Solar de Cahuenga — Restaurant in Los Angeles

I ordered a Breakfast Sandwich with Fries and a Spanish Latte. The food was absolutely excellent. The fries were a superb mix of crisp and soft, and the sandwich was a blend of fabulous flavors in every bite. I truly had to slow myself down to appreciate every element of the sandwich, it was beyond all expectations. The Spanish Latte is similarly a phenomenal menu item. I ordered it with whole milk and iced, and it mixed with the flavor of condensed milk and coffee in a beautiful way. I am not someone who particularly enjoys the taste of coffee, but I do want to taste it in my drinks, and you can certainly taste it here. I recommend drinking it quickly if you order an iced drink, as the ice does melt quite fast, but do take your time to appreciate the flavor profile.

The barista I spoke with was so cordial and professional. I told her I had never been to this cafe, and she walked me through the menu quickly after asking me a few questions about what I was looking for. After I was finished with my meal, she was attentive and helped me with any questions I had.

The atmosphere of Solar de Cahuenga is similarly excellent. It feels like a cafe, and the tables and chairs look rustic, but they feel secure and stable. The decor is simple and pleasant, and customers have their choice of sitting indoors to enjoy the sound of coffee making, kitchen ambience, and lively discussion, or outside to be more alone with their thoughts and the roar of Los Angeles traffic.

The only minor criticism I have is of the music in the cafe. It was by no means so horrendous to the point of ruining the atmosphere, but it did clash with the atmosphere. I think music with more of a relaxed vibe would fit this cafe best. Again, I want to stress that this is a minor, minor issue. I would score Atmosphere at this cafe at 4.5/5 if I could, but I cannot so I rounded it to 5.

One last note. The food is expensive. The Breakfast Sandwich cost $16 and the Spanish Latte bumped my total up to $25. It is not an inexpensive dining experience, bit this to be expected in Hollywood. Know before you go that you will have to spend a large amount here, and you may not want to make this your daily coffee and writing stop if you are watching...

I write for a music and coffee blog called Crooners In Coffeeshops, in which I interview local musicians at local coffeeshops. My writeup reflects the positive experience that I encountered at Solar de Cahuenga on our interview date.

Hollywood’s Solar De Cahuenga will forever hold a special place in my heart due to it pretty much being the starting point of how Billy and I are connected. Prior to starting Crooners In Coffeeshops, I had been freelancing Music Connection Magazine writing live performance reviews. When I was ‘auditioning’ for a writing position, I had chosen Solar De Cahuenga as my workspace for writing on the piece that would land me my role with the magazine. Fast forward to my first published work, which happened to be my review of Billy’s show at The Viper Room. It was only fitting that we return to Solar De Cahuenga to come full circle.

Now enough of the trip down memory lane, what other things make Solar De Cahuenga special? Well to start off, they have a wonderful atmosphere! It’s easy to find yourself settling for loud, crowded shops with minimal seating for you to spend more than the amount of time it takes to finish a cup of coffee, but Solar De Cahuenga is not one of them. Not only is there plenty of seating indoors (which includes an adorable nook-like setting next to the entrance) and outdoors (check out their cozy patio area in between the building and the parking lot), but they make sure that the lighting is not too bright and the music is not too loud so one can hustle through their work without distraction. If their atmosphere doesn’t impress you, their food and drink menu sure will. From organic fare and signature crepes of the breakfast, sweet and savory nature to caffienated classics and specialty lattes (including my recommendation, the Solar Latte), there’s no reason why you wouldn’t want to make Solar De Cahuenga...

This was only my 2nd time here and it's been pretty consistent. Overall good food, atmosphere nice and quaint, and customer service, ok. Food (breakfast is my preference): I had the same breakfast as previously--bacon, scrambled eggs, roasted pots, and toast. First, it's not expected, especially because I'm not a bread person, but the toast is really good and not just an after thought. The right fluffiness, softness, and toastiness. Get the preserves to tip it off. Everything else was good and fresh also. But I had to give props to what's typically the least desirable part of most breakfasts.

Service: Because you pay in advance, apparently you shouldn't expect much service after they bring your food to the table. For both my visits there were minimal requests me and my guest had after receiving our food, i.e. condiments, ice, and napkins. And both visits, I had to get up to get these things myself or ask a 2nd or 3rd time. It's not much to do, so I'm not sure why service begins and ends at the counter when paying for food/drinks.

Atmosphere: Quaint, but comfortable and casual both inside and outside. Appreciate both options to dine. The sun outside is appreciated, but it's not overwhelming, thanks to trees and other decor that reduces it from being to over bearing.

There's minimal parking in the lot, so try to walk if nearby. There's also meter parking on the street right outside...