Balconi Coffee Company

Almond essence latte was pretty good! I may ask for less syrup next time, but I enjoyed it. It's crushed almond and essence in latte (in case you were wondering if it's just almond milk in place of milk, like I did).

Food option was rather limited at 3:00 in the afternoon, but it wasn't crowded and was a great place for me and my daughter to sit down to do some homework.

The staff are friendly, seem to enjoy being there and very conversational. This is the type of coffee shop with a lively social vibe where people are always talking, unlike some other quiet ones. Definitely an easier place to bring along smaller kids!

Have you heard of siphon coffee? If not, prepare to be amazed by the brewing method for this coffee. It uses a contraption that looks like it could be a cool science project. The method is actually pretty cool as it uses vapor pressure and gravity to extract the coffee (I had to google this LOL).

All black coffees are made this way at Balconi. They have a selection of different beans to chose from. Husband tried the lighter, fruitier bean from Costa Rica and I got the darker, richer bean from Columbia. The Colombian is roasted in-house. The barista advised us not to use cream or sugar as it would mask the natural flavors. She also let us smell the beans before she grinded them. They both smelled soooooo good, I almost asked her for some beans to keep in my pocket to take home lol.

The black coffees were served with a little cookie which was super cute. We also ordered the pumpkin pop tart and chocolate chip cookie. Both were delicious but I preferred the pumpkin pop tart as I do not like things too sweet. But the cookie was perfect for a sugar junkie like the hubs.

Not much seating in here, so I wouldn't say it's a good spot to study or have a meeting. But great for going by yourself to enjoy some alone time with an amazing cup of coffee.

It's a little hectic getting there, but the coffee is worth it!

To get to Balconi Coffee, you need to get to the Olympic Collection complex. It's tempting to circle Sawtelle endlessy to find meter parking, but the easiest thing to do is to pull into underground parking structure, pick up a ticket and take your ticket up to Balconi for a free one hour validation.

I have a weakness for almond drinks... Almond milk tea, almond slushies, almond coffee. Sometimes they are done right, other times I can't figure out what I'm drinking. When I read the reviews for Balconi's signature Almond Esssence Latte, I made it a point to make it down there.

Iced Almond Essence Latte ($5, 11 ounces) - Without adding anything to the drink, my first sip encountered a rich coffee with an even richer almond presence. Balconi grounds there own almond cream from almonds and it's an immersive almond presence that evens itself out from the first sip to the last. It has some natural sweetness and I chose to bring that out even more by adding simple syrup to it. Their Almond Essense Latte is a wonderful version that had me wanting another cup after I was done. The cold version is wonderfully balanced and I imagine the hot version brings out the flavors even more. A must get for the almond fan.

Balconi also does a host of other single origin offerings and they prep them via the siphon method. At $4.50 for 6 ounces and $6.00 for 12 ounces, it's one of the most reasonable places to get the siphon brew method considering many places charge $7-10 for a cup of siphon brew.

My barista was friendly and efficient. The cafe has indoor and outdoor seating. Just remember to get your parking validated before you leave!

This is one of the best coffee shops in the Sawtelle area in terms of the drink quality. I love to get the lattes here while my friend gets a cappuccino. Their baked goods all seem really good, I've tried the cookie and it was delicious.

It is a small cafe with limited indoor seating for groups (2-3 small tables and bar seating area). They do also have 2 outdoor tables to enjoy your coffee with some sun. They do not have WiFi, so this is not an ideal location to do work.

I had never had siphon brewed coffee before, so when I searched yelp for a nearby cafe while we were driving around Sawtelle, I saw Balconi and it piqued my curiosity (I'm a former barista).

We walked in and ordered the Kenya Guama and Almond Essence latte.
I watched as the barista turned the heat on the siphon apparatus. The water from the lower chamber boiled, then slowing made its way to wet the grounds in the upper chamber. Once the heat was turned off, the freshly brewed liquid said, "see ya!" to the coffee grounds and escaped back down into the lower chamber. It was entertaining to watch, although I kinda felt like a creeper.

The Kenya was poured into a mug and served with a spoon and cute tiny cookie. The Almond Essence latte had some beautiful foam art that looked like a female's face.

We got our drinks and sat down. The Kenya was so flavorful, almost like sipping on a hot citrusy apple cider (but in a good coffee kind of way).
And the almond latte- wow perfect real almond flavor and sweetness (not too little not too much)... the only thing I'd change is maybe if it had a bit more espresso flavor to it. But I loved it and would get it again.

Latte art in the Sawtelle area of Los Angeles...

Alana showed me some photos of cute latte art and I was sold. The way she got me to remember the name of this shop was clever. She said, "It's Balconi...like balcony with an 'i'!" Yup...it works!

We had some time before I had to go to the airport, so we made a quick visit. The plan was to get dessert after coffee, so there was incentive to be focused and efficient here!

Parking was free in the Olympic Collection Shopping Center. It's a bit of a challenge in this structure. Then, to find the coffee shop is a puzzle, too... we eventually found it.

I got the green tea latte - matcha. I liked the slight bitterness...it makes me think somehow that it's healthier... haha! The best thing about my beverage was the latte art... it looked like a sweet little angel to me. Alana's latte looked like a fancy swan. Maybe next time, we might get a cute bear (I saw photos!)...

So, now that we kind of know how to get here, we might return to this cozy place. We sat at the counter and watched some creation of a concoction...like a bubbly science experiment with bunsen burners and a glass beaker! It was a unique experience!

This is one of three best neighborhood gems in the area of town. They have the best almond essence latte, make lots of great quality artisan coffees and a chill relaxing vibe for studying, working or simply chill.

The owners are always nice too. Come here if you want a great coffee and spot to relax.

Matcha Latte was fantastic. Their attention to detail is outstanding. They have some artistic skill when it comes to making drawings on the latte. I almost felt bad ruining the image as I drank it.

Decaf siphon coffee - used verve coffee beans and used a siphon to brew the coffee. Holy crap was it good! It was so tasty, light, and smooth.

Cute little coffee shop with a delicious Green Tea Matcha Latte and yummy pastries. I'm not much of a coffee drinker, so the green tea matcha latte was the only option. I was a bit worried it would be overwhelmingly matcha flavor - but it was just right and quite refreshing.

Their pastries were on display as well and we had gotten the last Reuben Meets Cubano and one of the Bombolinos. The Reuben Meets Cubano was divine, and was a recommendation of the cashier's. Crispy on the outside - delicious on the inside. The bombolino was good as it had a custard and was sprinkled with sugar on the outside.

If you order coffee - espresso I am guessing. They let you smell it before they put it through to be grinded. Parking may be slightly challenging - though the time we went we found a spot quickly. Hopefully they may have other options next time that is not just coffee - but it is a coffee shop.

Ok, for real, does EVERYTHING in Japantown have to be so awesome?! The grocery store, the tchatchki stores, the dessert shop, the best ramen, and now one of the best matcha lattes I've ever had. Not only is the matcha itself delicious, but they use Straus Family Creamery to latte it up.

My feyonce loved his coffee, my girl loved her cafe latte, and the strawberry rhubarb hand pie was a nice, not so sweet but so so delicious accompaniment. My one gripe? I wanted the panda! But then I would've felt bad drinking the panda away, so I guess it's alright...