresso dropped in. go there for some food, let them know you want to buy a pound and they may even roast it for you right then and there.

Greg Thomas

Thanks for the heads up on Tinga, I have to check them out, tacos plus roasted on site espresso is an excellent combo!

Bsquared2

Imagine a world between Atwater and West LA....

I do agree with some of the choices. Cafe Tomo has pretty good coffee and amazing pretzels. I was unimpressed by Dulces baked goods, but haven't had the coffee.

Since I live in the middle, I will give a shout out to Coffee Commissary on Fairfax and Melrose. Maybe they aren't new enough, but they have good coffee. Their week link used to be their baked goods, but now they have somebody baking in house and their muffins, pop tarts are really good.

And if you want to get in your car and drive... I think Portola Coffee in Costa Mesa is the best new coffee house. They roast their own beans, have a Kyoto and even have special cups that cover your nose so you can really get a whiff of the coffee.