Art + Science Cafe — Restaurant in Pasadena

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 Art + Science Cafe on our interview date.

I’m happy to say, that for the many years that I have called Southern California my home, the city of Pasadena has provided me with more pleasant experiences than I can even count. Well, it looks like I will be adding my visit to the posh, fairly new to the neighborhood cafe Art + Science to that list! If I could, I could go for paragraphs just raving about their wonderful coffee offerings, but I’ll do my best to not ramble. For the classic coffee aficionados, you’ve got your cold brew, single origin drip, and a range of espressos to fit any customer’s taste. But if you’re looking to discover your next favorite drink, I would highly suggest taking a good, long glance at their delightful specialty espresso drink menu that they have as you may find something that may not have thought you would love. They’re not afraid of adding new recipes to their menu, and I happy to have came in to try their recently debuted Cookie Monster Latte, which was surprisingly not too overpowering on the cream or the sweet (aspects that I think would have killed the latte). Top it all off with cute latte art lined with small cookies (I literally almost didn’t want to drink it) and you’ve got yourself the perfect drink that will just really hit the spot on a relatively brisk day.

Now, moving on to the atmosphere of Art + Science. To me, I think they really nailed their aesthetic with their modern grayscale-esque color scheme implemented into the furniture and design choices. However, it’s their hint of fun quirkiness showcased in little baubles tucked away in various parts of the shop along with golden eye-catching shark and t-rex heads mounted to the walls for all who walk in to see. A soundtrack consisting of light-hearted indie rock music and slower paced pop music sets the mood for intimate conversations without being too exuberant to disturb the busy bees stopping in to get some work done, overall giving the shop a calm yet enjoyable ambiance. Plan accordingly, because with limited seating for groups larger than two inside along with growing popularity, you could just be fighting tooth and nail...

6/8/2019 Update. Thought we’d give it another try. Noticed that Google and Yelp now say open at 10 AM on Saturday and Sunday. So we drove over there, and what do you think? Same thing! Blinds drawn, nobody there, no hours posted at the entrance —see photo. Soooo, we’re REALLY trying to experience this place again, because we did enjoy it quite a while ago. But God knows when they open. These people really need to get a website.

/// Previous review: They were not open at 9:00am on Saturday 12/8/18. Yelp and Google show business is (theoretically) open at 9am. No website. No hours posted at business. Very frustrating to make a trip over for nothing. We visited once awhile ago, and really liked it. SO.... I guess call ahead before you...

Reading these reviews, I was super excited to try Art+Science. But afterwards, totally regretted not just going to Philz around the corner.

A very modern, clean and hip café. Limited food menu and an array of drink specials.

My girl and I had...

Iced Matcha Almond Milk Latte with Red Beans Iced Rose Almond Milk Latte

The matcha was good, and the red bean was a great touch. But not the best ever.

The rose latte was horrible. They put so much rose syrup that it tasted like chemicals. I couldn't take more than a few sips and ended up throwing it away. The espresso tasted super burnt and extra bitter.

The drinks aren't cheap. And...