USA
Los Angeles
LA's coffee scene runs on a different clock. Mornings start late, lunches push past two, and the best work happens at the table you weren't planning to sit at. The guide leans east — Silver Lake, Highland Park, Echo Park — where the cafés are quieter and the photographers come less often. Plenty of west-side too, but bring a backup spot. Parking matters here in a way it doesn't in New York.
Santa Monica
Caffe Luxxe
A traditionally-leaning Italian-style bar. Espresso first, laptop second.
outlets
3
seats
14
noise
2/5
price
$$$
Santa Monica
Goodboybob Coffee
Bigger than it looks. Easy to spread out and stay for hours.
outlets
5
seats
20
noise
3/5
price
$$$
Silver Lake
Dinosaur Coffee
An easygoing Silver Lake spot. Good for catching up with someone, not a deep-work cave.
outlets
4
seats
16
noise
3/5
price
$$
West Hollywood
Alfred Coffee
Mostly a vibe. Quick stop, not a session.
outlets
2
seats
8
noise
4/5
price
$$$
Culver City
Conservatory for Coffee, Tea & Cocoa
A roaster-cafe that has been here longer than most. Coffee nerd-friendly.
outlets
4
seats
16
noise
3/5
price
$$
Silver Lake
Dayglow
Curates beans from around the world. Good for trying something you would not order otherwise.
outlets
4
seats
14
noise
3/5
price
$$$
Hollywood
Kindness & Mischief Coffee
A surprisingly calm corner on Hollywood Blvd. Tables hold a laptop and a plate.
outlets
4
seats
16
noise
3/5
price
$$
Culver City
Cognoscenti Coffee
One of LA earliest third-wave shops, still excellent. The patio is the move.
outlets
4
seats
16
noise
2/5
price
$$$
Beverly Grove
Sightglass Coffee
The SF roaster, well-translated to LA. Upstairs is quieter; downstairs is louder.
outlets
5
seats
22
noise
3/5
price
$$$
Venice
Blue Bottle Coffee
Reliable, well-designed, never surprising. A safe spot to land on Abbot Kinney.
outlets
4
seats
16
noise
3/5
price
$$$
La Brea
Cafecito Organico
Small, friendly, and usually has a table when others do not.
outlets
3
seats
14
noise
2/5
price
$$
Little Tokyo
Demitasse
The Little Tokyo location is the original. Good for a careful pour-over and a clear head.
outlets
4
seats
16
noise
2/5
price
$$$
Echo Park
Eightfold Coffee
Echo Park bright spot. Best before 11; the brunch crowd takes over after.
outlets
4
seats
16
noise
3/5
price
$$$
Mid-Wilshire
Republique
A bakery, restaurant, and cafe in a converted Chaplin-era building. Coffee good; pastries the reason to come.
outlets
5
seats
24
noise
3/5
price
$$$
Koreatown
Document Coffee Bar
Phones away, laptops away. A place to drink coffee and look at the wall.
outlets
2
seats
10
noise
2/5
price
$$$
Larchmont
Go Get Em Tiger
Mornings are for visitors, afternoons for regulars. The patio has its own weather.
outlets
4
seats
18
noise
3/5
price
$$$
Downtown
Verve Coffee Roasters
Good for solo work. Plenty of seating and generous wall outlets.
outlets
6
seats
24
noise
3/5
price
$$$
Highland Park
Civil Coffee
The back room is the work room. The front is for catching up with people you bumped into.
outlets
4
seats
16
noise
3/5
price
$$
Culver City
Bar Nine
Their wifi holds; the music does not. Best if you can tune it out.
outlets
4
seats
14
noise
3/5
price
$$$
Los Feliz
Maru Coffee
Quiet enough for thinking. A favorite of writers and architects in the neighborhood.
outlets
3
seats
12
noise
2/5
price
$$$