Caffeine Dreams: Haute 5 Coffee Houses in Los Angeles

There are many different rules around coffee and its consumption.  Order a cappuccino instead of an espresso after lunch and the Italians will stare at you like you just told them you support France in the World Cup.  Subject a purist to a blind coffee taste test and they’ll bore you to tears about the purity of the beans, the density and richness of its “tail,” and how recently it was roasted.  Los Angeles has, in its recent years of culinary pioneering, gained a number of high end establishments that cater to both coffee fanatics and your average caffeine explorer.  Here, your haute 5 places to suck down more caffeine than you’ve ever needed.  None of these places offer their beverages intravenously… yet.

Caffe Luxxe

This intimate, laid back hideaway on Montana Ave in Santa Monica shouldn’t fool you.  It may be small and there may be any number of tiny dogs tied up outside waiting for their post-yoga owners to emerge with lattes and croissants, but they are serious about their brews.  The coffee, which hails from Northern Italy, is ground as you make your order, so that espresso you’ve ordered is as fresh as can be.  To temper your shaking from too much caffeine, they also serve some of the most delicious pastries west of the 405.  Their Almond Croissant is good enough to drive out of the way for and the Apricot Tart is, likewise, divine.

Caffe Luxxe is located at 925 Montana Ave. in Santa Monica (They also recently opened a Brentwood location)  310.394.2222