Café Telegrama — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Many people have recommended this place to me, and I had only heard good things, so I finally decided to give it a try this weekend and can honestly say I am also a fan. It’s a really hip, casual, and tranquil café that also serves some really good food. It’s not a full service restaurant, you place your order at the counter, they give you a number, and then they bring the food to you. The menu itself is not very large, but all the options on it looked great to us, and we both loved the dishes that we ordered. Parking in the area can be tricky depending on the time but we were able to find a free neighborhood street spot about a block away. Service was pretty quick, there was only one person in front of us in line when we got there and then had to wait about 10 to 15 minutes for our food to arrive so it was a really quick process. They have seating inside as well as out, however, the tables outside are larger and there is a little bit more room in between the tables, so that’s where we chose to sit.

I decided to order what I was recommended and went with the All Day which is basically a soft scramble and salad, as well as bacon or avocado. I loved how the eggs were prepared and thought they were overall fantastic. It’s not a large sized portion, but a perfect sized one. It’s enough to fill you up, but not stuff you up. We also ordered some of the Pancakes and thought they were pretty unique and also very good. You can tell that they are cooked in butter because the edges curl up and they are not the traditional, fluffy, buttermilk style, but rather thinner, cakier type pancakes that really soaks up the syrup flavor. Most of the tables around us were ordering it as well, so it’s definitely one of the more popular items on the menu.

Overall, I would highly recommend if you are in the area or even if you are like us from Marina del Rey, it’s worth the drive to have a...

I want to preface this all by saying, I have no issues with a place like this existing. It’s a beautifully designed cafe. It’s just something you’d see more of in SOHO or maybe the Arts District. (Valet parking?! For a cafe? Tell me that doesn’t smell of entitlement)

Placing it in this neighborhood just kinda reeks of gentrification. Taking advantage of the areas cheap lots from businesses that had to close up after the pandemic. It doesn’t really serve the demographic or community living here. And clearly doesn’t employ them either. The longstanding locals won’t be coming in here for what amounts to so so coffee (more on that in a bit). And looking around you can tell immediately that there was very little diversity in the clientele.

This will only help drive out other existing businesses and bring in more of those cookie cutter condos/apts. Pushing out everyone else. There’s already a new development happening around the corner.

But since mostly hipsters and ex New Yorkers will love this place, I didn’t find it to be on par with the location itself. The matcha was nothing special, and the cappuccino I had tasted like diner coffee. Not sure the temperature was correct when pulling the shot or too fine a grind. There’s a limited pastry menu but a much larger food menu that I didn’t bother to try as I was only interested in the coffee.

The space is pretty tight inside with small round tables. There seems to be more space outside but barely any seating out there which was odd. Maybe because of the weather. Overall as a local POC, it’s not a spot I will want to frequent or even return to.

There’s always Balcony Coffee just a few minutes down the street with a nice greenhouse sitting area...

Coffee shop and breakfast/lunch spot where the aesthetic matches the quality of their goods. Go for a quick cup of coffee or stay a little longer for a full meal. Plenty of seating both indoor and out with relaxed vibes and great service.

We went towards closing where it was a little calmer, but this new spot is already gaining in popularity so be prepared for limited elbow space if you go during peak hours. Street parking was very available at 3 on a Saturday, free side street parking was a little harder to come by though.

Great coffee with straightforward options of mocha, latte, cappuccino etc with vanilla, simple syrup, sugar free vanilla or honey for flavorings. I got a cappuccino which was perfectly poured and could rival a cup from Maru or bluebottle. The pastries were very good as well. We got the berry & cream puff which was nicely flaky, and not too sweet. Their cookies are made in house and their pastries are from friends and family up the street.

I’ve heard good things from the food from the other patrons and would love to go for brunch one day. Definitely high on our list as a great neighborhood spot and we definitely will be back. If you’re in the area and want to go on a tasty aesthetically pleasing adventure, I’d highly...