Concierge Coffee — Restaurant in Los Angeles

As the Arts district continues to get commercialized, new shopping zones are creeping out. Filled with random boutiques that you would most likely find in SoHo or Greenpoint versus downtown L.A., it’s evident that people are not shopping here. The stores are either closed or going out of business already. But positioned on the front of the complex sits Concierge with its arching windows and entrance.

ALMOST $10 for one of these lattes! At $8.50 + tax, this has got to be one of the most expensive lattes I’ve ever had. And I gotta say, as excited as I was to try the Persian Latte based off the ingredients list, I don’t know why but it tasted like soap to me. I think the combination of herbal ingredients just gave it a very clean flavor that resulted in what tastes like when you still left some soap in the glass after cleaning it and then you drink something out of it. The coffee itself, once you got to it, was flavorful and full bodied. But I can’t imagine I’m the only one that is experiencing that. Either way it’s too expensive to try again.

Their matcha was good though and we liked that they sprinkled some of the powder on top. A nice delicate touch.

The interior LOOKS nice but is incredibly uncomfortable to sit in. Generally user experience for cafes is meant to be functional but not comfortable. They don’t want you lingering for hours after all. But this place really makes it hard to enjoy your initial coffee as it is. Wooden stools with ridges make your butt hurt after a few minutes. There’s of course no tabletop space anywhere so you can’t really work there, and the only actual table is this concrete one in the center sitting area that is hard to sit at. It’s essentially a thick coffee table with no way to stick your legs under. So you’re either spread eagle or twisting your legs away from it while the top of you is facing the table.

BUT if you head through the back you’ll find more traditional patio furniture with the usual thin framed metal tables and chairs. Much more conventional to use and relax at.

It would have been nice that whoever designed this complex to create a grassy green space in its courtyard to offset all the bland white concrete dystopian facade.

Still, $9 latte. If that’s your cup of Joe, knock...

Drink Quality: This is not a specialty coffee shop. The filter coffee roast level is medium-dark which would necessitate using milk and sugar. The espresso based drinks were also overpowered by the bitter flavor of the espresso (the espresso shouldn’t be overly bitter, btw). In all, they can definitely use an improvement in that area for people who are interested in sipping specialty coffee. If their target demographic is people who are there for the beautiful interior only and Instagram, then they should keep doing what they’re doing haha.

Service: The service was fast despite having a long line and the baristas were also very nice. I will say that their workspace wasn’t as clean as other coffee shops’ workspaces.

Atmosphere: The space was clean and spacious. There was a calm vibe there despite the long line inside the shop. I’d recommend redirecting the line so that customers can comfortably sit on the...

I can't quite point it out yet but this coffee spot out of the few other options in the Arts District is my least favorite.

Their menu is very hard to read (typeface is very small and not organized) and if you're looking for a filtered drip coffee it's 8oz but priced as other 12oz cups in the area. Not sure if their blend is stronger or prepared differently. I think they should include their size options just for transparency.

Depending on who is working service is okay. It's a new coffee shop relative to the others so I expect it to improve.

I'm not sure if it's a design issue or layout, but I am trying to figure where the coffee is from, is locally roasted, or is purchased from elsewhere. I do appreciate the warehouse/loft feel of the space trying to maintain the feel of the Arts District and the...