When thinking of coffee shops in Los Angeles, Intelligentsia likely comes to mind. While they have the corners of creativity covered on opposite sides of town (Venice and Silverlake), Coffee Commissary, in the new 801 North complex on Fairfax Ave., fills the specialty coffee craving for those in the center. Well-trained baristas pour rotating roasts from Sightglass, Coava, and Victrola to ensure that every glass is packed with premium quality. Their iced and vanilla lattes are competing to be the best in town and word on the street is to ask for their Cubano for a cinnamon-flavored twist. They leave the stirring up to you, so your pour feels pure and your cup becomes an abstract piece of art as the dark espresso drips through the milk and ice. Their soundtracking skills are superb—playing Band of Horses Everything All The Time in full is an A+ in my book. The chalkboard-painted wall is a playful touch to their more modern industrial design and white Ikea-like shelves frame the wall with a purposefully placed display of random antiques. The atmosphere is clean, minimal, and fresh with patio and inside seating that encourages you to stick around and work or socialize while sipping on some of LA’s best.
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Anything but the Basics at Coffee Commissary
When thinking of coffee shops in Los Angeles, Intelligentsia likely comes to mind. While they have the corners of creativity covered on opposite sides of town (Venice and Silverlake), Coffee Commissary, in the new 801 North complex on Fairfax Ave., fills the specialty coffee craving for those in the center. Well-trained baristas pour rotating roasts from Sightglass, Coava, and Victrola to ensure that every glass is packed with premium quality. Their iced and vanilla lattes are competing to be the best in town and word on the street is to ask for their Cubano for a cinnamon-flavored twist. They leave the stirring up to you, so your pour feels pure and your cup becomes an abstract piece of art as the dark espresso drips through the milk and ice. Their soundtracking skills are superb—playing Band of Horses Everything All The Time in full is an A+ in my book. The chalkboard-painted wall is a playful touch to their more modern industrial design and white Ikea-like shelves frame the wall with a purposefully placed display of random antiques. The atmosphere is clean, minimal, and fresh with patio and inside seating that encourages you to stick around and work or socialize while sipping on some of LA’s best.
My Favourite Latte in L.A.
Yes you may have to contend with hipster baristas (straight out of Portlandia) and all the good-looking wannabee actors reading scripts on the patio—but the quality, taste, and craftsmanship of the caffeinated drinks here is undeniable. The homemade pastries are awesome as well. P.S. Their sidewalk is often the parking spot of the Eggslut truck, so you can score a full breaky here.
