Aquarela Coffee - Chinatown — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Our morning ritual used to involve bludgeoning ourselves into a semblance of consciousness with the heavy-hand of a generic dark roast. It was an effective if inelegant solution to parenthood. Aqaurela's beans provide a different experience. We are by no means coffee experts, but my wife and I were surprised by the nuances in smell and taste when we tried their Deus Me Livre for our morning espresso. It's a lighter feel; almost refreshing. The morning cup feels a bit indulgent, yet not so rich as to make your mouth feel overwhelmed. We could see this pairing very well as an after-dinner treat with any manner of desserts. The best part is that this is simply a fantastic company to work with. Quick, fast delivery. Prompt follow-up to make sure we were completely satisfied. And all questions answered - when we noted that we typically prefer darker roasts, one of the owners explained that their goal was to make a medium-roast whose flavors would still hold up to a coordination with cream and sugar. It's a throwback to days where customer service and the personal touch were still important. This is a small business whose goal of promoting independent farmers is admirable and worthy of our...

Aquarela Coffee is a Brazilian specialty coffee shop so I only had their signature drinks.

The Saude Latte is a cinnamon latte garnished with an orange wedge that reminds me of Dayglow's Warhol. The Sabotage, named after the late Sao Paulo rapper, is a house spice mocha. On the iced drink side, Aquarela's version of espresso and tonic, named Chopp, is refreshing and citrusy. The salt on the rim even gives it a mocktail look.

What's most special about Aquarela though, is the freshly baked Brazilian cheese bread. They are of bite size and have just the right level of chewiness and richness, hence satisfying but not heavy.

I don't like the vibe of the shop, completely exposed on a bare sidewalk facing a wide city road, but I had some nice conversations with Thais, who is Brazilian and bakes the cheese bread; as well as barista Lee, who made me the Saude Latte. These little chats saved the otherwise less...

Coffee first. Shenanigans later. Lol. It’s time to have a great coffee adventure that makes life better. Aquarela Coffee is a cool unpretentious small corner coffee shop and a rare farm-direct Brazilian coffees, micro-roasted in Los Angeles. They were conceived in the specialty coffee culture of São Paulo, Brazil. Cool! They’re located on Figueroa and Alpine street of DTLA. I arrived on a foggy Tuesday morning and ordered a simple drip coffee. The front patio seats has a relaxing atmosphere with a good street view where customers can ogle at DTLA skyline. Coffee was perfectly blended and has a good aroma. Moreover, they offer a very limited pastries. Staff was obsequious, amiable and followed health protocol. Coffee prices were reasonable and highly competitive. Street metered parking only. Overall, I had a good brazilian coffee. I highly recommend this nice little...