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Mon. 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
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This place has great espresso drinks and get its beans from Intelligentsia and other high end coffee purveyors. Really small but has nice outside seating. I love the ambiance here, a real neighborhood hole-in-the-wall.
I would highly recommend the machiatto over the capuccino, as the machiatto is like a capuccino you'd get in Italy or at Luxxe Cafe. The capuccino has too much milk for me. The mocha is also quite good.
As a previous review has stated, this place does lack ambiance.
Well, it is a coffee shop, and they do that VERY well. Even the water is filtered, through reverse-osmosis. You know you're getting 0 pNp! If you're coming JUST for coffee, you'll be fine.
Anyhow, there's hardly any seating, and the bathroom is cumbersome. You have to ask them to open an adjacent door.
Someone else mentioned that they have pretzels, and the ones from Rockenwagner. Well, they don't. Get over it.
I live pretty close, and these days I'm all about walking to local places. As more businesses open downtown, it makes my life happier.
Employees are really cool, and the owner has bling in his teeth. Keep it real.
**UPDATE***
Well, well, well.... look who FINALLY joined the 21st century and got themselves a brand new shiny fancy-pants credit-card machine.
Now that you're not living in the dark ages, I will commence charging ever last Visa dollar (that I haven't forked over to "L.A. Singles Hotline") on your absolutely delicious coffee.
Seriously folks: this place is as good as it gets.
These guys take their coffee very seriously; you can sense their professionalism, and their pride,… Read more »
Best coffee in downtown DTLA. Hands down. Good hours for the weekend considering most everything closes early.
Americano was like holy crap amazing.
Ps. I like that there aren't a lot of places inside to sit, free wifi and tons of out of work screenwriters there. It's just coffee. That's it. Gloriously Simple.
I LOVE THEIR ESSPRESSO'S!!!!!! Mmmmmmmmm VANILLA!!!!
I wake up, slightly hungover and in desperate need of coffee. Do a quick Yelp search on my iPhone for coffee shops near the hotel:
Starbucks .1 mile Coffee Bean .2 mile Starbucks .2 mile Spring for Coffee .6 mile
Wait, Spring for Coffee? Never heard of it, 4.5 star avg rating, I'm there!
The first thing I noticed when I walked in is that they use beans from Ritual Roasters, always a good sign. My soy latte was pretty good though I must be getting spoiled by Blue Bottle because nothing else wows me anymore. I also had a ginger scone which was pretty bad...I know the scone by nature is supposed to be dry but this was drier (more dry?) than most.
I'm glad I walked the extra .4-.5 mile to check out Spring for Coffee. These people are passionate about their coffee and I'll always do my part to support a local business!
If you are looking for coffee or espresso beverages in downtown LA, Spring for Coffee is a must! Excellent drinks, quick, and very friendly service.
They use beans from Equator, Ritual Roasters (from right around the corner from me in SF!), and Intelligentsia, and dairy from Strauss. This last point is key, Strauss Creamery dairy makes a big difference in flavor and body.
The baked goods are good too. They are not the reason to go, though. Go for the coffee and get a pastry if you are so inclined.
My latte was good. My main issue with the place is the ambience and for someone like me who isn't exactly a coffee expert, the setting is very important.
There were several outdoor seats but nothing comfortable. Good espresso, decent service, but the ambience was lacking.
I recently quit drinking coffee. I still do a little caffeine from time to time but apparently, coffee is just too much for my delicate chemistry. Coffee turns me into a jittering freak -- a drooling and wide-eyed hag who sputters sentence fragments at anyone who'll listen. I thought I had given up my coffee habit for good, but after going to Spring for Coffee, it might just be worth a foray into the abyss -- of a sweet-ass Americano, that is.
Spring for Coffee uses Intelligentsia beans and feature a variety of "Crafted Cups," where your cup 'o joe is brewed by hand from a choice of brewers, from Eva Solo to Chemex or a traditional French press. They also have old-school drip coffee, every espresso drink under the sun and a variety of iced and hot teas. I had the Iced Green Tea, which was great, but I totally had a coffee jones at that point, so anything else seemed like a letdown. In terms of grub, they get their pastries and fresh pretzels from Rockenwagner Bakery... hells yeah.
