Balcony Coffee and Tea
$ Coffee & Tea
314 N Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90004
It’s funny how in the course of maybe three years a cold brew has become more expensive to get than a latte. It used to not be this way! I have been getting lattes with almond milk here because they’re a dollar cheaper than the cold brew they offer. I find it funny how something that requires skill to make is less of a commodity now than something that is stored overnight to brew.
Besides that, their foamy heart-shaped latte is pretty good. The coffee they use is really good. The guy who made it for me the first time really made it perfect. It was strong and had a delicate foamy texture — very well done! The second time tasted a bit more haphazard as the guy yesterday was preoccupied with many drink orders that some other customer — who came in after me — had ordered. So the latte tasted kind of weak.
But whatevs. It’s all about their ambiance, right? Their ambiance is really killer. They have a really cool custom-made greenhouse in the patio. It’s something I’ve never seen before in a coffee shop or anywhere and it’s an incredible idea. You have to really know what you’re doing to make your own custom greenhouse! The downside is that the air smells a bit like sweaty plants would from a greenhouse. Lol. They really tried to mask the sound of traffic on Western and Beverly by adding a fountain of water and it kind of works. It’s actually a really nice and comfortable place to hang out. And one of the best greenhouse patios, the only of its kind I’ve ever seen.
Also, a couple of other caveats: they have for here and a to-go cup option. The to-go cups give you a couple of ounces or so more latte than their mugs. And the shopping center and area, in general, has zero places to park bikes – I’ve been using the black gate adjoining their greenhouse patio to lock up.
Useful: 4 Funny: 3 Cool: 3
11/15/2017