I have been dying to go on a coffee tour of Los Angeles for way too long! I knew I wasn’t going to be able to visit everywhere on my coffee bucket list in one day, so I summoned a couple of friends that I thought could take the caffeine overload and set off to conquer Hollywood and Koreatown!
We started off our day at Alfred Coffee on Melrose. This place is what I imagine heaven to be like: a beautiful layout, a hidden chocolate shop downstairs, and $9 waffle cone macchiatos. Here, we indulged in a traditional latte, iced coffee, and two of the #instafamous waffle cone macchiatos. Proudly brewing Stumptown (like many other coffee shops in the LA area), they set themselves apart by providing us coffee lovers with a true experience from entrance to exit! If you stop by, you MUST go downstairs to Compartes Chocolate shop! It is divine! You are surrounded by the most decadent and flavor-packed chocolate bars! I bought soooo many to use as stocking stuffers and they did not disappoint.
Our next stop was Awesome Coffee. If you have a sweet tooth, this is the place to be! We started off with some liquid nitrogen coffee ice cream. It was rich and creamy with a bold coffee flavor. Next, we enjoyed a classic iced chai tea latte. It wasn’t too spicy, just right. Last, but certainly not least, we shared the ‘Waffogato.’ This was just too good; definitely a fun take on a classic affogato! The ice cream was topped with a belgian waffle and a mini-carafe of espresso to pour on top!
YUM YUM YUM!
Go Get Em Tiger was our next caffeine pitstop. We ordered a Prosciutto Sandwich to share and G&B Milkshakes (because we didn’t get enough sweets at our last stop). The coffee milkshake was strong and not too sweet. I love G&B Coffee in Grand Central Market, so I was excited to visit it’s predecessor. Inside seating is hard to come by, but the Christmas tree in the back was a nice touch!
BrewWell would be my new blogging oasis if I lived closer. There is plenty of parking, seating, and natural light. The lavender cappuccinos and vanilla latte were delicious! The foam to espresso to milk ratio was perfect and the lavender tasted natural, and not at all artificial. I will definitely be back!
At this point, we were all delirious and borderline ill from all of the caffeine that we consumed throughout the afternoon. We needed to eat something, pronto! Don’t think I was going to let the coffee tour end there. We ended our day at Sapp Coffee Shop in Hollywood. A favorite of Jonathan Gold and Anthony Bourdain, this Thai place is in an unsuspecting strip mall and serves some bomb grub! I was the only one brave enough to order a Thai Iced Coffee, but don’t get me wrong, the jitters prevented me from finishing it! For noms, I ordered the Garlic Chicken with Rice and a Fried Egg. This place is a hidden gem, and I will definitely be back!
I’m planning more coffee tours for 2015, so keep a look out for the Westside, DTLA, Long Beach and more!