It's a tiny space but clean, modern and streamlined and you can enjoy your java on one of the comfy chairs on the sidewalk. Also, it's cash only, so keep your credit cards to yo'self.
Spring for Coffee makes me understand why my friend Daphne calls coffee "the nectar of the gods that drives the dreams of champions." I'll be back -- however, I'll just stick to decaf and leave the old habit behind. Hugs not coffee mugs!
Let me be clear - my review is based solely on their coffee. It's no hang out joint (much to my dismay), though it's not bad to sit on the window seats and watch life on cool-and-oddball-at-the-same-time Spring Street go by. The dude there most of the time (the owner?) is way cool and I guess I should mention that when I've had the BEST RED EYE (hot or iced) EVER, it's only when he prepares it. The other barristas there have been hit-or-miss at times (I guess there's more of an art to the perfect red eye than I thought) though they're all nice enough. But on this earth I've only had better drip coffee hot at LA Mill - for three times the price of course. This is a prime example of the continuing renaissance in downtown. Go there!
I thought this place was really cute and its in a great building in downtown LA. It's really small inside but very cozy and clean. I really liked the marble interiors, decorative moldings and high ceilings. The owner/worker was very helpful and nice. He was v. informative and told me and this other girl who happened to walk in at the same time about his new iced green tea he concocted that morning. I decided to get an iced matcha au lait and he made it fresh- japanese cha-do (or sado) style using a whisk and ceramic bowl. It was fresh and delicious (with a little bit of simple syrup).Definitely not the overly sweet ones at Starbucks (blech and so not authentic) I definitely recommend this place and will go back to try their coffee!
Warning- the street parking is a bit expensive- $3 for one hour, so I recommend going after 3pm and parking at the LA public library for a flat rate of $1 so you can walk to the shop, grab your coffee and sit out in the courtyard and enjoy a book and delicious beverage!
While I was here for the opening day, I finally realized I should review this place. I covered it early on on my blog, with a nice photo set. Spring for Coffee is one of my favorite coffee bars in the city for a number of reasons.
#1: the prices are very reasonable for the quality you get. They get weekly shipments from top roasters from around the country like Intelligentsia, La Mill, Ritual, Jaguar and Equator.
#2: you get to customize your brewing method like Chemex, gold-filtered Melitta pour-over (something I do at work), Eva Solo, and French Press. Few places in the city offer this array of brewing methods.
#3: the espresso is top-notch. They get different kinds of blends from top roasters (yet again) and pull shots on a fantastic little La Marzocco.
#4: They get small shipments from roasters so the high turnover means fresher coffee. They just got a shipment of microlot coffee (read via twitter - search for them) that nearly sold out on the first day.
#5: It's the closest "good" coffee shop from my office. I make the nearly half-mile walk about once every week or every other week just because I know they've got the good stuff.
#6: The staff is courteous, helpful, and passionate about what they do.
While Spring for Coffee is a diminuitive shop with about 300 SF of space, they turn out some of the best espresso and coffee in the city.
My cups of Bolivian (Intelligentsia), Equator, and La Mill were fantastic, brewed as good as anywhere in the city. Their milk is all Strauss, which is the highest quality and formulated just for use in espresso/coffee drinks.
You really can't get much better than Spring for Coffee in Downtown, so stop by when you get the chance.
I really care a lot about top-knotch coffee and trust me, this is the real deal. It honestly could be a little cheaper, but most places that take coffee seriously are in the same range.
The only major bummer is that there's NO place to hang out. There are a few chairs just outside on the sidewalk, but it's not an enjoyable place to spend a few hours. There's no WiFi either.
The tongue.
My tongue.
It's a pretty important organ. It pushes food around in my mouth, let's me lick things, and, most importantly, it bogarts all my taste buds!
