Everything about this sunny cafe in Tarzana is a labor of love. Customers get a front-row seat to watch co-owner Gacia Tachejian roast beans in small batches behind the counter a few times a week, and she produces flavor profiles that hint of strawberry and chocolate. Her coffee selections change with the seasons, so there’s always something new to look forward to. Fun drink selections like red velvet and lavender lattes, as well as food items like breakfast burritos and matcha pistachio croissants, round out the menu for a complete Laidrey experience.

Appealing to bicycle culture on the Westside, this Calabasas and Santa Monica cafe does well-crafted espresso drinks and a light menu of teas and tonics to help cyclists to continue their routes. Otherwise, the Santa Monica shop is a light-filled oasis to work or host in-person meetings or just get out of the house.

Venice’s popular Menotti’s has become a beachside favorite, serving exacting espresso drinks with a creative flair, all coupled with curated tunes from the record player. Enjoy coffees out on the sun-soaked patio that’s taken over the street.

The Boy and the Bear’s Redondo Beach flagship serves up some of the city’s very best espresso drinks in cozy-cool environs just a few blocks from the ocean. As a bonus, the Redondo location roasts everything on-site in a warehouse-style space with indoor and outdoor seating. The Boy and the Bear has outposts in Westchester, Pasadena, and the Culver City area as well.

Culver City's modernist coffee bar is the perfect place for a late morning or early afternoon pick-me-up, with espresso and single brews prepared by affable baristas. With a wide selection of beans from roasters around the country, it's a coffee geek's paradise. Cognoscenti also has locations in the Fashion District and Downtown LA.

Basecamp can feel a world away from the city some mornings, as horse riders trot down the foggy morning streets in search of nearby trails. Thankfully the coffee menu isn’t lost in the woods, opting instead to focus on traditional espresso drinks, East Coast-style frappes, and teas. This is the cozy Valley spot for hunkering down with a warm-up and a book.

This second outpost of a popular Koreatown coffee bar is quite the scene during the week, given its location in the middle of the neighborhood. It’s always bustling with those seeking caffeine. The cafe serves Onyx Coffee from Arkansas, and baristas always make sure the latte art is top-notch.

An exercise in Korean minimalist design, Maru’s two locations in Los Feliz and the Arts District are incredibly pleasant places to enjoy coffee in Los Angeles. The beans are roasted at its larger Arts District space.

Tucked into a hidden location off the LA River in Elysian Valley/Frogtown, this multi-roaster coffee shop is part showroom for specialty brewing equipment and part cafe serving stellar espresso drinks. Roving food vendors serve things like banh mi and breakfast burritos, so look out for them just outside the cafe.

This ultra-minimalist space in Chinatown has settled in nicely to Far East Plaza. The rotating roaster selection gives coffee enthusiasts something new to try on every visit. Try some of the Southeast Asian-influenced shaken ice drinks.

This delightful coffee bar in Highland Park serves beans from a variety of roasters, with an eye for pleasing latte art and proper brewing techniques. Kumquat also has a newer sister shop called Loquat in Cypress Park, which boasts a stylish yellow-tinted design and serves its own propriety roasted beans.

Pasadena's best coffee shop may well be Copa Vida, a corner stalwart that also offers a full slate of food options to pair with its sunny vibe and well-calibrated espresso drinks. Try the different types of cold brews, or opt for a well-made iced latte for warmer days.

Oaxacan-inpired drinks reign at Café Santo, a window and budding cafe from Pilar Casteñeda and Marlon Gonzalez. The duo used to operate in farmers markets but have debuted this window at Montebello’s chic BLVD Market. Try the memelas and the Oaxacan iced mocha for proper late morning refreshment.