{"id":267288,"date":"2026-04-14T12:52:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T12:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/267288\/"},"modified":"2026-04-14T12:52:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T12:52:13","slug":"a-treehouse-a-racetrack-an-echo-park-living-room-las-most-unusual-places-to-caffeinate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/267288\/","title":{"rendered":"A treehouse, a racetrack, an Echo Park living room: LA\u2019s most unusual places to caffeinate"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s no shortage of great coffee shops in LA. It\u2019s maybe something we\u2019re especially known for \u2014 L.A., after all, is home to many a viral matcha moment and Instagrammable coffee shop interior. But the city also houses several unique caf\u00e9s that make your coffee break feel a little more like a break from reality. <\/p>\n

These five coffee shops may part from tradition, but they certainly don\u2019t fall short on the cool factor, or on quality.<\/p>\n

Aquarela (Downtown)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Aquarela\u2019s stunning marble lobby was completed in 1931. <\/p>\n

Keep up with LAist.<\/p>\n

If you’re enjoying this article, you’ll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less. <\/p>\n

DTLA is home to many wonderful coffee shops, but none can rival the beauty and splendor of Aquarela<\/a>, a caf\u00e9 nestled inside the marble halls of the historic CalEdison building. Here, you\u2019ll find rare Brazilian farm-direct coffees, plus tropical smoothies and small snacks like p\u00e3o de queijo (cheesy, savory bread bites). Beyond the stunning Art Deco digs, the specialty drinks are the real draw here \u2014 the Batida, a nod to the popular Brazilian cocktail, blends iced coffee with coconut, banana and condensed milk to transport you directly to the beach in Rio.<\/p>\n

Location: 601 W 5th St., Los Angeles
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.<\/p>\n

Cafe on 27 (Topanga)<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

Toast and views from Cafe on 27 <\/p>\n

There\u2019s a certain je ne sais quoi to drinking coffee while forest bathing. Cafe on 27<\/a>, a treehouse-style brunch spot in Topanga Canyon, delivers this experience wonderfully. The sprawling, tree-blanketed patio opens out directly into the canyon, where verdant hills are the only thing you\u2019ll see for miles. <\/p>\n

Like any good treehouse would, Cafe on 27 serves organic coffees that are roasted on-site. Matcha, hot tea and freshly-squeezed orange juice are also on offer, alongside brunch staples like avocado toast, crab cake benedicts, pancakes and Nutella waffles. Note: reservations are required on weekends and holidays, and highly recommended on weekdays, otherwise expect an hour-plus wait.<\/p>\n

Location: 1861 N Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Saturday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.<\/p>\n

Casita Basqueria (Malibu)<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t yet been to Casita Basqueria<\/a>, the rustic Malibu cottage serving coffee, Basque grocery staples and often sold-out sandwiches, a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway is in order. Tucked in Surf Canyon among a small commune of artisanal retailers and workshops, Casita Basqueria makes for a wonderful weekend stop for brunch and coffee. Get there right at 11 a.m., if you can; the bocadillo sandwiches, which are made in limited quantities on fresh pan de cristal, are known to vanish within 20 minutes of opening. Sandwich offerings rotate daily, but the espresso machine can always be counted on to whip up a good latte or cappuccino.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The best time to show up to Casita Basqueria is right at 11 a.m.<\/p>\n

(<\/p>\n

Courtesy Casita Basqueria\n<\/p>\n

)<\/p>\n

Location: 3730 Cross Creek Rd., Malibu
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.<\/p>\n

Granada (Echo Park)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Granada\u2019s airy digs and delicious coffee catapulted it into instant stardom. <\/p>\n

You could easily walk by Granada<\/a>, L.A.’s newest coffee scene darling, without realizing that there\u2019s a buzzy cafe nestled amid the towering Victorians of residential Angeleno Heights. But here it is, up an unsuspecting driveway and into the first floor of owners\u2019 Sydney Wayser and Isaac Watters\u2019 home, a concept made possible by LA County\u2019s Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO)<\/a> program.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to see why Granada so swiftly achieved the viral status it did. The light-filled living room and locally-crafted furniture beckon guests to sit and stay. The garden, lush with palms and a pomegranate tree, also provides ample seating. An iced latte with whole milk will set you back $7 \u2014 par for the course in L.A. \u2014 but soaking in the sunlight filtering through the window while snacking on a pastry by baker Sasha Piligian (of Canyon Coffee and Chamberlain Coffee) feels like a fair trade. Connecting to the wifi here proves a journey, but if you can hotspot it, this is a fantastic place to knock out a few hours of work.<\/p>\n

Location: 1451 Carroll Ave., Los Angeles
Hours: Wednesday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.<\/p>\n

Speedster Caf\u00e9 (Carson)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Coffee and racecars make for an excellent pairing. <\/p>\n

(<\/p>\n

Courtesy Porsche Experience Los Angeles<\/p>\n

)<\/p>\n

Fuel up on espresso as Porsche 911 GT3s fly by at Speedster Caf\u00e9<\/a>. Situated at the edge of the racetrack at the Porsche Experience Center, Speedster offers a range of espresso drinks, plus breakfast sandwiches on brioche buns, matcha lattes and wines by the glass. Both indoor and outdoor seating are available, and if you need something a little more filling, you can always head upstairs to eat lunch at Porsche\u2019s sit-down restaurant, 917.<\/p>\n

Location: 19800 South Main St., Carson
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; third Sunday of the month, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There\u2019s no shortage of great coffee shops in LA. It\u2019s maybe something we\u2019re especially known for \u2014 L.A.,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":267289,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[35125,16221,6629,48,52,51,47,50,49,23627,9600,116711,49300],"class_list":{"0":"post-267288","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles","8":"tag-art-deco","9":"tag-coffee","10":"tag-granada","11":"tag-la","12":"tag-la-headlines","13":"tag-la-news","14":"tag-los-angeles","15":"tag-los-angeles-headlines","16":"tag-los-angeles-news","17":"tag-porsche","18":"tag-topanga","19":"tag-treehouse","20":"tag-unusual"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267288","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=267288"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267288\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/267289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=267288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=267288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=267288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}