I've been trying to figure a way to repair the damage done to my taste buds by the swill I've been drinking from the Starbucks downstairs in my office building. When I heard about Spring for Coffee, I was fairly excited.
"This represents an opportunity to take the taste buds on a cleansing," my tongue chimed in, "send them on a spiritual journey and give an out-of-tongue experience."
~ Shit. I have to stop putting my tongue on toads and other things. ~
Stopping by, I was able to meet and speak with Maru Nagano (Morihiro Onodera's longtime sous chef at Mori Sushi) and Ken Yoshitake (a fine art collector). Having a soft opening starting yesterday, they were actually in the process of closing when I walked in at a little over 1 pm.
I had a cup of Koratie, which is a bean imported by Lamill and grown in the Sidamo region of Ethiopia (I have ZERO idea where the Sidamo region is in Ethiopia, and this is the part of the review that should probably be considered "filler"), brewed using a Chemex coffee maker that Ken and Maru together used to make and serve the coffee--watching them work was like watching sushi chefs making your sushi right in front of you ($3.50). Very subtle flavors, and certainly more subtle than my taste buds could discern at this point, but a very nice mouthfeel--just like the timid, sweet first kiss from someone that you've anticipated kissing but have long held back from so doing. Ahem...I digress.
I also had an almond croissant that was sourced, like the rest of their pastry offerings, from Rockenwagner ($3.10). A fairly substantive pastry, it didn't have the airiness nor melt-in-your mouth qualities of a traditional French croissant. However, it was a good companion to the clean and pure tasting Koratie.
I think it's going to be a long and slow road to recovery, but I think my taste buds are worth it.
Tongue, you STFU.
Special Hours for March 12, 2009 (Downtown Artwalk):
5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Normal Hours (starting tomorrow, March 13, 2009):
Mon.-Fri.: 6 am - 7 am
Sat.: 7 am - 5 pm
Sun.: 8 am - 2 pm
I moved 2 blocks away from here and miss that it's not across the street from me. I am a big espresso drinker and their featured espressos were always great! The guys behind the counter are always knowledgeable about what they are serving you. It definitely makes the coffee more enjoyable.
Another great thing is their coffee doesn't taste like dirt (cough starbucks cough). I drink my iced coffee black and can taste the bold yet full flavor of the coffee. It doesn't taste burnt which is a huge plus.
Check out the pastry selection they have. I hear the ginger scones are awesome.
I cant say enough good things about this place.
As Gin-Chong says - they do a fantastic job @ just coffee. They dont try to be a replacement for a full cafe.
Espresso and french presses are like my bibles - and if you believe in them, come to this church. I do a lil jig everytime I exit the place!
This IS the best coffee you can get Downtown. They take it serious but they are also very nice about how they go about it.
Great coffee - LAmill, among others. 8 oz cups make me happy. I like my Americanos in them.
I don't need to instruct them on how to make an Americano, which I do at many places and it annoys me.
I've been a few times and always happy with my coffee - but what makes me give them five stars is their pastries. They come from a bakery in santa monica that I do not know (rock....something?) and the three berry scone was perfect. They also have a ginger scone and some other delicious looking things.
In and out - a great cup of coffee in hand from a speedy and friendly group of folks here. Such a refreshing attitude from some of the other local coffee spots in here in the "revitalized" Downtown LA area. I prefer this place to the LA Cafe. It is small and there's no real place to sit for a meeting - but for a quick coffee on your way into the office - this is a great spot!
I finally ventured in after walking by with my dogs nearly every day. I gotta say they made some great espresso. It might very well be the best espresso south of Portland Oregon
everyone else already raved about the great coffee and friendly service.. so, i'm just adding my 5 stars..
try the GINGER SCONE!! yummy!! if you're not into ginger, the multi-grain scone is great too!
Being from San Francisco, I think Blue Bottle is the Holy Grail of excellent coffee. So it was with skepticism that I walked into the wee storefront of Spring for Coffee a couple of weeks ago.
But.
