Tortoni Caffe — Restaurant in Los Angeles

I was in the area taking care of some business and before jumping back on the freeway, I decided to stop by and grab a drink. I did a quick search online and saw this place right down the street from where I was, so I decided to give it a try. Upon walking in, I was really impressed with the aesthetics of this place, it was very nice and the branding was amazing. I'm a graphic designer and I always keep an eye out behind the branding of companies, and this is something that caught my attention about this place.

I looked through the menu and decided to grab a iced chai tea with oat milk, same order as any other place I ever go to. The lady (cashier) told me the chai is not sweet, and that I was able to add a sweetener, there were various options including agave, honey, vanilla, etc.

I understand that these options tend to be extra charge at all other places, so that was not a surprise, however after adding the vanilla sweetener and oat milk substitution, the price for my single drink was $9.98, pretty much $10. Which seemed kinda high for it as it wasn't a large drink.

While I waited for my drink, I looked at the hats and shirts they sell, again all of the aesthetics of this place are 10/10. I enjoyed the environment of this place and the order was ready in a reasonable amount of time.

I hopped back in my car and took a sip of the drink and oh boy....was I disappointed. I don't know if I was disappointed in the fact that the flavor was not good at all OR that it was $10. I figured "oh well, you live and you learn" and I started driving back home. I thought I could just drink it and go on with my day but I honestly couldn't. I ended up having to throw it away. I ended up grabbing a drink from another spot on my way home.

I wish I could give it 5 start because it really wasn't their fault that I didn't like the taste, however I think the price is slightly high compared to the size and I honestly was not happy, so that is why I'm...

I just moved to the neighborhood, and was looking for a nice cafe to get a little work done, and then read and relax for a bit on a Sunday afternoon. Tortoni was the right choice.

First thing's first, if you're low on time, parking is difficult. I had decided to spend the afternoon there, so I was okay with a walk, but the closest spot I could find after circling twice was 5 minutes away. Not ideal if you want a quick coffee. I think it would be easier to find parking on a weekday, but don't quote me on that.

Tortoni has a very clean and modern look, something I particularly loved. The display cases show off some delicious looking pastries, and an assortment of Argentinian Empanadas. The Empanadas sounded unique and fun, so I got one with Ham and Cheese, and another with Beef. They came with a delicious Chimichurri sauce. Awesome for an afternoon meal. I also ordered a Cappuccino, and it was delightful. I honestly don't remember the last time I had one this good! For a little extra fuel I grabbed a Pour Over coffee. Also, delicious!

I knew it would be busy that day, but I was excited to find an open seat inside. There were more open outside, and the patio seemed like a nice spot to sit if it came to that. The coffee shop is mid-sized, with a good 2000's rock / alternative playlist. The music was at a nice volume, as was the level of conversation from other patrons. It was easy to focus on my work in this environment. Also, Alex, one of the baristas was very sweet and helpful. She certainly added a very homey feeling to Tortoni, and really seemed to care about my experience. I really appreciated that. I'll...

Who knew coffee and empanadas make a good team? I do now! Prior to coming into the physical location, I’d ordered several times on UberEats and enjoyed the some red pepper and black olive quiche, pasta frola (a not overly sweet guava tart) and the Aztec mocha.

Today I finally went in and ordered an iced Aztec mocha (kinda like a latte and Mexican hot chocolate had a baby) and a perfectly sweet, sugar covered croissant like pastry called a Kouign-Amman. The location is relatively small but they have comfy seating including some lovely cushy chairs inside and plenty of outside seating. I didn’t see they had Mate until after I ordered my latte, but I can’t wait to try it next time! Properly made Yerba mate beverages are just so good and the energy you get from it is so much less jittery than caffeine. The waitstaff was friendly and accommodating to my several questions about the drinks and pastries.

If you’re looking for a coffee experience with an assortment of unique drinks and food options, I’d highly recommend you...