HIBYE COFFEE — Restaurant in Westlake Village

Buckle in, because I'm about to take y'all for a ride.

I'm a coffee nerd, saw there was a new coffee shop, and was interested. I checked out their menu (which is a chaotic mess) and socials/website, and figured I'd stop in. Before I get there, though, some notes about their online presence:

They mention on their Instagram that they have two locations outside of Westlake: one in London and one in Kuwait. Google searches for these areas (both with and without a VPN) don't result in any hits. The Westlake location is the only one online, and given the next several things I'm going to mention, I suspect it's the only location period. (As suspected, only hours after posting this review, they added “coming soon” to their list of other locations. This place is a fraud.)

There used to be marketing on their website about their pastry chef being a Michelin Star award winner, but the name of that person was never mentioned. That seemed odd to me. Since there are so few actual award winners, and the award is rather prestigious, not mentioning who your world-class chef is seems very strange to me. I suspect their pastries are bought from a regular commercial supplier like most other coffee shops.

A note about their online reviews: they're obviously fake. All the reviews about the music (who mentions coffee shop music? it's like mentioning elevator music) and "ambiance" (concrete, with no decor at all) are laughable and clearly paid-for reviews / AI-written (badly). How many reviews were written where someone said they bought two drinks? Newsflash: this place's drinks are over ten dollars...nobody is buying and drinking two of them.

Even with all these things being apparent to me before I ever went to the shop, I decided to go anyway. I went in today and asked if they did pour-over. Both employees asked me, "What's that?" I told them it was brewed coffee and asked if they had brewed coffee. The woman working stated something like, "Yes - we have espresso, cappuccino, latte..."

How the F do you work at a coffee shop (that charges $10+ for a drink) and not know the difference between brewed coffee and espresso..and you don't know what a pour-over is? Especially when your website says DRIP COFFEE a thousand times all over the front page (your website sucks, by the way). I asked how they made their espresso, and they pointed out their "house machine," which was just a commercial superauto like a Jara for your home. Why are you charging over ten dollars for coffee that wasn't even dialed in, in the morning? There are no mentions of what the roasts are, their origins..nothing. Your employees don't even know what "dialing in coffee" even means, and you should be embarrassed.

Needless to say, I didn't end up buying anything. If you want something to put on Instagram to compete with your friends posting La La Land all the time, maybe this is the place for you. If you actually care about your coffee and buying it from people who also care about coffee (to say nothing of sustainability practices, etc.), then stay far, far away from this fake, embarrassing, poor excuse for a coffee shop.

Edit, to respond to the owner:

I am definitely reviewing the correct shop. I was just there today with my wife. You said you wanted to address inaccuracies, so you’re free to address them (fake locations across the world, not having portafilters, name of your supposed pastry chef, etc.); but don’t insult the public’s intelligence by brushing off a bad review by stating “you got the wrong place and you’re too poor for our...

Tucked away in Westlake Village, their interior is really cute and charming but it’s the creative lattes and flavorful bites that make them so different from other cafes. This is my vanilla latte with the picture that I took there on the spot! They have a machine that lets you print whatever picture you want on your drink or macaron. I even had my cat printed on one of my drinks as well.

Here are some of their unique lattes my ratings: Capricorn which is the Organic blueberry muffin latte (7/10) is one of their most popular drinks and it surprisingly really tasted like a muffin. Libra which is the Honey vanilla cinnamon oat milk shaken (8/10) and of course it was balanced with a variety of flavors. Virgo which is the Raspberry vanilla milk shaken espresso (9/10), which was my favorite. The tartness in the raspberry really paired well with the espresso. I can see myself drinking this everyday. Matcha strawberry latte (8/10) they make their syrups in house! Cookie butter latte (6/10) very sweet and I preferred it hot. Blue Mystic (9/10) packed with fruit and protein. Pisces which is Organic Pistachio Oat Milk Iced Latte with Organic Saffron (6/10) not the biggest fan of pistachio but I liked the saffron!

Bites and their ratings: Avocado truffle toast (9/10) not only was it beautifully plated, but the flavor was just as impressive. I was especially obsessed with the perfectly crisp yet airy sourdough it was served on. Blueberry muffin (10/10) they source these from a nearby michelin pastry shop so I guess I shouldn’t have been so surprised when it was so good. Salted chocolate chip cookie (9/10) the ultimate balance of crunchy edges and a chewy center. French-imported macarons (8/10) I went with vanilla and chocolate, and both were great but on the sweet side.

I love that Hibye has something on the menu for everyone whether you love a good latte or love a drink with a fun twist. Ryan was so helpful and accommodating and explained all the drinks and...

I stopped by yesterday (1/10/25) for the grand opening of their U.S. location after spotting their post on Instagram. Since I was in the area, I figured I'd give it a try.

Unfortunately, my experience was just okay, earning it a 3/5. The main drawback? The prices are EXTREMELY HIGH!!!

I ordered the Aquarius Cookie Butter Caramel Latte, which sounded amazing, but it didn't live up to the hype. The flavors felt disconnected, and it wasn't as sweet as I'd hoped. For nearly $11 (yes, $11 for a large), the portion was shockingly small. At that price point, I was expecting something memorable, but it just wasn't.

The atmosphere didn't help much either--it felt stark and lacked warmth, more functional than inviting. The shopping center it's in is utilitarian, not the kind of place you'd go out of your way to visit, which made the high prices feel even less justified. I couldn't help but think how much better the vibe is at somewhere like La La Land Cafe.

The staff was friendly, and the music had a nice international vibe, which I appreciated.

All in all, I couldn't help but think about what else I could've gotten for $11--maybe a full meal or multiple drinks somewhere else. For now, I don't see myself rushing back or even coming back!

*They will have competition soon with Toastique which for the value...