The coffee was exceptional. Properly pulled espresso with a lovely crema which I asked them to destroy with steamed milk. Strauss milk, at least. It was an awesome latte.
The outside seating provided some great people-watching and fodder for my journal. Even though Spring is rather out of the way for me, it is likely to make the regular rotation when I'm in town visiting family.
I really love little places like this. The 'crafted cup' of coffee at the cleverly dubbed 'Spring for Coffee', really opens up a communicational flow that people in big cities may become jaded to or never knew existed. Coming from a small town, this is a great compliment. This place makes you feel that you are part of a community, with neighbors and familiar faces.
The barrista that served my boyfriend and I tonight was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and passionate about what he does and stands for (which is fresh delicious coffee). Never in my life have I chatted about the finer details of coffee and coffee brewing than in the 15 minutes we spend with this person, which is saying a lot since the aforementioned boyfriends' parents have been in the coffee industry for the past 20 years and I myself worked for the same company for a year.
The prices are very reasonable, although as I am not a cash carrier, I have to say that I hope a credit card machine is on the way. They open really early in the morning which I think is great for the downtown area. For my own personal gain however, I think they should open at 5am so that I can have a cup on my way to work.
I think that it will do well in this up & coming area if they keep up the friendly, inviting atmosphere and pretty much just keep doing what they are doing.
Two thumbs way up.
Cheers.
Breezer M
the temporarily part is gone. it is now cash only.
i had my very first espresso shot the other day...actually two of them. it was damn good and i never thought i would every say that or even try a shot. the staff is definitely very knowledgeable. they know their coffee.
for a tiny little coffee shop, they get super busy and tons of regular customers that keep coming back for more. i overheard a customer say they were the best coffee place in california.
it's teeniest, tiniest, cutest little coffee shop with the friendliest staff that knows patrons by… Read more »
Of all the interesting cafes proliferating Downtown, this is my favorite. A veritable jewel - tiny and exquisite. As all the five-star reviews attest, the coffee is notches above most places. The four tea varieties were selected with the same discrimination. I love how I can pair the perfect brew with a ginger or multi-grain scone from Rockenwagner's, all the while getting a mini-lecture on how to tell if coffee is fresh (should never sink to the bottom).
- great espresso selection
- ...which they brew very well, very tasty
- full marks for their milk-steaming capabilities and latte art
They lose a star because
- the chocolate they use, e.g., for their mochas, is crap: the over-sugared, non-chocolatey variety.
- I ordered a latte but was given a mocha (and didn't realize till I was gone).
I came here for the first time today after wanting to try it out for about a month. It was adorable, the service was spectacular, and my vanilla latte was delicious! It even came with a heart design on it. So cute. I will definitely be coming here in the mornings from now on.
Great espresso, I agree. If all you want is a cup to go and a conversation with the - indeed - very knowledgeable and friendly baristas about the coffee, or any other topic I suppose, you will in fact find this to be a five-star place. Their roasts are fresh and their pulls professional.
However, I cannot shake my lingering disappointment about their lack of seating. And it's fairly constant - the three front tables with their six chairs are always taken up. That's all there is. The first time I came here, I hoofed it several blocks over to check out what all the fuss was about, looking forward to a few minutes with my book and my coffee, and had to leave again almost as quickly with a to-go cup. Bummer. I enjoy coffee sitting down; what can I say? It limits what this place could be, and for that it's far from my top choice, or even my second.
But still, a very welcome addition to Downtown.
The people here definitely know how to do coffee! I am amazed at how good the cafe latte was and I didn't get the mass produced everyday coffee vibe like at other bland shops. I consider this the champaign of coffee!
Cute place. Friendly staff. Good coffee. Slow service. Not the type of place you go before work for a quick cup of coffee. Granted, the baristas take their time to brew you the perfect cup. But if you're in any kind of a hurry, don't go here.
only been here once, but this place came highly recommended and lived up to those expectations, to say the least. i got a cappuccino, not knowing what i was in for...which was the most delicious creamiest milk to ever meet my lips. man, they know what they're doing pretty much is all...
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